Malaquías 3:12-18

12 Entonces todas las naciones los llamarán benditos, porque su tierra será un deleite, dice el Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales.

13 »Ustedes han dicho cosas terribles acerca de mí, dice el Señor
.
»Sin embargo, ustedes preguntan: “¿Qué quieres decir? ¿Qué hemos dicho contra ti?”.

14 »Ustedes han dicho: “¿De qué vale servir a Dios? ¿Qué hemos ganado con obedecer sus mandamientos o demostrarle al Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales que nos sentimos apenados por nuestros pecados?

15 De ahora en adelante llamaremos bendito al arrogante. Pues los que hacen maldad se enriquecen y los que desafían a Dios a que los castigue no sufren ningún daño”».

16 Promesa de la misericordia de Dios
Entonces los que temían al Señor
hablaron entre sí y el Señor
escuchó lo que dijeron. En la presencia de él, escribieron un rollo de memorias para registrar los nombres de los que temían al Señor
y siempre pensaban en el honor de su nombre.

17 «Ellos serán mi pueblo —dice el Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales—. El día en que yo venga para juzgar, serán mi tesoro especial. Les tendré compasión así como un padre le muestra compasión a un hijo obediente.

18 Entonces de nuevo podrán ver la diferencia entre los justos y los perversos, entre los que sirven a Dios y los que no lo hacen».

Malaquías 3:12-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI 3

This chapter begins with a prophecy of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ; and of the coming of Christ, and the effects and consequences of it, with respect both to the righteous and the wicked; and it contains accusations and charges of sin against the Jews, intermixed with exhortations to repentance. John the Baptist is promised to be sent, and is described by his office as a messenger, and by his work, to prepare the way of the Lord; and the Messiah is prophesied of, who is described by his characters; with respect to himself, the Lord and Messenger of the covenant; with respect to the truly godly among the Jews, as the object of their desire and delight; whose coming is spoken of as a certain thing, and which would be sudden; and the place is mentioned he should come into, Mal 3:1 and this his coming is represented as terrible to the wicked, and as trying and purifying to the righteous, expressed by the various similes of a refiner's fire, and fuller's soap; and the end answered by it, their offering a righteous offering to the Lord, Mal 3:2-4 but with respect to the wicked, he declares he should be a swift witness against them, whose characters are particularly given, and this assured from his immutability; the consequence of which to the saints is good, being their security from destruction, Mal 3:5,6 and next a charge is commenced against the wicked Jews, as that in general they had for a long time revolted from the Lord, and were guilty of sins of omission and commission, and are therefore exhorted to return to the Lord, with a promise that he will return to them, and yet they refuse, Mal 3:7 and, in particular, that they were guilty of sacrilege, and so accounted, even the whole nation, in withholding tithes and sacrifices, which they are exhorted to bring in; to which they are encouraged with promises of blessings of prosperity and protection, Mal 3:8-12 and that they had spoken impudent and blasphemous words against the Lord; which, though excepted to, is proved by producing their own words, Mal 3:13-15 and by the contrary behaviour of those that feared the Lord, who were taken notice of by him, and were dear unto him, Mal 3:16,17 wherefore it is suggested, that the time would come when there would be a manifest difference made between the one and the other, Mal 3:18.