The Day God Eavesdropped
Malachi 3:13-18
AT THE TIME OF THE WRITING OF MALACHI, the nation of Israel had strayed far from God. Those were dark days indeed. Sin abounded. Unbelief prevailed. The majority of people went their own way, giving little thought to the will of God or the ways of God. They laughed at the prophets and showed utter contempt for the law of God.
Does all this sound strikingly familiar? Malachi could be writing to our generation. That’s a real testimony to the timelessness of the Bible. It is always up-to-date and relevant.
But even in the midst of all this darkness, God had a people—a remnant! He always does. He had a people who revered His name and sought to do His will. As they saw the spiritual darkness of their day, they drew closer together for mutual support and encouragement. There were not many of them, but they were committed to remaining faithful to God, no matter what. They would meet in a secret place to encourage and cheer each other and find fellowship with one another—forerunners of the underground church.
What specifically went on in those meetings? According to verse 16, they TALKED with each other about the Lord because they feared Him, that is, they were in awe of God.
o He was on their minds.
o He was the center of their attention
o He was the topic of their conversation
o Everything they said and did was built around the person of God
Then Malachi tells us how God reacted to all of this:
o He gave ATTENTION to what was transpiring
o He LISTENED very carefully
o He EAVESDROPPED!
o He STRAINED TO HEAR their conversation—like that of a parent listening to the noises of a new-born baby in the night.
o He SHUSHED THE ANGELS that He might hear. He told David to stop playing his harp for a moment.
Have you ever eavesdropped on anyone? I have. I remember listening to my parents discuss Christmas gifts as a little boy—straining to hear their conversation, through the register in my sister’s bedroom. It was right above the kitchen, where most of these kinds of conversations took place.
In Malachi’s day, when a spiritual awakening was so needed, thanks be to God, a few people thought about God’s name. They talked about Him, revered Him, loved Him and met to discuss His wonderful ways. And as they did, God eavesdropped. He tuned in to their frequency. He strained to hear their remarks. I don’t know whether they sang or not, but I’m sure it was like music to His ears.
Malachi tells us that the Lord enjoyed it so much that He had it written down in a book! That’s what the Lord does. He listens to our conversations, our prayers, our testimonies. And if they are all about Him, He calls on an angel to take notes—to have a permanent record. And I believe He delights in it. He writes down what was said and who said it!
Think about it for a moment.
o Kings were making edicts,
o Generals were giving orders,
o Judges were speaking in court,
o Politicians were making speeches,
But God was paying them no mind. His ears were tuned to a handful of faithful followers.
In verse 27, God is saying, “In that day when I make up my jewels, I’m going to remember that crowd and spare them.” The word jewel is the Hebrew word segula and means, “God’s very own special possession or treasure.”
Are you one of God’s segula? Is He paying special attention to what you say because your life is centered in Him? This is far more than just being saved. There are Christians and then there are consecrated Christians whose sole aim in life is to do the will of God, no matter how hard.
How does one became a part of God’s very own special possession? Let’s look a little more carefully at this small group meeting.
1. They Remained True to God
It wasn’t easy to stay faithful to God. It never is. The days were dark. Corruption was everywhere. Hypocrisy abounded. Evil ruled the day. But God had a remnant.
This remnant said, “Let the world curse God; we will praise Him.” They stood for righteousness in a wicked environment. They worshipped regularly. They endured the ridicule of family and friends. And God looked down on this group of faithful ones and smiled. He said, “They are going to be my special possession.”
Illus.: “The General Took His Stand”
Fredrick the Great of Germany, was a scoffer, but his great general, Von Zealand, was a devout Christian. One day at a gathering, the king was making coarse jokes about Jesus and the whole palace was ringing with laughter. Von Zealand arose stiffly and said, “Your Majesty, you know I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you and my country. I am an old man now. Soon I will go to be with the One who saved me from sin—the very One you are blaspheming against.” With trembling voice, King Fredrick replied, “General Von Zealand, I beg your pardon; I beg your pardon!” And the gathering quickly dispersed quietly.
You can be a Christian and not take a stand for God at work or school, but you won’t be a part of God’s special treasure.
You can be a Christian and neglect the Bible and prayer and witnessing, and church, but you won’t be a part of God’s special possession because you won’t be talking about Him and He won’t be eavesdropping on you. God’s segula remains faithful in every situation.
Not only was this remnant faithful, but…
2. They Esteemed His Name
You can see it there in the latter part of verse 16:
o They were in awe of the Lord
o They considered His majesty
o They honored Him by their words and lives
o They remembered the mighty acts of God
o They believed what the prophets had said and wrote about Him
The Palmist wrote in 1:1: “Blessed is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit at the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
There is so much disregard for the majesty of God today—even among Christians. We whisper and talk and pass notes during prayer and preaching. We don’t say grace at meals.
In an address in Dallas, Texas, the beloved Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place, said that many times people would approach her and say, “Corrie, what a great faith you have.” She would smile when she told how she replies back to them. “No, it’s what a great God I have.”
3. They Spoke About God to One Another
They concentrated on the Lord. They bragged on Him. They didn’t spend time:
- Gossiping
- Criticizing
- Talking about their problems
- Talking about the weather, or sports, or current events
They could have, but they chose not to. The times were too dark, so they talked about the Lord. They testified about God’s blessings and presence. They spoke of answers to prayer.
Have you ever noticed that anyone who is in love will talk about that person or thing? The fellow who loves fishing will gravitate to those who share his passion and talk about it a great deal. The same could be said about camping, or politics, or any number of other loves.
God’s segula (special possession), are those who love to get together to share the things of God.
The world is waiting to see if Christianity means anything to us. Is it real? Is it different from what the culture has to offer? The average believer is concerned only about getting to heaven—the bare minimum. They should care as much about glorifying His name, about producing fruit for His glory.
Here’s a fellow who gets married. He makes plans for a honeymoon. He buys just one ticket, gives it to his bride and says, “Take off and have a good time.” She says, But aren’t you coming with me?” He says, “Must I do that to be married?” She answers, “Well no, but I was expecting you to go along.” And he replies, “Look, we got married, didn’t we? I just don’t want to be fanatical about this whole thing!” “Well,” she says, I don’t think it’s fanatical for me to ask you to go with me on OUR honeymoon.” “But I’ve already seen Niagara Falls. You go to the Falls and I’ll go to San Francisco.” And she says, “Look, people who are in love and get married ought to go places together! That’s the whole purpose for getting married.”
The analogy may be poor but the message is obvious. Those who commit their lives to Christ (we are called the Bride of Christ) ought to go places together!
Conclusion
God looked down in Malachi’s day and saw darkness. There was an idol on every corner. Heathenism covered the land. I think the Lord probably said something like this:
I didn’t make them for that. I made them to love Me and so that I could love them. I want to have fellowship with them.
That was a sad day for God. No one seemed to care much about knowing Him or talking to Him or about Him. In the wickedness of that day, suddenly the Lord heard a sound. He bent a little closer and heard the words, “I love the Lord.” His ears turned in that direction. He looked down and saw a little band of people gathered together. They were talking about Him and it warmed His heart.
Then He said, “I’m going to have them as my special possession, my jewels.” And all of the creatures of heaven applauded and sang for joy!
When He Cometh
(Jewels)
When He cometh, when He cometh
To make up His jewels,
All His jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.
Refrain
Like the stars of the morning,
His brightness adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for His crown.
He will gather, He will gather
The gems for His kingdom;
All the pure ones, all the bright ones,
His loved and His own.
Refrain
Little children, little children,
Who love their Redeemer,
Are the jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.
Pastor William Cushing wrote this for the children in his Sunday School in 1856. These words could be used to describe his own life. Those who knew him well said that he was a noble, sweet, and deeply spiritual man.
If you’re one of His jewels, when He comes you will be among those who make us His crown.
