Chapter 39
Malachi
My Messenger
Malachi was another of those prophets sent of God to speak in his name, as his voice, to the children of Israel after they returned from the long years of Babylonian captivity. The rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem was complete, the sacrifices had resumed, and the ordinances of divine worship had, to all outward appearance, been restored.
Indifference
But things were
not as they seemed on the surface. Malachi spoke for God in that period following the days of Haggai and Zechariah.
It was an era that corresponded in many ways with the day in which we live.
Among those who wore the name of the Lord and professed to be his people, men
and women who were actively involved in religion, there was a terrible coldness
and indifference toward the Lord God. Unbelief was evident. The Word of God was
read in his house with regularity. The form of religion was maintained. But no
one, neither the priests nor the people, seemed to believe God. They maintained
a form of religion, but denied the power of God (2 Tim. 3:5). Religion with
these people was nothing but a ritual, an outward exercise. And the way they
performed their religious duties demonstrated that they were a people who drew
near to the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. In
Malachi’s day, as in the religious world today, for the most part the people
who professed to be worshippers of God were “lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it” (2
Tim. 3:4-5).
God’s Messenger
Malachi was just the man for the hour. He steps in at just
the right time as God’s messenger. In fact, that is what his name means; and
that is what he was ― God’s messenger. We know nothing else about him. He
was a man sent of God with God’s message for his people in his day.
Unique Book
The book of
Malachi is unique in three specific ways. First, Malachi brings the Old
Testament to a conclusion. His was God’s last word to his people for four
hundred years. For more than four hundred
years the heavens would be silent until John the
Baptist appeared as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “prepare ye
the way of the Lord.” God’s last word in the Old Testament was a call to
repentance; and his first word in the New Testament was the same. ― “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Second, unlike other prophets, Malachi’s message was delivered as
a dialogue. Malachi was not like the dialogue preachers of our day. His
dialogue was not a dialogue between himself and those who heard him. God’s
prophets are never sent to carry on a dialogue with men. They are sent to
deliver a message from God to men. Malachi simply presents his message in the
powerful, authoritative form of a dialogue. He asked a series of questions, and
he answered them. Twelve times in the first three chapters of his prophecy, he
says, “Ye say,” and shows how that what the people said was in direct
contrast with what God says in his Word.
The third unique
quality of this prophecy is the fact that almost the entire prophecy is written
as the direct word of God. Gareth Crossley points out, “Of the fifty-five
verses in this book, forty-seven are spoken by God ― the highest portion
of all the prophets.”
Distinguishing
Love
Malachi’s prophecy begins with a declaration of God’s distinguishing love and grace to his elect, as it is set forth in the scriptures (Mal. 1:1-5). Yes, God’s love is special, distinct, distinguishing love. He loves his elect, his Jacob. Everything he does is for his elect, for their eternal salvation and everlasting good. Esau exists only because of God’s love for Jacob. The reprobate exist only to serve God’s purpose of grace toward his elect. That is exactly the meaning the Holy Spirit gives to this passage in Romans 9:11-26. Let every redeemed sinner ever remember that we owe everything we have and shall have in Christ to God’s distinguishing mercy, love, and grace bestowed upon us in Christ from eternity (Jer. 31:3; Rom. 9:15-18; 1 Cor. 4:7).
The prophecy of
Malachi was given shortly after the time of Nehemiah. Read the book of Nehemiah and you will find
the setting of this prophecy and this threefold description of the corruption
in Israel:
1.
The priesthood was defiled
(Neh. 13:7-9, 29; Mal. 3:8).
2.
The children of Israel had
formed an idolatrous alliance with the heathen nations around them (Neh.
13:23-27; Mal. 2:10-16), which resulted in mixed marriages, a mixed language,
and a disregard for God’s law.
3.
The support of the house of
God was neglected (Neh. 13:10-12; Mal. 3:10).
The
Levites who served in the house of God were not given their inheritance in
Israel as God required. These men and their families were to be supported by
the offerings and tithes of the people, so that they could give themselves to
the service of the house of God. But they were working in the fields to provide
for themselves, and the service of God’s house was neglected.
“Even so hath the
Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel”
(1 Cor 9:14). One of the great reasons why those who
preach the gospel are to live by the gospel, being supported in their
livelihood by the generosity of God’s people, is that the Word of God and the
preaching of the gospel be not neglected. When those who are responsible for
the ministry of the gospel neglect prayer and study, those to whom they preach
suffer.
It was at this
time in these deplorable conditions that God raised up Malachi. He was not a
tea-sipping socializer. Malachi was a prophet, God’s messenger. Everyone
thought the prophet was old-fashioned, out-of-step with the times, and a
troublemaker. And they were right. Prophets are always old-fashioned,
out-of-step with the times, and troublemakers for those who despise God and his
Word. But the faithful servant of God, like Malachi, cannot be silenced. He
will, like Malachi, stick his finger directly in the middle of the sore spot in
the hearts of men and press hard, forcing those who hear him to know their sin.
Seven Questions
Perhaps the saddest part of the story of Malachi is that
the people were not aware of their awful condition. They were insulted by
Malachi’s message. This is demonstrated by seven points of dialogue between
the Lord God and those who claimed to be his people.
1.
“Wherein hast thou loved
us?” (1:2)
Israel’s insolence in asking this question is shocking, until we are forced to acknowledge that we who are the objects of God’s great love often think of our God’s love with the same insolence (Ps. 73:2-3, 13-14). Sometimes we are so blind that we fail to see the tokens of God’s amazing grace and special love for us.
“I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel” (Mal. 1:2-5).
Oh, what a great
lover our God is to us! The Lord God has, throughout history, protected, cared
for, and provided for us, destroying our enemies on ever side, because he is
determined to magnify himself from upon the border of Israel, and determined to
make us see and know his glory in saving us.
2.
“Wherein have we despised
thy name?” (1:6)
Next, the Lord reminded Israel that a son honors his father and a servant honors his master, but they had no fear of him in their hearts. Is that not the case with many today? Is it true of you? ― Of me? Let’s be honest. We profess that we belong to Christ, that we believe God, but where is his honor?
As I read Malachi 1:7-14, I blush with shame. How often I offer to God my Savior that which is polluted, and lame, and sick, and worthless! David said, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord that which doth cost me nothing.” But we have polluted our God by our demonstrative irreverence and indifference toward him. Have we not? Does that sting? Perhaps you ask, “Wherein have we polluted thee?” That is exactly what these people did. Look at verse 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.”
3.
“Wherein have we polluted
thee?”
They offered
animals that were lame and sick and blind for sacrifice. They offered the most
contemptible things to God and called it sacrificing, worshipping, and honoring
God! No earthly ruler would tolerate such action. Men would not even treat
their employer like Israel treated God, like we treat him. How often I offer to God my Savior that which is polluted,
and lame, and sick, and worthless! How much better he deserves than I give! I’m
tired of giving God my leftovers! Aren’t you? I know this ― He’s tired of
it; and he refuses to accept such “sacrifices!” May he graciously teach
us to give him our best, the best of our time, the best of our labor, the best
of our talents, and the best of our gifts. Let us determine with David, “I
will not sacrifice to the Lord that which doth cost me nothing.” I say with
Malachi (1:9), “I pray you, beseech God that he may be gracious unto us.”
Now, read chapter 2, verse 17. ― “Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?”
4.
“Wherein have we wearied
him?”
Note the context of this question. The priests, who were
supposed to keep knowledge, seek the word of God at his mouth, and serve as
messengers of the Lord of hosts, departed out of the way, caused the people to
stumble at God’s law, corrupted his covenant, and led the people to deal
treacherously with the Lord (vv. 7-11).
Remember,
Malachi was a prophet, God’s messenger. He did not speak in vague terms that
might be interpreted in any way men might choose. There was no misunderstanding
this man. He specifically identifies the evil into which Israel’s religious
leaders led them.
First, the priests led the people to profane God’s holiness, that he loves, by wedding themselves to the daughters of strange gods (v. 11). They profaned God’s altar, the place where his holiness was displayed in the sacrifices he required. By wedding themselves to the daughters of strange gods, they said, “The satisfaction of justice is not really necessary. Christ’s substitutionary atonement is not the only way sinners can come to God. Grace is good; but grace is not essential. As long as you are sincere, come to God any way you want to, and he will receive you.” The priests led the people in the way of Cain, ran greedily after the error of Balaam, and the gainsaying of Korah.
Second, the worship of
God had become noting more than superstitious froth, sentimentalism, and
emotionalism. ― “And this have ye done again, covering the
altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that
he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your
hand” (v. 13).
Malachi’s third charge proved that these people were
mere hypocrites, pretending to worship God, while living according to their own
brute lusts. They utterly disregarded the word of God and their moral
responsibilities before him, as was manifest in their disregard for marriage
(vv. 14-16).
Marriage
I know that some who read these words are divorced, and
some are divorced and remarried. For some, your circumstances are not of your
choosing, but what another forced upon you. For some, the whole thing took
place before God saved you. For others, it was a matter of utter disregard for
the glory of God on your part.
I preface my
next comments with this word. It needs to be understood by all. ― That
which is past is past. Leave it there. You cannot correct the past. If Christ
has forgiven your sin, it is forgiven. The people of God ought not hold it over
your head.
Be sure you understand this, too. ―
There is no such thing as a biblical divorce. Marriage is for life. And there
is no such thing as a divorce that is “best” for all involved, or “best” for
the children. Hear what God says.
“Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously” (Mal 2:14-16).
The marriage vow I took 35 years ago was not simply a nice phrase repeated before men, but a vow made before my God. The covenant I entered into on that day was not just a marriage covenant with my wife, but a covenant made with my God. Anyone who takes such things lightly is a fool. I hear people offer many excuses abandoning their families. They are all just excuses for rebellion and irresponsibility.
Some say, “I’m just not happy any more.” The fact is our happiness has absolutely nothing to do with our responsibility. Others seek to excuse their behavior by declaring, “I just don’t love him (or her) any more.” Most of the time that means, “I have found someone else to love.” But, even if that is not the case, the excuse is lame. It is a man’s responsibility to love his wife and a woman’s responsibility to reverence her husband. Frequently, people try to lay the blame for their own behavior on their husband or wife, saying, “He (or she) is not the kind of husband (or wife) he (or she) ought to be.” Again, the excuse is lame. My responsibility as a husband to my wife has nothing to do with the kind of wife she is. My wife’s responsibility as my wife has nothing to do with the kind of husband I am. Multitudes obtain divorces upon the grounds of “incompatibility,” declaring, “We are not compatible with one another.” That may be true, but it is far better to live incompatibly with a man or woman than to live incompatibly with God!
I repeat, “Marriage is for life.” Malachi
declares that God made Adam “one,” that is one wife, and “he hateth putting
away.” The Lord God made Adam one wife, made Adam and Eve one before him,
and instituted the union of one man and one woman in marriage for the moral
preservation of humanity (1 Cor. 7:14). For any to dissolve that union is to “deal
treacherously” with their husband or wife, to “deal treacherously”
with their children, to “deal treacherously” with society, and (above
all) to “deal treacherously” with the Lord our God.
In verse 17, the faithful prophet declares that the
religion of such people is nothing but lip service, and that it is a weariness
to God. ― “Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye
say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is
good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God
of judgment?” When men and women abandon the authority
of God, despise his law, and disregard his Word, there is no standard by which
to live. When everyone does that which is right in his own eyes, they call evil
good and good evil, and justice is gone.
Christ
But blessed be our God, he will never abandon his own. Look
at chapter 3. Here we see our Savior, in whom alone we have hope, by whose
grace we are saved and kept. Christ is our all-glorious Substitute, in whom God
has established his covenant, and in whom he delights (Mal. 3:1). He sits as a refiner
and purifier, and he will purify all his own (Mal. 3:2-3). Our sacrifices are
made acceptable and pleasant to our God in and by our Substitute (Mal. 3:4; 1
Pet. 2:5). He is the Lord our God who changes not; and “he hateth putting
away.” Therefore we are not consumed (Mal. 3:6).
5.
“Wherein shall we return?”
(3:7)
“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away
from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return
unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” Their attitude suggests that they did not even know they
had strayed from the Lord. They actually thought they were doing God a service.
6.
“Wherein have we robbed
thee?” (3:8).
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say,
Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” “Will a man rob God?” It is almost as if they
respond, “Preposterous! A man will not even rob a fellow man.” But God said, “Ye
have robbed me” in tithes and offerings.
In Malachi’s day
the people of Israel robbed God of his honor as God in their half-hearted
worship. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that they robbed him in
tithes and offerings. The tithe was one tenth of a person’s income. It was
devoted to God, to his worship and service, by the requirement of the law in
the Old Testament for the maintenance of the tabernacle and temple and for the
livelihood of the priestly families (Lev. 27:30-32; Deut. 14:22-26; Num.
18:21-32). Even before the law was given requiring it, Abraham and Jacob voluntarily
tithed as a response to God’s goodness, acknowledging that they belonged to him
and owed all to him (Gen. 14:20; 28:22).
As a display of
repentance, the Lord calls for Israel to bring their tithes into the storehouse
(the temple), and promises to pour out his blessing upon those who honored him
in such an act of worship (Mal. 3:9-12). It is his promise that he will honor
those who honor him (1 Sam. 2:30; Pro. 3:9-10).
The tithe is
mentioned only eight times in the New Testament (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42;
18:12; Heb. 7:5, 6, 8, 9). In each place the passage refers to the Old
Testament practice. In the New Testament that law is never applied to believers
in this gospel age, not even once, because we are not under the law but under
grace, and grace has nothing to do with the law. The gospel teaches believers
to give, give generously and willingly, both for the support of the poor
(particularly poor brethren) and for the support to the gospel ministry ((Acts
2:44-45; 4:32-37; 2 Cor. 9:6-8).
The example we
are to follow for such free generosity is Christ himself. As he proved the
sincerity of his love for us by freely giving himself to redeem us, we prove
the sincerity of our love for him by giving in his name (2 Cor. 8:7-9).
The Old Testament tithe was, in principle, an act of faith. The tithe was given as the first fruits. As such, it declared that the tither trusted God for the full harvest. The gift of the tithe asserted that the tither acknowledged that he and all he possessed was God’s property. Our gifts in this gospel age express the same thing. By honoring God with our gifts, we express the same faith, acknowledging that all we are belongs to our God and that all we possess we possess as stewards, into whose hands our Master has entrusted that which he would have us use for his glory, his people, and his gospel. Let us be faithful stewards, honor God, our Master and Savior in all things (1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:1-9:15).
The promise is
still true, “Them that honor me I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30; Gal.
6:6-10). A. M. Hodgkin wrote, “The tithe was the outward recognition that
everything belonged to God. We are to bring him our whole selves, body, soul
and spirit, all that we have and all that we are, all that we know about in our
lives, and all that we do not know about yet. If we thus honestly keep nothing
back from him, we may be certain that he will accept us and will open the
windows of heaven, and pour us out such a blessing that there shall not be room
enough to receive it, but it shall flow out to all around. ‘All nations
shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of
hosts.’”
7.
“What have we spoken so
much against thee?” (3:13)
(Mal 3:13-14) “Your
words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we
spoken so much against thee? (14) Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and
what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked
mournfully before the LORD of hosts?”
The context in
verse 14 indicates that they had spoken against the Lord in both word and
action. Though they had kept up their religious ceremonies, they did not
worship God in their hearts. All the while, they were bringing torn, lame
animals for sacrifice. And they were trying to outdo each other in making
money, procuring divorces, and indulging their lusts.
The Faithful Remnant
In the midst of all these people with an empty profession
of faith there was a faithful remnant that feared God. They “spoke often one
to another; and the Lord
hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for
them that feared the Lord, and
that thought upon his name” (Mal. 3:16).
Then Malachi
leaped the centuries and saw the time when men shall be rewarded. A remnant of
Israel, the “hidden treasure” of Matthew 13, God’s elect, will
experience the fulfillment of Jehovah's words: “And they shall be mine,
saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him” (Mal 3:17).
The Day
Chapter 4 of Malachi speaks of that day of Christ’s coming
when the proud and the wicked shall be like stubble. But to those who fear his
name, the appearing of Christ will be the “Sun of righteousness” (v.2),
arising with healing in his wings.