Malachi 3:15

And now we call the proud happy,.... Or "therefore now" (q); since this is the case, that the worshippers of God are not regarded, and there is nothing got by serving him; they that are proud and

Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

And now, or now therefore; on these false reasonings of these deceived ones, they proceed to further impiety and audacious blasphemy. We call the proud happy; we (say they) see before our eyes, and must pronounce what we see, that the proud contemners of God and his law are the flourishing ones; they are at present happiest, and there appears no sign of any change of affairs to them. They do boldly and despitefully oppose God, and yet prosper. And could this be, say they, if there were a God of judgment to call men to account, and to deal with them according to their ways? They that work wickedness are set up who contrive, and then work wickedness; who choose it, study it, and glory in it, as the whole of their life; are built up, are advanced to honours, and filled with riches, and have fair probability that all this will last to them and theirs. And could this be, say these priests and Jews, under the eye of a just and sovereign Judge? where is the God of judgment when such disorders are every where seen? They that tempt God are even delivered; they that dare him to his very face, that do the highest affronts to God, purposely to prove whether he would or could punish the sinners amongst men. Those escape punishment though the law and prophets threaten them; and would you have us (say these men) believe there is such a God of judgment, when all is so disorderly carried in the world? Thus far the proud behaviour of these against God.

Malachi 3:15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, [they that] tempt God are even delivered.Ver. 15. And now we call the proud happy] Such as, boiling and swelling with spite and spleen against God and his people, deal arrogantly and insolently, doing wickedly with hands earnestly, Exodus 18:11; Exodus 21:11, and working their own ends confidently and daringly; these we call and count happy, because wealthy and well underlaid, as they say, because they live in the height of the world’ s blandishments. But the whole book of Ecclesiastes is a clear and full confutation of this fond conceit, had they but ever read or regarded it. How can the proud person be happy that hath God for his professed enemy? what was all Haman’ s honour to him when the king frowned upon him? what was Ahab the better for his ivory palace, his gold, and his jewels in every place, when the heaven was brass above, the earth iron beneath? Surely God abhorreth pride as an abomination of desolation; and though he preserveth the faithful, yet sooner or later he plentifully rewardeth the proud doer, Psalms 31:23. Like metal in the fire, when they shine brightest they are nearest to melting; and, like a bulging wall, they will shortly fall. Swelling is a dangerous symptom in the body, so is pride in the soul. Tolluntur in altum, ut lapsu graviore ruant. Neither are they, therefore, to be reputed ever a whit the more happy because they come not in trouble like other men, but prosper in their wickedness. for God is never more angry with such than when he seems best pleased. Pharaoh had fair weather made him, till he was in the midst of the sea; fatting cattle are but fitting for the meat market. Never was Jerusalem’ s condition so desperate as when God said unto her, My fury shall depart from thee, I will be quiet and no more angry, Ezekiel 16:42. Nor Ephraim’ s, as when he said, "I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom." And, "Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone," Hosea 4:14; Hosea 4:17, sc. till I come and fetch my full blow at him. Clement of Alexandria cites Plato expressing himself thus: Although a righteous man be tormented, although his eyes be dug out, yet he remains a blessed man; and the contrary: They that work wickedness are set up] Heb. They are built up, sc. in posterity, and prosperity of all sorts. The Psalmist expresseth it thus: "They are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes," Psalms 17:14. Thus God built the midwives houses, that is, he gave them children, for their mercy to these newborn babes, Exodus 1:21. Thus he builded David a house, 2 Samuel 7:12-13. And thus those that return to the Almighty have a gracious promise that they shall be built up, Job 22:23.

(15) And now means and so, consequently. In this verse the prophet gives the words of the murmurers. (See Note on Malachi 3:13.) The statements of Mal 3:13 show that they were of a very different character from such faithful servants of Jehovah as were at times sorely tempted against their will to waver in their faith. We may observe here the seeds of sceptical Sadduceism, as in Malachi 3:14 of hypocritical Phariseism. (Comp. Psalms 37, 73, and the Books of Job and Eccl.) Proud . . . they that work wickedness—i.e., the heathen, who do not profess to serve Jehovah. (Comp. Isaiah 13:11.) Proud is a common Biblical expression for presumptuous sinners; the same word is also used for ‘presumptuous sins (Psalms 19:13). Tempt.—The same word is used which in Malachi 3:10 is translated “prove.” The difference in the two cases consists in the different nature of the actions. In Malachi 3:10 the Jews are exhorted to obey the Law faithfully, and prove whether God would not (i.e., experience that God certainly would) perform His part in the covenant. In Malachi 3:15 the heathen, by their pride and wickedness, tempt God to judgment.

Verse 15. And now we call the proud happy] Proud and insolent men are the only happy people, for they domineer everywhere, and none dares to resist them. They that work wickedness are set up] The humble and holy are depressed and miserable; the proud and wicked are in places of trust and profit. Too often it is so. They that tempt God are even delivered.] Even those who despise God, and insult his justice and providence, are preserved in and from dangers; while the righteous fall by them.

15. we call the proud happy] The word we is emphatic, and suggests a reference on the part of the speakers to Malachi 3:12 above: “Thou sayest that all nations shall call them that obey Thee happy; we, on the contrary, call the proud rebels against Thee happy.” set up] Rather, built up, as A.V. margin, and R.V. Comp. Jeremiah 12:16; Job 22:23. they that tempt, &c.] Rather, yea, they tempt God, and are delivered, as R.V. The persons are the same as in the preceding clause, “they that work wickedness”. In this as in the earlier section of the prophecy the rebuke and denunciation of evil leads up to the prediction of impending judgment. In the earlier section the discriminating nature of the coming judgment is not lost sight of. It will purify as well as destroy (Malachi 3:3-4 with 5). But in this latter section this feature of discrimination becomes more prominent. And the thought is added, for the comfort of the godly, that the discriminating judgment exists already (Malachi 3:16-17), though its manifestation must be waited for till “the day” comes (Malachi 3:18). The day in which all men shall “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not”, will be the day, not of the inception, but of “the revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).

And now we call the proud happy (blessed) - This being so, they sum up the case against God. God had declared that all nations should “call them blessed” Malachi 3:12. if they would obey.