36. Malachi

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36. MALACHI

I. OUTLINE

1. Superscription. 1:1.

2. God's Love for Israel. 1:2-5.

3. Sins of the Ministry. 1:6-2:9.

4. Degradation of Marriage. 2:10-16.

5. God of Justice. 2:17-3:5.

6. Sins of Common People. 3:6-12.

7. The Good of Serving God. 3:13-4:3.

8. Conclusion. 4:4-6.

II. AUTHORSHIP

1. Nothing is known of Malachi except what is disclosed in the book.

2. The Jews were under a Persian governor, so it is dated about 460 to 450 B.C.

3. There is a unity of thought and mannerism which suggests that the book was written by one person.

III. THE TIME

1. Malachi says the priests are slovenly about their duties and the people neglect to pay tithes and offerings.

2. This suggests sometime before Nehemiah began his reforms.

3. This time is also suggested by the conquest of the Edomites by the Nabataean Arabs.

4. The people are discouraged. "Where is the God of justice?" 2:17. What evidence that God loves us? 1:2.

5. Malachi might be subtitled "A message for an age of discouragement."

IV. THE MESSAGE

1. Malachi offers three answers to the wailing of the people-where is the God of justice?

A. The hard times caused by the disloyalty of the people.

B. The punishment of their old adversaries-the Edomites.

C. The justice of the final judgment.

2. This book presents the first real denunciation of divorce by a Hebrew prophet.

3. Malachi presents the first actual mention of the "Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man." 2:10.

4. The book is dominated by a passion for God associated with profound sympathy for man.

5. Malachi vies with all the other Old Testament prophets in exalting the universal nature of God.

6. Malachi is directly or indirectly quoted in the New Testament: Mark 1:2 (Mal 3:1); Mark 9:11 and Luke 1:17 (Mal 4:5); Rom 9:13 (Mal 1:2,3).

V. SELECTED TEXTS

1. God hates divorce. "'For I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel.'" 2:16.

2. God's changelessness. "'For I the Lord do not change.'" 3:6.

3. Robbing God. "'You are robbing me...in your tithes and offerings.'" 3:8.

4. The book of remembrance. "Those who feared the Lord spoke with one another; ...and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and thought on his name." 3:16.

5. The sun of righteousness. "'But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.'" 4:2.

6. The sending of Elijah. "'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.'" 4:5.