Malachi

1. INTRODUCTION (1:1)

The book of Malachi is an oracle or “pronouncement” from the Lord. “Pronouncement” is a technical, prophetic term for a word of judgment. The prophet functions as an ambassador appointed by God to proclaim the word.

2. GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE (1:2–5)

In the first disputation, God assures his people of his love. The cynicism of the people (1:2) is symmetric with the expression of hope in God (1:5). The affirmation of God’s love (1:2–3) is symmetric with an affirmation of his greatness (1:5). God’s past acts against Edom (1:3) are symmetric with his promise to rid the land of all evil (1:4).

1:2–3. Although the postexilic Jewish community was not living in the fullness of the messianic age, they had been loved (1:2a). It had been nearly a century since their return from exile and the rebuilding of the temple. Yet the prophetic assurance of God’s love receives only a cynical response from God’s people.

In response to the people’s question, Malachi turns to Israel’s history. The Lord loved Jacob more than Esau (1:2b–3). Esau was bypassed. No human reasoning can fully explain God’s choice. His love for Jacob was an act of love, election, and sovereignty (Rm 9:1–29).

In Rm 9:13 Paul quotes Mal 1:2–3 (“I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau”) to prove that not everyone who has descended from Abraham physically is part of true Israel, but only those who are people of the promise.

The people may have looked cynically at Malachi as he proclaimed God’s love for them a second time. The Edomites, descendants of Esau, were supposed to have been wiped out, and their territory should have been given to Israel (Am 9:11–12; Ob 8–10, 18–19, 21). Yet they still existed as a nation, and their territory now adjoined Judah!

1:4–5. God’s judgment on Esau, however, is progressive. Malachi confirms the prophetic word of God’s judgment on the Edomites (1:4). God promises to harass and judge the Edomites (Idumeans) until every trace of their evil scheming and activity is removed. His anger will rest on them until their land is emptied of Edomites. Edom represents all the enemies of God’s kingdom. The Lord will judge all nations that oppress his people.

The proclamation “The LORD is great!” (1:5) also occurs in the Psalms (40:16; 70:4). The context is hope in the deliverance of the Lord. God’s kingship will extend “beyond the borders of Israel,” to the ends of the earth.

3. THE HONOR OF GOD (1:6–14)

Even though the people are not certain of God’s love (1:2), he expects a minimal response of honor and respect. Three grounds for honoring the Lord (as Father, Master, and King) structure the second disputation. Malachi’s argument focuses on the priests’ disregard for God. They, of all people, should be expected to remain faithful.

1:6–10. Malachi charges the priests with profaning the name of the Lord (1:6). Since God is the Father of his people and the Master of the universe, it is only fair that his servants, the priests, protect his “honor.” Instead, they disregard the sacrificial laws and treat his “table” (i.e., the tables on which the sacrifices were slaughtered; cf. Ezk 40:39–43) with contempt (1:7). God charges the priests with defiling his altar by presenting offerings not in accordance with the priestly regulations outlined in Lv 22:23–27. Without properly inspecting the offerings first, they sacrifice anything presented to the Lord in the temple, whether blind, lame, or sickly (1:8). The prophet returns to his beginning analogy by asking whether they would present sickly animals as gifts to the governor. The priests must repent and ask God to restore his favor (1:9). However, if they continue their practices, the priests may as well close the temple down and extinguish the fires on the altar (1:10).

1:11–14. Certainly, the Lord’s kingship extends from east to west, because his name is great among the nations (1:11). Malachi concludes that this worship of God—wherever true worship is offered to him by Gentiles who come to him in faith (cf. Zph 2:11; 3:9)—is more acceptable than worship in the Jerusalem temple. When Jews worshiped the Lord throughout the Diaspora, Gentiles were drawn to this worship. Thus, the prophet argues against the priests that, since Yahweh’s name is great among the nations, how much more should the people of Jerusalem and Judea honor their God?

The prophet charges the people with profaning the Lord and his temple (1:12). The charge is a severe one. By permitting injured, lame, and sickly animals to be brought into the temple, they demonstrate that they are more concerned about their own livelihood than about the honor of the Lord (1:13). Anyone who continues to bring sickly sacrifices, even in fulfillment of a vow, will be cursed, because God is the great King (1:14).

4. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (2:1–9)

In this third disputation, focus shifts to the priests’ function as teachers of God’s word. The Lord has commanded the priests to guard his revelation and to teach his law (2:7; cf. Dt 31:9). Their failure to do so had brought God’s judgment on Israel and Judah. Malachi is concerned that their present insensitivity will renew God’s judgment.

2:1–3. God will not hesitate to curse his own priests (2:1–2). The curses in Dt 28:15, 20 applied to all God’s people but particularly to the priests, because they had been instructed in the commandments. The curse is explicated in a threefold formula: “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already begun to curse them.”

Malachi 2:3 clarifies the nature of the curse. God will even extend the curse to the priests’ children. He will also disregard their festivals, which were the occasions when the priests received food from the people. He puts the current sacrifices in the same class as dung, which was removed from the temple to be burned. The strong language reflects God’s feeling about the priests.

2:4–7. The curse stands in contrast to the covenant God made with Levi (2:4). The original covenant was made with Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron (Nm 25:12–13). The purpose of the covenant was life and peace (2:5). However, “life and peace” were conditioned on the priests’ faithful performance. Malachi reminds the priests of their ancestry in order to evoke in them responsive hearts. In the early days of Israel, priests feared the Lord and respected him. They were the guardians of the law and walked in accordance with God’s standards of fidelity, peace, and equity (2:6). They were the theocratic officers by whom the covenantal relationship was kept alive. Here Malachi explains the original command given to the priests (2:7).

2:8–9. The priests of Malachi’s time have gone astray (2:8). The problem is that the priests’ lives and teaching cause people to sin against the Lord. Thus, they breach the terms of the covenant, which evokes God’s wrath, judgment, and curse. Malachi 2:9 summarizes 1:6–2:8. Rather than being sought after as messengers of the Lord, the priests will be despised by the people. The Lord does not annul the covenant with Levi but suspends the blessings of “life and peace.”

5. INTERMARRIAGE AND DIVORCE (2:10–16)

2:10–12. The fourth disputation opens abruptly (2:10). Who is speaking? It seems that the people contest something the prophet has said, or it may be that the prophet is quoting a proverb. Since Malachi portrays the spirit of the people as cynical and sarcastic, it is best to take verse 10 as an argument by the people. God, who sees the heart, charges that they have dealt treacherously with each other and that they have broken the covenant (2:11). They have desecrated the holy institution of marriage by intermarriage and divorce. God is concerned with the purity of his people. Intermarriage was the way the people of Judah and Israel had accepted the cultures and gods of the nations (Jdg 2:11–13, 19; 1 Kg 11:1–8).

Malachi’s concerns are with the identity of God’s people. When any of God’s people flout his law and break the covenant, such as through intermarriage, they have no right to belong to the covenant community (2:12). They are to be disciplined. No offering can help the unrepentant sinner.

2:13–16. In addition to intermarriage, God is concerned with marital infidelity and divorce. Even if the people were to cry, bring offerings, and implore him to answer their prayers, he would have no regard for their rituals (2:13). The anticipated response to the prophetic judgment is a quick, spirited, indignant “Why?” (2:14a).

Malachi removes any pretense to innocence by stating that the Lord will appear as witness to their faithlessness (2:14b). The covenant relationship is characterized by fidelity, and the absence of marital fidelity is symptomatic of a deeper spiritual problem. The people are unreliable in their relationship with their peers, wives, and God.

The central verse (2:15) gives the theological ground for marital fidelity: (1) God has made them as one, namely male and female (Gn 2:24); (2) humans are “one,” being both flesh and spirit; and (3) God’s purpose is to raise up godly children through holy matrimony, which is characterized by a union of flesh with flesh and spirit with spirit. Covenant fidelity has a spiritual dimension that is expressed by marital fidelity.

6. THE JUSTICE AND PATIENCE OF GOD (2:17–3:6)

2:17. The fifth disputation introduces a new element: God’s justice. Their argument, however, is wearing down because they have wearied the Lord. They have argued that the fault lies with God, and now they charge that God does not discriminate between evil and good and that he even delights in those who do evil. Therefore, they ask, “Where is the God of justice?” The threefold charge against the Lord receives a threefold response (3:1–6).

3:1a. First, the Lord will send his “messenger” to prepare the way of the Lord. The coming of God (3:5) is connected with the coming of the messenger of the covenant. The identity of this messenger is unclear. The word for “messenger” in Hebrew is malak, and the Hebrew for “my messenger” is the same as the name Malachi. Is he, Malachi, the angel of the covenant or Elijah (4:5–6)? The purpose of the messenger is clear: to prepare the people for the Lord’s coming. In response to the first question, Malachi has introduced the “messenger” to announce that God’s judgment rests on the wicked. The evil are not good in God’s sight.

3:1b–4. Second, the Lord will come to the temple (3:1b). “The Lord” is further described as “the Messenger of the covenant.” Although some interpreters distinguish “the Lord” from “the messenger,” the parallel construction argues for their synonymity. “The Lord” must be Yahweh, who has promised to fill the temple with his glory (Ezk 43:1–5; Hg 2:9). The identification of “the Messenger” with “the Lord” may well anticipate God’s fuller revelation of the Messiah. The purpose of the Messenger of the covenant is to “refine” the people of God.

The messenger introduces an era that will usher in the restoration of the covenant in a new way. In response to the accusation that God is pleased with the wicked, Malachi has introduced the coming of the Messenger of the covenant as God’s means of purifying a people for himself (3:2–3a). He compares the process of purification to the refining fire of the silversmith and the bleach of a launderer. God’s purpose is to purge his people so that they will be like gold and silver.

God delights in “offerings to the LORD in righteousness” (3:3b). These can be offered only by the pure. The reference to the past (3:4) is an expression of God’s covenantal fidelity. He has always expected his children to bring him offerings in purity and righteousness.

3:5–6. Finally, in response to their third question, “Where is the God of justice?” God comes in judgment (3:5). Even though this judgment may be delayed for millennia (2 Pt 3:3–9), the judgment will come.

Malachi 3:6 could be the conclusion of 2:17–3:6. The Lord has charged his people with wearying him (2:17). Though the Lord is vexed by his people, he does not change; the Lord continues his plan of redemption. His delay in judgment expresses grace. The people may change, but the comfort of the godly is that the Lord does not change.

7. THE TITHE (3:7–12)

In the fifth disputation (2:17–3:6), Malachi argued that God would show his justice in judgment at his appointed time. The prophet calls for a response in preparation for the coming of the messenger. The appeal for a particular response links this section to the fourth disputation (2:10–16). In both sections, God expects a renewal of fidelity: in marriage (2:10–16) and in worship (3:7–12).

God remains faithful to his promise that he will return to those who seek him with all their heart (3:7), though the people were satisfied with their lack of commitment. Malachi singles out one example of infidelity to God: the tithe (3:8).

Israel’s failure to give the tithe exposes their failure to show loyalty to God in worship. The people have “robbed” God. The tithe was God’s divine right, specified in the law (Lv 27:30; Nm 18:24–28; Dt 14:28–29). From the tithes, the Levites, priests, orphans, widows, and aliens were supported. The “contributions” were the portions of sacrifices that the priests were permitted to use for food (Ex 29:27–28; Lv 7:32; Nm 5:9). Support for the temple personnel and social programs is failing.

Malachi details how the Lord will grant his blessings (3:11–12). Since the people are reluctant, the prophet calls on them to test the Lord (3:10). This challenge to the people must be related to his call for them to return (3:7). By their repentance they will express their faith and dependence on him.

8. GOD’S LOVE FOR THE REMNANT (3:13–4:3)

In the sixth disputation, Malachi sums up the argument of the book by affirming that God will reward his loyal children who persevere to the end. This disputation is also related to the fifth (2:17–3:6) but is more direct and severe. The prophet does not give a general call for repentance. Many in the covenant community are too concerned with self but are incapable of establishing their own righteousness; they will perish. On the other hand, the righteous remnant will receive a glorious reward.

3:13–15. The Lord charges the community of faith with speaking harshly against him (3:13–14). The prophets have argued that it is vain to serve idols, but the people turn the argument around by claiming that allegiance to the Lord brings no benefit. The people expect their religiosity to pay big dividends. They equate faithfulness to God with “walking mournfully” (3:14). Their lack of sincerity is brought out by their observation about the “arrogant” (3:15). They boldly claim that the arrogant are lucky. They set their own lifestyle, live practically without God, test him, and still prosper. God leaves their argument unanswered, shifting his attention to a group of godly people.

3:16–18. Within the covenant community, there is a group that has kept itself distinct from the arrogant, mockers, and cynics. They are variously called “those who feared the LORD” (3:16, twice), those who “had high regard for his name” (3:16), “the righteous” (3:18), and “one who serves God” (3:18). The complaints of the first group are loud and clear (3:14–15), but what are the godly saying? It does not seem to matter. Instead, Malachi emphasizes the various designations for the godly by drawing our immediate attention to God’s responsiveness to his children.

Their names are written in “a book of remembrance” (3:16; cf. Ex 32:32–33; Pss 69:28; 87:6; Dn 12:1). The Lord has marked a people for himself who will accept his tender care and the rewards of their labors. The greatest reward is to be his “own possession” (3:17). The prophet compares the Lord’s care to a father’s care for his son who has served him well. When the Lord shows his love for his people, then they will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked with their own eyes (3:18).

4:1–3. The day of the Lord will come upon humankind as a terrifying experience. The wicked will be completely removed even as trees are destroyed by fire (4:1). Yet the Lord will share with the righteous the triumphs of his victory (4:2–3).

“The sun of righteousness” (4:2) is to be understood as in Isaiah’s prophecies. Righteousness represents the effects of God’s righteousness on this earth: victory and glory (Is 51:6–7; 62:1–2). God shares his victory and glory with his people. They will experience the fullness of the restoration as a healing process. The light will dawn for his people in such a way that all the promises will be fulfilled in them. That moment will mark the full establishment of God’s kingdom, a time of great rejoicing. The joy and sense of fulfillment for God’s children is likened to calves that, when released from the stable, paw at the ground. The self-righteous will be marked for destruction, while the righteous will be marked as God’s possession.

9. CONCLUSION (4:4–6)

Malachi’s conclusion includes a final appeal to observe the law of Moses in preparation for Elijah’s return. [Elijah and John the Baptist]