Reward of the Faithful

KEY VERSE: “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” —Malachi 3:7

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3:6-18

MALACHI, WHOSE NAME means ‘my messenger’, was the last of the minor prophets. Much of the book is utilized in explaining that God was withholding his blessing from Israel because of their unfaithfulness to him.

God was sorely displeased with the innumerable sins of Israel, among which they failed to respond to Divine love, dishonored God’s name, presented blemished offerings, honored sinners, selfishly withheld tithes and reluctantly served God. The priests, by evil example, became stumbling blocks instead of spiritual leaders. Also the brethren dealt treacherously with one another. The Jews believed that God would bless the righteous with prosperity, while the wicked would suffer. However, this caused them to question why the evildoer appeared to live a more abundant life.

The world has made the same observations stated by Malachi: “Now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” (vs. 15) In doing so they say there is no reward for serving God, not knowing that Satan’s usurpation of authority on earth is temporary.

Through the prophet, God assured Israel: “I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (vs. 6) Malachi continues the Lord’s message in the words of our Key Verse, including another invitation for them to ‘return to me, and I will return unto you’. He then promised if they would “bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”—vs. 10

The basis of all our hopes lies in the unchangeable character and enduring mercy of our God. Malachi 3:16 and 17 speak of a reward for a faithful class called out of the world in this Gospel Age, and continuing on into the thousand-year kingdom of Christ: “Then they that feared [reverenced] the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

Malachi prophesied concerning this class which is now being prepared for a spiritual position to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ for the blessing of all the families of the earth in his kingdom.

These jewels, special treasures of God, “forsake not the assembling of” themselves “together” (Heb. 10:25), enjoy the fellowship of the Spirit, and meet together to build up and encourage one another. The Apostle Paul urged: “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (I Cor. 4:1,2) God has promised that if we are faithful unto death, he will reward us with “a crown of life.”—Rev. 2:10

| Home Page | Table of Contents |