The people of Judah were exiled from the Promised Land by the Babylonians. They were returning from Babylon seventy years later (CYRUS KING OF PERSIA).
In one of the most amazing prophecies of the Bible, the Lord revealed Cyrus’s decree to free the Jews to Isaiah. One hundred fifty years before Cyrus lived, the prophet calls him by name and gives details of Cyrus’ goodwill to the Jews:
Isaiah 41:25 “I have stirredup one from the north,and he comes—one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
Isaiah 44:28 “..who says of Cyrus,‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem,“Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple,“Let its foundationsbe laid.”
Isaiah 45:1 “This is what theLordsays to his anointed, to Cyrus,whose right hand I take holdof to subdue nationsbefore him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
By the time of Malachi, they had been back in the land for more than a hundred years and were looking for the blessings they expected to receive when they returned.
Though the temple had been rebuilt, the enthusiasm of those early returning Israelites gave way to a thorough apathy for the things of God and rampant corruption among the priesthood.
Malachi’s concerns mirror Nehemiah’s, suggesting that Malachi prophesied to the people while Nehemiah left the city for several years. (Nehemiah 13:6)
At the time of Malachi, over 1500 years after Abraham’s era, the Israelites had the advantage and weight of history on their side; they could see the rewards of faithfulness and the punishments associated with judgment.
Abraham is called in Gen. 12 the entire OT follows his descendants right up to the end.
But with all that perspective, the book of Malachi teaches us that they still strayed from the Lord’s path. They needed God’s intervention as much as ever, so this book, as a final statement of judgment in the Old Testament, anticipates God’s saving work through the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The prophecy of Malachi is built around seven questions the people asked God. These questions revealed their doubting, discouraged, sinful heart.
- IN WHAT WAY HAVE YOU LOVED US?(Malachi 1:2)
Vs2-3 “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares theLord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,3but Esau I have hated,and I have turned his hill country into a wastelandand left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
- IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE DESPISED YOUR NAME?(Malachi 1:6)
Vs7 “By offering defiled foodon my altar.
- IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE DEFILED YOU?(Malachi 1:7)
Vs7-8 “By saying that theLord’s tableis contemptible.8When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,is that not wrong?
- IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE WEARIED HIM?(Malachi 2:17)
Vs17 By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of theLord, and he is pleasedwith them” or “Where is the God of justice?”
- IN WHAT WAY SHALL WE RETURN?(Malachi 3:7)
Vs7 Returnto me, and I will return to you,”says theLordAlmighty.
- IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE ROBBED YOU?(Malachi 3:8)
Vs8-10 “In tithesand offerings.9You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.10Bring the whole titheinto the storehouse,that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says theLordAlmighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgatesof heaven and pour outso much blessingthat there will not be room enough to store it.
- IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE SPOKEN AGAINST YOU?(Malachi 3:13)
Vs14-15 “You have said, ‘It is futileto serveGod. What do we gain by carrying out his requirementsand going about like mournersbefore theLordAlmighty?15But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly, evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
DOUBTED GOD’S LOVE
DESPISED HIS NAME
DEFILED GOD
WEARIED GOD
WERE OUTSIDE OF GOD’S WILL
ROBBED GOD
SPOKEN AGAINST GOD
The Faithful Remnant Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared theLordtalked with each other, and theLordlistened and heard.A scroll/bookof remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who fearedtheLordand honored His name. (1 Kings 19) (Romans 9:27-28)
Discouraged by the sense that it wasn’t worth the trouble to serve God, the people of God came together –spoke to one another– and encouraged each other in the LORD.
When God’s people speak to one another in this way, the LORD listens from heaven. He loves to see true fellowship and love among His people.
A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who honored His name His name: When they saw the wicked rewarded and the righteous suffer, it made them think that God forgot all their good. Here Malachi promises that not only will God remember, but He will write it down!
The thought that God has abook of remembranceis common but varied:
Golden calf Exodus 32:31-33 So Moses went back to theLordand said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!They have made themselves gods of gold.32But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot meout of the bookyou have written.” 33TheLordreplied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot outof my book.
Psalm of David about his enemies: Psalm 69:28 May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
End times Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael,the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distresssuch as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
The Great White Throne Judgment Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throneand him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,and there was no place for them.12And I saw the dead, great and small,standing before the throne, and books were opened.Another book was opened, which is the book of life.The dead were judgedaccording to what they had doneas recorded in the books.13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hadesgave up the deadthat were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.14Then deathand Hadeswere thrown into the lake of fire.The lake of fire is the second death.15Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of lifewas thrown into the lake of fire.
The Faithful Remnant Malachi 3:17-18 “On the day when I act,” says theLordAlmighty, “they will be mytreasured possession (Jewels).I will sparethem, just as a father has compassion and spares his sonwho serves him.18And you will again see the distinction between the righteousand the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
It was a spiritually low time for Israel – the priests and the people were engrossed in corruption and mediocrity. At the same time, God always has Hisjewels. Even if everyone around you turns away from the LORD, you can still be one of Hisjewels.
