What does it mean to rebuke the devourer in Malachi 3:11?

Answer

The expression “rebuke the devourer” is mentioned in the book of Malachi, the final book of the Old Testament. “I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts” (KJV). In this verse, Malachi documents a remarkable promise of God to the nation of Israel.

The Hebrew term translated as “devourer” means “eater” and refers to the locust or caterpillar, or any similar creature that consumes crops. The NIV interprets Malachi 3:11 as “I will prevent pests from devouring your crops.” The “devourer” could also indicate plant diseases—essentially, anything that could ruin Israel’s crops: the NLT states, “Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.” Swarms of locusts were prevalent in the Middle East during those times and could annihilate almost all the produce of an entire nation. The devastation caused by locusts could be catastrophic. When God pledged to “rebuke the devourer,” He assured that He would shield Israel from such calamities.

Similar to all commitments under the Mosaic Law, God’s pledge to rebuke the devourer was contingent. If the Israelites would stop robbing God and give their full tithe (Malachi 3:9-10), as mandated by the Law «And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD. », (Leviticus 27:30), then God would repel the locusts and bestow upon them such an abundance of healthy crops that their land would be renowned as a “delightful land” «And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. », (Malachi 3:12).

Chapter 1 of Malachi is an indictment against Israel for despising and dishonoring God by offering impure sacrifices (Malachi 1:6-14). In Chapter 2, God indicts the priests for corrupting the Law, “But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.,” (Malachi 2:8), for dealing unfairly with the people (Malachi 2:9-11), and for divorcing their wives (Malachi 2:14-16). After rebuking them for their sin, God goes on to predict the coming of their Messiah who will purify them so that their offerings are acceptable to Him (Malachi 3:1-4).

It is in this context that God makes the promise to rebuke the devourer on behalf of the people of Israel. If they would repent and return to Him, He would pour out blessings upon them. If they would bring into the storehouse the grain offerings that are rightly His, He would open the heavens and pour out blessings upon them for their obedience. Their crops would produce so abundantly that there would scarcely be room enough to store them, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.,” (Malachi 3:10).

Some have tried to equate God’s rebuking of the devourer with Christians’ rebuking of the devil. But this is a misinterpretTation and takes the verse out of context. The “devourer” is not Satan; it is the locust. The church is not Israel; we are not under the Old Testament Law; we are not promised material blessings; and tithing is not required of us. Of course, we do have a spiritual enemy. Satan prowls around seeking whom he may devour «Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: », (1 Peter 5:8), but even if Malachi 3:11 were referring to Satan, which it is not, the verse is clear that it is God who does the rebuking cf: Zechariah 3:2 and Jude 1:9. The Bible does not give Christians the authority to rebuke the devil or to speak to him at all. We are told to resist him and he will flee from us «Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. », (James 4:7).