The identification of hā’ādôn
(the Lord) with the mal’ak haběrit (the messenger of the covenant) should
not surprise the reader and student of the Old Testament. Although there are
references to various covenants in the Old Testament, there is basically one
comprehensive covenant Yahweh made with his people. The covenant with Abraham,
with Israel at Sinai, with Israel on the banks of the Jordan, with David, with
the remnant, and the new covenant of Jeremiah—all are administrations of the
one life and love bond Yahweh had established with mankind from the time of creation.
And there is but one basic Communicator, Executor, Developer, Administrator,
and Consummator of this covenant: the mal’ak Yhwh (angel of Yahweh), ‘ebed
yhwh (Servant of Yahweh), and bar-‘ěneš (Son of man) in preceding
chapters, we repeatedly saw that an identification of Yahweh and the
angel/Servant/Son of man clearly is intended, (Among the many beneficial
references are those to the themes of the angel of Yahweh or the Lord [Gen.],
the Servant of the Lord [esp. in Isaiah], and the Son of Man [Dan. 7]) as well
as that the one Yahweh is often set forth as two persons. In addition, the
angel/Servant/Son of man is described, one time as human, another time as
divine. The dual nature clarifies the distinction between Yahweh and the angel/Servant/Son
of man and at the same time indicates the identity of the two—both are one and
the same divine Yahweh. The angel/Servant/Son of man is none other than the
promised māšîaḥ (Messiah). Malachi, though not using this Hebrew
epithet, is, nevertheless, referring to him. And this Messiah, who
repeatedly is referred to as the Mediator of the covenant, is the very One who
carries out the promises and the curses of that covenant. Both of these, the
promise and the curse, are referred to in 3:2-5. (Gerard Van Groningen, Messianic
Revelation in the Old Testament, 2 vols. [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book
House, 1990 repr., Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 1997], 2:930-31, emphasis in
bold added)
