A PROMISE OF THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH In the first chapter he reveals the wounds of the people as a whole, leaders and commons, having despised God’s name, through offering blemished sacrifices and literal worship from defiled hearts. And in the second chapter, he rebukes them for breaking the divine commandment and covenant that their blessings turned into curses. They dealt treacherously with the Lord their God, and men dealt treacherously with their wives. And in chapters three and four, the prophet Malachi speaks to us about the first and the second coming of the incarnate Word of God: In His first coming to dwell among humanity, being His temple; and in the second, to judge and burns up evil. The Lord Himself in His love for humanity will descend to sanctify her. Now in this chapter, he presents the promise of the coming of the Messiah, and of the messenger who prepares the way before Him; Who alone will purify His people as though with fire; Then they will present their offerings with righteousness. His coming does not imply their negativity. As they are committed to return to Him, in order for them to experience His return to them. He requests from them to return to Him with practical steps, in true spiritual worship, trusting that God will be compassionate to them as His children, to enjoy the Spirit of wisdom and discernment. 1- Preparing for the coming of the Messiah 1. 2- A divine purifying fire 2–3. 3- He will change them, but with no change of Himself 4–6. 4- Returning to the Lord of hosts 7–12. 5- Their corrupted concepts 13–15. 6- God dealing with them as His children 16–18. 1. PREPARING FOR THE COMING OF THEMESSIAH Mockingly, the wicked were asking: “where is the God of justice?” (Malachi 2:17). The answer came quickly, that He would come at the fullness of time, which has become at hand. “‘Behold, I send My messenger. And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1). Here the Lord refers to St. John the Baptist, whom He sends to prepare the way before Him by proclaiming repentance, by offering the baptism of repentance, and by testifying to the Lord as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He calls St. John “His angel.” Here, many of the Church Fathers stand in awe before such exalted love of God for man. He wishes to call every man His own angel. In His love, He wishes to lift every man up to the highest heavenly level. He prepared humanity for His coming since the fall of Adam and Eve, when He promised them, saying: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3; 15). Then, came the Patriarchs to present symbols and prophecies about His coming; and finally, St. John the Baptist, called by God “His angel” (1) came to prepare the way before the promised Messiah. He is coming to proclaim the divine message, which he 57 received from heaven, and not from human. The Old testament ended by that promise; Then came the beginning of the gospel of the apostle St. Mark, being the first of the gospels, to testify to the realization of that promise (Mark 1:12). St. John the Baptist came to prepare the way before the Lord Christ, by proclaiming repentance, and by offering the Baptism of repentance. He came to proclaim to the people that their salvation does not lie in being carnally referred to Abraham the Patriarch, but by the coming of Him, whom Abraham hoped to come. This prophecy came very clear; and was realized in the person of St. John the Baptist, who testified to the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Jews tried to present various interpretations of this text. Some claimed that Malachi speaks about himself as the angel of the Lord; and some others claimed that he refers to the angel of death who casts the wicked into Hades. The prophet confirms that the Lord will suddenly come to His temple; He, whom the pious who fear the Lord seek since the days of Adam and Eve. They wait for Him with great joy; and according to the evangelist: “They anticipated the comfort of Israel;” “A redemption in Israel;” and “The desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7); in whom, all will find the pleasure of their heart. “Will suddenly come” (1); His coming is at hand. We are not, like the Patriarchs and the prophets, who had to wait for Him to come in the distant future, because His coming drew near. By saying “suddenly,” He probably means that His coming will be at a time not expected by many, despite the clarity of the prophecies, and even the reference to the time of His coming, as it came in the book of Daniel. Although the priests, at the time He was born, confirmed that this would take place in Bethlehem Ephratah, yet His coming for them was sudden; because they were not prepared, despite their mental awareness of it “To His temple”: At the age of twelve, He stood in the temple among the teachers, drawing their hearts by His authority; doing “His fathers business” (Luke 2:49). And several times, He came to the temple of Jerusalem, and drove away from it the sellers of pigeons and the moneylenders. He did that with authority, being His own temple and His own house. And when He came to Jerusalem in the last week, He headed directly to the temple (Matthew 21:12). There many blind and lame came to Him to seek healing (Matthew 21:14). And there, He preached and performed miracles and wonders. Although He came to set a new temple in the hearts of His believers; yet He honored the temple in Jerusalem; commanding us to honor the house of the Lord. “’Behold, He is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.” The Speaker is faithful in His promises; is capable of realizing them; He came with no delay. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John” (John 1:6); called “a messenger” (Malachi 3:1); in reference to that a messenger is not speaking on his own1. The Lord Jesus talked about John’s attire, imprisonment, and role in prophecy; revealing that he is greater than a prophet; being so near and so close to the Messiah who is to come. He says: “Behold, I send My messenger before Me.” Those who ride 1 Homilies on St. John, Homily 6:1.. 58 close to the king are greater than any other1. St. John Chrysostom St. John the Baptist is considered greater than other prophets for the following reason: While the other prophets prophesied about the coming of the Messiah, St. John pointed with his finger, saying: “This is the Lamb of God who carries away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By baptizing His Lord, his status was further enhanced; realizing the prophecy of Malachi that he is an angel. Being so called was not according to his nature, but because of the importance of his message; being the messenger who proclaims the coming of the Lord2. St. Jerome The word “angel” means the messenger of God, like Moses, Joshua the son of Nun, and the other prophets, till St. John the Baptist3. Fr. Ambrosiaster In this text he tells us about the two comings of Christ – the first and the second. Concerning the first, he says: “Will suddenly come to His temple” (Malachi 3:1), referring to Christ’s body, about which He Himself says: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). And about His second coming, he prophesied by the words: “Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” (Malachi 3:2)4. Humans could be called angels; as what the apostle says about himself: “You received me as an angel of God” (Galatians 4:14). And according to what is said about St. John the Baptist: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You” (Matthew 11:10). And at His coming, with all His angels (Matthew 25; 31), He will have with Him His saints as well5. St. Augustine 2. A DIVINE PURIFYING FIRE The Holy Lord will come to set out of His saints, His holy temple. With His amazing love for men, He counts them as heavenly pure gold or silver, whom He desires to clothe with His divine righteousness; to make their heart a holy temple, where every worship or offering, He will smell a fragrance that pleases Him. “And who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like the fuller’s soap.” (Malachi 3:2) Although He came incarnate in humility, Yet He encounters all ranks, even the despised slaves then. “Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” Although He came, not to judge the world, but to save the world; yet He was with such authority that terrified the Jewish leaderships. That was about His first coming to save; so what about His second coming to Judge? The believers will see Him with eyes like those of a dove; whereas the wicked will see His eyes flaring with fire! 1 The Gospel of Matthew, homily 37:2. 2 Comm. on Matthew 2: 11:9. 3 Epistle to the Galatians 3:19:1. 4 City of God 18:35. 5 On Ps. 50 (49). 59 The Lord Christ came like a refiner’s fire, and like the fuller’s soap, which cleanses the textile of impurities. “He came to send fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49). The same Christ who did that, will, later on, stand before us as our Judge. That did not escape the attention of prophets, who prophesied it. The prophet Daniel was living among the Barbarians and the Babylonians when he saw Christ coming on the clouds. Let us hear his words: “I was watching in the night visions; And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days. And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him” (See Daniel 7:13-14). The same prophet referred to God’s judgment by saying: “I watched till thrones were put in place. And the Ancient of Days was seated… A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10). Not just that, but Daniel also revealed the honor given to the righteous, saying: “…Until the Ancient of days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High; and a time came for the saints to possess the kingdom” (Daniel 7:22). This judgment will come through fire; According to Malachi: “Like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap.” Then, the righteous will enjoy great honor. And talking about the resurrection, Daniel says: “(They) shall rest, and will rise to their inheritance at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13)1. St. John Chrysostom When we fell, “A horn of salvation (was) raised up for us” (Luke 1:69); A main “Corner Stone” of foundation (Isaiah 28:16), who binds us to Him, and to one another; was raised up in the right time; And a fire (Malachi 3:2-3) was set to purify our lowly and evil things (I Corinthians 3:13-15) 2. St. Gregory of Nazianzus According to one of the Fathers of the Church, [St. John the Baptist was not daringly called an angel, while being human, because of his power or worthiness; although he is more glorious than if he is actually an angel by name or by nature. An angel is so called because of his nature as an angel, more than because he is qualified to be as such; while it is miraculous for a man, with his human nature, to be raised up to the angelic holiness, and to gain such grace of God, which is not by nature3.] “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3). “He will sit as a refiner” purifying humanity by His gospel, to set of it a holy Church without blemish. He will take away impurities from it, to become pure gold purified by fire. The apostle Paul says: “Just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27); And, “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and 1 Demonstration Against the Pagans 11:1-3. 2 On the Great Athanasius, 7. 3 Incomplete work on Matthew, homily 27. PG 56:774. 60 purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good work” (Titus 2:14). “He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver” (3). It is as though the Lord Christ purifies those who intend to dedicate their life to Him, to praise, and to minister to Him, and to offer their hearts as living sacrifices, to become the spiritual sons of Levi of the New Testament. If the Lord Christ has chosen His disciples and apostles, and granted the gift of the priesthood to them and successively to their successors; yet there is a general priesthood which the common believer receives in the sacrament of Baptism; through which he offers his prayers, fasts, and his ministry, as spiritual offerings accepted by God. The evangelist St. John says: “He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). The Lord Christ purifies His believers by fiery Holy Spirit “… by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory” (1 Peter 1:6-7). By the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, “that the offerings of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16); to realize the words of the Psalmist, saying: “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness” (Psalm 4:5); and the words of the apostle Paul, saying: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). Take away the defilement of their blasphemy that came you, and purify by the breath of the holy sanctification, the souls buried in the distasteful mire, to turn back the dens of thieves into houses of prayers1. If they, with no knowledge about mysteries and visions, based their judgment just upon their present personal interests, their foolishness in understanding the prophecies, would be apparent. We are committed to take away such foolishness and envy from our minds, and it is fitting for us to become more flaring than fire, to be able to confront such kind of people. That is why the Lord Christ says: “I came to send fire on the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). And that is why the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of fire2. St. John Chrysostom “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). The blessed John the Baptist added to the word “Spirit,” the expression bearing the meaning of work “and fire.” That does not mean that, by Christ we are baptized with fire; but through the reference to fire, we are granted the life-giving energy of the Spirit3. St. Cyril the Great 3. HE WILL CHANGE THEM, WITH NO CHANGE OF HIMSELF “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years” (Malachi 3:4). In the first chapter, He talked about their defiled sacrifices on His altar (1:7). Here, talking about the coming of the Messiah and the enjoyment by the believers of His 1 The Seven Books on Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius, 7:1 2. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 6:4. 3 Fragment 27 61 righteousness, he says: “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord” (4). Here He talks about the new offering through the cross, and the sacrifice of the Eucharist, the subject of the Father’s pleasure, and not displeasure to Him. “As in the days of old; as in former years.” Here He brings their memory back to the offering of ‘Abel’ which was accepted by God; That of ‘Noah,’ after the great flood, whose pleasing odor was smelled by God; That of ‘Aaron,’ on which God sent fire from heaven; And that of ‘Elijah,’ etc. Likewise, through the cross, the Lord makes us accepted in Him, and beloved (Ephesians 1:6); and He will be pleased by us, and by what we offer Him of what He has given us. The apostle says about his ministry among the Gentiles of the gospel of salvation: “That the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16). The apostle asks us as well, to offer a sacrifice, acceptable to God, through our attachment to the sacrifice of the cross: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). How can you, conforming to this age; and not transformed to the renewal of your mind, but, instead, is still living according to the ancient man… How can you heed the words of the apostle, who commands you to offer your bodies a living holy sacrifice, acceptable by God? How can you, as a priest of God, and anointed for this particular goal, present to God an offering, which is not totally foreign from you, or deceitful, formed of something outside you? He seeks from you a true offering constituting what is inside you, your inner man, who helps you to be perfect, as a lamb without blemish (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:27)? How can you present those offerings before God, if you do not listen to the Law, which bans anyone, who is not holy, from becoming a priest?1 St. Gregory of Nyssa The Gentiles have presented to God an acceptable sacrifice, when they believed in the Lord Christ, and became sanctified by the gospel2. St. Augustine “‘And I will come near you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows, and the fatherless, and against those who turn away an alien – Because they do not fear Me,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:5). God who is compassionate on humanity, as his children; who accepts them as an object of his pleasure; and who smells their gifts, of what he gave them, a sweet fragrance of pleasure through the cross, comes to judge those who refuse to respond to His love, and who challenge the divine justice. a- Testifying by His cross against the sorcerers: By His cross He becomes a witness against the sorcerers who do not accept the divine love; but trust the ability of their father the devil. At the end of the Holy Bible, the Lord Himself warns against sorcery; including the sorcerers among the categories that “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). 1. On Virginity, 23 2 On Romans, 83. 62 b- Testifying by His cross against the adulterers: who are submerged in the mire of lusts. In Isaiah, the Lord rebukes the diverted people, saying: “But come here, you sons of the sorceress, you offspring of the adulterer and the harlot” (Isaiah 57:3). And in Hosea, saying: “Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; for she is not My wife, nor am I her husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts” (Hosea 2:2). And, “They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker” (Hosea 7:4). Isaiah started his prophecy by calling the city a “harlot,” saying: “How the faithful city has become a harlot?” (Isaiah 1:21). He accuses them of harlotry; not only for breaking the sanctity of marriage, but also for breaking the divine commandments. Pretending that they are close to God, in secret, they were slaves of the devil; which is actually a kind of harlotry1. Theodoret of Cyrus She is not faithful to Me; but has actually betrayed My covenant; treacherously dealt with the purity of our bond; and has no intention of having the fruits of My will2. St. Cyril the Great c- Testifying by His cross against the perjurers: Those who make wrongful use of the name of God. He says on the tongue of the prophet Zechariah: “I will send out the curse,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by my name. It shall remain in the midst of the house, and consumes it, with its timber and stones.” (Zechariah 5:4) d- Testifying against those who exploit their brethren: Those who exploit wage earners, the widows and the fatherless; and against those who turn away the alien, or deprive him of his rights, for he is ignorant of the laws of the land. God counts any of these actions as lack of fear of Him. The Psalmist says about the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes” (Psalm 36:1). God often warns us against practicing oppression, counting it as though directed against Him personally, and against His commandment: “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor” (Zechariah 7:10). “You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to Me, I will surely heed their cry, My wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword” (Exodus 22:22-23). “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Those without protection are more prone to oppression; and the more the victim is humble, the more the oppressor is counted as acting against God3. St. Jerome St. Jerome sees in the widow, the soul that lost God as her heavenly Groom; in the orphan, the soul that is deprived of the fatherhood of God; in the alien, the soul that has no place to settle down4; namely in the divine bosoms; and in the wage-earner, he, who is preoccupied with material things rather than with eternities. It is fitting for us to care for those souls, and not to neglect their salvation, to make them enjoy a fellowship 1 Commentary on Isaiah 57:3. 2 Commentary on Hosea 2:11. 3 Homily 22 on Ps 94 (93). 4 Homily 22 on Ps. 94 (93). 63 with God, the sweetness of salvation, and the fellowship of the eternal glory. “For I am the Lord, I do not change. Therefore, you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (Malachi 3:6). God shows His longsuffering upon them. Their fathers rebelled against Him, and against His ministers, since their early days as a nation in Egypt, when the Jews said to Moses: “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?” (Exodus 2:14) And after the exodus, when the people often murmured against Moses and Aaron, and when they worshipped the golden calf; And even after entering the Promised Land, when they demanded a king over them like the other nations (1 Samuel 8:5); and the Lord said to the prophet Samuel: “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). They often rebelled against the commandment, worshipped idols, and committed abominations. He says: “From the days of your fathers, you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them” (Malachi 3:7); And reveals to them that, instead of returning to Him, they consummated the cup of evil of their fathers; and as said by Ezra: “Since the days of our fathers to this day, we have been very guilty” (Ezra 9:7). He did not let them stay confused, but provided them with the cure through returning to Him; being alone the secret of their healing of their incurable ailments. Repentance is not merely to forsake the sin, but it should imply a positive action; namely the return to God, and getting perpetually preoccupied with Him. Not being capable of realizing the truth of their depths, they asked: “In what way shall we return?” In their wickedness and treachery to God, and to their weak brethren, they assumed that they are with God, and that He dwells among them, merely for their assumed care of Jerusalem and the presence of the temple in it. By asking, “In what way shall we return,” they proclaim the resentment they feel in their hearts toward the true prophets; whom they count as just being fond of rebuking, and of demanding in things without any right; by which they trouble their conscience with no warranted reason. Haughtily, they ask, “In what way shall we return?” namely, ‘What are your charges against us?’ Threatening those who, having no fear of the Lord, abuse their brethren, especially the weak, the poor, and the aliens, He confirms to them that his threat is irreversible, except by moving toward His mercy, through forsaking what they do, and by resuming their connection to God Himself. By saying: “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6), He confirms to them, that not one of His words will ever fall; that He will never make peace with sin; and will never have any fellowship with darkness. If, with His longsuffering, He has kept His people from being consumed. That is because He is anticipating their return to Him through repentance. He is faithful in His love and His divine promises. “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). And as the prophet Jeremiah says: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22). In a response by Origen ‘Against Celsus,’ who attacked Christianity as well as Judaism, and claimed that the doctrine of incarnation, makes God vulnerable to change from goodness to evil; from virtue to wickedness; from happiness to misery; and from what is best to what is worse; … he says that together with His consistence on not changing His essence, He came down to human affairs through the ordainment of His 64 care. While our Holy Bible proclaims that God is not prone to change, by saying: “You are the same” (Psalm 102:27), and “I do not change” (Malachi 3:6), the gods ‘Epicures,’ being formed of atoms, and through their ability to cast away the atoms that contain factors of destruction, they are prone to dissolution. Even the Epicurean god being material, its essence was once formed of a main leading factor; that is when the world burns up and in another time, when matters are rearranged, it becomes partially material; Even the Epicureans were unable to realize and understand the idea that the true God is distinguished as naturally and perfectly uncorrupt; simple, and indivisible1. Listen to God saying: “I am the Lord, I do not change;” namely, He will always stay steadfastly unchangeable in His being. And those who have changed [are reformed through the Gospel] by His commandment will, as far as they could, not change or divert by time from what they have become. That is why the apostle Paul warns the people, saying, “Do not conform with this world, but change by the renewal of your minds, that you may be able to discern the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God2.” St. Severus of Antioch How could He be prone to change and to transformation, He who says: “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” (John 14:10). And, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). And through His prophet, he says: “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6)? … Even when He became Man, He did not change. But, according to the apostle, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrew 13:8)3. Pope Alexander of Alexandria God will always stay unchanged; and will never need to progress; He will forever stay as He is, by Himself and to Himself4. St. Hilary of Poitiér The created would change according to the will of His Creator, because he is changeable by nature. Whereas the Creator has a steadily unchangeable nature. That is why the prophet says about the Creator, that, being the Maker of everything, He can also change them (See Amos 5). Whereas, concerning the divine Word, the great David says: “You are the same, and Your years have no end” (Psalm 102:27). And God says about Himself: “I am the Lord, I will not change (Malachi 3:6)5. If by nature, He is above change or transformation, He will not change from being immortal to mortal; nor from being not prone to feeling pain to being prone to it, because, if this is possible, He would not be in need to take our nature6. Theodoret of Cyrus We are in need to hear what the apostle says: “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23), and for the spiritual progress in “forgetting those things which are behind” (Philippians 3:13). If man disregards this, the inevitable result would be going 1 Against Celsus 14:11. 2 Catena (James 1:17). 3 Epistles on the Arian Heresy, 2:3. 4 On the Trinity 11:47. 5 Dialogues, 1. 6 Letter 144, to the Soldiers. 65 backward from bad to worse. It is not possible for the mind to stay as it is. If someone rows with his arms strongly against a powerful storm, he would manage to proceed forward; whereas if he becomes slothful, his boat would spin around by the action of the storm. Our failure would be apparent, if we do not gain something more, because otherwise, we shall go backward, and would never go forward. As I said, the human mind cannot stay as it is. No saint can reach the summit of all virtues, as long as he is still in the body, if he stays without change. He has either to add something or to lose something. To God, who is alone the unchangeable, the blessed prophet prays, saying, “You are the same; and Your years will not fail” (Hebrew 1:12). And God says about Himself: “I am the Lord; I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). He, alone, is, by nature, perpetually good. Nothing could be added or taken from Him. That is why we should carefully submit to the requirements of virtue, and preoccupy ourselves with its work; as, like we said, the mind cannot stay the same, without some good qualities added to it, or taken away from it. Failure to acquire new qualities means loss. With no longing for progress, there will be the danger of going backwards1. Abbot Theodore The Savior Himself says: “Behold, I am the same; I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). And Paul says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrew 13:8). Yet in flesh, He was circumcised, ate, drank, was disturbed, crucified, and suffered, although He is the Word of God who is above any material passion2. If the ‘Arians’ wrongly refer the change to the Word; let them learn the extent of danger embraced in their thought; as “A tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). Therefore also “Who has seen the Son, has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Consequently the knowledge of the Son is that of the Father. Thus the unchangeable image of God should be constant and unchangeable. For “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrew 13:8); and, according to the Psalmist David: “O my God… Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, All of them will grow old like a garment; like a cloak, you will change them; and they will be changed; But You are the same” (Psalm 102:24-27; Hebrew 10:12); And God says about Himself on the tongue of His prophet: “Now see that I, even I, am He” (Deuteronomy 32:39); and, “I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). Somebody would probably say, that it is God the Father who is meant by all this. But it is logic that this should also refer to the Son. To those who claim that, once He took over a body, He has changed and became someone else; we say: When He became Man, He demonstrated no change in His person. All creatures are changeable and transformable by nature; But the Holy Bible says about the Son: “You are the same, and Your years will not fail”(Hebrew 1:12). The Son is unchangeable and untransformable; which is indeed natural. Whereas created things have originated from nothing; and have not existed before they were created; they have a changeable nature. But, because the Son exists from the Father, and is of the same essence; it is 1 St. Cassian: Conferences, 6:14. 2 Letter 59 Ad Epicetum, 5. 66 thus not just to say that, out of the Father’s unchangeable essence, a changeable Word would be born; and a changeable wisdom would come forth1. Aaron had successors; and generally, priests, according to the Law, would replace other priests, either through old age or death. Whereas the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ is “An unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrew 7:24). He became a forever faithful High Priest; Faithful, according to the promise, in order to respond to those who approach Him “Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19); because He is faithful, unchangeable, forever abiding, and Grantor of all the things that He promised2. St. Athanasius the Apostolic 4. RETURNING TO THE LORD OF HOSTS “Yet from the days of your fathers, you have gone away from My ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the lord of hosts. But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?” (Malachi 3:7) Because the Jews were preoccupied with the offerings, the sacrifices, and their abundance, disregarding the purity of heart, and the practice of brotherly love, especially toward the needy; He proclaims to them that returning to Him by the practical and living faith, has to be realized through their love of His poor brethren “the brothers of the Lord.” As, according to the beloved St. John, “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20) While the wicked offends God by his many and continuous transgressions, God, however, is longsuffering; and is waiting for the Day of Judgment; to give everyone the chance to repent… So He prefers to bear him mercifully, and to postpone his punishment… anticipating his return to Him, according to His very words: “‘For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God, ‘Therefore turn and live’” (Ezekiel 18:32). And, “’Return to me,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:7)3. St. Cyprian Seek the Lord, O sinners; “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore” (Psalm 105:4) (by repentance). Be sanctified by the holiness of His presence; be cleansed of your iniquities (See Ezekiel 36:25). Hasten to the Lord, O sinners; He takes iniquities and sins away; As He has sworn an oath, saying: “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). And, “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people” (See Isaiah 65:2); “Why should you die, O house of Jacob?” “Return to Me; And I will return to You” (Malachi 3:7)4. St. Isaac the Syrian “You have had a harlot’s forehead. You refuse to be ashamed” (Jeremiah 3:3). Return, O miserable sinner, to the Lord; that He will return to you (Malachi 3:7). Repent, that 1 Four Discourses Against the Arians, 1:35-36. 2 Four Discourses Against the Arians, 2:9. . 3 St. Cyprian: Treatise 9 on the Advantage of Patience, 4. 4 Ascetical Homilies 5:76-77. 67 He would spare you of the punishment you deserve1. St. Jerome “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8) That is a new charge addressed by the Lord Himself to the people on the tongue of His prophet, to be included in the following list of charges: The priests despise the name of the Lord (Malachi 1:6). They offer defiled bread on the altar of the Lord (1:7). They cause offense to many; by corrupting the covenant of the Lord (3:8). They dealt treacherously in Israel and in Jerusalem (3:11) They have wearied the Lord by their talk (3:17). Since the days of their fathers, they did not keep, and have gone away from the Lord’s ordinances (3:7). They have robbed the Lord (3:8). They uttered harsh words against the Lord (3:13). Here He presents the seventh charge; namely, that they have robbed the Lord of his rights over them. How can the weak creature, rob the Mighty God who knows everything? Does he imagine that He is not aware of what he does, or incapable of confronting him? It is an utter foolishness to do such a thing! “You said, “In what way have we robbed You?” They dared to justify themselves, and to seek from the Lord a proof that they have indeed committed this crime! They robbed Him of the tithes of what He gave them for free; and of the offerings designated by the Law. By that, on one aspect, they have actually committed a crime against the whole nation; depriving the poor and the needy of their portion in the house of the Lord. And on another aspect, having been so mean with the house of God, they caused the curse to come upon the earth; the nation has lost many divine gifts; beside the famines, the pestilences, and the many catastrophes of nature that came upon man. God has previously so chastened them, when they preoccupied themselves with building their own houses, disregarding building the house of the Lord (Haggai 1:11). Now He chastens them again for not providing the necessary needs of the Lord’s temple. “You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation” (Malachi 3:9) “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And prove Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). He presents to them a good advice, to practically realize that giving abundantly would open before them the windows of heaven. He refers all the divine gifts to heaven, gifts that man does not expect to get. God, with His love and abundant giving, will not stop at reconciling with man who returns to Him; but will pour on him more than he would ever imagine. “’And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the 1 Letter 147:8. 68 fruit of your ground. Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:11) God would lift up from them the punishment of locusts and other harmful pests; that they would no more find any destroyed vine in their fields. “’And all nations will call you blessed; for you will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:12). Beside the material gifts, they will be honored and respected by all nations who, seeing how much the Lord is pleased with them, will call them blessed. And, instead of mocking at them because of their sins, that caused their land to become desolate, they will call their land “a delightful land,” about which the Lord says, “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it” (Psalm 132:14). The Lord God is never in need; He does not seek a reward, but to be honored; He does not seek a pay back of what you have; but only the tithes and firstfruits. Do you object?! When it did happen, and your harvest became lean because of the draught, and the hail and frost destroyed your vines. That was because of your greedy accounts that made Him take away from you nine tenths of what you have, instead of just one tenth (the tithes)… You will have to give the evil captivator what you refrained to give to the priest… God is always ready to give in abundance; Yet man’s evil comes in the way. Man wants to take everything from the Lord God, and refrains from giving Him from the things, he wrongly assumes to be his own. Now, Just imagine that the Lord says to you: “O man, You are Mine, because I have created you. The land you cultivate, and the seeds you plant are Mine… The beasts that serve you are Mine… The rain, the wind, and the heat of the sun, are all Mine… Now, as long as all the factors of life are mine; and you have got them through My permission; you deserve only the one-tenth. yet the Mighty, yet compassionate God, gives man, for his little labor, nine-tenth of everything, and seeks for Himself only the one-tenth (the tithes)1. Fr. Caesarius of Arles 5. THEIR CORRUPTED CONCEPTS “Your words have been harsh against Me,’ says the Lord; ‘Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?” (Malachi 3:12) Having been preoccupied with the material riches. They looked around and saw how the wicked have become rich, and how the haughty were raised to the positions of leadership. Then, they counted the sacrifices they offered in their worship, as valueless, and even a loss. They were overcome with grief, when they assumed that they have lost what they offered to the temple, and got nothing in return Here, He presents the eighth charge; which is speaking harsh words against the Lord. Daringly and disrespectfully, they spoke about the Lord; and counted worshipping Him as a waste of time and fortune; and an entrance into a state of grief and bitterness. Yet they denied what they said, publicly by their mouths, or secretly by their minds and thoughts. “What have we spoken against You?” They sought from the prophet the proof of the charge put against them. Or they probably counted it as something not worthy of so much fuss. It is as though they are saying to the prophet: What we say is 1 Sermon 33:2. 69 nothing serious, compared to what the pagan nations say against the Lord; And our wickedness is nothing compared to what they do. So what is the big deal? They did not bear to hear the words of rebuke; And instead of looking into their depths, to ask the Lord to purify and sanctify them, by comparing themselves with the nations, they counted themselves righteous and good. That is why the apostle Paul asks us to “compare spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13). “You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?” (Malachi 3:14) “So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; yes, those who tempt God go free” (Malachi 3:15). Comparing themselves with the pagan nations, they counted it vain to worship God; It brought grief upon them; while the haughty who reject faith in the living God, and the evildoers lead an extremely happy and prosperous life; building and growing, and in need of nothing. They call the wicked blessed, and regret their past attachment to, and their worship of the Lord, as though it was the source of their grief and depression! They did not realize that their grief and misery were caused, not by their worship to God, but because “they teach as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). “They draw near to God with their mouth, and honor Him with their lips, but their heart is far from Him” (Matthew 15:8). Being bound to earthly gifts and temporal comfort; And as the apostle Paul says: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:19); Whereas he, who worship the Lord by Spirit and heavenly wisdom, will realize that “the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17). That is what the prophet proclaims about the day of ultimate judgment, when the wicked look very unhappy, even in appearance, and obviously very miserable. Whereas the good do not suffer any affliction or misery, but enjoy perfect eternal happiness. Quoting the words of the former category, saying: “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them” (Malachi 2:17). He says that, understanding of the Law of Moses in a carnal way, thus they rebelled against God1. The spiritually immature, place their hopes on temporal promises, and serve God, looking forward to such worldly rewards. Actually, the more the wicked flourish, the more they are disturbed. That is why the prophet Malachi – for the sake of their enlightenment – compares the eternal blessings of the New Testament, only got by the good, with the mere temporal blessings of the Old Testament, that are even mostly denied to the wicked; saying: “’Your words have been harsh against Me,’ says the Lord, Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; Yes, those who tempt God go free’” (Malachi 3:13- 15)2. 1 City of God, 20:28. 2 City of God 28:35. 70 “We call the proud blessed; For those who do wickedness are raised up;” And, those who do evil assume that they are good in the sight of God, and that they give God pleasure. Such attitude led the prophet Malachi to ask God to hasten with the ultimate judgment; in which the misery of the wicked would be too obvious to pretend happiness; Whereas the good, no more disturbed by temporal sadness, would obviously enjoy unlimited blessings. The point I wish to demonstrate here, is that such murmurs against God, are the fruits of the spiritually misinterpretation of the Law1. St. Augustine I beg you to contemplate and compare between the virtue of the righteous (Malachi), and the arrogance of the Jews. He, who is blameless, utters a very harsh verdict against himself, saying: “We have sinned; we walked as rebels against the Law; we did evil.” Whereas those with tens of thousands of transgressions, on the contrary say: “We kept His ordinance” (Malachi 3:14-15 LXX). The righteous usually walks meekly; whereas the wicked generally glorify themselves... I say this, to provoke you to avoid the wicked, and to follow the lead of the righteous2. St. John Chrysostom 6. GOD DEALING WITH THEM AS HIS CHILDREN A return to God does not stop at giving the brothers of the Lord, or at the spiritual realization of the concept of worship. But it is fitting for believers to realize that God, as a Father, is compassionate toward them as His children. Then they would enjoy the spirit of discernment, to distinguish between the righteous who practices the life of sonhood to God, and the wicked who rebels against the heavenly Father. “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord, and who meditate on His name” (Malachi 3:16). Having presented the view of those who worship the Lord in a literal way, together with the corruption of their behavior; who count their worship to God as a source of grief. Now, he presents the view of those who fear the Lord, obey Him, and meditate on His name. Here, he connects between piety; namely, the fear of God, and the continuous preoccupation with Him. Those who fear the possibility of hurting their relationship with the Lord, as His loving children, will have all their thoughts, feelings, senses, and emotions concentrated on the Lord; and will treasure His sweet name in their inner mouths. Those who have this sweet spiritual experience will always testify to the name and the salvation work of the Lord. Everyone would talk about it to his neighbor, “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). And, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things” (Matthew 12; 35). A spiritual man speaks, not only by his lips and tongue, but also with his behavior, thoughts, and features, testifying to the kingdom of God dwelling in him. How amazing are his words: “The Lord listened and heard them, so a book of remembrance was written before Him” (Malachi 3:16). The Lord, longing for the talk of those who piously love Him, listen to them, hears the words of their hearts, and lovingly 1 City of God 20:28. 2 Against Judaizing Christians, Discourse 5: 8. 71 records, as though in a book of remembrance, every word they utter. The heavenly Groom says to the human soul, holy in Him: “You have ravished My heart, My sister, My spouse; You have ravished My heart with one look of your eyes” (Songs 4:9). “Let Me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely” (Songs 2:14). “A book of remembrance was written before Him,” is a human expression, which reveals to us, in our language, how God treasures the words, holy thoughts, tears, and sighs of heart, of His children. And as the Psalmist says: “Put my tears into your bottles; Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8). Saying: “The Lord listened and heard… A book of remembrance was written” (Malachi 3:16); and also, “The books were opened” (Daniel 7:10); does not mean, as though there is a book of remembrance up there, and someone writing in it; but it refers to the precious and the precise knowledge1. St. John Chrysostom “They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My Jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him” (Malachi 3:17). God does not only treasure the words, thoughts, and feelings of those who fear Him, but He also treasures their persons; and refers to them as His own children: “They will be Mine, says the Lord of hosts.” Considering them as His own treasure. He calls Himself “The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.” He is God of everyone who counts God as his own; to be God’s own. Whoever treasures and glorifies God; God will treasure him, and pours the splendor of His glory into his depths. And as the Lord Himself says: “I will be the glory in her midst” (Zechariah 2:5); “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride. So shall your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). And, “You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God” (Isaiah 62:3). “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked; between one who serves God, and one who does not serve Him.” (Malachi 3:18) Accepting the least services from those who fear Him, and treasuring them because they are coming from those He considers as His own beloved children, The Lord grants the most beautiful gift; namely, the knowledge coming forth from Him; he grants them the spirit of discernment, to be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked. Between one who serves God, and one who does not, something, which belongs only to God, who knows the hidden secrets of the hearts? Now, “the proud are called blessed; Yes, Those who tempt God go free” (Malachi 3:15). But God threatens them that on the Day of Judgment, there will be discernment between the righteous and the wicked; and says to them: “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked. Between one who serves God, and one who does not serve God” (Malachi 3:18)2. St. Jerome 1 On Ps. 139. 2 Letter 147:2. 72 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF MALACHI 3 PURIFY, AND DWELL IN MY DEPTHS, O HOLY ONE You have sent St. John the Baptist, as Your angel; To prepare the way before You, by calling for repentance. By Your Holy Spirit, You granted me son hood; In the water of Baptism, You lifted me up to the bosom of your Father. And presented me as a son who bears Your amazing righteousness! How can I pay You back this exalted love? Dwell in my depts, O Lord, ‘the Consuming Fire’ That consumes all the thistles that strangle my soul; Makes out of me a fiery being; That all the water of the world cannot quench. Sanctify me; Purify me; To become an icon of You; O the Only Holy One! I see You descending to my weakness. I intend to return to You, O the true Love! You come to me through the suffering, the sick, and the needy! For You are the Father of the fatherless, and the Judge of the widows; You are the Shepherd of the lost souls; who bring them back to Your exalted pastures. Grant me to worship You according to Your will; To worship You by spirit and truth; In order to go above the letter; and to enjoy the Spirit. Provide me with the two wings of the Spirit, to fly to You; To get above all the earthly things, And to refrain from seeking any temporal thing. Finally, grant me the spirit of discernment; to know that You are my Father; To see, even in Your chastisements, fatherhood, compassion, and heavenly care. To discern between righteousness and wickedness; To get in touch with Your righteous saints; And to keep away from the deceitful evildoers.
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