In Memoriam

Malachi 3:16

In Memoriam

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.[1]

F

irst of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen [2 Peter 3:3-17].

Impious people speak against the Lord God. They thoughtlessly blaspheme His Name and ridicule His promises. It is bad enough when they do so among themselves, but their rage seems frequently to lead them to speak against the Lord God and His truth even in the presence of God’s own people. What is fascinating to note is that when the impious speak against the Lord God, His people begin to speak among themselves. They encourage one another and urge one another onward toward righteousness. In doing this, God takes special note of the words of either group.

God’s Value System — Closing his second missive of the canon of New Testament, Peter accentuates Malachi’s words found in our text. It is all together too easy to overlook little words in Scripture. Don’t read so fast that you overlook the little words in the text. The Hebrew word za; marks the time in which the impious conversations were taking place.[2] Then—when religious people were speaking without reverence of God. The verb WrB]d]nI looks back to the same verb in verse 13.

“You have said harsh things against me,” says the LORD.

“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’”

Fear is a great motivator. Those who fear bucking conventional wisdom will speak against God, or at the least they will be silent when people disparage faith in the Living God. In Peter’s missive, he speaks of scoffers who follow their own evil desires. Such individuals ridicule Christ’s promise that He shall come a second time. Though wicked people may scoff at the thought of Christ coming to judge, yet His people look forward to the fulfilment of those very promises. Do the majority of those scoffing at the promises of Christ do so out of mirth? Isn’t it rather that they join in the ridicule out of fear of what some might think of them?

I recall such difficulties arising while as a young Christian I studied in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas. I stood firmly against the humanistic views which endeavoured to exclude God. My stand generated consternation in some faculty and angry resolve in other professors. Secretly, a few post-doctoral fellows found their way to me, as did a number of staff, informing me that they also believed as I did, but they did not wish to expose themselves to ridicule or even censure.

I recall one of the last conversations I had with a man who chaired the Graduate Studies Committee of that department as I was completing my studies. He had tried to gain a concession from me concerning my convictions, but I would not yield. Despite threats and pressure to concede to evil, I held firm. At last, spinning on his heel he strode down the hall until he had paced perhaps twenty or more long steps. Suddenly, he spun around and walked back to me with grim determination.

Stopping immediately before me, he said, “I just want you to know that I don’t agree with one thing that you stand for. However, if I am ever in trouble, I hope you will come to pray for me.” His respect for me was of greater value than his camaraderie with other, secret Christians in that same department.

In our text, God has just exposed those who opposed Him. “Your words have been hard against me,” says the Lord. “But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape’” [Malachi 3:13-15].

The picture we have is dark. The nation had reached a spiritual ebb. Religion was obeyed as mere ritual. People went through the motions—reciting prayers instead of praying, mouthing praise which they didn’t feel, performing required rituals. However, they had no joy and so they spoke against God and against serving Him.

Such religion is best described as peg-leg religion—a form of religion which infects much of our nation today. You have to strap it on every day. Though it does the job of getting us around, it is cold and lifeless—there is no feeling in it. If that were all I had, perhaps I would speak against it.

Notwithstanding all the darkness which had settled upon the land, God had His people, just as He has His people in this day. This is the meaning of John’s witness in the opening words of His Gospel.

In the beginning was the Word;

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

All things were created through Him,

and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

In him was life,

and that life was the light of men.

That light shines in the darkness,

yet the darkness did not overcome it [John 1:1-5].[3]

Malachi draws back the curtain separating time from eternity, and as he does so, we witness God observing mankind. The scene is reminiscent of Psalm 33:13-15.

From heaven the LORD looks down

and sees all mankind;

from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth—

he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

Though the majority rejects the Faith and treats religion as a commodity, God examines the hearts, observing the actions of all mankind, especially of those who honour Him.

The character of those who honour God’s Name is revealed in the fact that they fear Him. They speak of Him to one another. This balances the equation. In times of spiritual darkness, when the overwhelming majority of people resents the intrusion of God’s just demands and resists His mercies, God yet has those who shine as lights in the darkness. These individuals speak with one another of Him and of His mercies.

Jesus said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also [Matthew 6:21]. This is a service of worship, and that majority sharing this service would aver that they seek to worship God in this day. I would suppose that the majority of us would claim that we seek to honour Him in both our worship and in our daily activities. However, it should be obvious that those individuals who treasure their relationship to the Living God will speak of Him frequently. Those individuals who treasure the salvation we share in Christ will speak of that salvation. Those who love Him will speak of Him to others.

I have often challenged congregations to take a little test related to treasures. Write on your bulletin, or in the margin of your Bible, what the dearest thing in all the world is in your estimate. Perhaps you are having some difficulty in thinking what that treasure might be. Here is the test to help you determine what your treasure is.

What one thing would you most hate to do without? What is the one thing you think about most often and of which you speak about most frequently? What do you spend the most time doing? What does your mind freely turn to when you can think any thought you wish? Your treasure is defined by the answer of these questions.

I shall assume that your treasure is greater than the things of this dying world. Gold is precious, and land and houses are necessary for personal comfort. There is, no question, a requirement for transportation in this modern world. Were all the material goods you now claim removed, what would your worth be?

“How much did he leave?” asked an observer at the funeral of a wealthy businessman. The answer, which shall no doubt be true for each of us was, “Everything.”

I could wish that whenever we met we spoke of Christ. I don’t mean that we do such in some punctilious manner as though keeping score, but I mean natural and joyful speech as we reflect on His character and on the manner in which we are being changed into His image. I could wish that we never failed to pray before we parted, and that we would meet together often to encourage one another and to strengthen one another. I could wish that we would again build one another through pointing each other to the mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

You will note that those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. We are told that the saints are to witness to the lost. Indeed, we are to offer salvation to those willing to receive it. We are to point the lost to the light. However, in days of darkness, those who shine as lights in the darkness are accomplishing much more than they might ever imagine through encouraging one another. This is a truth which we must seize and hold firm. This is a truth with which we are to encourage one another.

Those who feared the Lord are said to esteem His Name. What does it mean to esteem His Name? It means that we honour Him, that we value our relationship to Him, that we rejoice in being known as belonging to Him. Of Jesus, Isaiah writes:

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

[Isaiah 53:3]

Before our salvation, we thought nothing of the Messiah. We set no value on Him. His worth in our sight was nothing. Therefore, we spurned Him. He came to His own, and His own saw neither beauty nor majesty in Him. In fact, there was nothing in His appearance to attract them to Him. He was, accordingly, rejected and despised.

Coming to know Him, however, we now esteem Him. We value our relationship with Him. We think of Him and we set a high value on Him. We cry out to Him in our need and we praise Him when He reveals His compassion. We delight in His love and we in turn love Him with our whole being. Our value system sets Christ central to all that is precious and to all that is held as dear. We esteem Him.

Paul urges us as Christians to consider the following truth: whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things [Philippians 4:8].[4] Dwell on these things is literally, take an inventory.[5]

Do not consider your wealth to consist of those things which are perishing. Rather, think about those things which make you really rich. These are the things which are true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable. Take an inventory of these things. Keep your mind on these things. Set a value on these things. This is the very same word [logivzomai] which the translators of the Septuagint used when they translated the text chosen for the message today. A godly value system leads us to think highly of the Lord’s Name. A godly value system leads us to esteem the Lord. He will be our treasure.

There is another verse which I wish you to consider before I move from this point. Proverbs 23:7a is rendered in the New American Standard Version of the Bible, as [a man] thinks within himself, so he is.[6] This verse is but an anticipation of the teaching of Jesus recorded in Matthew 15:18-20. What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.[7]

To esteem God’s Name is to speak of Him to others that they may be encouraged, strengthened and comforted. In a godly value system, we treasure our relationship to God, we value Him, and our minds turn to Him. Ultimately, we become what we treasure, and so we become ever more like God as we reflect on Him.

God Listens — There is a beautiful picture in the Hebrew behind this verse. One rendering expresses aptly the significance of the words, when it says that He “pricked up His ears and listened.”[8] So intent is God to hear the conversation of those who are loyal to Him that the whole of His attention is depicted as focused upon them. It is as though He dare not miss a word or an inflection.

This is a most amazing picture which we are here presented. The Lord God bends over to catch the smallest word spoken which honours Him. Your Father is interested in you to such an extent that He still finds delight in your words concerning Him and in your work for Him. Devotion to God, your worship of the Living God, your reverential awe of Christ our Lord, your undivided loyalty to Him, are a joy to His heart. God delights to witness the love and service, the praise and worship, which His people offer.

The intangible aspects of life—family, friendships, integrity—may be forever lost. Family may reject us, though we love them and care deeply for their welfare. Friendships may be shattered by pressure from outside sources. Personal integrity is worthless if the value system upon which that integrity is based is flawed. An old saying which was current some years ago expresses that which shall last throughout eternity.

Just one life, twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ, shall last.

This is a poetic way of forcing us to consider the inevitable. Paul speaks of his labour among the Corinthian saints and of the consequences. Those words are worthy of our consideration, even now. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire [1 Corinthians 3:10-15].[9]

Perhaps you think that you have done little of consequence for the cause of Christ. God seeks to change your thinking. Did you speak to encourage another when their spirits were flagging? Have you encouraged some weary soul to look upward to Christ? Were you God’s agent to lend strength to someone when they felt weak and unable to continue in the Faith? Did you resist the spirit of this dying age by refusing to laugh at the salacious story or participate in the slander against some good person? At the time, none of these actions seemed like great deeds, but they honoured God, and little by little they provided material suitable for His eternal glory. What I would have you see is that your actions witnessed to the truth and God was honoured. More than that, God listened!

God Remembers — When God listened, He commanded that a scroll of remembrance be written. I confess that it would be easy to be startled at this imagery. This was taken from the Persian courts, where significant deeds were recorded so that the monarch could remember later what had occurred. That this was not only a Persian custom is evident from one verse which speaks of Solomon’s actions when he ascended to the throne. When Solomon was appointing the officers of his court, he also appointed Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud to serve as a recorder, or more literally, as a remembrancer [see 1 Kings 4:3 ryKizÒM'h'].

God does not need a reminder, however. The purpose of the Book appears to be to present a permanent record of that which glorifies Him throughout all eternity. Actually, the Bible speaks of divine books frequently. When Moses pleads with God to forgive the sin of the people of Israel after they had erected a calf sculpted out of gold, he prayed to God, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written [Exodus 32:32].

As Daniel presents one of the visions which God gave to him, he parts the veil between time and eternity. He sees God and the myriad of angels attending His throne. Note Daniel 7:9, 10, noting especially the closing statement of verse ten.

thrones were set in place,

and the Ancient of Days took his seat.

His clothing was as white as snow;

the hair of his head was white like wool.

His throne was flaming with fire,

and its wheels were all ablaze.

A river of fire was flowing,

coming out from before him.

Thousands upon thousands attended him;

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

The court was seated,

and the books were opened.

The redeemed rejoice because their names are written in heaven [Luke 10:20]. Their names have been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world [Revelation 13:8]. That book is mentioned again in Revelation 20:12, 15. There we learn that anyone whose name is not recorded therein shall suffer the second death. Surely, this is a thought too frightful to ignore. If my name is not written in the Book of Life, surely I should make every effort to ensure that it is recorded therein.

I suppose it is because of these repeated references to books that I am not startled at the image of God causing a scroll of remembrance to be written. I understand it is a means by which God honours those who honour Him. There is a book of life belonging to the Lamb of God. Recorded therein are the names of those who should be saved. This is the book to which Moses referred and it is the book which John saw and referred to.

The Christian has a book being written of the deeds performed. The purpose of this book is not to condemn, but to honour. The child of God honoured the Father through speaking of Him and through encouraging others, through strengthening them in the Faith, and through comforting them as they struggled. Now, God will honour them. He has promised that He takes note of the smallest deed. The Psalmist cried out to God:

Record my lament;

list my tears on your scroll—

are they not in your record?

[Psalm 56:8]

God heard and revealed His compassion.

Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward [Matthew 10:41, 42].

Every word which honours God, every action which glorifies His Name, God records the deed and/or the deed, and I shall again confront them. Oh, how often have preachers distorted the Word to make us tremble at our weakness! Who among us has lived as consistently as we could wish? We remember the harsh words we spoke in anger, the times we lashed out in pain and brutish rage. We know that we have sinned and we do not want to face those sins ever again. When a preacher warns that we must see those sins and that we shall lose rewards and that we shall be rebuked, we are heartsick, because we know that is what we deserve.

When did our Father ever treat us as we deserve? The Psalmist says of our God.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbour his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

[Psalm 103:8-14]

I read the most comforting verse in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is Revelation 14:13. I want you to mark this verse in your Bible. Listen to the verse.

I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.”

Isn’t that the sweetest thought! Our deeds will follow us as those who know the Lord. They will stand as a memorial before the Lord throughout eternity because He caused them to be recorded as they were performed. In the midst of a darkened world, your words and your actions—your life—shines as a beacon to the glory of God.

God, through Daniel, encourages us, when he states, at that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever [Daniel 12:1-3].

Some of you worry that you may not have done enough for Christ’s sake. I would not dissuade you from labouring for Christ, but do so in love and not out of duty. Some of you wonder if your minds should be taken by the cruelty of ageing bodies whether God will remember you. Yes, He will! Yes, He will! And He will ever remember your words and your deeds which honoured Him. They are forever enshrined as a memorial before Him. Hallelujah.

Turn briefly to Revelation 20:11-15 and note that other books are even now being recorded in heaven. One day these books shall be opened to witness against wicked men. When at last every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus Christ is Lord, these books shall be opened. Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.

Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.[10]

All whose name is not written therein are even now under condemnation. Would you have your name recorded in that Book? You need but receive God’s gift of life. You need but be born into His family. You need but to be saved. As Scripture says: salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved [Acts 4:12]. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved [Acts 16:31].

Beyond that Book of Life are the books recording what we do. Those who work, thinking that their efforts will somehow influence God to accept them, shall be judged by their deeds. Only too late shall they learn that their deeds are insufficient to merit God’s mercy and love.

You cannot be saved through your efforts. When you work, you toil only to condemn yourself. Salvation is free. Those who shall one day stand before the Great White Throne will learn to their dismay that all their righteous acts are like filthy rags. Therefore, they shall lament

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

[Isaiah 64:6]

Here is the proposition. On the one hand is a gracious God who even now will give you life and remember all that honours Him and record all that glorifies His Name. Should you reject that gracious offer, He shall record your motives and hold you responsible for your own death. Already He speaks of your condemnation.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him [John 3:19-21, 36].

Nevertheless, He extends His hand of mercy that you may be set free from all guilt and brought into the Family of God. Therefore, if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].

We invite you to life. We invite you to Christ. We invite you to freedom. Amen.

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.[11]

The Hebrew word za; marks the time in which the impious conversations were taking place.[12] Then—when religious people were speaking without reverence of God. The verb WrB]d]nI looks back to the same verb in verse 13.

In the beginning was the Word;

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

All things were created through Him,

and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

In him was life,

and that life was the light of men.

That light shines in the darkness,

yet the darkness did not overcome it [John 1:1-5].[13]

Paul urges us as Christians to consider the following truth: whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things [Philippians 4:8].[14] Dwell on these things is literally, take an inventory.[15]

Proverbs 23:7a is rendered in the New American Standard Version of the Bible, as [a man] thinks within himself, so he is.[16]

This verse anticipates Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 15:18-20. What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.[17]

One rendering expresses aptly the significance of the words, when it says that He “pricked up His ears and listened.”[18]

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire [1 Corinthians 3:10-15].[19]

Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.

Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.[20]

----

[2] Ebenezer Henderson, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI 1858) 460

[4] hcsb

[5] G. Campbell Morgan, Malachi’s Message for Today (Baker, Grand Rapids, MI 1972) 93

[6] New American Standard Bibleâ, Copyright Ó 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995

[7] esv

[8] Fredk. A. Tatford, Prophet of the Reformation (Prophetic Witness Publishing House, Eastbourne, Sussex, Great Britain, Ó 1972) 75

[9] esv

[10] hcsb

[12] Ebenezer Henderson, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI 1858) 460

[14] hcsb

[15] G. Campbell Morgan, Malachi’s Message for Today (Baker, Grand Rapids, MI 1972) 93

[16] New American Standard Bibleâ, Copyright Ó 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995

[17] esv

[18] Fredk. A. Tatford, Prophet of the Reformation (Prophetic Witness Publishing House, Eastbourne, Sussex, Great Britain, Ó 1972) 75

[19] esv

[20] hcsb