MALACHI
“Prophet of the Universal Worship of
God”
I. BACKGROUND
A. Date: c. 430 - 420 B.C.
1. The temple rebuilt after the exile seems to have existed for some time. Mal. 1:7-10; Mal. 3:8
2. The books speaks of a “governor” - Mal. 1:8
3. The problems and sins are identical with those Nehemiah encountered in his second term as governor, cf. Neh. 13
(Example: The Levites had been served from the storehouses till Nehemiah’s second return when he found them empty. Neh. 12:44-47; Neh. 13:10; Mal. 2:7ff.)
B. The unique position of Malachi
The historical setting
C. Suggestive designations:
1. Malachi: “The seal of the Prophets”
2. Malachi: “The Puritan” (Ward)
3. Malachi: “The Lecturer” (Robinson)
4. Malachi: “The Last Prophet” (Goodman)
5. Malachi: “An Old-Fashion Prophet” (Blackwood)
6. Malachi: “The Preacher Who Fought for Homes” (Clausen)
7. Malachi: “Prophet of the Universal Worship of God”
(George Mark Elliott)
8. Malachi: “Prophet of Hope and Judgment”
9. Malachi: “Prophet of the Coming and of the Return of the Messiah”
10. Malachi: “The last flush in the sunset of Hebrew prophecy.”
D. The Persian Period
E. Conditions Among the Jews in Palestine
1. A degenerated priesthood – Mal. 2:1ff; Mal. 2:7f; Mal. 1:6ff
2. Faulty sacrifices – Mal. 1:6-14
3. Religious apathy - Mal. 1:13; Mal 3:13-14
(Mal. 1:13* “Behold what a weariness”, Mal. 2:11 )
4. Tithes neglected – Mal. 3:6-13
5. Divorce common – Mal. 2:13-16
6. Skepticism – Mal. 3:13-14; Mal. 2:17
F. Parallels between Malachi and Nehemiah
1. Mal. 2:8 and Neh. 13:15, Neh. 13:29
priesthood corrupted and not teaching
2. Mal. 2:10-16 and Neh. 13:23-27 – divorce allowed
3. Mal. 3:7-12 and Neh. 13:10ff, Neh. 13:14
tithes not being given, storehouse empty
4. The problem of Malachi 1:8 in comparison with Neh. 5:15; Neh. 5:18. (Nehemiah had fed a lot of people but did not take the governor’s portion [of taxes]. This was during his first term while he was still supported by the King. Mal. 1:8 may refer to a time when Syrian governors controlled the country.)
II. THE PROPHET MALACHI
A. The name problem: Malachi = “My Messenger” Mal. 1:1; Mal. 3:1.
1. Is this the prophet’s name or it is the book anonymous?
2. It is his name, and like all other books of the minor prophets the authority is identified.
B. Character of Malachi’s message. “A bridge between Old and New” (Dehoff)
C. Malachi’s purpose: Revival
D. “Thus saith the Lord.” Divinely authorative.
E. “The day of Yahweh” in Mal. 4:1; Mal. 4:5.
III. THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET MALACHI
A. Style – Only 55 verses in the book.
1. Negative aspects
a) No soaring eloquence
b) No colorful poetic imagery
c) No visions in proper sense
2. Positive aspects
a) Clear and forceful prose
b) Polish and elegant passages
c) The lecture method
d) The questions-answer method
(assertion - objections - rebuttal; seven times)
Mal 1:2-3; Mal 1:6-7; Mal 2:10-26; Mal. 2:17; Mal. 3:7; Mal. 3:8; Mal. 3:13
B. Suggestive themes and studies
1. “The Lord’s Messenger” – Mal. 1:1
2. “Everlasting Love” – Mal. 1:2
(“Look what God has done for you!”)
3. Esau and Jacob – Mal. 1:1-5
(Both were destroyed, but only one rebuilt.)
4. Faulty Sacrifices – Mal. 1:8
5. Closing the doors – Mal. 1:10
6. The Universality of the Christian Religion – Mal. 1:11
7. The Ideal Religious Leader – Mal. 2:5-7
8. The Tear-Covered Altar – Mal. 2:13
(Emotionalism without obedience)
9. Marriage and Divorce – Mal. 2:10-16
10. “The Forerunner” – Mal. 3:1
11. The Messenger of the Covenant – Mal. 3:1
12. The Coming of the Lord – Mal. 3:1-6
13. Abound in this Grace Also – Mal. 3:8-10
14. Religious Skepticism – Mal. 3:14-15
15. The Book of Remembrance – Mal. 3:16 (Saintly fellowship)
16. The Day of Wrath – Mal. 4
17. The Sun of Righteousness – Mal. 4:2
18. The Law of Moses – Mal. 4:4
19. Elijah and John the Baptism – Mal. 4:5-6
20. The Law and the Gospel
C. Malachi is the last of a long succession of prophets who for many centuries “shewed before of the coming of the Just One” (Acts 7:52). He is “the soul of the prophets,” “the last flush in the sunset of Hebrew prophecy.” The traditional Jewish belief is expressed thus in a Talmudic treatise: “After the later prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel.” And the historic evidence indicates that the Old Testament Canon was completed about four centuries before the birth of our Lord.
IV. SOME SUGGESTED LESSONS FROM BOOK OF MALACHI
1. Man often fails to appreciate God’s love and questions it – 1:2-5
2. We can be sure that wickedness is cursed by God. – 1:4
3. Sin has an opiate power – 1:6-7 (Numbs and stupefies – sin produces a callousness toward sin.)
4. Defective worship is not acceptable to God – 1:6-14
5. All men should worship the God revealed in Holy Scriptures – 1:5; 1:11 (God is a Universal God!)
6. Beware of regarding worship as an intolerable burden – 1:13
7. Careless and indifference in worship may be the first step in spiritual decline – 1:13
8. Insincere worship is an insult to God – 2:2
9. Religious leaders will be treated with contempt when they do not keep God’s ways – 2:3; 2:9
10. The Religious Teacher must – 2:5-7
a) Have respect for God - v.5
b) Teach God’s Truth - v.6
c) Walk with God in uprightness - v.6
d) Study God’s Law – v.7 – 2:13
11. Our worship to God is spoiled by tears of those we have mistreated /
12. God is served when we meet our family obligations – 2:11-16
13. Marriages are made in the presence of God – 2:14
14. Divorce is an abomination in God’s sight – 2:14-16
15. You cannot build a strong nation on broken homes – 2:10-16
16. Sounds of skepticism are disdained by the Lord – 2:17; 3:14-15
17. Righteous worship is pleasant to God – 3:4
18. God does not change: – 3:6
a) This is the ground of hope for the righteous
b) And the pledge of destruction for the impenitent /– 3:8-10
19. Men rob God when they do not give to the Lord as they should /
20. We should abound in the grace of giving – 3:10
21. God approves of saintly fellowship – 3:16
22. God will remember the reverence and obedience of the righteous and bless them – 3:16
23. Be assured that the righteous will be victorious – 4:3
24. Be assured that the wicked will meet their judgment – 4:1
25. Each one determines for himself whether the great day of accounting will be terror or glory – ch. 3 & 4
– Windell Gann: reprinted April 26, 2007