The Book of Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and Malachi the last Old Testament prophet. Malachi had a few last words to say about God’s people. Most notable were that they robbed God with their tithes and offerings, that God hated their divorces, and that they kept the best of their flocks and brought the cast offs to God as their sacrifices. Then God went silent for about 400 years. No prophet, no word.
Yet toward the end of the book Malachi there is a promise from God for the remnant of righteous. “At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name. ’They will be Mine,’ says the Lord of Hosts, ‘a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.’” [Mal 3:16-18 HCSB]
There was a remnant in Israel that wanted true worship. They desired a deeper walk with God. They feared the Lord and held Him in awesome respect. And they “talked with each other” about the Lord and while they did that, God “took notice and listened.”
Have you ever sensed God’s presence as you talked about Him with others? I have many times, but I never tied that moment to Scripture. It was not until I really saw this verse in Malachi that I realized that we are experiencing a promise of God simply by talking about the Lord with others … the promise that He listens and hears.
And even more. God writes about us in His “book of remembrance.” He promises to make us a “special remembrance.” And He promises that one day, as all of creation stands before Him, there will be a “difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”
It matters not, beloved, if people take notice of our service to our God in this life. It matters not if they ridicule us for our love and fear of God. God takes notice. We are in His “book of remembrance” and there is coming a day when all creation will see us as God sees us now.
