Malachi

A VASE shatters, brushed by a careless elbow; a toy breaks, pushed beyond its limit by young fingers; a fabric rips, pulled by strong and angry hands. Spills and rips take time to clean up or repair and money to replace, but far more costly are shattered relationships. Unfaithfulness, untruths, hateful words, and forsaken vows tear delicate personal bonds and inflict wounds not easily healed. Most tragic, however, are broken relationships with God.

God loves perfectly and completely. And his love is a love of action – giving, guiding, and guarding. He is altogether faithful, true to his promises to his chosen people. But consistently they spurn their loving God, breaking the covenant, following other gods, and living for themselves. So the relationship is shattered.

But the breach if not irreparable; all hope is not lost. God can heal and mend and reweave the fabric. Forgiveness is available. And that is grace.

This is the message of Malachi, God’s prophet in Jerusalem. His words reminded the Jews, God’s chosen nation, of their wilful disobedience, beginning with the priests (1:1 – 2:9) and then including every person (2:10 – 3:15). They had shown contempt for God’s name (1:6), offered false worship (1:7-14), led others into sin (2:7-9), broken God’s laws themselves (3:8-12), and become arrogant (3:13-15). The relationship was broken, and judgement and punishment would be theirs. In the midst of this wickedness, however, there were a faithful few – the remnant – who loved and honoured God. God would shower his blessings upon these men and women (3:16-18).

Malachi paints a stunning picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness that clearly shows them to be worthy of punishment, but woven throughout this message is hope – the possibility of forgiveness. This is beautifully expressed in 4:2 – “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like claves released from the stall.”

Malachi concludes with a promise if the coming of “the prophet Elijah,” who will offer God’s forgiveness to all people through repentance and faith (4:5, 6).

The book of Malachi forms a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. As you read Malachi, see yourself as the recipient of this word of God to his people. Evaluate the doeth of your commitment, the sincerity of your worship, and the direction of your life. Then allow God to restore your relationship with him through his love and forgiveness.

VITAL STATISTICS:

Purpose: To confront the people with their sins and to restore their relationship with God.

Author: Malachi

To whom written: The Jews in Jerusalem and God’s people everywhere

Date written: About 430 B.C.

Setting: Malachi, Haggai, and Zechariah were post-exilic prophets to Judah (the southern kingdom). Haggai and Zechariah rebuked the people for their failure to rebuild the temple. Malachi confronted them with their neglect of the temple and their false and profane worship.

Key verses: “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace....But for you who revere my name, the sun fo righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like claves released form the stall” (4:1,2)

Key people: Malachi, the priests

Key places: Jerusalem, the temple

Special features: Malachi’s literary style employs a dramatic use of questions asked by God and his people (for example. See 3:7,8).

MEGA THEMES:

Themes	Explanation	Importance
God’s love	God loves his people even when they ignore or disobey him. He has great blessings to bestow on those who are faithful to him. His love never ends.	Because God loves us so much, he hates hypocrisy and careless living. This kind of living denies him the relationship he wants to have with us. What we give and how we live reflects the sincerity of our love for God.
The sin of the priests	Malachi singled out the priests for condemnation. They knew what God required, yet their sacrifices were unworthy and their service was insincere; they were lazy, arrogant, and insensitive. They had a casual attitude toward the worship of God and observance of God’s standards.	If religious leaders go wrong, how will the people be led? We are all leaders in some capacity. Don’t neglect your responsibilities or be ruled by what is convenient. Neglect and insensitivity are acts of disobedience. God wants leaders who are faithful and sincere.
The sin of the people	The people had not learned the lesson of the exile, nor had they listened to the prophets. Men were callously divorcing their faithful wives to marry younger pagan women. This was against God’s law because it disobeyed his commands about marriage and threatened the religious training of the children. But pride had hardened the hearts of the people.	God deserves our very best honour, respect, and faithfulness. But sin hardens our hearts to our true condition. Pride is unwarranted self-esteem; it is setting your own judgement above God’s and looking down on others. Don’t let pride keep you from giving God your devotion, money, marriage, and family.
The Lord’s coming	God’s love for his faithful people is demonstrated by the Messiah’s coming. The Messiah will lead the people to the realization of all their fondest hopes. The day of the Lord’s coming will be a day of comfort and healing for a faithful few, and a day of judgment for those who reject him.	Christ’s first coming refined and purified all those who believe in him. His return will expose and condemn those who are proud, insensitive or unprepared. Yet God can heal and mend. Forgiveness is available to all who come to him.