The
fifth section contains a rebuke of the people of Israel for robbing God.
The
section begins with a statement about God’s faithfulness. Because the Lord does
not change, the people of Israel will not perish. If he does not change, he
will always be faithful to his promises. It is because of his faithfulness,
that the sons of Jacob do not perish, even if they do deserve it. This was
similar to Malachi 2:4, where because of the covenant, the punishment for
despising the Lord was only a rebuke.
Since Israel has been God’s people, they have turned aside
from his statutes. The Lord commands them to return (שׁוּבוּ qal imperative) and he will return to them. We find our fifth
verbal exchange, this one again between the Lord and the people. As if they did
not think they were doing anything wrong, they ask: “How can we return?” The
Lord points out that they are robbing him, this is the fifth rebuke in Malachi.
They still do not see what he means, and so the Lord tells that that they have
robbed him by not paying the tithe and contribution.
The people have been cursed, and they have robbed the Lord,
and the whole nation in neglecting their contribution. The Lord commands them
to bring their tithe to the house of treasury and it will be food. He commands them to test him, and he makes the
promise that if they tithe he will bless them in abundance. The expressions
used are “אֶפְתַּח לָכֶם אֵת אֲרֻבּוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם” and “וַהֲרִיקֹתִי לָכֶם בְּרָכָה עַד־בְּלִי־דָי׃” the first literally God says:
“I will open for you the window of heaven” and the second: “I will cause it to
empty for you a blessing until there is not sufficiency.”
In verses 11-12 the promise of blessing continues. The Lord
will rebuke the one eating (devouring) them and he will not ruin the fruit of
his land and the vine will not be barren. All the nations will call them
blessed because they will have a land of delight.
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