"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Malachi - My Messenger (1:1-2:16) INTRODUCTION 1. With the aid of the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah... a. The temple was rebuilt - Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14-16 b. What had begun in 536 B.C. was finally finished in 516 B.C. 2. In 458 B.C., another group of exiles returned to Jerusalem, led by Ezra... a. A priest b. His work was to teach the people the word of God - Ezra 7:10 3. About 444 B.C., a third group of exiles returned led by Nehemiah... a. Who became governor b. Under his leadership, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt (Neh 1-6) c. Together with Ezra, he led the people to a great revival (Neh 7-13) 4. Contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah was another prophet, Malachi... a. His name means "My Messenger" 1) Certainly Malachi was a messenger of God 2) But he also spoke of God's messengers to come - Mal 3:1 b. Like Ezra the priest... 1) Malachi attacked the spiritual and moral decay that was prevalent 2) Among both priests and people c. In so doing, he resorted to a new style of teaching 1) Known as the didactic-dialectic method of speaking 2) I.e., making a charge, raising potential objections, and then refuting them 3) Which later became common in Jewish schools and synagogues [In this study, we shall consider several examples of this style of teaching as we survey the first two chapters. In these chapters we find Malachi addressing several problems...] I. THEY WERE DOUBTING GOD'S LOVE A. EVIDENTLY THEY WERE QUESTIONING GOD'S LOVE FOR THEM... 1. After years of captivity, one might understand why they felt this way 2. Their return from Babylonian captivity was not without difficulty B. GOD REASSERTS HIS LOVE FOR ISRAEL... 1. Note the didactic-dialectic style - Mal 1:2 a. "I have loved you" b. "In what way have You loved us?" c. "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated" 2. God is speaking of Jacob and Esau as the representative of their descendant nations; God did not hate Esau personally, but did hate what Edom as a nation had become 3. He goes on to illustrate what He means a. Edom (the descendants of Esau) had become desolate; despite their claims to the country, it would remain desolate - Mal 1:3-4 b. But Israel would one day see the Lord magnified beyond its border - Mal 1:5 [If the people only observed how Israel was being restored while Edom remained desolate, they would know God still loved them as a nation. But perhaps their doubting of God's love had led to another problem that was prevalent at that time...] II. THEY WERE DISHONORING GOD'S NAME A. BY OFFERING BLEMISHED SACRIFICES - Mal 1:6-11 1. Sons honor their fathers, and servants their masters; but they were despising God 2. When asked in what way, they are told of their defiled sacrifices 3. They were offering to God what they would be embarrassed to offer men 4. The Lord would even wish that someone shut the doors so they could not sacrifice 5. Despite their dishonor, one day God's name would be great even among the Gentiles B. BY OFFERING HALF-HEARTED WORSHIP - Mal 1:12-14 1. They also were profaning God's name by saying His service is contemptible and a weariness 2. Those who continued to bring blemished sacrifices would fall under God's curse, for He is "a great King" C. SUCH CORRUPTION WOULD NOT GO UNANSWERED - Mal 2:1-9 1. Addressing the priests directly, the nature of God's curse is graphically depicted 2. Because they had failed to live up to what was expected of God's priests, He will make them base and contemptible [As Malachi continues, we also learn...] III. THEY WERE PROFANING GOD'S COVENANT A. BY MARRYING HEATHEN WOMEN - Mal 2:10-12 1. They were dealing treacherously and profaning the covenant made with their fathers by marrying pagan women ("the daughter of a foreign God") 2. This nature of this problem is described in Ezra 9-10; Neh 13:23-24 3. Malachi prays that the Lord will cut off from Jacob those who do this - Mal 2:12; cf. Ezr 10:7-8; Neh 13:23-28 B. BY DIVORCING THEIR JEWISH WIVES - Mal 2:13-16 1. Despite their weeping, God was no longer regarding their sacrifices - cf. 1Pe 3:7 2. For they had dealt treacherously with the wives of the their youth (i.e., Jewish wives) by divorcing them a. Even though they had entered into a covenant (e.g., "Till death do us part") b. Even though God had made them one (cf. Gen 2:24) 3. Therefore God hates divorce - Mal 2:16 a. For it covers one's garment with violence (e.g., against the wife and children) b. It is treacherous to so deal with one's spouse in that way! CONCLUSION 1. Israel was showing signs of spiritual and moral decay... a. Failing to appreciate God's love for them b. Dishonoring God by offering second-best and half-hearted worship c. Profaning God's covenant by disregarding it and their wives 2. It is easy for Christians to make application with such verses... a. As spiritual priests we are to offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pe 2:9; Ro 12:1-2) b. Is our service honoring God? Or do we: 1) Dishonor God by offering less than our best and with half-hearted service? 2) Profane God's covenant by disregarding the covenant we made with Him and our wives when we married them? 3) Hinder our worship to God by our treatment of our wives? c. Are we any better than the priests of Malachi's day? Let the book of Malachi be a guide as to when one's religion is showing signs of spiritual and moral decay! Certainly God is worthy of our best, and we should do what we can to make sure these words prove true: For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations," Says the LORD of hosts. - Malachi 1:11
