Establishing the fact that God does in fact change else man could never be saved, one only has to look at the covenantal arrangement in the Scriptures. First, there was the Patriarchal Covenant. This covenant was as the father ruled his family. He was priest of his offspring and was the only one who could offer sacrifices to God. When man spread across the continents, this father-rule yielded to the oldest living male. He became the “senior patriarch” or high priest and was the guarantor of peace and prosperity among his congregation. Then, during the Patriarchal Covenant, God added the Mosaical Covenant. This was really an addendum, not a separate covenant. This addendum was strictly a national government for the Jewish people. Patriarchal in its arrangement, the Moasical Covenant followed the same moral code but added a weekly national day of remembrance for those who had crossed the Red Sea. This day was the Sabbath day and it was a day of remembrance, not a day of worship, necessarily. God had chosen for Himself a people who would bring His Son into the physical realm through a physical people. Finally, God “changed His mind, again” when He sent His only-begotten Son into this world through the seed of Abraham. This Son would reign over God’s people as planned. The purpose of the Jewish people would be accomplished when Christ would come into this world. Those who believe the Jew to still be chosen have to deny the coming of Christ and believe the promise to Abraham still to be existent.
To the text and context. Malachi was a name meaning “my messenger”. It was written in and about 450BC just after the walls of Jerusalem had been restored. Priests had been offering sacrifices for about 100 years, but the priests were careless, they were offering lame, sick, blind, and animals that were halt. In so doing, they were mocking God instead of honoring Him. The people doubted God and were intermarrying out side Israel. The enthusiasm that marked the return to Jerusalem 100 years earlier had ceased. The Jewish people were discouraged, there was a drought, and the crops were bad. They had expected a golden age to follow their return but it had not dawned and they complained and wanted to know WHY!. Did not God care? Malachi answered these doubts: God is still on His throne, Malachi reported, and if God is to bless His people, they will have to pay their tithes, obey Him, and see how wonderful things could be. The Messiah was still truly coming and before the Messiah came, Elijah (John the Baptist) must come. Here, we take up our quoted text, “For I Am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away form mine ordinances, and have not kept them, Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” Malachi 3:6-9 God declared, He had not changed the plan, the Messiah was still coming, but in their condition of heart, if He were to come, He would destroy them from the face of the earth!!
God is as good as His word!! This principle is the guide to all our dealings with our Lord. When it seems He cannot do what He has promised, God will do what He promised. When all seems to point to the contrary, God will do what He intended. His plan to send the Messiah, even though it looked impossible in the present circumstances, God would make happen. Miracles, tongues, and the Jew as God’s chosen, deny ALL the integrity of the God we serve. To teach them as truth deny God!!
