Malachi 3: 17-18

TREASURED POSSESSION
Malachi 3:17-18
“They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”
BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
This verse is a continuation of Malachi 3:16 which showed us that there were a remnant of Jews who repented and chose to heed the words of YHWH. Today’s verses show how God loves people who fear and honor him and are obedient. The rest of Malachi will be primarily speaking about the future and will include messianic prophesies as well as prophesies of judgement day.
MY TREASURED POSSESSION
“They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession,”
‘’They shall be mine’’ is a phrase of ownership, of belonging to God. But not only are the Israelites His, they will be His ‘’treasured possession’’ (Heb: _sᵉgullâ_). Of the 8 times this word is used in the Old Testament, six times it refers to Israel being God’s treasure. The word has a connotation beyond just treasured or valued, it also means exclusive. In Exodus 19:5-7, God tells the Israelites: ‘’if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Once again, we see a reference to that ‘’day’’, which in prophesy, usually describes the day of judgment, the day when God will rescue his people, when the wicked will be judged, and when all would see the separation between the righteous and the wicked. On that day, no one be able to say, ‘All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them’, or ‘Where is the God of justice?’ (2:17).
A SLAVE VERSES A SON
“and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.”
John Piper, an American writer and pastor wrote ‘’Mal 3:14 says it is pointless to serve God. And Mal 3:17 says God will count them his possession and spare him who serves Him. What is the difference? It is the difference between the service of a son and the service of a slave.’’
God again tells Israel that the relationship between himself and his people is like a father to a son. John Piper explains it well, that is the reason that the Israelites were grumbling, is because they looked upon their service to God as a chore, a duty, and a requirement. In their eyes, they were like God’s slaves. However, God feels very differently. This is the third time that He uses the father/son analogy in Malachi. ‘’’A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord Almighty.’’ Mal 1:6, and ‘’Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?’’ Mal 2:10
Jesus told is disciples multiple times and in different ways: ‘“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’’ John 14:23-24. The way we show our love for God, is by obeying Him.
Full transcript in the first comment.

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*TREASURED POSSESSION*
Malachi 3:17-18
“They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”
*BACKGROUND/CONTEXT*
This verse is a continuation of Malachi 3:16 which showed us that there were a remnant of Jews who repented and chose to heed the words of YHWH. Today’s verses show how God loves people who fear and honor him and are obedient. The rest of Malachi will be primarily speaking about the future and will include messianic prophesies as well as prophesies of judgement day.
*MY TREASURED POSSESSION*
_“They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession,”_
‘’They shall be mine’’ is a phrase of ownership, of belonging to God. But not only are the Israelites His, they will be His ‘’treasured possession’’ (Heb: _sᵉgullâ_). Of the 8 times this word is used in the Old Testament, six times it refers to Israel being God’s treasure. The word has a connotation beyond just treasured or valued, it also means exclusive. In Exodus 19:5-7, God tells the Israelites: ‘’if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Once again, we see a reference to that ‘’day’’, which in prophesy, usually describes the day of judgment, the day when God will rescue his people, when the wicked will be judged, and when all would see the separation between the righteous and the wicked. On that day, no one be able to say, ‘All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them’, or ‘Where is the God of justice?’ (2:17).
*A SLAVE VERSES A SON*
_“and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.”_
John Piper, an American writer and pastor wrote ‘’Mal 3:14 says it is pointless to serve God. And Mal 3:17 says God will count them his possession and spare him who serves Him. What is the difference? It is the difference between the service of a son and the service of a slave.’’
God again tells Israel that the relationship between himself and his people is like a father to a son. John Piper explains it well, that is the reason that the Israelites were grumbling, is because they looked upon their service to God as a chore, a duty, and a requirement. In their eyes, they were like God’s slaves. However, God feels very differently. This is the third time that He uses the father/son analogy in Malachi. ‘’’A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord Almighty.’’ Mal 1:6, and ‘’Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?’’ Mal 2:10
Jesus told is disciples multiple times and in different ways: ‘“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’’ John 14:23-24. The way we show our love for God, is by obeying Him.
*THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED*
_“Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”_
In verse 3:15, the people complained that God no longer made any distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous and the wicked are a major theme seen throughout the entirety of Scripture. In Genesis 4 we see the contrast between Abel the righteous and Cain the wicked. At the end of the Bible, in Revelation 20-22, we see the final judgment of the wicked, as they are being thrown into the lake of fire. This is then compared with the righteous, the Bride of the Lamb, praising God in the New Jerusalem.
Hearing this, one can easily make the false assumption that righteousness is merely doing ‘’good things’’, while wickedness is doing ‘’bad things.’’ While that may seem the case from an outward appearance, Scripture tells us that these are merely behaviors which come from the heart. Jesus tells us: ‘’ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.’’ Luke 6:45. That is why everyone needs spiritual heart surgery.
However, there is hope. Jesus died for our unrighteousness.
When God speaks through Ezekiel prophesying about the New Covenant, He says: ‘And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.’’Ezek 36:26. And when we are in Christ, Paul tells us that we become a ‘’new creation, the old is gone, the new has come.’’ The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and does that needed heart surgery.
*APPLICATION*
Scripture tells us that ‘’all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’’ Rom 3:23. And in the end we see that the righteous will be saved, while he wicked will be judged. We are left with an apparent dilemma. “How then can anyone be saved’’ the disciples once asked. ‘’But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’’’
The people in Malachi who repented and feared God were not righteous in their previous actions but had the faith to believe God and turn back to him, choosing to obey. The Bible tells us that our faith will be counted as righteousness:
Gen 15:6 tells us about Abraham: “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
Hab 2:4 tells us “The righteous will live by faith”
Acts 10:43 says “To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes (has faith) in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Rom 5:1 says “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” where justified means to be made righteous.
The ONLY way to be righteous in God’s eyes is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself tells us in John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes (has faith in) him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.” If you have done this, then you too can know that you will be counted as righteous before God when that “day’’ comes.