THE BOOK OF MALACHI

INTRODUCTION:

1.TITLE / AUTHOR: MALACHI was a Post-Exile Prophet to the Jews who returned from Babylonian Captivity; They had been back in Judea for more than one hundred years, and instead of becoming better people, they had become worse.

2.DATE: About 400 BC; This is the final Old Testament message, about a century after Haggai and Zechariah.

3.CONTEXT: Ezra 7-10; Neh 13.

a.Nehemiah closed the last page of inspired history: The people were without king, priest, prophet, or Messianic hope.

b.Malachi is the last page of inspired prophecy: It was spoken to people in THAT condition.

4.There is a solemnity about the last words of the last speaker; What is the final message of God to His Old Testament people?

5.Great prophecies of Haggai-Zechariah (approximately one hundred years earlier) were not yet fulfilled; Faith had degenerated.

a.Promised prosperity had not come; People were questioning the love of God; Early zeal had died out; They had drifted into indifference since the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

b.They wondered if it was worth anything to serve God; They turned to empty ritual, and became insensitive to truth.

c.They were indifferent to God’s law; They made religious and social compromise; They engaged in worldliness.

6.God continued to love His people; He called on them to repent.

7.The BOOK is dialectic style teaching (discuss, debate, reason, consider, ask questions).

a.First, an affirmation was made; Second, an objection was raised; Third, the objection was refuted.

b.It represents the people as arguing with God (which implied rebellion against Him).

8.MESSAGE: Ritual was necessary, but not to be an end in itself.

a.It must proceed out of a sincere spiritual life.

b.Cheap religion was (is) worthless; It is better to have no worshippers at all than to have hypocritical worshippers.

9.This was an age of spiritual stupor and unconsciousness of sin; They had no conviction, and were woefully lacking in knowledge.

1.PRIVILEGE OF THE NATION: JEHOVAH’S LOVE
FOR ISRAEL -- 1:1-5.

A.This is the introduction to and foundation of the BOOK.

B.Israel had blinded themselves to God’s love for them, 1:1.

C.God asserted and confirmed His love by pointing to the difference He had shown, 1:2a.

1.The first four words almost startle us: God’s love continued, and was unfailing, even when people were (are) not what they should be - Compare Jn 3:16.

2.Their question should startle us even more -- Human insensitivity can be appalling!

a.Concerned for their present problems, they lost their perspective on God’s past love.

b.When we cease to love God we begin to wonder whether God
loves us.

3.God reminded them of a demonstration of His love by contrasting the fates of Esau and Jacob (the brothers are put for the nations which sprang from them -- Edom and Israel), 1:2b-3.

a.Edom made plans, but God was in control, 1:4.

b.Edom’s destruction, and other fulfilled prophecies, all glorify
God, 1:5.

2.POLLUTION BY THE PRIESTS -- 1:6-2:9.

A.God, entitled to honor, was despised; But they said they did not know how they despised Him!, 1:6.

1.His NAME stood for glory and majesty, and all He should have meant to them.

2.They, being responsible for pure worship, had insulted God by offering left-overs and rejects; God would not accept their corrupt and worthless worship, 1:7-8.

a.Priests were rebuked for this sin which was produced by greed; There should have been someone who would stop this profane worship.

b.It would have been better to have enough respect for God to quit worshipping, rather than to be insincere, Verses 9-10.

B.Blessings are reserved for the truly spiritual; Even the Gentiles rendered superior service, 1:11; cf Col 1:23 and Rev 5:8.

C.Worship was not a joy to them, but a burden and a bore; They turned up their noses at it, 1:12-13a.

D.They vowed voluntarily, then paid their vows with blemished animals; The curse of Jehovah would be upon them, 1:13b-14.

E.Faithless priests were threatened with a curse from God; Immediate reformation was the only way of escape, 2:1-2.

1.They and their offerings (YOUR SOLEMN FEASTS) were fit only to be cast out from the presence of God, 2:3; cf Ex 29:14.

2.Destruction was coming, and when it came, they would know it was from God, 2:4a.

F.God’s covenant had bee” “n made with a pure tribe, 2:4b.

1.The Covenant was with Levi and the ideal priest: There was to be uprightness and integrity of the people, 2:5-7.

2.But in THEIR present situation there was corruption, apostasy, and bad influence instead, 2:8.

3.Consequence: Disgrace; Loss of prestige and confidence, 2:9.

3.PROBLEMS OF THE PEOPLE -- 2:10-3:15.

A.Their treachery against God: Condemnation of mixed marriages and divorce, 2:10-12; cf Neh 13:23-27.

1.They were a special nation, a covenant people, 2:10a; cf Ex 19:5-6.

2.They were sinning against those of the faith by breaking the marriage covenant, 2:10b-12.

3.TEARS of rejected wives stood between them and God, 2:13.

4.WHEREFORE was God displeased? Because by their attitude of faithlessness in the “one man-one woman” rule they were hindering God’s purpose to preserve a pure people, free from idolatry, 2:14-15.

5.They had covered themselves with violent disobedience, 2:16; cf Gen 2:24; Mt 19:5-6.

B.They charged God with wrong judgment, and questioned His decisions, 2:17; cf 2Pe 3:4-9.

C.Condemnation of indifference and skepticism, 2:17-4:6.

1.WHERE is He (2:17)? HE SHALL COME (in judgment), and His coming will be sudden and unannounced, 3:1.

2.The first MESSENGER would be a way-preparer - Mt 11:10,14,

3.The second MESSENGER would come to the spiritual temple and the new covenant, and execute a work of separation and purification - Mt 16:18; 1Co 3:16; Heb 9:15; 13:20.

4.He would come in judgment on THEM (their surprise!), 3:2.

5.The result: The priests would become refined, purified, and spiritual, 3:3-4; cf 1Pe 2:5,9; Heb 13:15-16.

6.Judgment would fall upon more than just the priests: ALL who FEAR NOT God will be consumed; That can be depended on, because of Jehovah’s unchangeableness, 3:5-6; cf Jas 1:17.

D.Wrongful withholding of tithes and offerings: The people were called to repentance and thus back to God, but they did not think they had been anywhere (!), 3:7.

1.The answer to their question: They were fickle, and guilty of unthinkable sin, 3:8-9; cf Deu 10:14.

2.It was not too late to respect God and to be blessed, to escape insects, storms, etc., 3:10-11.

3.Then others would praise them for their riches and their rich
lives, 3:12.

E.The final problem was a challenge to God’s character, questioning His justice with harsh words, 3:13.

1.They questioned if it pays to serve Jehovah (“The wicked prosper, and the righteous suffer”); They complained about service and fasting, 3:14.

2.They complained that “Sinners prosper and are happy; They escape judgment,” 3:15; cf Isa 5:20.

4.PROMISE OF THE LORD -- 3:16-4:6.

A.Separation of the spiritual from the worldly: There were still some of the people who held God in reverence and remembrance, 3:16.

1.The faithful few always encourage one another - cf Heb 10:24; God knows this and records it.

2.Do we speak together about the deep things of His Name, and of all He means to us?

B.God cares for His own, even through any distress, 3:17.

C.A day of reckoning eventually comes: All inequities will be righted, and judgment will show clearly whether or not it pays to serve God, 3:18.

D.Malachi closes with the utter destruction of the wicked, and the triumph of the righteous (exaltation and glory), 4:1-6.

1.They had settled in their sins to await the Messiah; Malachi assured them He would come on schedule, but it would be for judgment to them, 4:1.

a.The Jewish Nation and all the wicked were to be devoured as STUBBLE.

b.A final day of total and complete destruction was yet to come -
cf 2Th 1:7-9.

2.Night would turn to day for those who FEAR HIS NAME, 4:2.

a.HEALING is accessible to all (whether the reference is to Christ, or to righteousness).

b.Spiritual provision; Pleasant freedom - cf Gal 5:1; Eph 1:3; Phi 4:9.

c.THE DAY COMETH to BURN, or to HEAL, according to our attitude and condition.

E.Right will ultimately win a total victory, 4:3; cf Rom 8:37.

F.Final Exhortation: REMEMBER THE LAW and faithfully observe it, 4:4 (in order to meet God in judgment with confidence).

G.Final Promise: Of Elijah the messenger and his work of preparation,
4:5-6a; cf Jn 1:21; Lk 1:17; Mt 17:11-13.

1.Not Elijah in person; The work of John was to call them to repentance, that they might receive the Gospel.

2.The affections of a generation were to be turned back to God and the Law so they would be ready for the Messiah.

H.Final Threat: SMITE THE EARTH, 4:6b (most of them would not turn - Mt 23:37-39).

I.Thus the last words of the Old Testament (4:4-6) look back to Moses, and forward to the time of the Messiah.

**MALACHI IN SIX WORDS:

God’s Final Word To The Jews.

**CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF MALACHI:

THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT (3:1) is the solution to all spiritual problems.

**CONTRIBUTION OF THE BOOK OF MALACHI TO THE BIBLE:

1.MALACHI highlights the separation of man from God by showing the resistance of man and his reasonings versus the wisdom and truth of God (47 of the 55 verses in the BOOK were spoken by Jehovah).

2.It brings the Old Testament to a conclusion by emphasizing human sinfulness, and warning of Divine judgment.

3.It also sets the stage for the New Testament by anticipating the coming of the forerunner of Christ, and the rising of the Sun of Righteousness.

**J. SIDLOW BAXTER’S OUTLINE -- (EXPLORE THE BOOK, PAGE 265):

THE BOOK OF MALACHI

“Behold, He shall come . . . But”

APPEAL (A) -- IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT SIN (1-2).

Jehovah the Speaker: The priests are appealed to, 1:6-2:9.

Malachi The speaker: The people are appealed to, 2:10-17.

APPEAL (B) -- IN VIEW OF THE COMING “DAY” (3-4).

The day will judge the guilty (3:1-6); therefore appeal (verses 7-12).

The day will bless the godly (3:13-4:3); therefore appeal (4:4-6).

**CONCLUSION TO OLD TESTAMENT STUDY:

1.God’s promises were not being fulfilled, because the people refused to meet God’s conditions.

a.He had done all He could do: Chastised them; Brought them back to the Land; Forgave their sins; Gave glorious promises.

b.So, nothing more could be said or done at that time.

2.The silence was to be broken 400 years later by the next prophet, John the Immerser - Jn 1:29.

3.Survey of the Old Testament has provided a foundation for the study of many facts and details.

4.Before the New Testament we need to bridge the 400 year gap, and see an introduction to the New Testament.

5.That is for another lesson -- The day of HEALING is now; Is your soul purified? - Rev 1:5; 1Pe 1:22.