July 26
Malachi 3: 16: Then they that feared 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. 17: 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.
Those who fear the LORD speak “often one to another”, thinking “upon his
name.” By God’s grace, believers know
ourselves to be unworthy of the least of God’s mercies. Therefore, we speak
often one to another with utter amazement at the great grace of our God in choosing
to save us, not based on any merit in us. Those who fear the LORD speak often
one to another of God’s indescribable love in sending his only begotten Son who
accomplished our eternal redemption from the curse of the law. We speak often one to another of Christ’s
broken body and his precious blood, giving Christ all the glory for making us
perfect before God by his one offering.
Those who fear the LORD speak often one to another about how God the
Holy Spirit came to us while dead in our sins and quickened us to life and
faith in Christ. Believers simply cannot
stop speaking of how holy, how sovereign and how gracious our God is every
moment of every day to preserve us and teach us and keep us through the
preaching of the gospel. We speak often
one to another because, by God’s grace, we love one another and desire for one
another to be continually strengthened in the power of God’s might. Sadly, we meet with so many on a daily basis who
have no delight in the true and living God. Therefore, it is so good to have
one another to speak to, knowing that because they are born of the same Spirit,
they want, as much as we, for our great God to receive all the glory and they rejoice
with us in our great Savior. So believers
simply cannot speak often enough to one another of our great and good God.
This
is remarkable. The LORD hears those who speak of him and remembers them—“and the
LORD hearkened, and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him
for them.” God puts his Spirit within
his people and teaches us the gospel in order to hear the jewels of his grace
praise him by giving his Son all preeminence.
As a father delights to hear the praise of his children, God our Father delights
to hear the children he has everlastingly loved, the children of his household,
glory in his name. How God our Father must delight as he hearkens and hears
Christ exalted as the Firstborn among many brethren! God so delights to hear his people speak of
him that he continually remembers those who remember him.
Brethren, we are exhorted to speak truth one
to another because we are members one of another. We are exhorted to speak that which is good,
to the use of edifying, that it may minster grace unto the hearers. And it is enough to make us want to speak of
Christ often one to another simply because we delight to tell the story of how
he saved us by his amazing grace. But
how much more reason is it to do so, knowing that while we speak, God hears and
delights with us and remembers us as we glorify his great 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.”