Malachi

Malachi 1:2 Wherein

G. Campbell Morgan helps us on this one in his little book on Malachi entitled Wherein Have We Robbed God? He does not follow the four chapter divisions in outlining it but rather points out the seven statements of rebuke that begin with the word Wherein. I will list them at the outset and we can be on the lookout for them as we browse this short prophetic book which traditionally closes the Old Testament Canon of Scripture and will bring our meateater relationship to a close.

Wherein hast thou loved us? (1:2); Wherein have we despised thy name? (1:6); Wherein have we polluted thee? (1:7); Wherein have we wearied Him? (2:17); Wherein shall we return? (3:7); Wherein have we robbed thee? (3:8); and what (Wherein) have we spoken so much against thee? (3:13).

You will note that the last question in the list begins with the word "what" in the KJV but is the same word as the others in the Hebrew which shows the shortcoming of the translators and gives the "KJV only" people a knock in the head especially there being seven of these queries.

We must allow ourselves to be bound by the chapter divisions, however, and in this one we see that there are three evidences of the creeping spiritual paralysis that has overtaken Judaism when it has only been back in the land some 100 years. Could a God Whose penetrating eye looked upon their hearts be satisfied with such a shallow response as that which Malachi is led to deplore? Sadly the state of things would beget a hardness that would crucify their Messiah in a few short generations and launch them into two millenniums of spiritual blindness which heretofore they have been unable to shake. Only the horrible suffering of Armageddon under the awakening power of God’s Spirit will cause the valley of dry bones to come alive (Ezekiel 37:6&14). Lord, hasten the day.

Malachi 2:1 Why Do We Deal Treacherously

As believers we find it intolerable to excuse our politicians of immoral practice and wonder at how even the unsaved manage to wink at severe inconsistencies in their leaders, but to have so-called spiritual leaders atrociously violate the terms of their covenant with Jehovah as the Jewish priests were doing called forth the prophet’s severest rebuke. These whose "lips should keep knowledge" were to be the "messenger(s) of the LORD of hosts"(v.7) even as Malachi (Heb.- my messenger).

We can imagine how stirred he was who all his life had borne this name "My Messenger" as he contemplated the laxity and degeneracy of Israel’s Levitical aristocracy. They were stumbling blocks (v.8) guilty of illegal partiality (v.9). Judah had dealt "treacherously" in going after strange flesh (v.11).

Hypocritically they asked why God should not receive their offerings with "good will at their hands." Malachi apparently liked the word bagad which is our English word treacherous for he used it 5 times in verses 10-16. It is a strong word and speaks of pillage and deceit. Three times it is used as he blistered them with God’s rebuke for the way they treated their young wives whose tears covered the altar where they sought to bring their sacrifice.

When they should have covered their wives with the garment of concern and protection (Ruth 3:9) instead they were covering up their violent behavior toward the wife with whom they had been joined in oneness by God, and He hated what they were doing in divorcing them. This verse (16) is probably the strongest in the Bible on this subject.

To call such evil action good and to think God doesn’t care is the height of indifference and God was wearied greatly by it (v.17).

Malachi 3:10 Prove Me

One of the issues that Jehovah had in His case against Israel was the fact of the calloused attitude

held regarding the tithe. God accused Israel of robbery! When the question was put to Him as in the other matters, "wherein have we robbed thee?" He answered, "In tithes and offerings" (v.8).

Tithing is a big subject and obviously, at least in this point in time, an extremely important one to God. Just this past week it was handled by Charles Farley, a representative of International Partnership Ministries, Inc., www.ipmworld.org, at a conference I attended. It was clearly shown that in the O.T. economy the tithe involved up to 30% or more of one’s assets and was gathered 3 times a year.

The question we need to ask ourselves is probably not "under grace does God expect us to tithe today?" but rather how does God view the meager amount often given by believers in our age of grace?

In this chapter He pronounces a curse upon those who failed to obey His commandments on this matter and indicates that personal lack of material success can be the result (v.11). Will we one day also find, to our dismay, at the beama seat that we too are being examined for our niggardly giving?

Though I understand that as N.T. believers we are not commanded to tithe our income I have strongly felt since the days of my youth that to do far less under grace than was required under law contradicts our Christian testimony.

It seems reasonable that every wage earner should bring, at the very least, his tithe (usually considered 10% of income) into the local church as a fair share of his responsibility to the brethren for whom he professes love before he even thinks about giving in proportion to how God has blessed him. If we were to do so, we might happily be included in verses 16&17.

Malachi 4:6 The End

But first let us think briefly of afore mentioned material. Verse one falls in line with the favorite subject of most of the prophets, i.e. the coming judgement and doubtless looks way ahead to the final "day of the LORD." In the meantime, the Lord Jesus will come and we have here a wonderful reference to Him as "the Sun of Righteousness." Likening the Son to the Sun is an appropriate accolade for He certainly is the Divine Center of our spiritual world as the sun is of our earth-life.

Now to the revelation that Malachi gives concerning the advent of John and his foreshadowing of Elijah in verses five and six. At first we might question, where is John spoken of here? For the answer to that we must turn to Luke 1:17 for Gabriel’s remarkable pronouncement to Zecharias that John "in the spirit and power of Elijah" would do exactly what the prophet says here. This is confirmed by the Lord Jesus as recorded in Mt.17:11-13. In the spirit of Elijah John’s work was to restore (v.11) but Elijah’s work as one of the two witnesses in Rev.11:6 seems anything but restorative, yet all evidence points to the proposition that it was indeed he who accompanied Moses on this earthly mission "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD (Mal.4:5). His job now, however, was to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Gr.-master) (See also Mt.11:14 and Mk 9:12&13).

As it was, His coming was a blessing rather that a curse!

Since this is the last word from Jehovah considered canonical (inspired and trustworthy, passing numerous tests applied to Holy Writ) and we know that not any prophet will speak again until John the Baptist, we feel it our duty to examine it carefully. It is short, and quite easy to do. Interestingly, and I have not yet found the reason, the Septuagint omits the last two verses. It is in these verses that we find the most exciting material in my opinion.As believers we find it intolerable to excuse our politicians of immoral practice and wonder at how even the unsaved manage to wink at severe inconsistencies in their leaders, but to have so-called spiritual leaders atrociously violate the terms of their covenant with Jehovah as the Jewish priests were doing called forth the prophet’s severest rebuke. These whose "lips should keep knowledge" were to be the "messenger(s) of the LORD of hosts"(v.7) even as Malachi (Heb.- my messenger).G. Campbell Morgan helps us on this one in his little book on Malachi entitled ? He does not follow the four chapter divisions in outlining it but rather points out the seven statements of rebuke that begin with the word . I will list them at the outset and we can be on the lookout for them as we browse this short prophetic book which traditionally closes the Old Testament Canon of Scripture and will bring our meateater relationship to a close.