The Book of Malachi
“The book of Malachi concluded the so-called Minor Prophets. Indeed, it concluded the Christian Old Testament, and did so with a glance (4:5-6) at the coming Elijah, whom the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 11:10-14; Mk. 9:13; Lk. 7:24) identified with John the Baptist. The Hebrew Bible, of course, concluded with the Writings, but Malachi closed the Book of the Twelve (Hosea to Malachi), the prophetic corpus (Isaiah to Malachi), and the 'Law and the Prophets' (Genesis to Malachi)” (NCBC, Malachi, 149). As a result, most scholars believe that Malachi is the last of the prophets and because of the mention of “governor” (1:8), and not “king”, the book is generally dated at or after the time of Nehemiah’s second return to Jerusalem in 433 B.C.
It is doubtful if “Malachi” is a name or just a noun the meaning of which is “my messenger”. The LXX (Greek translation) took the latter option and translated 1:1 as “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by the hand of His messenger”. I am inclined to side with the LXX in that unlike other books of the prophets, this is essentially a “one-message” oracle with no interaction between the messenger and the Lord.
Two things are likely stand out to you as you reflect on this book. One is the unusual formula used by the Lord to rebuke the people (mainly the priests), starting with a charge by the Lord, followed with a question of dispute by the hearers and a solemn presentation of evidence of the charge by the Lord. The second thing is the very practical issues raised by the Lord, though they are grown out of the spiritual apathy of the time when the temple had been rebuilt, and the people as well as the priests showed contempt to the law of Moses as in the offering of sub-standard sacrifices, the withholding of their tithes, and taking of gentile wives, likely forsaking the wives of their youth in the process. Such issues are so relevant to the church of Jesus Christ today as well.
1:2-5—1st Dispute: “How have You Loved Us?”
(1) Why would the people doubt if God has loved them?
(2) What does the Lord use to prove His love for Israel, His people? (v. 2; see Rom. 9: 10-13 as well)
(3) What will the Lord do to the defiant Edom?
(4) How does His treatment of Edom show His love for Israel?
(5) What should Israel learn from the example of Edom?
1:6-14—2nd Dispute: “How have We Shown Contempt for Your Name?”
(6) Who are the ones guilty of contempt against the Lord? (v. 6)
(7) Why and how should they show respect to God? (v. 6)
(8) By denying their contempt and defilement (vv. 6-7), what does it tell you about the spiritual condition of the priests?
(9) They might not have said out aloud that “the Lord’s table is contemptible”, but what have they done that reveals their contempt against the Lord and His table? (v. 8)
(10) Why would they dare to offer lame or diseased animals, contrary to the plain teachings by the Law of Moses? (Lev. 1:3; Deut. 15:21)
a. What is the motive or reason behind such acts? (v. 13)
b. V. 14 makes clear that it is not a matter of not being able to afford the sacrifice, what then is the reason for not honoring their vow in this respect?
(11) Given their contempt, the Lord shows His rejection of His people:
a. What does the Lord ask the priests to do? (v. 10)
b. What judgment does the Lord pronounce on them? (v. 14)
(12) Since the name of the Lord is not revered by Israel, what will happen to God’s name? (vv.11, 14b) What does it mean?
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
2:1-8—Violation of the Levi-Covenant (Continued)—Unlike Edom, they still could repent and be blessed:
(1) Warning of judgment #1 (vv. 2b-3a)—God will send a curse upon them.
a. What does it mean that God will curse their blessings (that they pronounce on the people)?
b. If their blessings become ineffective and meaningless, would people even care to be blessed by the priests? Do you think it is the ultimate curse to the priests? Why or why not? (Note: The word "descendants" of v. 3a can be translated as their “arms”, meaning the arms they use to pronounce blessings.)
(2) Judgment #2 (vv. 3b-4)
a. What does having sacrificial dung on the face of priests represent?
b. How do they treat the dung of the sacrificial animals? (Lev. 4:12; 16:27; Exod. 29:14)
c. What does having the priests carried off with dung mean? (Note: It did come to pass in subsequent Jewish history, especially during the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes around 169-166 B.C.)
(3) The covenant with Levi (vv. 5-7)—See Num. 3:6-13
a. Why does the Lord call His covenant with Levi (appointing them to serve in His temple) as a covenant of “life and peace”? (v. 5)
b. Can “life in God” exist without “peace with God”?
c. With what attitude are the priests to serve? (v. 5b) Why?
d. How should they carry out such a sacred task? (v. 6)
e. In closing out this reminder, the Lord emphasizes the role of the priests as “the messenger of the Lord”— that is what the name, Malachi, implies (v. 7)
- What is the key task of the priests?
- Why is it so?
(4) The priests have violated the covenant (vv. 8-9)
a. What has been the result of their violation of the covenant? (v. 8)
b. What has already happened as their judgment? (v. 9a)
c. One more sin is added here in v. 9b:
- What is it?
- What does it mean? (see example in 2:11-12)
2:10-16—Breaching the Marriage Covenant
(5) What does having the Lord as their “Father” and “God” make them? (Exod. 19:5-6; 24:8)
(6) Why then is the violation of that covenant with God an act of unfaithfulness to one another? (v. 10)
(7) Two examples of such a violation of the covenant are rebuked here: The first one is the wrong kind of marriage (vv. 11-12)
a. What kind of foreign marriage is condemned by the Law of Moses? Why? (Exod. 34:15-16; Deut. 7:1-4)
b. Is the rebuke here necessarily against the marriage of gentile women? (v. 11)
c. Why is such a marriage a desecration of the sanctuary “the Lord loves”?
d. What should be done to such a man who “profanes the covenant of their ancestors”? (vv. 10, 12)
e. What does v. 12b imply?
(8) The second example of such a violation of the covenant is divorce which is also their “4th Dispute” with the Lord. (vv. 13-16)
a. What does their divorce do to their relationship with God? (v. 13)
b. Whose tears are those which flood the altar of the Lord?
c. How do they challenge God’s non-acceptance of their offerings? (v. 14)
d. God’s answer (vv. 15-16):
- Who is the witness to our marriage? (v. 14b)
- What does the Lord point out as the essence of being a married couple? (v. 14c)
- What is God’s purpose of marriage between one man and one woman? How does the unfaithfulness of a spouse violate that purpose of God? (Note: v. 15 is “extremely choppy. The word ehad (one) appears twice in this verse” (NCBC, 172). However translated, “one” appears to be the emphasis: one God and likely one flesh).
- Most commentators maintain v. 16 should be translated, “God hated divorce”. Apart from the reasons already mentioned, consider the following:
1. What is the reason given here in v. 16?
2. What does our Lord Jesus say about divorce? (Matt. 19:3ff)
- In commanding us not to be unfaithful, the Lord urges us “to guard your spirit” (v. 16c). What does it mean?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
2:17—5th Dispute: “How have We Wearied Him?”
(1) In charging the people with having “wearied” Him with their words, the Lord points out what they like to say:
a. Do you think they actually said these words aloud?
b. If they did (which should be the case), what were they trying to say behind these words?
c. Do you find yourself saying the same thing, especially the latter question?
d. Why would such words weary the Lord?
3:1-5—The Sudden Coming of the Lord to His Temple—Having rebuked the people and especially the priests for their contempt of the temple, the violation of the Levi’s covenant and their marriage covenant, the Lord foretells His own coming:
(2) Who will precede His coming? Who is he? (4:5; Isa. 40:3-5; Matt. 3:3; 11:10; Mk. 1:2; Lk. 7:27)
(3) How has the prophecy of v. 1b been fulfilled? (Lk. 2:22, 41)
(4) Did the people recognize this fulfillment?
(5) During one of His first comings into the temple, He performed its cleansing twice (Jn. 2:13ff; Matt. 21:12ff):
a. How different would this cleansing be as described in Malachi? (3:2-3)
b. What is the purpose of this cleansing? (vv. 3b-4)
(6) Beyond the cleansing of the temple itself, what people would He deal with? (v. 5) Try to categorize these sinners (or the sins).
3:6-7—6th Dispute: “How are We to Return?”
(7) In calling them to return, why does the Lord emphasize the fact the “I the Lord do not change”? (v. 6)
(8) Why would the people reply by saying, “How are we to return”?
a. Does it mean they do not know how to return? Or
b. Do they think they have done enough to return?
c. What kind of people are they?
3:8-12—7th Dispute: “How are We Robbing You?”
(9) If the Lord makes the same charge in v. 8 against the people in the church today, do you think He would get the same reply as in v. 8b? Why or why not?
(10) Why does the Lord equate the non-compliance with the law of tithes and offerings as “robbing” Him? (Num. 18:21; Lev. 27:30)
(11) What do you think should be the reasons for tithes and offerings—simply an observation of the law?
(12) How does the Lord challenge the people to tithe to His house?
(13) Do you think God will necessarily keep this promise? Should this be the reason we tithe?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
3:13-18—8th Dispute: “What Have We Said against You?”
(1) Do you think the people’s observation that “evildoers prosper and even if they put God to the test, they get away with it” is correct? Why or why not?
(2) How would you react to such an observation if it is true?
(3) What was the response of the people? (3:14)
(4) Why should God accuse them of speaking harsh things against Him?
(5) How differently might those who fear the Lord talk? (3:16a)
(6) As God listened and heard, what did He do? (3:16b)
(7) In promising that He will act “on that day” (3:17-18),
a. How does the Lord address His apparent “inaction” against the evildoers?
b. How will He treat those who fear Him on that day?
4:1-6—The Day of Judgment
(8) As God elaborates what will happen on the Day of Judgment:
a. Why does He lump the “arrogant” and the “evildoers” together? (4:1)
b. What metaphor does the Lord use about the judgment of the wicked? (4:1)
(9) For those who revere the name of the Lord:
a. What will that day turn out to be? (4:2)
b. What is the reason for their joy? (4:2) Who is that Sun of Righteousness whose “wings” provide healing? (Luke 1:78)
c. What will the Lord use them to do to the wicked? (4:3)
(10) 4:4 represents the last word of exhortation in the Old Testament:
a. What does the Lord urge His people to do?
b. Why?
(11) The latter part of v. 6 is best translated as “that I may not come and smite the land with the curse” (K&D, 663).
a. In order to avoid total destruction, why would God send, of all the prophets, Elijah before He comes? (4:5)
b. What will be the purpose served by Elijah? (4:6)
(12) The books of the Gospel testify that Elijah has indeed come:
a. Who is he? (Matt. 3:3; 11:10-14; Mk. 1:2; Lk. 7:27)
b. In what way has John the Baptist turned “the hearts of the parents to their children” and vice versa? (Lk. 1:16-17)
c. Why is it necessary for him to prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah? (Isa. 40:3-5)
(13) As we come to the end of the book of Malachi, take a bit of time to reflect on your notes or scan through the book once again, and see what might the key messages be to you and how you can apply them to your life.