This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 11: A Book of Remembrance: Malachi 3:16.

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In the previous post, we began to examine Malachi’s reference to “a book of remembrance.” We complete our study of Malachi 3:16 in this post.

At that time those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. The LORD took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD and had high regard for his name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD of Armies, “my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him (Mal. 3:16-18).

Attitude

Thankfully, there’s a second group of Israelites: those who truly repent, respond with reverent fear of the Lord, and highly regard his name. The primary difference between the first and second groups – the wicked and the righteous – is attitude. The wicked demand that God compensate them for their religious obligations. But the righteous understand that no external act merits God’s favor. Rather, the heart must first be tamed, and the will must be surrendered to divine commands. 

Malachi describes the righteous as those who “feared the LORD” (3:16). Three main Hebrew words are translated “fear.” First, there’s pachad, which means “to dread or fear.” Isaiah describes sinners in Zion as “afraid; trembling seizes the ungodly” (Isa. 33:14). 

The second Hebrew word is arats and means “to be terrified.” The Lord encourages Isaiah with these words: “Do not fear what they [the people of Israel] fear; do not be terrified. You are to regard only the LORD of Armies as holy. Only he should be feared; only he should be held in awe” (Isa. 8:12-13). 

The third Hebrew word – the term Malachi uses – is yare, which can mean “to fear” but also means “to show reverence or respect.” So, “those who feared the LORD” may be translated “those who showed reverential respect for Yahweh.”

The word yare appears elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures and helps us better understand the concept of humble respect for God. For example, in Deuteronomy 31:12, Moses instructs the leaders of Israel: “Gather the people ​— ​men, women, dependents, and the resident aliens within your city gates ​— ​so that they may listen and learn to fear [yare] the LORD your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law.” A proper fear of the Lord results in obedience to his commands.

In Proverbs 3:7, Solomon instructs us, “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear [yare] the LORD and turn away from evil.” Reverence for Yahweh fuels a desire to turn from sin and thus please him. We find another example in Proverbs 9:10: “The fear [yare] of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” When we embrace a proper reverence for God, he endows us with godly wisdom. 

The wicked may fear the Lord in that they rue the day he brings the gavel of justice down on them. But godly fear – reverential awe that results in obeying God’s commands, turning from sin, and employing wisdom – leads to happiness now and rewards in the age to come.

The Lord takes notice

Notice what Malachi writes next: “those who feared the LORD spoke to one another” (Mal. 3:16). What do they speak? We’re not told specifically, but the implication is that those who fear the Lord begin to voice what yareproduces: repentance from sin, obedience to God’s commands, and true wisdom in words and deeds. These conversations outwardly demonstrate a genuine change of heart. 

As a result, “The LORD took notice and listened” (3:16). God is omniscient. He knows all things without exception, including the words we speak. But more than just being aware of what we say, he takes an interest in our words. He invests himself in our conversations. And for those who humble themselves before the Lord, and speak words of confession and encouragement to one another, he truly listens.  

And he responds: “So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD and had high regard for his name” (3:16). The book of remembrance does not appear to be the book of life, in which the names of the redeemed are recorded, although there is, no doubt, consistency in cross-referencing the two scrolls. The names in the book of remembrance also appear in the book of life. 

This book does not record the wicked acts of individuals and God’s judgments against them. The Lord does not appear to write or erase names from this book. Rather, it seems a recording angel takes note of the words and deeds of those who hold the Lord in reverential awe and hallow his name. 

In ancient times, royal officials kept records of decisions, actions, and memorable events for the sake of posterity. Kings often kept track of favors their subjects had performed so they might be repaid with kindness later (see Esth. 2:21-23; 6:1-3). In grander fashion, Malachi depicts the king of universe, seated on his throne, surrounded by heavenly servants who are instructed to record the noble words and deeds of the faithful.

It appears the Lord keeps two sets of books: the books of divine decrees and the books of human deeds. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility come together for a final review on the Day of the Lord. The book of life is of the first set. The book of remembrance to which Malachi refers is of the second set. And God’s faithful ones may rest assured that while he does not remember our sins, he takes note of our righteous acts, as well as our tears (Ps. 56:8; Isa. 43:25; Rev. 21:4).

The Lord keeps track of everything, including “every careless word” we speak (Matt. 12:36). But the book of remembrance is a shorter, happier, and mysterious volume. When followers of Jesus answer a false accuser with gracious words, a recording angel takes note, and the Lord remembers. When we winsomely share the gospel in the face of ridicule, a line is added to the book of remembrance. When we fall on our knees and plead with the Lord to blot out our rebellion, wash away our guilt, and cleanse us of our sins, he records our words and reads them back in mercy, although vengeance would have been justified (see Ps. 51). 

Malachi 3:17 offers profound comfort, for it looks forward to the coming Lamb of God: “They will be mine,” says the LORD of Armies, “my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.” The Lord secures the possession of his people through the finished work of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. On the cross, “He [God the Father] made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

The Hebrew word translated “my own possession” in Malachi 3:17 is sgulla. It means “valued property,” or “a peculiar treasure.” It’s a word that describes a collection of jewels. In 1 Chronicles 29, David tells the Israelites he has done his best to gather provisions for the building of the temple. “Moreover,” he says, “because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures [sgulla] of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house.” This includes one hundred tons of gold and 250 tons of silver (1 Chron. 29:3-5). 

Just as King David has a private stash of gold and silver, the Lord tells those who fear him they are histreasured possession. As Robby Gallaty notes, “Can you feel the immense promise implied in that statement? The God of the universe would look at you as His private keepsake, as the item He values highly and protects next to His heart.”

In a sense, the book of remembrance is the registry of Yahweh’s most valuable possessions. Our righteous words and deeds are the effervescence of human jewels he holds securely in his hands. While the immediate context of Malachi indicates that the book of remembrance relates to God-fearing and repentant Israelites centuries ago, it implies that our omniscient God holds dear our faithful deeds, reviews them at his leisure on his heavenly throne, and one day rewards us accordingly at the judgment seat of Christ.

Next: Rosh Hashanah and the Book of Life