Another sketch from my Vox series, here illustrated is one verse from the very last book of the Hebrew collection. The prophet Malachi had some blistering words to say to his hearers, as well as a couple reassuring promises.

Any current assumption that spiritual giants “just need to be nice” are blinding themselves to alot of rich material. Moses, Joshua and Jeremiah were not known for being nice. John the Baptist was a firebrand; Jesus was a spiritual revolutionary and if either of them had just been “nice” we would never have heard of them again.

Piercing words function like an alarm clock to those who need to be jolted awake. Here’s just one example from Malachi’s short treatise: (the prophet speaking for God in chapter 1) “I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They’re saying it everywhere: ‘God is greater, this God-of-the-Angel-Armies.’ All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you!”

I would call that a verbal alarm clock. It sounds like the words of an angry parent. In the next chapter, vs.17 is this critique: “You make God tired with all your talk.”

But the verse in this small 3 chapter book that I selected to illustrate was one of promise toward the end of Malachi’s warnings. That promise melts my wavering heart. Chapter 2 actually sets the context by reminding the listeners (whoever is still listening) that God is a covenant keeper. And what God has promised will stand though others will not stand in the day of His sure appearing. After more warning words, God challenges “Test me… I will defend you.” vs.10-11.

And as if it is a follow through response from that call-out “Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God’s name.” (This is the same verse 3:16 that I illustrated in the image, set in a contemporary paraphrase called The Message.)

I’ve often thought of that promise when speaking quietly with others. I take His words literally just as I see He does ours. And when we gather and speak of Him, He lets us know that He’s a bookkeeper.