Malachi 3:11 (ESV) I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.
The Hebrew word which translates to devourer means eater and refers to the locust or caterpillar or any such creature that devours crops. The NIV translates Malachi 3:11 as I will prevent pests from devouring your crops.
To understand Malachi’s point here, we must understand God will rebuke, which means God will stop, the devourer from devouring and, by implication, restoring what the devourer took.
It is in this context that God makes the promise to rebuke the devourer. If we would repent and return to Him, He would pour out blessings upon us. If we bring into the storehouse the grain offerings that are rightly His, He will open the heavens and pour out blessings upon us. The crops will produce so abundantly that there will scarcely be room enough to store it.
If God is going to rebuke the devourer for us that means that He is going to turn back or keep down the devil, our enemy (the devourer). It also means that God is going to keep the enemy in check!!!
God is going to be watching over us to make sure that the devil does NOT devour (destroy, harm, or cause any problems) in our lives or with anything that belongs to us!!!
Joel 2:25 (NLT) The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.”
The rebuke of the devourer means putting an end to insects, pests, locusts, plaques, or even the weather and anything else that may cause serious harm to the crops.
Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
1 Samuel 17:36-37 (NLT) “I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!”