The bible - Book of Malachi

1. The Bible - Book of Malachi – 13th
February 2017
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’“In
tithes and offerings...”(Malachi 3:8).
We can readthat Malachi 1:1 identifiesthe authorof the Book of Malachi as the ProphetMalachi. The
Bookof Malachi waswrittenbetween440 and 400 B.C. Malachi is the lastbook of the OldTestament
and isa bookof PropheticOracle.Itisa post-exilicbook,meaningitwaswrittenafterthe returnfrom
captivityinBabylon.The prophetMalachi wrote itapproximately430 B.C.Keypersonalitiesinclude
Malachi andthe priests.The purpose of thisbookisthat Malachi wrote to ensure thatthe heartsof the
Jewswasrightand that theywere keepingGodfirstintheirlives.
The Book of Malachi isan oracle:The wordof the Lord to Israel throughMalachi This wasGod’s warning
throughMalachi to tell the people to turnbackto God. As the final bookof the OldTestamentcloses,
the pronouncementof God’sjustice andthe promise of Hisrestorationthroughthe comingMessiahis
ringinginthe ears of the Israelites.Fourhundredyearsof silence ensues,endingwitha similarmessage
fromGod’s nextprophet,Johnthe Baptist,proclaiming, “Repent,forthe kingdomofheaven is near”
(Matthew 3:2).
Malachi wrote the wordsof the Lord to God’schosenpeople whohadgone astray,especiallythe priests
whohad turnedfromthe Lord. Priestswere nottreatingthe sacrificestheywere tomake toGod
seriously.Animalswithblemisheswere beingsacrificedeventhoughthe law demandedanimalswithout
defect.The menof Judahwere dealingwiththe wivesof theiryouthtreacherouslyandwonderingwhy
God wouldnotaccept theirsacrifices.Also,people werenottithingastheyshouldhave been (Leviticus
27:30, 32). But inspite of the people’ssinandturningawayfromGod,Malachi reiteratesGod’slove for
His people (Malachi 1:1-5) and Hispromisesof a comingMessenger (Malachi 2:17–3:5).
The book of Malachi isfoundas 4 chapters: Inthe firstthree chapters1-3, Malachi identifiedthe sinsof
the Jews,includingtheirpriests. He prophesiedthatGodwouldsendamessengertoprepare the way
referringtoJohnthe Baptist, “Iwill send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then
suddenlythe Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,whom you
desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.”(Malachi 3:1).Finally,he addressedthe topicof tithesand
offeringandthatwe are stealingfrom Godwhenpeople disobeyit. We can learnthisfrom Malachi 3:8-
10, “Will amere mortal rob God?Yet you rob me.“Butyou ask, ‘How are we robbingyou?’“Intithes
and offerings. 9
Youare under a curse—yourwholenation—becauseyouare robbingme. 10
Bring the
whole tithe intothe storehouse, that there may be food inmy house. Test me inthis,” says the LORD
Almighty,“andsee ifI will not throw openthe floodgatesofheaven andpour out so muchblessing
that there will not be room enoughto store it.”
Finallyin chapter4, andthe lastchapterof the OldTestament,Malachi addressed,“the greatand
terrible dayof the Lord” as we can learnfrom Maalachi4:5-6, “See, I will send the prophet Elijahto you
before that great and dreadful dayof the LORD comes. 6
He will turn the hearts of the parents to their
children,andthe hearts of the childrento their parents; or else I will come andstrike the landwith
total destruction.” Here the prophet teachesaboutthe comingjudgmentwhenGodwillsetthemablaze
inHis holyanger.He alsogiveshope tothe faithful withthe Bookof Remembrance.Those whodothe
will of Godand are righteouswill be spared.

2. The book of Malachi, whichis the lastbookof the Bible,endsverydifferentlythanitbeganinthe book
of Genesis.Letus compare them:We can read in Genesis1:1, “In the beginningGodcreated the
heavens andthe earth.” Thiswas a beautiful andperfectrelationshipwithGod.”The verylastpassage
inthe OldTestamentstates:“He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,and the hearts of
the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land withtotal destruction.”(Malachi
4:6). We needtoconsiderthe large contrast betweenthe veryfirstverseandthe verylastverse. God
whocreatedthe perfectrelationshipwithmankindiswarning:“…orelse I will come and strike the land
with total destruction.”Itis“the sinof mankind”thatmade all the difference.
We can readthat the OldTestamentbeginswiththe magnificentpowerof God’screation andendswith
fearand separationfromGodand in needof a Savior.The OldTestamentcloseswithasaddreary
clunk...butforthose whohave the faithinJesusChristhasthe offerof a new beginningthroughthe
Good NewsHe broughtthat we findinthe New Testament.We have beenofferedsalvationasafree
giftof God because of the love thatGod has forus. He sentHisonlybegottenson sothat those who
have faithinJesusChristas one’ssaviourcanrepentforthe sinscommitted,seek salvation,beginanew
life asa Childof God and be savedfrometernal damnation!
The practical applicationthatwe canlearnfrom the bookof Malachi is that God isnot pleasedwhenwe
do notobeyHis commands.He will repaythose whodisregardHim.AsforGod hatingdivorce (2:16),
God takesthe covenantof marriage seriouslyandHe doesnotwant itbroken.We are to stay true to the
spouse of our youthfora lifetime.Godseesourhearts,soHe knowswhatour intentionsare;nothing
can be hiddenfromHim.He will returnandHe will be the judge.Butif we returnto Him, He will return
to us: “Ithe Lord do notchange. So you,O descendants ofJacob,are not destroyed. Ever since the time
of your forefathersyou have turned awayfrom my decrees andhave not kept them. Return to me,
and I will return to you, saysthe Lord Almighty.”(Malachi 3:6-7).
Key Verses:
Malachi 1:6, “Ason honorshisfather, and a servant hismaster. If I am a father, where is the honor
due me? If I am a master, where isthe respect due me? says the Lord Almighty.It is you,O priests,
who showcontempt for my name.”
Malachi 3:6-7, “Ithe Lord do notchange. So you,O descendantsof Jacob,are not destroyed. Ever since
the time of your forefathersyou have turned away frommy decrees andhave not kept them. Return
to me, and I will return to you,says the Lord Almighty.”