Chapter 14: The Prophets: Zephaniah to Malachi
The Prophets
Zephaniah to Malachi
We come to the end of the Old Testament! I trust the journey was exciting and enriching and that you will make it many times over as you mine the riches of the Scriptures. Please note the Messianic references throughout Zechariah.
Zephaniah
This brief book deals with God’s judgments against the kingdom of Judah and the surrounding Gentile nations that had opposed the Jews. Like some of the previous prophets we have met, Zephaniah wrote about the impending “day of the Lord” (1:7, 8, 14). The Lord had been long-suffering toward His people and the Gentiles, but now the time had come for Him to act. You find the Lord saying “I will” at least twenty-five times in these three chapters, announcing what He planned to do, and He did what He said He would do! Zephaniah was the great-great grandson of King Hezekiah, so he had royal blood in his veins, but his only concern was to minister to his people and please his sovereign Lord.
In 1:1—2:3, the prophet indicted the people of Judah for their sins, especially their idolatry, and pleaded with them to repent and return to the Lord. Both the rulers and the priests were guilty. Note the “I will” statements in this section. In 2:4–15, the Lord warned the Gentile nations that He would judge them for their sins. Humble repentance was their only hope for deliverance.
Jerusalem was the target in 3:1–7, for the princes, judges, priests, and false prophets were leading the people astray. But verses 8–20 recognized the faithful remnant that would be true to the Lord and would be delivered. They would gather together as a great choir and sing the Lord’s praises (14–15). Note that God the Father would sing as a mother would sing to a troubled child (3:17). God the Son sang with His disciples in the upper room (Matt. 26:30), and God the Spirit sings through the hearts and voices of His faithful people when they assemble for worship (Eph. 5:18–21).
Chapter 2 verse 13 mentions Nineveh as a target for judgment. The city repented when Jonah ministered there, but this time the Lord would not relent. The city would be destroyed.
Haggai
In the year 786 BC, King Cyrus permitted the Jews in captivity in Babylon to return to Jerusalem to rebuilt the temple and establish their lives. About fifty thousand returned. The king appointed Zerubbabel governor, Joshua served as the high priest, and Haggai was the resident prophet. We have records of only four brief messages that Haggai received from the Lord and gave to the people. However, God used them to spur on the struggling remnant that worked and worshipped in the midst of danger and distress. We might name these four messages “Be Ashamed” (1:1–11, with the people’s response in 1:12–15), “Be Strong” (2:1–9), “Be Godly” (2:10–19), and “Be Encouraged” (2:20–23). The remnant did rebuild the temple and establish its ministry, and as a result, the nation was preserved. They and their successors built the bridge between the Old Testament and the New and kept the nation going that would bring the Son of God into the world.
Be Ashamed (1:1–15).
Of course, the first thing the people needed as they returned to Jerusalem was housing, but their primary task was to clean up the wreckage and rebuild the temple. Once the temple was finished, Joshua and his priests and Levites (Ezra 6:16) could offer the daily sacrifices and lead them in celebrating the various ceremonies that Moses gave them in the books of the law. However, the people pointed out that their priorities were confused because they were putting their own interests ahead of God’s work. Because of this, the Lord could not bless them as He wanted to. I have been privileged to minister to many different congregations in many different kinds of buildings—one of them was built in the 700s!—and I have noticed that the church buildings that were best cared for housed people who loved the Lord and practiced Matthew 6:33. Their priorities were right. Let’s rejoice that the Jewish remnant admitted their sin, repented, and started working on the new temple. This pleased the Lord, He began to turn their “curses” into blessings, and the work prospered.
Be Strong (2:1–9).
I can’t imagine what the temple ruins looked like or what a burden it was for the men to remove the debris and make room for new construction. “Be strong” (v. 4) was God’s command, and His commandments are always accompanied by His enablements if we step out by faith. He accompanied “be strong” with “fear not” because fear brings weakness. Instead of looking to the Lord, we are looking at ourselves and measuring our strength. The new temple lacked the size and splendor of Solomon’s temple, and this grieved some of the old people—remember that the “good old days” are a combination of a bad memory and a good imagination. The original temple still would have been there had the leaders and people obeyed the prophets and repented of their sins, but it was too late. Furthermore, the Lord would accept their work and bless those who ministered there if their lives and services were motivated by godliness, which leads to our third commandment.
Be Godly (2:10–19).
A godly, obedient person can’t share his or her godliness with another, but an unclean person can share uncleanness. Personal obedience and devotion to the Lord always leads to blessings from the Lord so long as our desire is to glorify Him. We must keep clean and flee that which is defiled while devoting ourselves to that which is holy.
Be Encouraged (2:20–23).
The Lord gave Haggai a special message for governor Zerubbabel, for leaders carry heavy burdens and are often misunderstood and criticized. The Gentile nations didn’t want the Jews back in Jerusalem, but the Lord guided His people and protected them. Doing the will of God for the glory of God is the best protection God’s people can have. How important it is that we pray for our leaders and encourage them by our work and our walk.
Zechariah
Thirty-one people in the Bible were named Zechariah, but the one we’re focusing on was a prophet during the time the Jewish temple was rebuilt. Like Haggai, he ministered to the remnant of Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. In 2:4, he is referred to as “a young man,” which puts him in with Daniel and his friends (Dan. 1:4, 6, 10, 13, 15, 17), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6), Solomon (1 Kings 3:7–9), and Timothy (1 Tim. 4:12). The Lord calls and uses young men and women who are surrendered to Him. In Zechariah’s time, there were elderly people among those who had returned to Jerusalem, so perhaps the Lord called younger servants to keep things in balance. Remember, these people faced very difficult circumstances and needed encouragement from the Lord.
Chapters 1 through 6 record eight visions the Lord gave Zechariah to convey truths that would encourage the builders. We won’t go into detail—you can take that up in your own Bible study—but will only summarize the major message in each vision.
The prophet sees visions (1:1—6:15). In 1:7–17, God’s servants see that God’s will is being done as they patrol the earth and its inhabitants. (Note that the prophet’s question in 1:9–10 is answered in 1:12–17.) The Gentile nations will acknowledge the kingship of Jesus Christ and go to the Holy Land to worship Him. According to chapter 9, there will be peace (vv. 1–10), deliverance (v. 11), hope (v. 12), victory (v. 13), and beauty (vv. 16–17) for Israel.
Malachi
Malachi’s name means “messenger of the Lord,” and he ministered to the people and their leaders who had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. If you want to read parallel passages, turn to Ezra 9—10 and Nehemiah 8—13. The people did rebuild the temple, and the priests did carry on a ministry, but all was not well. The Lord could not bless them as He wanted to because the priests were not spiritual and the people were not enthusiastic about their faith. A church member once criticized her pastor for preaching a series of sermons on the sins of the saints. “When Christians sin, it’s different from when unsaved people sin,” she argued, to which her pastor replied, “Yes—it’s much worse!” Jerusalem’s citizens (including the priests) were guilty of all sorts of sins, and the prophet Malachi sought to bring them back to the Lord who had so graciously freed them from captivity.
But let’s not criticize the ancient Jewish people until we examine our own lives first. When we read these four chapters, at least six serious questions about our Christian life confront us.
Do I love the Lord (1:1–5)? The Lord had often declared His love to His people, and Malachi opened his book with this affirmation, but the people questioned it! You can hear them saying, “If God loves us, why are the crops so poor? Why is the weather so bad?” The prophet explained why: the priests and people were not living for the Lord. “If you keep My commandments,” said Jesus, “you will abide in my love” (John 15:10). We don’t love God just so He will bless us but because a loving heart knows how to use His blessings for His glory.
Do I give the Lord my best (1:6—2:9)? When we give God our best, we honor Him and bring glory to His name. God can turn curses into blessings, or He can curse our blessings (2:1–2; Neh. 13:2). Notice how often the prophet speaks of God’s name (Mal. 1:6, 11, 14; 2:2, 5; 3:16; 4:2). His name should be magnified beyond the borders and across the whole world (1:5, 11, 14). The priests were not bringing the Lord the best sacrifices (vv. 7–8), and serving Him was a burdensome weariness and not a joy to them (v. 13). King David had the right attitude: he would not offer the Lord that which cost him nothing (2 Sam. 24:24).
Do I honor the Word of the Lord (2:10–16)? Israel is a covenant nation, for at Sinai, they agreed to serve the Lord and obey His Word (2:4–6, 8, 10, 14; Exod. 19—24). The church is also a covenant fellowship through the blood of Jesus Christ (Matt. 26:28). The priests in Malachi’s day had broken their covenant with the Lord (Mal. 2:1–9), and so had the people (vv. 10–12); the marriage covenant had also been violated (vv. 10–17). It’s frightening today to see churches ignoring God’s clear directions and imitating the world instead.
Do I weary the Lord with my self-defense (2:17—3:5)? At least seven times in his book, Malachi quoted the arrogant arguments of the people as they debate with the Lord (1:2, 6–7; 3:7–8, 13). “In what way did we do what you said?” they asked the Lord when He accused them of sin. They retaliated but did not repent. Jesus and John the Baptist are referred to in 3:1–3 as well as in 4:1–3, and they both revealed the sins of the people who debated with them.
Do I rob the Lord (3:7–12)? Not only were the people bringing the Lord imperfect sacrifices, but they were also not giving Him the tithes and offerings needed to support the ministry at the temple. They robbed the Lord and at the same time robbed themselves! How could the Lord bless their disobedience? The contemporary Christian doesn’t live under the old covenant law; but if those under the old covenant could give tithes, surely Christians under God’s bountiful grace could at least start there! Remember, when we rob God of what He enables us to earn, we are only robbing ourselves.
Do I serve the Lord with gladness or disdain (3:13—4:6)? “‘Your words have been harsh against Me,’ says the Lord” (v. 13). We may not be guilty of complaining to the Lord, but we might be lax in thanking Him for all we receive from Him. Let’s belong to that blessed remnant described in 16–18: those believers who fear the Lord, meet together, record His mercies, and become His jewels.
When Malachi put down his pen, that was the end of the prophets for four hundred years; and then John the Baptist appeared to introduce the Savior to the world (4:5–6; Matt. 11:10–14; 17:10–13).
ADVENTURE ASSIGNMENT #14
Select one book of the minor prophets and read it carefully. Make a list of the admonitions and promises that are especially needed in your life and in the life and ministry of your church family.