Lesson 6: Those Who Fear the Lord

Scripture to Read: Malachi 3:1618

These verses follow Malachi’s oracle against those who rob God and are cursed for doing so. Within this brief passage, we see a clear distinction between the righteous and the wicked in the eyes of God. Throughout Malachi’s prophecy, especially in chapter 3, the people of Israel who claimed to be following the one true God seemed to be confused over what was righteous and what was wicked because they saw the wicked prospering and seeming to escape God’s judgment. Either because of this confusion, or because of their determination to follow their own ways, the nation concluded that serving God was futile—perhaps as justification for their own abandonment of their obligation to obey His Law.

Malachi was encouraging to those in Israel who truly feared the Lord. Their words spoken to one another, to urge one another to cling to covenant faithfulness, were heard and recorded by God. This picture of God recording every word and act of obedience to Him must have been a great affirmation to the faithful Israelites to continue walking in righteousness before Him. Again, this passage served as the prophet’s, and God’s, answer to anyone who would dare to think God would be unjust by failing to judge evil, or uncaring by failing to reward obedience. The contrast between the for the obvious fact is that those who do evil will not be spared by God as will those who serve Him faithfully. Israel desperately needed to see the difference between good and evil, and the book of Malachi presented that “wakeup call” with great clarity and force.

Study Questions

• Why was there a scroll on behalf of those who feared the Lord?
• Why would verse 17 be an encouragement to those who might be struggling, yet were following God?
• What is the distinction between the two groups, according to verse 18?

Something to Think About

We too can rest in the assurance that God knows His own and will one day claim us as His children. We can thus have true peace today and each day, knowing we are His treasured possession and that He knows our name.