"Then those who feared the
LORD spoke often one to another; and the LORD hearkened and heard it, and a
book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the LORD and
who thought upon His name" (Mal. 3:16).

We have now the introduction of
the remnant, and nothing can be more beautiful than the contrast which is thus
drawn between these hidden saints and the self-righteousness of those by whom
they were surrounded. They had but three characteristics:(1) they "feared
the LORD," (2) they "spoke often one to another," and (3) they
"thought upon [the Lord’s] name." He Himself was the subject of their
thoughts and meditations. Let us look a little at these features.

"They feared the Lord."
This is precisely what the nation was not doing; indeed, they had cast off the
fear of God from before their eyes, as shown by their high-handed
transgressions of His statutes and ordinances, and their entire insensibility
to His claims and the honor of His name. But this pious, feeble remnant feared
Jehovah, feared Him with the fear due to His holy name, with a fear that showed
itself in obedience to His Word. He Himself was their object and hope, their
stay and support, amid the confusion and evil by which they were surrounded.
The LORD was their sanctuary from the power of the enemy on every side.

"They spoke often one to
another." They were drawn together in happy, holy fellowship by their
common objects, common affections, and common needs; and in this way their piety
and their fear of the LORD was sustained and encouraged. It is one of the
consolations of an evil day that in proportion as religious wickedness and
corruption abound, those who have the mind of the LORD are drawn more closely
together. The name of the LORD becomes more precious to those who fear Him when
it is generally dishonored; on the other hand, the power of the enemy drives
those together who are seeking to lift up a standard against him. The object of
the special hostility of Satan, because they form the one barrier to the
success of his efforts, they find their resource and strength in united
communings in the presence of God.

They "thought upon His
name." This is associated with the fear of the LORD at the close of verse
16. These two things can never be separated. The name of the LORD is the
expression of all the truth of Jehovah as revealed to His ancient people, just
as now the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to which His people are gathered, is
the symbol of all that He is as unfolded to us in these several terms—"the
Lord," "Jesus," and "Christ." What is meant,
therefore, when it is said, "They thought upon His name," is that
they set themselves to uphold all the truth that had been committed to Israel. This truth was their testimony in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
Also they were drawn together by their common fear of Jehovah, to maintain the
honor of His name. Their one end and object was to vindicate Jehovah’s name, to
affirm His supremacy, and thus to give Him His rightful place in the midst of Israel. In doing this, though their brethren might despise and contemn them for not
swimming with the stream, they were adopting the one and only means for the
blessing of the nation.

In Luke 1 and 2 we have a living
picture of this God-fearing remnant. In Zacharias, Simeon, and Anna we behold a
few, together with those associated with them, who united all the
characteristics that are found in Mal. 3:16.

Of Zacharias and his wife
Elizabeth it is written, "They were both righteous before God, walking in
all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6). Of
Simeon it is written that he "was just and devout, waiting for the
consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him" (2:25). Of Anna it
is written that "she was a widow of 84 years, who departed not from the
temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (2:37).
Such is the lovely picture, drawn by the unerring pencil of the Holy Spirit, of
a few in Jerusalem, amid decay and spiritual death, who feared the Lord, spoke
often to one another, and thought upon His name. Outside of the activities of
the day, and unknown to those in power and influence, they were known by the
Lord and by one another. This was enough for their souls, for their hearts were
fixed on "the consolation of Israel," "the Lord’s Christ,"
and He was sufficient to satisfy their every desire, even as He was the object
of all their hopes.

(From Malachi or The State of Things at the End.)