Bible Study Outline - Malachi

Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
Mid-Week Teaching Service on 21 Mar 2001

536 BC - Cyrus signs decree for Jews (50,000) to return to Judea under Zerubabbel
534 BC - Foundation of Temple laid (EZR 3)
520 BC - Temple rebuilding resumed under ministry of Haggai and Zechariah (EZR 5, HAG 1)
516 BC - Temple completed (EZR 6)
445 BC - Nehemiah rebuilds the city walls
430 BC - Nehemiah returns to Persia and Malachi prophesies

Nehemiah had corrected certain abuses among the Jews (NEH 13). However, after he returned to Persia, the Jews fell back into the same sins again (marriage to foreign wives, 2:11-15 and NEH 13:23-27); withholding tithes (3:8-10 and NEH 13:10-14); and social injustice (3:5 and NEH 5:1-13). Malachi was sent to reprove them of these sins and of their neglect of Temple-services. Many years earlier, God sent Haggai and Zechariah to reprove the Jews for delaying to build the Temple.

The whole book of Malachi is a passionate appeal to the Jews to repent and return to God. From the beginning to chapter 2:9, Jehovah Himself addresses the priests directly. From chapter 2: 10, the prophet speaks on behalf of Jehovah to the people generally. The Jews in Malachi's time were afflicted with formalism (Pharisaism) and sceptism (Sadduceeism) and God confronts them seven times with the issue of real heart religion and seven times they answer back with that word "wherein?"

The key-thought is found in MAL 3:1,2 "Behold, He shall come... " The entire Old Testament points to the coming Messiah, and this last book of the OT leaves us with this final promise of His coming. The first promise of the OT (GEN 3:15) and the last (MAL 4:5,6) prophesy of Christ's coming. The Lord's first coming, as the suffering Savior, is a fact of history now. His second coming, as the King of Kings, is a fact of prophecy. The first batch of fulfillments, two thousand years ago, is our assurance that all the other predictions concerning His second coming will also be fulfilled. The interval between His first and second coming was not revealed to Malachi (nor any of the other OT prophets). And yet, the two aspects of His coming are unmistakably present in OT prophecy. There is a real sense in which John the Baptist was Malachi's Elijah-forerunner (MAL 4:5 and MAT 17:12,13), yet there is yet a final fulfillment of Malachi's Elijah prediction (MAT 17:11 "shall" and REV 11).

After Malachi's prophecy, there was a 400 year prophetic silence - which was finally broken when John the Baptist cried "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (MAT 3:2).

Malachi Chapter 1

v. 1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi - God's warning is called a "burden" because of the heaviness of His threats to unrepentant sinners.

v.2 I have loved you... Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob - God reminds the Jews of His love for them. The Jews, who had just been freed from captivity and were still in poverty, asked: "wherein hast thou loved us?" They refused to acknowledge that their sufferings were due to their sins and were for their correction. The Jews had also probably insinuated that God loved them because their ancestor Abraham loved Him. Therefore, God reminds them that though Esau and Jacob were both Abraham's grandchildren, He loved their forefather Jacob (and not Esau).

v. 3 And I hated Esau, and laid h is mountains an d his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness This statement appears to be an arbitrary and unjust statement, when in fact, it emphasizes God's unmerited favor to an undeserving Jacob. This verse is quoted by Paul in ROM 9:13 to teach the doctrine of election. "Hate" is used in a comparative rather than in the absolute sense (LUK 14:26). In other words, His not loving of Esau is so much less than His love for Jacob, that it is almost like "hating" him in comparison. Their land was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar's army - and (unlike Israel, which returned to rebuild their land) was never rebuilt. "Dragons" means "jackals" (which inhabited their ruined land).

v.4 We are impoverished, but we will return and build .... but I will throw down.... - God chastened His child, Israel, but did not destroy them.

v. 5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel - The Jews saw how the LORD had miraculously opened the way for them to return to their land, rebuild their Temple and worship their God.

v.6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? .... O priests, that despise my name And ye say, Werein have we despised thy name? - It is natural to "honour our father" and 'fear our master" because God wrote the commandments in our consciences, long before He wrote them on tables of stone at Mt. Sinai. However, even the priests (who should be teaching the people to honor their Heavenly Father) failed to honor and fear God - whom they acknowledged was their Father and Master. They despised God's name because familiarity bred contempt. Some priests may have been unaware that they had dishonored God because this type of behavior was common among them. But more likely, they pretended to be ignorant of their dishonoring ways because they were too hardened and proud to admit their sins.

v.7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible - The word "bread" probably refers to all types of offerings - particularly animal offerings (see v.8 "blind," "lame," "sick"). The "table of the LORD" refers to the Altar of Sacrifice. It is called the "table" because part of the offerings was food for the priests and their families. The priests were unsatisfied with their portion of the sacrifices and considered their support to be contemptible. The people were unimpressed with the simplicity of the Altar (and the Temple) and considered it to be contemptible compared to Solomon's Temple - and only offered "polluted" animals for sacrifice.

v. 8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? - Only outwardly perfect animals were to be offered on the Altar (LEV 22:22-24, DEU 15:2 1) because they were types of the Perfect Son of God, who is our Sacrifice. Furthermore, these gifts were tokens of their love and respect for Him. The Jews offered to God those animals that were "useless" for other purposes and kept the rest of their animals for their own selfish purposes. They did not think that God deserved their best. The priests accepted these offerings, though they knew that they were unacceptable to God, because if they did not accept them then they would receive no support at all.

God expects us to love, worship and serve Him with all our soul, heart, strength and mind but instead we do so "blindly' (unthinkingly), "lamely" (half-dead) and "sickly' (insincerely). The "governor" refers to the Persian governor who now ruled over them (because Judea was a province of the Persian Empire). God challenges the priests to offer these types of gifts to the governor! They risked being executed for insulting him publicly and pouring contempt on him! Similarly, most Christians offer to their God service that they would not consider offering their bosses or teachers.

v.9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us. this hath been by your means. Will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts - Malachi pleads with the priests to beg for God's forgiveness, otherwise how could God regard them as His priests?

v. 10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hands - In the first phrase of this verse the words 'for nought' are added by the translators. The priests are asked if there were any of them that was willing to "shut the doors" of the Temple to those who brought "rubbish-offerings" to God. God's servants must be willing to reject such offerings, even if it means a loss of support. The priests were also charged with being mercenary ("neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought"). Ministers who fear men more than God and who serve for money are disqualified from serving
God ("neither will I accept any offering at your hands").

v. 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen - The priests probably said to themselves "If these Jewish worshipers are not accepted, then who will worship God? Better half-dead worshipers than none at all!" Therefore, God declares this clear prediction of the Gospel Age, when the whole world (ie, 'from the rising of the sun even unto the going down ") will worship Him (ie, "incense shall be offered") sincerely (ie, "pure offering"). "My name shall be great among the Gentiles" is repeated to emphasize the certainty of this prediction,

v. 13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it....ye brought that which was torn - They felt that God was wearying them by expecting too much from them and His standard was too high (ie, "snuffed at it"). "Torn" means snatched from the jaws of a predator, ie, injured animal.

v. 14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing. for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen - God strongly condemns ("cursed") the deceiver who promises to offer his best (ie, an unblemished male) but subtly switches a blemished animal (ie, a corrupt thing) in place of it. He can deceive men but not the great King. God will also judge Christians, who promise to give their best service to God but instead give their "leftovers" to Him. Even the heathen acknowledge that our God is the great King and that His name is to be feared above their gods.