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Malachi
*DATE: *c.
435-430 BC[1]
* *
*THEME: *Against empty religion: Fear God and prepare for the coming Messenger
*STYLE AND STRUCTURE*
The style of Malachi is unique to the prophets.
In confronting Israel’s religious indifference, Malachi employs a question-answer method.
Eight times, the Lord brings an accusation against Israel (1:2, 6-7; 2:10-13, 17; 3:7-8, 13).
Eight times Israel questions His accusation (1:2, 6-7; 2:14, 17; 3:7-8, 13).
And every time, God proves His accusations against His people.
Based on this structural clue of accusation~/question~/answer, the book of Malachi divides into six major parts and a conclusion.
*I.
**Introduction (1:1)*
*II.
**Blindness to the love of God (1:2-5)*
/A. //God’s love seen by His dealings with Esau (1:3-4)/
/B. //God’s love seen by contrasting Esau’s destiny with Israel’s (1:5)/
*III.
**Disservice to the Great King (1:6-2:9)*
/A. //Exposure of the priests’ failure to give proper honor to the name of God (1:6-14)/
/B. //Indictment of the priests for their unfaithfulness to the covenant of Levi (2:1-9)/
1. Penalty for failing to hear this commandment of the Lord (2:1-4)
2. The covenant with Levi that they had broken (2:5-9)
*IV.
**Unfaithfulness in human (marriage) covenants (2:10-16)*
/A. //The indictment: unfaithfulness to the covenant (2:10-11)/
/B. //The consequences: sacrifice rejected (2:12-13)/
/C. //Israel’s protest and God’s reply: Divorce, which God hates, is a breach of covenant (2:14-16)/
*V.
**Criticism of God’s justice (2:17-3:6)*
/A. //Israel’s words: God’s justice is inconsistent (2:17)/
/B. //God’s answer: Wait for God’s justice which will be revealed at the coming of His Messenger (3:1-5)/
/C. //God’s character: Israel’s preservation is due to God’s unchanging character (3:6)/
*VI.
**Disobedience to the Lord’s statutes (as evidenced by Israel’s lack of giving) (3:7-12)*
/A. //The root problem is a failure to return to the Lord and to obey His commandments (3:7)/
/B. //The issue of tithing is cited as one example of their disobedience (3:8-12)/
*VII.
**Unbelief in the value of serving God (3:13-4:3)*
/A. //Israel’s words: Serving God is not worthwhile (3:13-15)/
/B. //Yahweh’s words: He remembers those who fear Him (3:16-18)/
/C. //The coming Day: God will distinguish those who fear Him from the evildoers (4:1-3)/
*VIII.
**Conclusion (4:4-6)*
/A. //Remember the Law of Moses (4:4)/
/B. //Look for the Messenger (4:5-6)/
Malachi confronts Israel’s words (“but you say”), viewing their words as a reflection of their hearts.
The questions of his hearers are evidently sincere.
Here are worshipers of God who are /ignorant/ of their true standing with God.
One can be religious and unaware that he is not right with God.
!
MALACHI’S MAJOR MOTIF
* *
The previous two prophets in Judah’s history, Haggai and Zechariah, enabled the postexilic community, through their Spirit-empowered preaching, to complete the work of rebuilding the Temple.
In Malachi, the Temple is in place.
Now, the problem is not the Temple.
Malachi focuses upon worship or religion (1:6-14; 2:12; 3:3, 8).
The worship of his day was dead, formal, hypocritical, and empty—external ritual without inward heart.
Malachi’s message is a cry against this kind of /empty/ religion.
He exposes the causes or characteristics (evidences) of dead religion and then points to its antidote.
!
“AUTOPSY OF DEAD RELIGION”[2]
*I.
**Foundationally,*[3]* one of the causes or characteristics of dead religion is /blindness to God’s love (1:2-5).
/*
Malachi opens by confronting Israel’s blindness[4] to the love of God—His electing grace and ongoing covenant faithfulness.
Israel’s blindness attests to ingratitude and unbelief.
This suggests the importance of recognizing the gracious hand of God’s providence at work in the circumstances of our lives.
For the believer, even the valleys of life flash the truth, “/Grace at Work/.” Doubting the goodness and kindness of God and His loving purposes toward us will often lead to a heartless type of worship.
/I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Prov.
27:13).
/
/ /
Conversely, one of the foundational motivations of vibrant, God-honoring worship is the personal assurance of the love of God.
A heart that is full of God’s love for him will be a heart that is full of vibrant worship toward God.
*II.
**“Insincere worship”*[5]* (1:6-2:9).*
A.
Blemished sacrifices (1:6-14)
Blemished sacrifices reflect the heart of the offerer.
Those who give God their cast-offs unveil the /lightness/ with which they esteem God.
God expects what any governor or king expects—an offering worthy of His position and honor.
The great tragedy of such sacrifices is the /dishonor/ which it gives to the name of God.
One of God’s foremost desires is that His name be revered in all the earth (Matt.
6:9).
Three times, this section mentions “among the nations” (1:11, 14).
This suggests that our worship of God and our sacrifices to Him have an impact outside of ourselves.
Contemptible sacrifices cause the heathen to look down upon our God.
/Our worship affects the way people view our God./
B.
Blighted religious leaders (who had failed to fulfill their ministerial obligations) (2:1-9)
The indifference of the laity was a reflection of the complacency of its leaders.
Courageous priests would have withstood the dishonorable sacrifices being offered to the Most High.
They should have been the messengers of the Lord, disseminating the knowledge of His Law in the covenant community.
Instead, they had caused many to stumble by their teaching.
They had deliberately perverted what they knew to be true, motivated by partiality.
Perhaps their failure to speak up was also motivated by “monetary” reasons.
In the theocratic community, they were dependent upon Israel’s sacrifices and offerings.
A crippled lamb tasted like an unblemished lamb.
Perhaps a rebuke of the populace would result in a cutting off their sustenance—why bite the hand that feeds you?
Israel’s priests had been unfaithful to their God-given duty (the covenant of Levi).
This oracle of Malachi is primarily addressed to the priests.
God holds leaders /primarily/ responsible for their followers’ deviations in worship.
All those who, through a failure to courageously teach truth, allow worship unworthy of the Great King will one day give an account.
*III.
**Unfaithfulness in human (marriage) covenants (2:10-16).
*
Malachi mentions “covenant” several times (2:4, 5, 8, 10, 14; 3:1)—covenant breaking is one of the characteristics of dead, empty religion.
[/Truce breakers /are also one of the characteristics of the last days (II Tim.
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