The book of Malachi continues to unfold God’s interactions with a wayward Israel. Having confirmed His enduring love in the first message and rebuked the priesthood’s disrespect in the second, God now turns His attention to the nation’s profound unfaithfulness. In Malachi 2:17 – 3:5, we find God’s third message, a powerful declaration that promises to reveal His just character amidst Israel’s cynical words and actions. The core of this message centers on three key points: God’s weariness with Israel’s words, His unwavering intent to prove His justice, and His promise to purge His people.
1. God is Weary of Israel’s Words
God, the Creator of all, who patiently endures the failings of humanity, declares Himself “weary” of Israel’s words. This weariness is not born of weakness, but of profound disappointment and righteous indignation. While Isaiah 1:13-14 speaks of God being tired of their empty sacrifices, here it is their very words that have exhausted Him.
What were these words that so wearied the Almighty? Malachi 2:17 reveals them: “You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied Him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’”
These were words that questioned God’s ability, His presence, and His very character – His justice, His righteousness. They were words that brazenly justified evil, effectively blurring the lines between good and bad. And perhaps the most grievous aspect of all was that these cynical, accusatory words came from His own chosen people. Their skepticism and moral relativism were an affront to His holy nature.
2. God is Intent on Proving There Is a God of Justice
Despite Israel’s audacious questioning, God does not remain silent or inactive. Instead, He declares His unwavering intent to prove His justice through decisive action. “Behold, I am going to send My messenger!” (Malachi 3:1). This messenger is tasked “to prepare the way before Me.” This prophecy finds its echo in Isaiah 40:3-7, speaking of one who would clear the path for the Lord’s coming.
Malachi 3:1 speaks of two comings: the coming of “the Lord, whom you seek,” and the “Messenger of the covenant.”
The first messenger, preparing the way, is unequivocally identified with John the Baptist, who served as the final voice of warning for Israel, calling them to repentance and preparing them to receive the “new covenant” promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Tragically, Israel was not ready.
Following this preparatory messenger, God declares, “Then suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to His temple; and the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of armies. (Malachi 3:1). This refers to God’s personal arrival, His presence, which leads to the “day of His coming.” This “day of His coming” is not the Day of the LORD itself (a specific eschatological event), but rather a period of arrival and purification that precedes it. It alludes to the Great Tribulation, a time of intense trouble that precedes the ultimate “Day of the LORD” (Jeremiah 30:5-7, Ezekiel 7:1-27, Daniel 12:1, 6-7).
During this period, God declares, “I will deal with you!” (Malachi 3:3). The imagery employed is powerful: “He will sit as a refiner and purifer of silver.” This signifies that God will personally take charge in purging His people. Just as a refiner carefully heats silver to remove impurities, so too will God refine His chosen. This process will include the purging of the “sons of Levi,” the priesthood, who had fallen far from their calling, and the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem, representing the people as a whole. Zechariah 13:7-9 further describes this intense refining process, where two-thirds will be cut off, but one-third will be brought through the fire.
3. God Will Purge His People
Crucially, God’s purging of Israel is not meant to destroy, but to vindicate His justice and ultimately restore. God will personally “witness” against those who committed injustice – sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, and those who oppressed the vulnerable (Malachi 3:5). God is the “True and faithful” witness (Jeremiah 42:5, Revelation 3:14, 19:11, 21:5). His judgment is righteous and accurate.
The purpose of this severe refinement is redemptive. It is meant to restore the priesthood (Malachi 3:3) so that they may “offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness.” It is also meant to restore the people, so that their offerings may again be “pleasant to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years” (Malachi 3:4). The ultimate outcome of this purging is a renewed “fear of the LORD” among His people (Malachi 3:5).
This divine principle of judgment beginning with God’s own people is consistently taught throughout Scripture (1 Peter 4:17). It is a form of fatherly discipline, intended to prevent ultimate condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:31-32, Hebrews 12:25-29).
Conclusion
The profound message of Malachi 2:17 – 3:5 echoes through the ages to believers today. Our “words” truly matter to God because, as Matthew 12:34 states, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Our words are confessions of what we truly believe in our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:13), and they can significantly affect the innocent and the “little ones” within the body of Christ, spreading like a leaven (Galatians 5:7-9).
Before Christ returns, He will purge His Church. He has already sent messengers – and continues to work through the “five-fold ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-13) – to restore our hearts. He is personally working to cleanse the church “with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26-27), that we “may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
He will remove those who do not truly belong to His kingdom, just as the winnowing fork separates the wheat from the chaff (Matthew 3:12) and angels gather out “all things that offend, and them which do iniquity” (Matthew 13:41-42). Ultimately, Christ will restore the foundational “fear of the LORD” in His Church, a reverence that acknowledges His holiness, His justice, and His absolute sovereignty.
