When God Stopped Speaking For 400 Years

line


Text: Malachi

The Hebrew writer informs us that "God, at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets." (ch.1:1)

No other nation of people had the blessing like the Israelite people.
While it is true that God used prophets to speak to other nations it was to Israel that the majority of His messages were given.
Yet when you get to around 430 BC all of a sudden God's speaking to the people would cease for approximately 400 years.
Amazingly for some reason known to God, His voice was not heard prophetically from the time of Malachi to the time when the Baptist announced "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2)
While the 400 year interval between the testaments is a very interesting study, that of the different stages of Jewish battles with the rising of the Maccabees and their leadership until the time of Roman occupation, Tonight I want us to just look at the last book of inspiration in the Old Testament and see what God had to say to a people for the last time until the fulfilling of the prophecies.

One of the more neglected studies of God's dealing with man is the time after the captivity for Israel.
There are basically 6 Old Testament books that deal with this time.
3 are historical, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther and 3 are prophetic, Haggai, Zechariah & Malachi!
This is a fascinating time for the people of God but a very challenging time as well! The great restorers of the Old Covenant met a challenge not unlike ours today, "how to get the people back to the proper ways".

The book of Malachi is believed to be the last book written and is in the same time frame of that of Ezra & Nehemiah between 458 bc & 432 bc!
What would God say to His people?

This is a book that is filled with questions, 25 questions are asked in this little book. Malachi to get his points across uses the question and answer method, many times bringing a question from God then a question from the people back and God's answer to them!
12 times in this little book you will find Malachi appealing to His book being the very expression of God!
What he has to say to the people of Israel has a lot of meaning to us in the church today!

The book can be divided up fairly easily:
  1. 1:1-5! Malachi begins by declaring God's love for Israel!
    God begins this last book by reminding Israel of His great love for them, and yet they are suspicious!
    So, God proves it by showing how He selected them above their brethren Edom or Esau! While Edom would be destroyed Israel would continue!
    By this, God is telling them how privileged they are to be loved by God. Deut.4:37, Jer.31:1-4.
    What is the point of this?
    Well, what comes with privilege, but responsibility or at least gratitude?
    Jesus kind of reminded us of that when he healed the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-19 and when one returned to thank him he asked where are the nine?
  2. 1:6-2:9! Unfortunately, Israel as blessed as they were had failed to show the proper response!
    Even after all of God's promises concerning their return from the land of captivity had been fulfilled they still were not responding in a proper way.
    As you read the books of Ezra & Nehemiah you discover this to be true. (read verse 6)
    God as the Father of Israel and their Master was worthy of honour & reverence and yet the priests failed to do that!
    How?
    They failed to offer to God in worship their best.
    It's important to note that failing to give God our best in worship reflects an improper attitude inside of us! (John 4:24)
    Malachi challenges them to go before their human leaders the way they go before God! If we would not act in a way in front of the queen of England or for a dinner honouring the Prime Minister we should not act in that way before the Great King of the earth & heaven!
    The Priest's had an improper attitude about worshipping & serving God (vs.12-14). It is a blessing to worship God, not a burden or weariness!
    It is a deceiver who says that he is offering to God what he can when there is truly more he could be offering!
    What is God's idea of a true priest? (2:5-7)
  3. 2:10-3:15! But, not only have the leaders of God's people acted improperly, the people themselves have!
    The people transgressed God's marriage law and thus profaned His holy institution, which He loves. (11,12)
    It is not the only transgression of the marriage law however because He goes on to state what else they did in vs.14-16. God hates the abuse of marriage. Basically, one cannot abuse the holy union of man & wife and expect God to respect him. (Matthew 19:4-6, Hebrews 13:4)
    What was this a sign of? (vs.17)
    To declare that God delights in someone who does evil is wrong!
    Now, God starts speaking some promises concerning their future!
    First, the Baptist is going to come preparing the way for the Lord! (3:1)
    All of a sudden in the four hundred years of silence the voice from heaven will be heard again! What will be done when they come?
    Israel will be purified and judged (vs.5)
    God is a God of justice and mercy! He tells them why they are not destroyed, and now pleads with their return! (6,7).
    Then, He challenges them to prove Him or give Him a shot! (8-10)
    Basically it comes to this, you have been blessed by My love, you have failed to live properly, I will set things right, now return to me and I will shower greater blessings on you!
    God will prove to be true!
    When we fail to give Him what is due Him, we actively rob Him!
    Funds, time, service, honour, worship etc. Yet, the people said it's not worth serving Him!
  4. 3:16-4:6! The great promise to those who love Him!
    The Lord though looks on those who keep His way! The just will win out in the end. There will be seen a difference between the one who serves and doesn't serve the Lord! (vs.16-18)
    Why? The one's that fear Him shall find strength and healing in the coming Sun! (4:1-3)
    Then, Elijah is coming and the restoration of Israel will fully take place! Luke 1:13-17- John came in the spirit of Elijah and people were ready for Jesus to heal!
    Jesus himself announced what this meant in Matthew 11:12-14- that the fulfillment of things to come was here!
As the church today there is a lot for us to take into consideration.
There are the prophecies of John and Jesus that strengthen our faith in who they are and the message they brought. There are also warnings and blessings to take from this magnificent book.

The church stands as the Israel of God today. We are a privileged people!
Because of that we are a people of responsibility and need to show God our gratitude. We must offer unto God acceptable lives and sacrifices. We must not look at worship to Him as something to be dreaded or ignored.
If we just see these times as men speaking to us, men singing to us and men praying for us, we lose so much of what this really is. This is a meeting to give honour to our great and awesome God!
We serve a God of mercy & grace who offers us repentance; we need to grab it when we have to! We serve a God who sent to us the Sun of Righteousness, the light of the world who leads us in the proper paths.

May we all take this book to heart and follow after the true and living way!

line

Back to lessons page.
Back to home page.