Mal 3:11-12 “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.” *CONTEXT* This verse is a continuation of vs 3:10, where God tells His people to bring in the whole tithe, and then challenges them to test Him and to see that His promises are true. He reminds Israel His promise in the law, that they will be blessed, rather than cursed if they follow God’s law. In reality, God is trying to get Judah to understand, it not about the “tithe” in financial terms, rather it is about obedience and a change in attitude and behavior. The nation needs to respect the covenant Law and repent or their sin. God is expressing that “robbing” is not the problem, rather it is a symptom of a deeper and more serious disease, and only by returning to God in reverence and fear would they find the cure. *YHWH WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER* _“I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”_ The terminology “rebuke the devourer” doesn’t mean that God is casting out some sort of evil spirit, rather he will put an end to the diseases and pests which are devouring their crops and put an end to the famine by bringing good weather and rain. In Deuteronomy, Moses provides a list of blessings from God if His people obey the Law, and a list of curses if they neglect it. One of the curses reads: “You will sow much seed in the field, but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. You will plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your country, but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.” Deut 28:38-39. *ALL NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED* _”Then all nations will call you blessed,”_ The promise of Israel being a blessing to “all nations” is a theme seen throughout Scripture. It started with God making a promise to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and *all peoples on earth will be blessed through you*.” Gen 12:3. God repeated this promise several times to Abraham, and made the same promise to his grandson Jacob “*All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.*” Gen 28:14. This same blessing would again be quoted by Peter in Acts 3::25 and by Paul in Gal 3:8 400 years after Malachi, Jesus, the promised Messiah appeared. Shortly after his birth, when he was taken to the temple to be presented to the LORD, an old man named Simeon approached them. Simeon was told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When he saw Jesus, he prophesied: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which *you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.*” After Jesus was crucified, before he ascended into heaven, he gave a command to a group of Jews who had followed him: “*go and make disciples of all nations*.” And from those 12 men, millions, if not billions have been blessed by receiving the gift of salvation offered from the Son of God. Two more Jews, Paul and Barnabas, were preaching in Pisidian Antioch stated: “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, *that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth*.’” That same Paul, while in prison wrote a letter to the believers in Philippi which stated ”that at the name of Jesus *every knee should bow*, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and *every tongue confess* that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11). Later, John, another follower of Jesus wrote “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but *also for the sins of the whole world.* 1 John 2:2 Last, we see the ultimate result of that blessing: “After this I looked and there before me was a *great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language*, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Rev 7:9-10 Indeed, “all the peoples were blessed” through Abraham and God’s people. *A LAND OF DELIGHT* _“for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”_ *APPLICATION* Whatever country you came from, whatever your politics, and whatever stance on world events, Scripture tells us that the land of Israel still belongs to His children. There are many who believe in “replacement theology”, which says that the Church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen possession. However, we find little support for that in Scripture. The promise given to Abraham was an everlasting covenant, and if there is still one Jewish person left, then the covenant still stands. Remember, we just read a few days ago in Malachi 3:6-7a: “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, God never changes, nor does his promise to the Children of Abraham and Jacob. In fact, Paul tells us in Romans 11:1-2 “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” So, as Christians, how should we relate to the Children if Israel? *Pray* - Psalm 122:6-7 tells us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” *Bless the Jewish People* - As God promised in his original call to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” *Understand The Times* - Whether one likes the policies of the current Israeli government is irreverent. Many governments have policies we don’t like. However, YHWH foretold through the prophets, that He would bring His children back to the land of Israel. The most amazing miracle, is the fact that Jewish people, through thousands of years of war, scattering around the world, persecution and holocaust still maintain their identity. And now, after the terrors of Hitler in World War 2, Jews from all over the world fled back to the land of Israel that was given to their ancestor Abraham. The nation of Israel is again the home of the Jews. We can think of no greater sign in the world today, that indicates that God is still in control. As what Scripture often refers to as “that day”, is nearing, we need to Pray, Bless God’s people, and understand the times. Here are some scriptures to consider: Isa 11:12: “He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Ezek 37:11-14: In the vision of the dry bones being raised back to life, the LORD declares “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off. Therefore prophesy, and say to them, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” Ezek 37:21: “Then say to them, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land.” Joel 3:1-2: “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,” Amos 9:14-15: “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.” Zech 12:9: “And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” John 4:22: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” Rom 11:29: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”
Mal 3:11-12
“I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”
*CONTEXT*
This verse is a continuation of vs 3:10, where God tells His people to bring in the whole tithe, and then challenges them to test Him and to see that His promises are true. He reminds Israel His promise in the law, that they will be blessed, rather than cursed if they follow God’s law.
In reality, God is trying to get Judah to understand, it not about the “tithe” in financial terms, rather it is about obedience and a change in attitude and behavior. The nation needs to respect the covenant Law and repent or their sin. God is expressing that “robbing” is not the problem, rather it is a symptom of a deeper and more serious disease, and only by returning to God in reverence and fear would they find the cure.
*YHWH WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER*
_“I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”_
The terminology “rebuke the devourer” doesn’t mean that God is casting out some sort of evil spirit, rather he will put an end to the diseases and pests which are devouring their crops and put an end to the famine by bringing good weather and rain.
In Deuteronomy, Moses provides a list of blessings from God if His people obey the Law, and a list of curses if they neglect it. One of the curses reads: “You will sow much seed in the field, but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. You will plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your country, but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.” Deut 28:38-39.
*ALL NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED*
_”Then all nations will call you blessed,”_
The promise of Israel being a blessing to “all nations” is a theme seen throughout Scripture. It started with God making a promise to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and *all peoples on earth will be blessed through you*.” Gen 12:3. God repeated this promise several times to Abraham, and made the same promise to his grandson Jacob “*All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.*” Gen 28:14. This same blessing would again be quoted by Peter in Acts 3::25 and by Paul in Gal 3:8
400 years after Malachi, Jesus, the promised Messiah appeared. Shortly after his birth, when he was taken to the temple to be presented to the LORD, an old man named Simeon approached them. Simeon was told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When he saw Jesus, he prophesied: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which *you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.*”
After Jesus was crucified, before he ascended into heaven, he gave a command to a group of Jews who had followed him: “*go and make disciples of all nations*.” And from those 12 men, millions, if not billions have been blessed by receiving the gift of salvation offered from the Son of God. Two more Jews, Paul and Barnabas, were preaching in Pisidian Antioch stated: “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, *that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth*.’”
That same Paul, while in prison wrote a letter to the believers in Philippi which stated ”that at the name of Jesus *every knee should bow*, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and *every tongue confess* that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11). Later, John, another follower of Jesus wrote “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but *also for the sins of the whole world.* 1 John 2:2
Last, we see the ultimate result of that blessing: “After this I looked and there before me was a *great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language*, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Rev 7:9-10
Indeed, “all the peoples were blessed” through Abraham and God’s people.
*A LAND OF DELIGHT*
_“for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”_
*APPLICATION*
Whatever country you came from, whatever your politics, and whatever stance on world events, Scripture tells us that the land of Israel still belongs to His children.
There are many who believe in “replacement theology”, which says that the Church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen possession. However, we find little support for that in Scripture. The promise given to Abraham was an everlasting covenant, and if there is still one Jewish person left, then the covenant still stands. Remember, we just read a few days ago in Malachi 3:6-7a: “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, God never changes, nor does his promise to the Children of Abraham and Jacob.
In fact, Paul tells us in Romans 11:1-2 “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.”
So, as Christians, how should we relate to the Children if Israel?
*Pray* - Psalm 122:6-7 tells us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”
*Bless the Jewish People* - As God promised in his original call to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
*Understand The Times* - Whether one likes the policies of the current Israeli government is irreverent. Many governments have policies we don’t like. However, YHWH foretold through the prophets, that He would bring His children back to the land of Israel.
The most amazing miracle, is the fact that Jewish people, through thousands of years of war, scattering around the world, persecution and holocaust still maintain their identity. And now, after the terrors of Hitler in World War 2, Jews from all over the world fled back to the land of Israel that was given to their ancestor Abraham. The nation of Israel is again the home of the Jews. We can think of no greater sign in the world today, that indicates that God is still in control.
As what Scripture often refers to as “that day”, is nearing, we need to Pray, Bless God’s people, and understand the times. Here are some scriptures to consider:
Isa 11:12: “He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
Ezek 37:11-14: In the vision of the dry bones being raised back to life, the LORD declares “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off. Therefore prophesy, and say to them, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
Ezek 37:21: “Then say to them, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land.”
Joel 3:1-2: “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,”
Amos 9:14-15: “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.”
Zech 12:9: “And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem”
John 4:22: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”
Rom 11:29: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”