Chapter 3:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 Zechariah Matthew
Malachi 3
Concise Complete
The coming of Christ. (1-6) The Jews reproved for their
corruptions. (7-12) God's care of his people; The distinction between the
righteous and the wicked. (13-18)
Verses 1-6 The
first words of this chapter seem an answer to the scoffers of those days. Here
is a prophecy of the appearing of John the Baptist. He is Christ's harbinger. He
shall prepare the way before him, by calling men to repentance. The Messiah had
been long called, "He that should come," and now shortly he will come. He is the
Messenger of the covenant. Those who seek Jesus, shall find pleasure in him,
often when not looked for. The Lord Jesus, prepares the sinner's heart to be his
temple, by the ministry of his word and the convictions of his Spirit, and he
enters it as the Messenger of peace and consolation. No hypocrite or formalist
can endure his doctrine, or stand before his tribunal. Christ came to
distinguish men, to separate between the precious and the vile. He shall sit as
a Refiner. Christ, by his gospel, shall purify and reform his church, and by his
Spirit working with it, shall regenerate and cleanse souls. He will take away
the dross found in them. He will separate their corruptions, which render their
faculties worthless and useless. The believer needs not fear the fiery trial of
afflictions and temptations, by which the Saviour refines his gold. He will take
care it is not more intense or longer than is needful for his good; and this
trial will end far otherwise than that of the wicked. Christ will, by
interceding for them, make them accepted. Where no fear of God is, no good is to
be expected. Evil pursues sinners. God is unchangeable. And though the sentence
against evil works be not executed speedily, yet it will be executed; the Lord
is as much an enemy to sin as ever. We may all apply this to ourselves. Because
we have to do with a God that changes not, therefore it is that we are not
consumed; because his compassions fail not.
Verses 7-12 The
men of that generation turned away from God, they had not kept his ordinances.
God gives them a gracious call. But they said, Wherein shall we return? God
notices what returns our hearts make to the calls of his word. It shows great
perverseness in sin, when men make afflictions excuses for sin, which are sent
to part between them and their sins. Here is an earnest exhortation to reform.
God must be served in the first place; and the interest of our souls ought to be
preferred before that of our bodies. Let them trust God to provide for their
comfort. God has blessings ready for us, but through the weakness of our faith
and the narrowness of our desires, we have not room to receive them. He who
makes trial will find nothing is lost by honouring the Lord with his substance.
Verses 13-18
Among the Jews at this time, some plainly discovered themselves to be children
of the wicked one. The yoke of Christ is easy. But those who work wickedness,
tempt God by presumptuous sins. Judge of things as they will appear when the
doom of these proud sinners comes to be executed. Those that feared the Lord,
spake kindly, for preserving and promoting mutual love, when sin thus abounded.
They spake one to another, in the language of those that fear the Lord, and
think on his name. As evil communications corrupt good minds and manners, so
good communications confirm them. A book of remembrance was written before God.
He will take care that his children perish not with those that believe not. They
shall be vessels of mercy and honour, when the rest are made vessels of wrath
and dishonour. The saints are God's jewels; they are dear to him. He will
preserve them as his jewels, when the earth is burned up like dross. Those who
now own God for theirs, he will then own for his. It is our duty to serve God
with the disposition of children; and he will not have his children trained up
in idleness; they must do him service from a principle of love. Even God's
children stand in need of sparing mercy. All are righteous or wicked, such as
serve God, or such as serve him not: all are going to heaven or to hell. We are
often deceived in our opinions concerning both the one and the other; but at the
bar of Christ, every man's character will be known. As to ourselves, we have
need to think among which we shall have our lot; and, as to others, we must
judge nothing before the time. But in the end all the world will confess that
those alone were wise and happy, who served the Lord and trusted in Him.
Chapter 3:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 Zechariah Matthew
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
