Malachi 3:6 - The God Who Never Changes

Malachi 3:6
For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Message: The God Who Never Changes

Time: Malachi delivers a message to the Judean people who worship at the temple, but our turning away from the true worship of the Lord. This is after the completion of the second temple. Late 5th Century BC, possibly during Nehemiah's return to Persia, around 433-424 BC.

What the Lord is Saying:

The message here is simple: God does not change. These are the words spoken by Malachi, a prophet of the Lord. His book is the final book of the Old Testament, about 450 years before Christ. This idea only should bring comfort to us - that God does not change. Malachi was speaking a message to his people here in chapter 3 of purification by a messenger. As we study and look back at this message, knowing Jesus came, we naturally want to see this as a prophecy of Jesus and His coming to cleanse the temple, cleans the people. However, the text is not completely clear that this is about Jesus. What it is clear in addressing is the need for the people of Judah to be cleansed, to be purified. In verse 7, they have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. He speaks of the kinds of people that are present: the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me. 

And in between these words is the proclamation that I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. By not changing, to me, this means that the Lord's expectations on His people does not change. He still remains a selfish God that wants His people to honor Him and worship Him. He gives them statutes for them to be kept. He expects his people to honor him and not seek their own way. When they do this they become human idol factories, thinking that their own way is the better way. 

What is clear is that the Lord will purify His people. This is a message from God that has remained throughout history. God is our redeemer. And yet this call to purification still requires a response. God may choose us, but there still is a response that is required from man. In verse 7 he says, "Return to Me." 

We think at times that the message of the New Testament, of repentance and love is so very clear, but it is the same message, but simply has a more clear presenter: Jesus Christ. But the message remains: God redeems. Man returns to Him. Our God does not change. 

That's His message and we can accept it or reject it, but that is His message. God will not change. He sits outside of time. One of my brothers in the Lord begins our prayer time weekly with, "Thank you for a new day." It is a reminder that we change. We celebrate with jubilation the turning of time, the beginning of a new year recently. It is 2019. Time is growing. Life is changing. We are growing daily, aging. We are changing. But, our God does not change. We look forward to a day of no change when things will remain the same and when our true relationship as true worshipers will be present. 

Promise: Each day I can rely on the One who is incapable of changing and will never allow His promises to fail. My security remains in Him. He promises to always keep me safe, safe in Him. 

Prayer: Lord, you do not change. You remain the same and your Ways remain the same. Thank you for being that anchor, the rock, the fortress, the horn of our salvation, our stronghold. I love You Lord. You are great. I need this reminder in my life daily that though I live in a day of improvement and wanting each day to be better than the next, I can rest in the idea that You never change. You desire me and desire people to know you and listen to You. You are a selfish God and you always know what is best for me. Lord, I want to return to You. Each day Lord I want to return to You. I want to listen to these words you have spoken through your prophet Malachi 2500+ years ago that remain true to this day: Return to You. As I live and move and change, keep pulling me back to your message, reminding me that you are still there. You still want me. I can still return to You. Lord, I admit my ideals are often the ideals of this world - for daily happiness and enjoyment and peace and security and comfort -- and even as those things are okay, help me have a stronger love for You and seeking you and desiring to never disappoint You. I know you will always take me back, but still I want my life to honor You. You deserve it. And I need it. It is the only way to live.


Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with January being about the doctrine of God.