Malachi

Malachi is the last of the Minor Prophets books in the Old Testament, but is not so placed in Jewish scriptures. The name, Malachi, is thought to mean ‘my messenger’ or ‘messenger of the Lord’ or ‘my angel’. It may also mean ‘by the hand of His messenger’. The name is not necessarily a personal noun, and so possibly refers to an anonymous writer. However, some say Ezra was the author, but even this is disputed. Others say the name is a personal noun. Suffice to say we do not really know.

The Book contains six sections that show how lax the priests had become, and how God loathes what they did. Jews no longer accept that reference to mixed marriages is genuinely from God… but modern Jews do not believe their own God anyway!

The Book was written after the Babylonian exile, when Judea was ruled by Persia and the Temple had been rebuilt, despite a very low incidence of belief. It is this allusion to Persia, by using a Persian title for ‘governor’, that suggests the date of writing.

Few people learn from history, and think what they do today is the only thing that matters. I delve into history all the time, to try and see where our vain ideas come from, and how to learn from the errors of the past. In history we see the seed of what we are today. The Old Testament is not dry as old bones, except to those who have no true spiritual desires and no concept of what their lives are all about. It is alive!

We are all the same when we sin – we usually enjoy it and do not wish to stop. Or, we sin because it suits us at the time, no matter what the excuse is. That is a fact, even if we try to deny it. Sin, however, always has consequences, not just for ourselves and our family, but also for our local churches and the nation as a whole.

The seeds of our own nation’s state can be found in this chapter, where the awfulness of sin is recorded by God. He must act against the sinner, and He will bring down any nation that rejects Him, or that acts against what He says. Wickedness is now rampant around the world. In the western world we now have ‘leaders’ we deserve – we deserve them because we have been very lax and godless, and only tried fighting back when it was too late, after God had implemented His judgment upon is. Because of this, we will see a much greater influx of wickedness. Learn from history!

This chapter is about returning to the Lord. How many Christians fail to repent and return to Him because they feel such shame for their sins? How many think they have done such awful things, God will never forgive? Or, even think they have no reason?

This is a satanic deception! God will always forgive His children when they repent, each and every time, no matter what the sins were. To forget this promise is to live forever in the shadow of death, the realm of Satan and his wicked angels, who will never, ever know repentance or forgiveness.

But God’s chosen people? We are always His, even if we sin dreadfully. The answer is to return to Him, by repenting and obeying, right now.

This is a continuation of the previous chapter, so should be read in conjunction with chapter 3… remembering that all of Malachi is one prophecy, some part directly concerning the people who lived at that time, some part to do with the coming of the Messiah, and some part to do with the far future, the end of the world.

Verses 1 - 6

1. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

3. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

4. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

6. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.