Assignment on the Topic

Malachi

In partial fulfilment for the requirement of the course:

Prophetic Responses to the Struggle of the People of God

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. Joel Joseph Sijin Mon S H
(BD 3)

Submitted on: 17th February 2022

Luther W. New Jr. Theological College, Dehradun.

Introduction

The Old Testament's prophecy reached its pinnacle prior to and during the Babylonian exile.

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah had the greatest impact on the Israelite people's religious

growth. Following the exile, numerous prophets emerged, some of whom authored writings

that are preserved in the Old Testament. In general, these prophets had limited vision, but

there were exceptions, and the literature from this time period has some of the greatest

insights found in any of the prophetic works, despite the fact that the writers of these sections

are almost always unknown. In this part, we will look at one of these prophets, Malachi.

Malachi: The Prophet

 Meaning

The Hebrew word malʾakhi means "My messenger." According to A. von Bulmerina, the

word could be a shortened form of malʾakhiyyah, "messenger of the Lord". However, since

this name is not found elsewhere in the Bible, the Septuagint, in which it appears

as malʾakho ("by the hand of His messenger"), is probably right in not regarding it as a

personal name.1

 Time

Although opinions differ on the prophet's specific chronology, practically all scholars think

that Malachi prophesied during the Persian period, shortly after the Second Temple was

rebuilt and dedicated in 516 BC. Malachi was most likely alive and working during the time

of Ezra and Nehemiah. The faults that Malachi cites in his writings are so similar to those that

1
Encyclopedia.com, “Malachi, Book of” accessed February 14, 2022,
https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/bible/old-testament/malachi
Nehemiah discovered on his second visit to Jerusalem in 432 BC that it appears reasonable to

assume that he prophesied at the same time as or shortly after Nehemiah.2

 Life, work and ministry

Malachi is the final of the Old Testament prophets. In the same way that Haggai and

Zechariah served Zerubbabel and Jeshua during the first return from exile, Malachi served

Nehemiah at the third homecoming, notably during Nehemiah's departure from Jerusalem

about 433 B.C. Many things went wrong during Nehemiah's absence from Jerusalem, as

detailed in Nehemiah 13. The holiness of Temple worship, the payment of tithes, the

observance of the Sabbath, and mixed marriages between Jews and Gentiles were among

them. He was a brave and powerful man who spoke the truth without fear of retaliation. He

chastised the people, including the priests, for their transgressions, calling a spade a spade.3

Despite the fact that the Temple had been rebuilt a century previously and that the country

had experienced a religious revival under Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:28-39), the

people reverted to their old practises of complacency and moral laxity. "The dog returned to

their vomit again, and the sow that was cleansed to her wallowing in the muck," Nehemiah

noticed as he returned from the Persian court to Jerusalem. This prompted both the Governor

(Nehemiah) and the Prophet (Malachi) to join forces against the perpetrators. His appeal in

this oracle was that the people and priests would stop sterilize that their luck of blessing was

not caused by His luck of concern, but by their own compromise and disobedient to the

covenant law. When they repent and turn to God with sincere hearts, the obstacles to the flow

2
Rob Harbison, Kings and Prophets, PDF File, accessed February 14, 2022,
https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/harbison/kings-and-prophets-rh.pdf
3
Timothy Tow, The Minor Prophets (Singapore: Far Eastern Bible College Press, 2001), 154.
of divine blessing will be removed. Malachi also reminds the people that are day of reckoning

will surely come when God will Judge the righteous and the wicked.4

One of the reasons why Yahweh delayed his blessings from the Israelites for such a long

time, according to Malachi, was their frequent use of ill and inferior animals as sacrifice

offerings. Yahweh expects nothing less than the best and will not be happy with anything

less. Another cause for Yahweh's displeasure was their inability to pay tithes and sacrifices;

the prophet accuses his people of robbing God here. Furthermore, some men divorced their

spouses in order to marry women of alien heritage, which was against Yahweh's desire. Many

people have become so negligent and apathetic that the prophet claims that Yahweh's name is

respected and feared more among the Gentiles than among the Israelites. Yahweh will open

the windows of heaven and pour forth a blessing so large that the people will not be able to

accept it all if the Israelites repent and repair all of their faults. This blessing will include

tangible advantages such as abundant harvests, increased flocks, and sickness-free living.5

 Messages of the Malachi

The message of the Malachi strikes home to several areas of the life of the backslidden

remnant. He speaks of their religious decline their social debasement, their moral defection,

and their material dissipation.

 Religious decline (1:1-2:9)

Malachi begins with a revelation of God’s love to Israel (1:1-5) and rebuke to the

priest’s sin (1:6-2:9). Because of the priests' degeneracy, the people were all led

4
Bruce Wilkinson & Kenneth Boy, Talk Thru the Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publications,
2005), 296.

5
CliffsNotes, “Summary and Analysis the Post-Exilic Prophets,” accessed February 14, 2022,
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/old-testament-of-the-bible/summary-and-analysis/the-
postexilic-prophets
 astray. 'Like people, like priests,' Hosea had remarked (iv.9), but the order is inverted

here to the Tribe of Levi's great embarrassment. They called God their Father, but

they did not reverence Him; they claimed to be His Master, but they did not fear Him;

on the contrary, in their exalted adoration of Him, they went to the most heinous

levels of blasphemy and sacrilege. They were despising His name and polluting His

alter by using sickly sacrifices rat her than using the best animals as God demanded.6

 Social debasement

The connection and compromises with the outsiders around them had been one of the

main causes of sin and corruption in Israel's history. They had been separated from

the nations and placed in the midst of them in order to be a witness to Jehovah the

One God, in contrast to the prevalent polytheism; and in order to remain pure, they

had to marry only within their own nation, because bringing in foreign wives often

meant bringing in false worship. Socially the tide was as law as it was spiritually.

Idolatry was present (vv 10-13) despite the lesion learned in Babylon. Malachi raised

his voice in emphatic denunciation after Ezra and Nehemiah both spoke and behaved

harshly in this respect. However, the people relapsed back into this transgression, and

Ezra and Nehemiah both spoke and acted harshly in this regard. They were divorcing

their Hebrew women and marrying foreigners, and the divorced's tears flooded the

altar, obliging the Lord to disregard these harsh husbands' sacrifices. Divorce was

practiced even though it is written. “I hate divorce”, says the Lord the God of Israel.7

 Moral defection (2:17-3:6)

The Justice of God was questioned by the people (2:17) At this time, sorcery,

adultery, perjury, fraud, and oppression were rampant, and the Lord's face was set

6
Tow, The Minor Prophets, 155.
7
Tow, The Minor Prophets, 155-156.
 against them; but the people had declared, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the

eyes of the Lord, and he delighted in them,' and, 'Where is the God of judgement?'

The Prophet then informs them openly that the God of judgement will come and put

them all into the refining pot, where the fire will burn fiercely until the dross is

separated; a painful process, but one that must take place. Religion is spiritual, but it

is also deeply ethical, a truth that is all too frequently overlooked or dismissed in our

time.8

 Material dissipation (3:7-18)

The offerings for the Levites' maintenance had ceased, and the tithes had not been

delivered into the Lord's storehouse, resulting in destitution. There was undoubtedly

exact obedience of the rules about the 'tenth,' but it was sporadic and resentful. As a

result of their disobedience to God in material things, they were forced to suffer in

material things. When we become Christ's, our money becomes His as well, and while

we may give Him a portion of it on a regular basis, it is simply to show that the entire

is His and at His disposal. The spirit of the provider determines the worth of an

offering to the Lord, and he appreciates our sacrifices based on how much it costs us

to bring them. Because they had not fitted as God commanded, they were robbing

from God (vv. 7-12). Furthermore, the resistance of the people was stout and arrogant

(13-15).9

 Messianic declaration (4:1-5)

The condemnation of the wicked will be accomplished with the coming of the

Messiah. For behold the day comes burning like oven, When all the arrogant and all

evildoers will stable. But this day will be a consolation for the righteous that the book

8
Tow, The Minor Prophets, 155.
9
Tow, The Minor Prophets, 156.
 end with a command to obey the law, and prediction about the coming of Elijah in

preparation for the lord.10

 Theological significance of Malachi

 God’s love and Justice do not change. His election and the final Judgment on the day

of the Lord demonstrate His character.

 Honouring God, the great king, is not accomplished through hypocritical worship.

God deserves one best

 God hates divorce and intermarriage with pagans. This act destroys the family and

makes the worship unacceptable.

 The teacher/preacher who does not fear God, give true interaction from, God’s word,

well in unrighteousness and turn people from evil will not receive God’s blessing.

 God does destiny between the neighbours and the wicked therefore, it’s worthwhile to

fear and serve God.11

Conclusion

The message of Malachi to his day is extremely applicable to our own, since each of the

aforementioned evils has a current Church parallel. How common is the denial of God's

power; how weak are many Christians in regard to significant moral concerns; how common

is the union of saved and unsaved in marriage; and how horribly slack are the people of God

in regard to the consecration of everything that they are and have. The word of Malachi

should serve as a grave warning to all of them.

10
Normal L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the OT (Michigan: Baker House Company, 1977), 298 –
299.
11
Gary V. Smith, OT Survey Part II Job – Malachi (Illinois: Evangelical Training Association, 2014),
94.
Bibliography

 Geisler, Normal L. A Popular Survey of the OT. Michigan: Baker House Company, 1977.

 Smith, Gary V. OT Survey Part II Job – Malachi. Illinois: Evangelical Training

Association, 2014.

 Tow, Timothy. The Minor Prophets. Singapore: Far Eastern Bible College Press, 2001.

 Wilkinson Bruce & Kenneth Boy. Talk Thru the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson

Publications, 2005.

Webliography

 CliffsNotes. “Summary and Analysis the Post-Exilic Prophets.” accessed February 14,

2022. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/old-testament-of-the-bible/summary-and-

analysis/the-postexilic-prophets

 Rob Harbison. Kings and Prophets. PDF File. accessed February 14, 2022.

https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/harbison/kings-and-prophets-rh.pdf