Psalm 150 (continued, part 39)
Before the nation entered the Promised Land, Moses promised them that the Lord would fight for them (Deut. 1:30; 3:22). "Who is the King of glory?" asked David; and his answer was, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (Ps. 24:8). Isaiah announced, "The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies" (Isa. 42:13 niv). Our God has been longsuffering toward the nations, but one day He will meet them in battle and triumph over them.
Jerusalem will be attacked (12:1–3; 14:1–2). The oracle opens with an affirmation of God's sovereignty and power. If we look above us, we see the heavens He created; if we look beneath us, we see the earth that He founded; and if we look within, we find the spirit that He formed. The God of creation is the God who cares for us! "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground" (Ps. 147:5–6 nkjv). Note the emphasis on "all nations" and "all peoples" (Zech. 12:2–3, 6, 9; 14:2, 12, 14, 16), for this attack involves the armies of the whole world and is part of the famous "battle of Armageddon" described in Joel 3:9–16; Matthew 24:27–30; and Revelation 9:13–18; 16:12–16; and 19:17–21.1 Three forces are involved in the gathering of this great army: (1) the nations agree to cooperate in their fight against God and His people (Ps. 2:1–3); (2) Satan uses demonic powers to influence the nations to gather (Rev. 16:13–15); and (3) the Lord exercises His sovereign powers in gathering them (Zech. 14:2; Rev. 16:16). To describe Jerusalem's situation "in that day," Zechariah used the images of a cup and a stone. A cup is a familiar biblical image for judgment (Ps. 75:8; Isa. 51:17, 21–23; Jer. 25:15–28; Ezek. 23:31–33; Hab. 2:16; Rev. 14:10; 16:19; 18:6). The nations plan to "swallow up" Jerusalem, but when they begin to "drink the cup," its contents make them sick and drunk! History shows that every nation that has ever tried to destroy the Jews has itself been destroyed. It will be no different when the nations collectively attack God's chosen people.
The Lord will defeat the enemy (12:4–9; 14:12–15). Panic, a plague, and special power given to the Jewish warriors (12:8) are the means God will use to conquer the invading armies. The horses will panic in their blindness, and the riders will be possessed by madness and end up fighting each other (14:13).2 God will watch over His people and see to it that they are delivered. He will make the Jews to be like fire and their enemies like dry stubble. Jesus Christ will demonstrate His great power as He defends His people and defeats His enemies.
While the inhabitants of Jerusalem are central in this account, special notice is given to the part Judah will play in the battle. For the invaders to get to Jerusalem, they must march through Judah (12:2); but the Lord will keep watch over the people of Judah and deliver them for David's sake (vv. 4, 7). The faith and courage of the people in Jerusalem will encourage Judah to wax valiant in the fight, and God will enable them to conquer (vv. 5–6). The weakest Jewish warrior will have the power of David, who slew tens of thousands of enemy soldiers (1 Sam. 18:7). The Jewish army will go forth like the Angel of the Lord who slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (Isa. 37).
Some of the enemy soldiers will enter the city, loot it, abuse the women, and take half of the inhabitants captive. But the Gentiles' hopes of destroying the city and the nation will be disappointed, for the Lord will make Jerusalem like an immovable rock that won't yield. This stone will eventually cut the invading armies to pieces.
The Lord Will Cleanse Israel (12:10—13:9) In delivering Israel from her enemies, our Lord's ultimate goal is more than their national preservation, for their spiritual restoration is uppermost in His heart. He
Zechariah 12—14
rather than prophets. If asked about the scars on their bodies, actually caused by wounds inflicted while worshipping idols (1 Kings 18:28), they will lie and claim that their friends (or family) inflicted the wounds to discipline them.5
wants to reveal Himself to them and establish the kind of relationship that was impossible in previous centuries because of their unbelief.
The people will repent (12:10–14). Repentance isn't something we work up ourselves; it's a gift from God as we hear His Word and recognize His grace (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25). God will pour out the Spirit3 upon Israel (Joel 2:28–29), and the people will realize their sins and call out to God for forgiveness. They will also see their Messiah whom the nation pierced (Ps. 22:16; Isa. 53:5; John 19:34, 37) and will put their faith in Him. Forgiveness comes to any believing sinner only through faith in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
In contrast to the false prophets, the true Shepherd is presented in Zechariah 13:7. (Review Zech. 11 for the other "Shepherd" prophecies.) Jesus quoted part of this prophecy when He was on His way to Gethsemane with His disciples (Matt. 26:31), and He referred to it again when He was arrested in the garden (v. 56). Only Jesus the Messiah could the Father call "the man who is My fellow," that is, "the man who is My equal." (See John 10:30; 14:9.)
But there is also a wider meaning of this text as it relates to the scattering of the nation in AD 70 when Jerusalem was taken by the Romans. The Jews had smitten their Shepherd on the cross (Isa. 53:10), and this act of rejection led to the nation being scattered (Deut. 28:64; 29:24–25). Israel today is a dispersed people, but one day they shall be gathered; they are a defiled people, but one day they shall be cleansed.
The nation will go into mourning, the way parents would mourn over the loss of their only son, the way the nation mourned near Megiddo when their beloved King Josiah was slain in battle (2 Chron. 35:20–27). Zechariah mentions that all the families (clans) of Israel will mourn, the men and women separately, and this will include royalty (David's clan), the prophets (Nathan's clan; see 2 Sam. 7), and the priests (Levi's and Shimei's clans; Num. 3:17–18, 21). "All the families that remain" covers the rest of the nation. It will be a time of deep and sincere national repentance such as has not been seen before.
The nation will be refined (13:8–9). This image reminds us of the value God puts on His people Israel: they are like gold and silver that need to be refined in the furnace of affliction. This had been their experience in Egypt (Deut. 4:20) and in Babylon (Isa. 48:10), but "the time of Jacob's trouble" will be their most difficult "furnace experience."
The nation will be cleansed (13:1–7). Isaiah had admonished the nation, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes" (Isa. 1:16 nkjv), but they refused to listen. Jeremiah had pleaded with his people, "O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved" (Jer. 4:14 nkjv), but they wouldn't obey. But now, in response to Israel's repentance and faith, the Lord will wash them clean! This forgiveness is part of the new covenant that God promised to His people (Jer. 31:31–34): "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (v. 34).
The goldsmith refines the gold or silver so that the dross may be removed, and that's what the tribulation in the last days will accomplish for Israel. One third of the people will be spared, the true believing remnant, while the rest will be rejected and perish. That godly remnant who called on the Lord (Acts 2:21) will be saved and become the nucleus of the promised kingdom, for the Lord will acknowledge them as His own people (see Hos. 2:21–23).
Before we leave this section, we need to see the spiritual application for God's people today. Certainly the church is a defiled people who need to repent and be cleansed, and the promise of forgiveness is still valid (1 John 1:9). God often has to put us through the furnace of suffering before we'll call on Him and seek His face (Heb. 12:3–11; 1 Peter 4:12). If God's people will follow the instructions of 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord will cleanse and bless the church and bring healing to the land.
William Cowper based his hymn "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood" on Zechariah 13:1, for it's the sacrifice of Christ that atones for sin. The Jews could cleanse their external ceremonial uncleanness by washing in water, but for internal cleansing the sinful heart of men and women can be cleansed only by the blood of the Savior (Lev. 16:30; 17:11). "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:2 nkjv).
But not only will their hearts be cleansed, but the land itself will be purged of all that is deceitful and defiling. The idols and the false prophets4—two of Israel's besetting sins—will be removed, as well as the very "unclean spirit" that caused people to turn from God. (See Zech. 5:5–11.)
The Lord Reigns Over All the Earth (14:8–11, 16–21) "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one" (v. 9). After the nations have been punished and Israel has been purified, the Lord will establish His righteous kingdom and reign on David's throne (Luke 1:32–33; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). His reign will be universal ("over all the earth"), He will be the only God worshipped, and His name will be the only name honored. (See Ps. 72;
According to the law, false prophets were to be killed (Deut. 13); so the false prophets in that day will lie about their occupation in order to save their lives (13:2–6). They won't wear their special garments (v. 4; 2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3:4), and they'll claim to be farmers
Zechariah 14
Passover was fulfilled in the death of Christ (1 Cor. 5:7; John 1:29), Firstfruits in His resurrection (15:23), and the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread in the life of the church today as believers walk in holiness (5:6–8). Pentecost was fulfilled in Acts 2, and the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled before the kingdom begins when God regathers His people from the ends of the earth (Isa. 18:3, 7; Matt. 24:29–31). The day of Atonement will be fulfilled when the nation sees her Messiah, repents, and is cleansed.
Jer. 30:7–9.) What will happen when the King reigns supremely?
The land will be healed (v. 8). Jerusalem is the only great city of antiquity that wasn't built near a large river. But during the Kingdom Age,6 a river of "living waters" will flow from Jerusalem and bring healing and fertility to the land. (See Ezek. 47:1–12; Joel 3:18.) The river will divide so the waters can flow to the Dead Sea ("former sea" kjv, "eastern sea" niv) and to the Mediterranean Sea ("hinder" kjv, "western" niv). For centuries people have been wondering how the Dead Sea could be rescued, but it won't be accomplished until the kingdom. For a beautiful description of the land during the Kingdom Age, read Isaiah 35.
But the Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the joyful and fruitful Kingdom Age, so it will be celebrated while the kingdom is in progress.8 It will be an annual reminder to the Gentile nations that the bountiful blessings they enjoy come from a gracious and generous Lord. How easy it is to take our blessings for granted!
The topography will be changed (vv. 10–11). Besides the changes caused by the earthquake at Christ's return (vv. 4–5), two other changes will occur: (1) the land around Jerusalem will be lowered and leveled and become a plain, and (2) Jerusalem itself will be raised above the land around it. These changes will be the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it" (Isa. 2:2 nkjv; and see Zech. 8:1–3; Mic. 4:1–3).
The Lord will exercise justice (vv. 17–19). The nations that don't send their representatives to Jerusalem to worship will be disciplined by getting no rain for their land. This is the way God disciplined Israel when she refused to obey Him (Deut. 28:22–24). Remember, though the millennium is a time of peace and blessing, it is also a time when Jesus will reign over all the earth "with a rod of iron" and will judge disobedience (Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). Not to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles would be tantamount to despising the blessings of the Lord, and this is a serious transgression. (See Rom. 1:18.)
If Messiah is to reign as King-Priest (Zech. 6:9–15), then there must be a temple and a priesthood during the Kingdom Age, and it is described in detail in Ezekiel 40—48. Jerusalem will be the most important city on earth and the temple area the most important part of that glorious new city.7
Egypt is mentioned specifically because that nation especially depended on the annual flooding of the Nile for irrigation, and without the rains, the river could not rise. During the time of Joseph, there were seven years of terrible famine in Egypt. Also, Egypt had been Israel's persecutor and enemy, and during the kingdom, she will enjoy blessing because of Israel's Messiah. Not to show gratitude would be a heinous sin.
All dangers will be removed (v. 11). The mountains round about Jerusalem were for her protection (Ps. 48:1–8; 125:1–2); but now that Messiah is reigning, the city no longer faces danger from enemy invasion (Ezek. 34:22–31). "It will be inhabited" (niv) reminds us that only fifty thousand Jews were willing to leave the safe and comfortable city of Babylon to live in the ruins of Jerusalem, and even Nehemiah had trouble getting people to live in the city (Neh. 11). Zechariah has already told us that the children will play in the streets, and the old men and women will sit in the sun and talk together (Zech. 8:4–8).
Holiness will characterize all of life (vv. 20–21). We might expect "holiness" to be written on the bells of the high priest's robe (Ex. 28:36–38), but certainly not on the bells worn by the horses! And why would the common utensils in the home be treated like vessels used in the temple?9 These two images are God's way of saying, "In the Kingdom Age every aspect of life will be holy to the Lord." God had called Israel to be "a kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:6), and now they would be just that by God's grace.
The Gentiles will worship at Jerusalem (v. 16). Israel will have a ministry to the Gentiles who will trust the true and living God and come to Jerusalem to worship at His temple (Isa. 2:2–5; Zech. 2:10–13). Of the seven annual feasts listed in Leviticus 23, the Feast of Tabernacles is the only one that will be celebrated during the Kingdom Age (Lev. 23:33–44). This feast commemorated the nation's wilderness wanderings, but it also was a time of rejoicing at the bountiful blessings of the Lord during the harvest (v. 40).
For the believer today, this is the Old Testament version of 1 Corinthains 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (nkjv). There is no "secular" or "sacred" in the Christian life, because everything comes from God and should be used for His glory.
The Hebrew word translated "Canaanite" in Zechariah 14:21 refers to merchants and traders or to any unclean person, both of whom would defile the temple of God. When Jesus began His ministry and ended it, He found "religious merchants" using God's house for personal gain (John 2:13–22; Matt.
But why celebrate only the Feast of Tabernacles? Merrill Unger makes an excellent suggestion when he points out that the Feast of Tabernacles is the only one of the seven feasts of Leviticus 23 that will not have been fulfilled when the kingdom is established.
Zechariah 14
4 Having rejected the truth, the Jewish nation fell prey to lies, especially false prophets. Jeremiah had to battle the false prophets in his day, and false prophets will abound in the end times (Matt. 24:4–5, 11, 23–24). 5 Some interpreters apply verse 6 to the Messiah, but the context prohibits this. In verses 2–6, it's clearly the false prophets who are being discussed. 6 The reign of Christ on earth is usually called "the millennium" because it will last for one thousand years. "millennium" comes from the Latin: mille = thousand; annum = year. See Revelation 20:1–7. 7 Some students equate the millennial Jerusalem of Ezekiel 40—48 with the heavenly city described in Revelation 21— 22, but to accept that view requires total disregard of several facts. There is no temple in the heavenly city (Rev. 21:22), but Jerusalem in the Kingdom Age will have a temple and a priesthood. Worshipers from all nations will celebrate the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles at the kingdom Jerusalem (Zech. 14:16–21), but surely there would be no such worship in the heavenly city. Furthermore, those who don't worship properly will be punished, something we can't begin to imagine happening in the heavenly city. During the Kingdom Age, Jesus will reign in Jerusalem from David's throne (Luke 1:32–33), but the throne in the heavenly city is "the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:3). The heavenly city is "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Rev. 21:9), while the nucleus of the millennial Jerusalem is the refined Jewish remnant, "the wife of Jehovah" who is now cleansed and restored. 8 Unger, 265–66. 9 Zechariah 14:21 is another evidence that the temple and the priesthood will be important elements of life in the Kingdom Age.
21:12–13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–46). The house of prayer for all nations had been turned into a den of thieves for the profit of the Jewish high priest and his family. But the millennial temple will be a holy temple, not defiled by those who neither know the Lord nor love Him, and in it a holy priesthood will serve the Lord.
Zechariah's book begins with a call to repentance, but it ends with a vision of a holy nation and a glorious kingdom. Zechariah was one of God's heroes who ministered at a difficult time and in a difficult place, but he encouraged God's people by showing them visions of what God has planned for their future. God is still jealous over Jerusalem and the Jewish people, and He will fulfill His promises.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6).
1 The word Armageddon is used only in Revelation 16:16. Some students of prophecy prefer "the campaign of Armageddon," since the invasion and attack take place in several stages. 2 That the last great world battle will involve horses and riders is a puzzle to some. But the prophets wrote so that the people could understand, and horses and chariots were the strongest and best equipment an army could have in their day. However, the description of the results of the plague (14:12–15) resembles that of the victims of an atomic blast. 3 The NIV reads "a spirit of grace and supplication," that is, an attitude of heart, and gives "the Spirit" in the margin. But parallel passages suggest that it is the Holy Spirit of God who is referred to (Joel 2:28–29; Ezek. 29:39; and see Peter's reference to Joel's prophecy when the Spirit came at Pentecost [Acts 2:16–21].
M A L A C H I
G e n e s i s E x o d u s L e v i t i c u s N u m b e r s D e u t e r o n o m y J o s h u a J u d g e s R u t h
1 S a m u e l 2 S a m u e l 1 K i n g s 2 K i n g s 1 C h r o n i c l e s 2 C h r o n i c l e s E z r a N e h e m i a h
E s t h e r J o b P s a l m s P r o v e r b s E c c l e s i a s t e s S o n g o f
J e r e m i a h L a m e n t a t i o n s E z e k i e l D a n i e l H o s e a J o e l A m o s O b a d i a h
J o n a h M i c a h N a h u m H a b a k k u k Z e p h a n i a h H a g g a i Z e c h a r i a h M a l a c h i
S o l o m o n I s a i a h
OUTLINE
Key theme: Honoring the name of God by living
Malachi 1—2:16 1524 The Sins of God's People—Part I
godly lives Key verse: Malachi 1:11
Malachi 2:17—4:6 1528 The Sins of God's People—Part II
I. DOUBTING GOD'S LOVE (1:1–5)
A. God's electing grace—1:2 B. God's blessing on Israel—1:3–5
Malachi in His Time1 The name Malachi means "My messenger" (3:1). He was the last of the writing prophets but wrote nothing about himself. We have no biblical information about his ancestry, call, or personal life. But the important thing about messengers is the message they bring, not who they are or where they came from.
II. DISHONORING GOD'S NAME (1:6—2:9)
A. Offering defiled sacrifices—1:6–14 B. Despising divine privileges—2:1–9
III. PROFANING GOD'S COVENANT (2:10–16)
A. Marrying heathen women—2:10–12 B. Hypocritical repentance—2:13 C. Divorcing their wives—2:14–16
In 538 BC, Cyrus issued a decree that the Jews exiled in Babylon could return to their land and rebuild their temple (2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1). About fifty thousand of them accepted the challenge, and in 515, after much delay, they completed the temple. Ezra visited them in 458, and in 445 Nehemiah became their governor and served for twelve years (Neh. 5:14).
IV. QUESTIONING GOD'S JUSTICE (2:17—3:6)
A. Where are promised blessings?—2:17 B. The first messenger—John the
Baptist—3:1a C. The second messenger—Messiah—3:1b–6
While Nehemiah was back at his post in Shushan (Neh. 13:6–7), things began to fall apart in Jerusalem; and when he returned, he had to take some drastic steps to reform the nation. It's possible that the prophet Malachi was called at that time to expose the sins of the people and call them back to God.
V. ROBBING GOD'S HOUSE (3:7–12)
A. Robbing God—3:7–8 B. Robbing themselves—3:9–11 C. Robbing others—3:12
VI. DESPISING GOD'S SERVICE (3:13—4:6)
The conditions described in the book of Nehemiah are the very things Malachi deals with in his book: poor crops and a faltering economy (Mal. 3:11), intermarriage with the heathen (2:11), defilement of the priesthood (1:6ff.), oppression of the poor (3:5), lack of support for the temple (vv. 8–10), and a general disdain of religion (v. 13ff.). It was a
A. The complainers—3:13–15 B. The believers—3:16–18 C. The evildoers—4:1–3 D. The preachers—4:4–6
Malachi 1
low time spiritually for Judah, and they needed to hear the Word of God.
.Note that the book of Malachi is written as a dialogue
between God and the people: God accuses and they answer to defend themselves. See 1:2, 6–7, 12–13; 2:14, 17; 3:7–8, 13–14. Note also Malachi's emphasis on the name of God (1:6, 11, 14; 2:2, 5; 3:16; 4:2) and his reminder that God wants His name to be known by the Gentiles (1:11; 3:12).
Malachi was the last prophet Judah heard until John the Baptist came and the prophecy of 3:1 was fulfilled. His messages against "the sins of the saints" need to be heeded today.
what God called him to do. "The task of a prophet," writes Eugene Peterson, "is not to smooth things over but to make things right."1
CHAPTER ONE Malachi 1—2:16 THE SINS OF GOD'S PEOPLE—PART I A
The first sin Malachi named was the people's lack of love for God. That was the first sin Jesus mentioned when He wrote to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev. 2:4), and perhaps it's listed first because lack of love for God is the source of all other sin. For centuries, the Jews have recited the "Shema"2 as their daily prayer: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deut. 6:4–5 nkjv). But the people Malachi preached to doubted that God even loved them, so why should they love Him?
church member scolded her pastor for preaching a series of sermons on "The Sins of the Saints."
"After all," she argued, "the sins of Christians are different than the sins of other people."
I. Doubting God's love (1:1–5) A.God's electing grace—1:2 B.God's blessing on Israel—1:3–5
"Yes," agreed her pastor, "they're worse." They are worse, for when believers sin, they not only break the law of God, but they break the heart of God. When a believer deliberately sins, it isn't just the disobedience of a servant to a master, or the rebellion of a subject against a king; it's the offense of a child against the loving Father. The sins we cherish and thing we get away with bring grief to the heart of God.
The prophet presented several evidences of God's love for Israel, the first of which is God's clear statement of His love (Mal. 1:2a). Malachi was probably referring to what the Lord said through Moses in the book of Deuteronomy, particularly 7:6–11. When God gave the law at Sinai, the emphasis was, "Obey My Law because I am a holy God." But when Moses reviewed the law for the new generation, the emphasis was, "Obey the Lord because He loves you and you love Him." Both motives are valid today.
Malachi was called to perform a difficult and dangerous task. It was his responsibility to rebuke the people for the sins they were committing against God and against one another, and to call them to return to the Lord. Malachi took a wise approach: he anticipated the objections of the people and met them head-on. "This is what God says," declared the prophet, "but you say __," and then he would answer their complaints. The Old Testament prophets were often the only people in the community who had a grip on reality and saw things as they actually were, and that's what made them so unpopular. "Prophets were twice stoned," said Christopher Morley, paraphrasing Matthew 22:29–31, "first in anger, then, after their death, with a handsome slab in the graveyard."
The second evidence of God's love that Malachi presented was God's electing grace (Mal. 1:2b–3). As the firstborn in the family, Esau should have inherited both the blessing and the birthright, but the Lord gave them to his younger brother Jacob (Gen. 25:21–23).3 The descendants of Esau had their land assigned to them, but God gave the Edomites no covenants of blessing as He did to Jacob's descendants.
In this chapter, we'll study what Malachi wrote concerning three of their sins, and then we'll consider the remaining three in the next chapter. But don't read Malachi as ancient history. Unfortunately, these sins are with us in the church today.
The statement that God loved Jacob but hated Esau has troubled some people. Paul quoted it in Romans 9:10–13 to prove God's electing grace for both Israel and all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation. But the verb "hate" must not be defined as a positive expression of the wrath of God. God's love for Jacob was so great that, in comparison, His actions toward Esau looked like hatred. As an illustration, Jacob loved Rachel so much that his relationship to Leah seemed like hatred (Gen. 29:20, 30–31; see also Deut. 21:15–17). When Jesus called His disciples to "hate" their own family (Luke 14:26), He was using the word hate in a similar way. Our love for Christ may occasionally move us to do things that appear like hatred to those whom we love (see Matt. 12:46–50).
Doubting God's Love (1:1–5) Like Nahum (1:1) and Habakkuk (1:1), Malachi called his message a "burden." The prophets were men who personally felt "the burden of the Lord" as God gave them insight into the hearts of the people and the problems of society. It wasn't easy for Malachi to strip the veneer off the piety of the priests and expose their hypocrisy, or to repeat to the people the complaints they were secretly voicing against the Lord, but that's
Malachi 1
and ruined by Babylon, and though they had lost the esteem of the Gentile nations around them, the Jews could have made a new beginning and witnessed to the Gentiles of the grace and mercy of God. Instead, they lapsed into the sins that Malachi attacks in his book, and they gave but a weak witness to the other nations. They missed their opportunity to glorify God.
Someone said to Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein, the gifted Hebrew Christian leader of a generation ago, "I have a serious problem with Malachi 1:3, where God says, 'Esau I have hated.'" Dr. Gaebelein replied, "I have a greater problem with Malachi 1:2, where God says, 'Jacob, I have loved.'" We certainly can't explain the love and grace of God, nor do we have to, but we can experience God's grace and love as we trust Christ and walk with Him. The Lord is even willing to be "the God of Jacob."
But we need to remind ourselves that the trials we experience as individuals or congregations are also opportunities to glorify God before a watching world. That's how Paul viewed his imprisonment and possible death in Rome (Phil. 1:12–26), and that's the way we must look at the testings God sends our way. Every difficulty is an opportunity to demonstrate to others what the Lord can do for those who put their trust in Him.
Malachi's third evidence for God's love is God's evident blessing on the people of Israel (v. 4). Like other nations in that area, Edom suffered during the Babylonian invasion of Israel, but the Lord didn't promise to restore their land as He promised the Jews. The proud Edomites boasted that they would quickly have their land in good shape, but God had other plans. He called Edom "The Wicked Land" (v. 4 niv), but Israel He called "the holy land" (Zech. 2:12).4 Keep in mind that the Edomites were indeed an evil people (see Obad. 8–14) who deserved every judgment God sent their way. To the Jews, the Babylonian invasion was a chastening, but to Edom, it was a judgment.
Dishonoring God's name (1:6—2:9) Now Malachi directs his message especially to the priests (1:6; 2:1, 7–8), who, instead of living exemplary lives, were guilty of breaking the very law they were supposed to obey and teach. The way they were serving the Lord was a disgrace to His name.
Eight times in this section you find the phrase "my name" (1:6, 11, 14; 2:2, 5; see also 3:16 and 4:2), referring, of course, to God's character and reputation. The priests who were supposed to honor God's name were disgracing it before the people and the Lord. The priests were supposed to be God's children, yet they weren't honoring their Father; they were called to be God's servants, yet they showed no respect for their Master. When Malachi confronted them, the priests arrogantly asked, "In what way have we despised Your name?" (1:6 nkjv), so he told them.
Think of how God showed His love to the Jewish people. First, He spared the Jews who were in exile in Babylon (see Jer. 29). Then, He moved Cyrus to issue the decree that enabled the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the temple. He provided the leadership of Joshua the high priest, Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and Ezra, as well as the prophetic ministry of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Had His people obeyed the terms of the covenant, the Lord would have blessed them even more. Yes, they were a weak remnant, but the Lord was with them and promised to bless them.
To begin with, they were offering defiled sacrifices on the altar (vv. 6–14). The word bread means "food" and refers to the sacrifices provided in the law of Moses (Lev. 1—7). These animals had to be perfect; nothing imperfect could be brought to the altar of God and accepted (Deut. 15:19–23; Lev. 22:17–33). After all, these sacrifices pointed to the Lamb of God who would one day die for the sins of the world (John 1:29; Heb. 10:1–14), and if they were imperfect, how could they typify the Perfect Sacrifice, the Son of God?
Note that the name God uses in Malachi 1:4 is "Lord of hosts" ("Lord Almighty" in the niv), that is, "the Lord of the armies," a name used twenty-four times in Malachi and nearly three hundred times in the Old Testament. This is the "military" name of God, for "hosts" comes from a Hebrew word that means "to wage war." The Lord is the Commander of the hosts and heaven: the stars (Isa. 40:26; Gen. 2:1), the angels (Ps. 103:20–21), the armies of Israel (Ex. 12:41), and all who trust in Him (Ps. 46:7, 11).
II. Dishonoring God's name (1:6—2:9) A.Offering defiled sacrifices—1:6–14 B.Despising divine privileges—2:1–9
In short, the priests were permitting the people to bring God less than their best. If they had offered these defective beasts to their governor, he would have rejected them, but the animals were good enough for the Lord. These priests had forgotten what was written in their own law: "Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf" (Lev. 22:20 niv). What does this say to professed Christians who spend hundreds of dollars annually, perhaps thousands, on gifts for themselves, their family, and their friends, but give God a dollar a week when the offering plate is passed?
Finally, Malachi reminded the Jews of the great privilege God gave them to witness to the Gentiles (Mal. 1:5). During the reigns of David and Solomon, God manifested His glory through the nation of Israel so that the Gentiles came from distant lands to see what was happening in Israel. To a lesser degree, this also happened during the times of Josiah and Hezekiah. But the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple gave the Gentiles opportunity to ridicule Israel and laugh at their religion and their God (Ps. 74; 137; Jer. 18:13–17; Lam. 2:15–16). When God brought His remnant back to the land, He wanted to bless them and once again manifest His glory through them, but they failed to trust Him and obey His law. Though they had been chastened by God
Our offerings to God are an indication of what's in our hearts, for "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). People who claim to love the Lord and His work can easily prove it with their
Malachi 1—2
they despised the very privilege of being priests (Mal. 2:1–5). They were taking for granted the high calling God had given them and treating the temple ministry with contempt. Serving at the altar was a job, not a ministry, and they did it to please themselves, not to please and glorify the Lord. Unfortunately, that same attitude is in the church today.
checkbooks! Giving is a grace (2 Cor. 8:1, 6–9), and if we've experienced the grace of God, we'll have no problem giving generously to the Lord who has given so much to us. How can we ask God to be gracious to us and answer prayer (Mal. 1:9) if we've not practiced "grace giving" ourselves?
Malachi told these disobedient priests that it would be better to close the doors of the temple and stop the sacrifices altogether than to continue practicing such hypocrisy. Better there were no religion at all than a religion that fails to give God the very best. If our concept of God is so low that we think He's pleased with cheap halfhearted worship, then we don't know the God of the Bible. In fact, a God who encourages us to do less than our best is a God who isn't worthy of worship.
God warned them that He would "curse their [Israel's] blessings" if they didn't start "doing the will of God from the heart" (Eph. 6:6) and giving Him their best. In fact, their crops had already been ruined by devouring insects (Mal. 3:11; see Hag. 1:3–11), but things could get worse. God warned that He could curse the very seed that was planted so that it would never germinate and produce a harvest. Since the law gave the priests and Levites a tithe of the produce, ruined crops would mean empty tables.
The day will come when the Gentiles will worship God and magnify His great name (v. 11). Malachi looked ahead to the time when the message of salvation would be taken to all nations, and beyond that, he saw the establishing of the kingdom on earth when the Gentiles would "flow into it" (Isa. 2:2; see also 11:3–4, 9; 45:22–25; 49:5–7). God's call to Abraham involved the Jews becoming a blessing to the whole earth (Gen. 12:1–3), just as His call to the church involves taking the gospel to all nations (Mark 16:15).
It's possible that the word seed in Malachi 2:3 may refer to their children. It was important that the Jews have children in order to perpetuate the nation, but God could prevent even the human seed from being productive. Another way of looking at it is that God would turn their children, who should be a blessing (Ps. 127), into a burden and a curse. It would be painful not to have children, but it would also be painful to have children who daily broke your heart and created grief in the home.
The priests even allowed the people to cheat on their vows (Mal. 1:13–14). If a man promised God a sacrifice but brought an animal that was sick or blemished, the priest would accept it, even though the man had a perfect animal back home. In the Mosaic law, vows were purely voluntary, but once they were made, they were binding (Lev. 27; Num. 30; Deut. 23:21–23). If the governor wouldn't accept cheap offerings (Mal. 1:8), would a great king accept cheap substitutes (v. 14)? God is a great King and He deserves the best we can bring Him. What we promise, we must perform.
The refuse from the sacrifices was taken outside the camp and burned (Ex. 29:14), but God would humiliate the priests and "wipe their noses" in the dung of the sacrifices! This would make the priests unclean so that they would have to leave the camp. In short, God was saying, "You're treating Me with disrespect, so I'll treat you like garbage! You don't value the priestly ministry, so why should you be in office?"
The priests took their privileges for granted and forgot the gracious covenant God had made with them through Aaron (Mal. 2:4; Ex. 29) and Aaron's grandson Phinehas (Num. 25:1–13). It was a great privilege to be a priest, to serve at the altar, to minister in the temple, and to teach the law to the people. But the priests had no fear of God; they treated the sacred things as if they were common things because their hearts weren't right with God (Ezek. 44:23). The Scottish novelist George Macdonald said, "Nothing is so deadening to the divine as an habitual dealing with the outside of spiritual things." What the priests were doing wasn't ministry; it was only ritual, empty religious formality that disgusted the Lord.
Why did the priests deliberately disobey their own law, pollute the altar of the Lord, and encourage the people to worship God in a cheap, careless manner? For one thing, the priests themselves weren't giving God their best, so why make greater demands on the people? "Like people, like priests" (Hos. 4:9; Jer. 5:30–31), for no ministry rises any higher than its leaders.
But there was another reason why blemished sacrifices were acceptable: the priests and their families were fed from the meat off the altar, and the priests wanted to be sure they had food on the table. After all, the economy was bad, taxes were high, and money was scarce, and only the most devoted Israelite would bring a perfect animal to the Lord. So the priests settled for less than the best and encouraged the people to bring whatever was available. A sick animal would die anyway, and crippled animals were useless, so the people might as well give them to the Lord! They forgot that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 51:16–17; Mic. 6:6–8; Mark 12:28–34). The priests dishonored God's name in another way:
There was a third sin: they turned away from God's law (Mal. 2:6–9). Verses 6–7 describe the perfect servants of God: truth on their lips, obedience in their walk, fellowship with God, a burden to bring others to the Lord, and a passion to share God's Word with those who need to hear it. But the priests weren't following this pattern; they were following their own ways. "They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, and Israel Your Law" (Deut. 33:10), but the priests weren't even obeying the law themselves. "The prophets prophesy
Malachi 2
father?" (Mal. 2:10) refers to God as the Father of all humans, the Creator (Acts. 17:28). God made man and women for each other and established marriage for the good of the human family. So, what these men did was contrary to what God had written into nature and in His covenant.
falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?" (Jer. 5:31 nkjv).
It was bad enough that the priests were disobeying the law, but they were causing others to stumble as well (Mal. 2:8). Like the Pharisees Jesus described, the priests were "toxic" and defiled everything and everybody they touched (Matt. 23:15; 25–28). A false minister is an awful weapon in the hands of Satan. "One sinner destroys much good" (Eccl. 9:18 niv). Because they showed partiality in the way they applied God's truth (Mal. 2:9), they disobeyed God and harmed His people. (See Lev. 19:15; Deut. 24:17; 1 Tim. 5:21.)
Hypocrisy (vv. 12–13). After committing these sins, the men then brought offerings to the Lord and wept at the altar (vv. 12–13), seeking His help and blessing. Perhaps they had the idea that they could sin blatantly with the intention of coming to God for forgiveness. But if they were truly repentant, they would have forsaken their heathen wives and taken their true wives back, which is what Ezra made them do (Ezra 9—10). These men were guilty of hypocritical worship that had nothing to do with a changed heart. Instead of forgiving them, God was ready to "cut them off."
Over the years, I've participated in many ordination examinations, and I've looked for four characteristics in each candidate: a personal experience of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ; a sense of calling from the Lord; a love for and knowledge of the Word of God; and a high respect for the work of the ministry. Whenever we've examined a candidate who was flippant about ministry, who saw it as a job and not a divine calling, he didn't get my vote. Whether as a pastor, missionary, teacher, choir member, or usher, being a servant of God is a serious thing, and it deserves the very best that we can give.
In matters of ethics and morals, there are many things in society that are legal but are not biblical. Brides and grooms must remember that God is an unseen witness at every wedding (Mal. 2:14), and He also witnesses those who live together who aren't married. One day there will come a terrible harvest from the seeds being planted today by those who despise God's laws and the principles He has built into nature.
Purity (v. 15). In the entire book of Malachi, this is recognized as the most difficult verse to translate and interpret. I think the best translation is given by Dr. Gleason Archer: "But no one has done so who has a residue of the Spirit. And what does that one seek for? A godly offspring! Therefore take heed to your spirit [as a true believer under the covenant] and let none of you deal faithlessly with the wife of his youth."5
God caused these hypocritical priests to be "despised and humiliated before all the people" (Matt. 2:9 niv). The priests wanted to be popular, and even twisted the law to gain friends, but the people had no respect for them. Leaders with integrity and character will have their enemies, but they will still gain the respect of the people. The recent religious television scandals in America have proved that unsaved people expect church leaders to practice what they preach.
Here Malachi commended the faithful husbands who obeyed the Spirit of God and the Word of God. Unlike the men who took pagan wives just to satisfy their sexual hunger, these faithful men wanted to father children who would be a godly seed, devoted Jews, and not idol worshipers. The basic issue was not race, for humans are humans whether they are Jews or Midianites. The basic issue was loyalty to the God of Israel and the maintaining of a godly home.
Profaning God's Covenant (2:10–16) Having dealt with the sins of the priests, Malachi now turns to the nation as a whole and confronts the men who divorced their wives to marry pagan women.
Treachery (vv. 10–11, 14). The men loving pagan women wasn't a new problem in the Jewish nation. When the Jews left Egypt, there was a "mixed multitude" that left with them (Ex. 12:38), which suggests that some Jews had married Egyptian spouses (Lev. 24:10; Num. 11:4). The Jews sinned greatly when they mixed with the women of Midian at Baal Peor (Num. 25), and God judged them severely. Ezra (Ezra 9:1–4) and Nehemiah (Neh. 13:23–31) had to contend with this problem, and it's not totally absent from the church today (2 Cor. 6:14–18).
III. Profaning God's covenant (2:10–16) A.Marrying heathen women—2:10–12 B.Hypocritical repentance—2:13 C.Divorcing their wives—2:14–16
God called Israel to be the channel for bringing the Messiah into the world, and anything that corrupted that stream would work against His great plan of salvation. God commanded the Jews to be a separate people, not because they were better than any other nation, but because He had a very special task for them to perform. Anything that broke down that wall of separation would play into the hands of the evil one, who did all he could to keep the Messiah from being born.
In divorcing their Jewish wives and marrying pagan women, the men were committing several sins. To begin with, it was treachery as they broke their vows to God and to their wives. They were profaning God's covenant and treating it as nothing. Not only had the Lord given specific requirements for marriage in His law (Ex. 34:11–16; Deut. 7:3–4), but the covenant of marriage was built into creation. "Have we not all one
Hostility (v. 16). "I hate divorce!" (niv) is about as clear a statement as God can make.6 Those who want to please God certainly wouldn't want to do anything that God so abhors, but would do everything possible to heal the marriage. God gave Adam one wife, not many, and He declared that the two were one flesh (Gen. 2:21–25). Divorce pulls apart that which God
Malachi 2
put together, and Jesus warned us not to do that (Matt. 19:6).7 It's like an act of violence in an area where there ought to be tenderness.
11:5; Amos 5:21; Zechariah 8:17; and Revelation 2:6 and 15. "You who love the Lord, hate evil!" (Ps. 97:10) and see 139:21–22. 7 If God hates divorce, then why did He allow it? God permitted the Jews to divorce their wives if the wives were given a certificate that protected their reputation so they could be married again. However, they could not return to their first husband (Deut. 24:1–4). Jesus made it clear that the permission of divorce was a concession and not a commandment (Matt. 19:1–12), but God, the Author of marriage, can do it. Good and godly people disagree on the interpretation and application of the New Testament teachings concerning divorce and remarriage, and few if any are consistent in the way they handle the matter. It would appear that sexual sin would be grounds for divorce, and so would desertion (1 Cor. 7:12–16). 8 Deuteronomy 22:30 reads literally, "A man should not marry his father's wife; he must not uncover the corner of his father's garment."
Why does Malachi mention a "garment" and "violence"? In modern Western society, a man puts an engagement ring on a woman's finger to propose marriage, but in ancient Israel, he placed a corner of his garment over her (Ezek. 16:8; Ruth 3:9).8 If a man divorces his wife, instead of having a garment that symbolized love, he had a garment that symbolized violence. He wrenched apart that which God said is one; by his infidelity, he made the marriage bed a place of violence.
In spite of a difficult text and differing interpretations, the main lessons of this passage are clear. In marriage, a man and a woman become one flesh, and God is a partner in that union. Through marriage, the Lord is seeking a godly seed that will carry on His work on earth. Marriage is a physical union ("one flesh") and can be broken by physical causes: death (Rom. 7:1–3), sexual sin (Matt. 19:9), or desertion (1 Cor. 7:12–16). God's original intent was that one man and one woman be devoted to each other in marriage for one lifetime. Divorce for reasons other than those given in Scripture, even though legal, would grieve the heart of God.
CHAPTER TWO Malachi 2:17—4:6 THE SINS OF GOD'S PEOPLE—PART II A
In its "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the United Nations describes the family as "the natural and fundamental unit of society." Historians Will and Ariel Durant call the family "the nucleus of civilization." Strong families begin with strong marriages, a man and a woman who love each other and want to live each for the other and both for the Lord. Anything less than that is less than God's will.
s Malachi continued his message, the people continued their resistance to God's truth. They had already argued with him about God's love (1:2), God's name (v. 6), and God's teaching about marriage and divorce (2:14), and now they would argue about three other matters: the justice of God, giving to God, and serving God. People who argue with God rarely receive blessings from God. It's when our mouth is stopped and we submit to His will that we can experience the grace of God (Rom. 3:19).
IV. Questioning God's justice (2:17—3:6) A.Where are promised blessings?—2:17
But Malachi didn't stop preaching; he went on to deal with these "sins of the saints."
1 Eugene Peterson, Run with the Horses (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 69. 2 The word shema is Hebrew for "hear," the first word in the prayer. 3 In His sovereign grace, God often rearranged the birth order of children. Abel was older than Seth, but God chose Seth (Gen. 4:25–26). Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son, but God bypassed him for Isaac (17:15–22). Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn, but God gave the blessing to Ephraim (48:13–22). This may be a reminder to us that in our first birth we are undone and without blessing, but because of the new birth, the second birth, we are "blessed with all spiritual blessings" in Christ (Eph. 1:3). 4 Zechariah 2:12 is the only place in Scripture where Palestine is called "the holy land." Malachi 3:12 calls it "a delightful land" (niv); and it is also called a "beautiful land" (Dan. 11:41 niv; "glorious"), "the Lord's land" (Hos. 9:3), and "the pleasant land" (Zech. 7:14). 5 For a full discussion of the verse, see The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason L. Archer (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982), 305–306. 6 Some people are surprised that a God of love could hate anything, but see Proverbs 6:16–19, as well as Psalms 5:5 and
Questioning God's Justice (2:17—3:6) "You have wearied the Lord with your words," the prophet said; and they replied, "How have we wearied Him?" (2:17 niv). Of course, God never gets weary in a physical sense because God doesn't have a body (Isa. 40:28), but He does grow weary of some of the things His people say and do. The hypocritical people in Israel wearied God with their iniquities (43:24), and the Jewish remnant in Malachi's day wearied Him with their words.
Their words were cynical and skeptical. "We came back to the land, rebuilt the temple, and restored the worship," they said, "and look at the difficulties we're experiencing! Why isn't God keeping his promise? Where are all the blessings He promised through His prophets?" It was the age-old problem of "Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper?" Job and his friends wrestled with it, and so did Asaph (Ps. 73), Jeremiah (Jer. 12), and Habakkuk.
But these skeptical Jews had forgotten the terms of
Malachi 2—3
covenant of grace (Jer. 31:31–40; Matt. 26:26–30; Heb. 8:6–13). All the covenants in Old Testament history unite in pointing to Jesus Christ and His marvelous work of redemption.
the covenant and the conditions laid down by the prophets: if the people obeyed God's law, God would bless them with all they needed. But they were divorcing their wives, marrying pagan women, offering defiled sacrifices, robbing God of tithes and offerings, and complaining about having to serve the Lord! For God to bless people like that would mean approving of their sins. The Jews didn't need justice; they needed mercy!
An unannounced coming (3:3). Messiah's second coming will be sudden and unexpected, and its purpose will be the judging of sinners and the establishing of His kingdom on earth. "But of that day and hour, no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matt. 24:36 nkjv). "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman" (1 Thess. 5:3 nkjv).
Malachi answered their question "Where is the God of justice?" by speaking about two messengers.
"My messenger"—John the Baptist (v. 1a). As we've seen, the name Malachi means "my messenger"; and the messenger referred to in this statement we know as John the Baptist. Speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus said, "For this is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face who will prepare Your way before You'" (Matt. 11:10 nkjv; see Mark 1:2 and Luke 7:27).
An unprepared people (3:1). The phrase "whom you delight in" suggests that the Jews in Malachi's day were hoping that "the day of the Lord" would come soon, not realizing what a terrible day it would be for the whole earth. His listeners were like the people in the days of Amos the prophet who had the same false confidence that they were ready for the promised "day of the Lord." Amos warned them, "Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! Why do you long for the Day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light" (Amos 5:18; and see vv. 19–20).
While Malachi was the last of the writing prophets, John the Baptist was the last and the greatest of the old covenant prophets.1 To John was given the unique privilege of ministering at the close of the old dispensation and the beginning of the new, and it was John who presented Jesus to Israel (John 1:29–31). Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, John was born into a priestly family but was called of God to be a prophet. He was also a martyr, for he gave his life in the work God called him to do (Matt. 14:1–12).
B.The first messenger—John the Baptist—3:1a C. The second messenger—Messiah—3:1b–6
When the Jewish remnant of that day read the prophets, they saw only the promises of blessing and not the warnings of judgment. They rejoiced in the prophecies of the coming King and His glorious kingdom, but they overlooked the prophecies that described worldwide terror when the wrath of God is poured out on sinners.2 These Israelites were not unlike some Christians today who talk about the coming of the Lord as though seeing Him will be more like beholding a visiting celebrity and basking in his or her glory. Standing at the judgment seat of Christ will be an awesome experience, even though we know that we have a place reserved for us in heaven.
The prophet Isaiah had also written about John's ministry (Isa. 40:3–5; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4–6; John 1:23). The image is that of people preparing a way for the king to come, leveling the roads and removing the obstacles so that the king might enjoy an easy and comfortable trip. John prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus by preaching the Word to the crowds, urging them to repent of their sins, baptizing them, and then introducing them to Jesus.
An unclean nation (3:2b–4). Malachi asked, "But who may abide in the day of his coming?" and then described what Messiah would do when He came: He would purify the Jewish nation, especially the priests, and bring swift judgment to the sinners who arrogantly disobeyed His law.
But how does this answer the question "Where is God's justice for His people?" When Jesus Christ came and died on the cross, He completely satisfied the justice of God. He paid the penalty for the sins of the world and vindicated the holiness of God. Nobody can ever truthfully say, "God isn't just!" The cross of Christ is proof that the same God who ordained "the law of sin and death" (Gen. 2:15–17; Rom. 6:23; 8:2–4) also "took His own medicine" (to quote Dorothy Sayers) and willingly died for sinners. Because of Calvary, God is both "just and justifier" of all who trust Jesus Christ (3:26).
In the law of Moses, God provided three ways for people and things to be cleansed and made acceptable to God: water, fire, and blood. There is no mention here of blood because Jesus Christ died for sinners at His first coming. But He would wash the unclean nation like a launderer washes dirty clothes. He would purify the tribe of Levi the way a jeweler purifies precious metal in his furnace. "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness" (Zech. 13:1).
"The Messenger of the covenant"—Jesus Christ (3:1b–6). The first prophecy refers to our Lord's first coming in grace and mercy, but this prophecy speaks of His second coming in judgment. When He comes, He will prove that God is just by purifying His people and judging rebellious sinners. Jesus Christ is the "Messenger of the covenant" in that He fulfilled all the demands of the covenant in His life, suffered the penalties in His death, and rose from the dead to usher in a new
Once the nation is cleansed and the priests are purified, then they can become an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord (Mal. 3:4), and He will be pleased with them. The priests in Malachi's time were offering sacrifices that were unacceptable (1:7–8), and the priests themselves
Malachi 3
Word, and God had to send prophets to call them to repent and return.
were unacceptable, but in that great day, God's Messenger would make His people "living sacrifices" that would be acceptable to the Lord (Rom. 12:1).
When the people heard Malachi call them to return to the Lord, instead of obeying that call, they began to argue with God's servant. They remind me of those people who evade the issue by saying, "Define your terms! What do you mean by 'return'?" But Malachi didn't hesitate to tell them how to start returning to God: "Bring God the tithes and offerings that are rightfully His!" Theirs was the sin of robbery in at least three different areas.
An unsparing judgment (3:5). This list of sinners gives us some idea of the kind of practices that were going on in Malachi's time and will be going on in the end times. All of them are contrary to God's law. Sorcery is forbidden because it means trafficking with demons (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:14). The "satanic revival" that's going on today indicates that many people aren't heeding God's warnings as they dabble in witchcraft and other demonic practices. In fact, witchcraft is a legal religion in many places.
They were robbing God (vv. 7–8). The needs of the priests and Levites were met from the sacrifices and also from the tithes and offerings brought to the temple by the people. The word tithe comes from a Hebrew word that means "ten." A tithe is 10 percent of one's grain, fruit, animals, or money (Lev. 27:30–34; Neh. 13:5). There were special storage rooms in the temple for keeping the grain, produce, and money that the people brought to the Lord in obedience to His law. If people didn't want to carry heavy produce all the way to the temple, they could convert it into cash, but they had to add 20 percent to it just to make sure they weren't making a profit and robbing God (Lev. 27:31).
V. Robbing God's house (3:7–12) A.Robbing God—3:7–8
"False swearers" describes people who commit perjury by lying while under oath. Perjury violates the third commandment, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (v. 7), and the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (v. 16). Trust is the "cement" that holds society together, and when that cement crumbles, society falls apart. If we can't trust one another's words and promises, then how can we live and work together safely?
The oppressing of the poor and needy is a sin that the prophets condemned with vehemence, and it needs to be condemned today. God has a special concern for widows and orphans who are exploited and laborers who don't receive their wages (Ex. 22:22–24; Lev. 19:10; Deut. 10:17–19; 24:14–15, 19–32; 27:19; Ps. 68:5; Isa. 1:17, 23: Jer. 7:6; James 5:1–8). An unchanging God (3:6). What was the reason for these social abuses? The people who committed them had no fear of the Lord. They thought that God was like themselves, that He would close His eyes to their sins and not judge them for breaking His law. "You thought that I was altogether like you, but I will reprove you" (Ps. 50:21 nkjv).
The annual tithe was given to the Levites (Num. 18:21–24), who in turn gave a tithe of that income to the priests (vv. 25–32). When a worshipper brought his tithe to the temple, he could use part of it to enjoy a special meal with his family and the Levites (Deut. 12:6–7, 17–19). Every third year a tithe was to be brought to the leaders locally to be used for the poor (14:28–29).
Tithing as an act of worship is as old as Abraham, who gave tithes to Melchizedek, acknowledging that Melchizedek was the representative of the Most High God (Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7). Jacob vowed to God that he would tithe (Gen. 28:22), so tithing antedates the law of Moses. However, tithing was officially incorporated into the law of Moses as a part of Israel's worship. In bringing the tithes and offerings, the people were not only supporting the ministry of the temple, but they were also giving thanks to God for His bountiful provision for their own needs.
The Jews should have been grateful that God was unchanging in His nature, His purposes, and His promises, for if He were not, He would have consumed them for their sins. Twice Moses used this truth about God as his argument when he interceded for the nation (Ex. 33:12–23; Num. 14:11–21). The same principle applies to believers today, for 1 John 1:9 states that God is "faithful and just to forgive our sins." God is faithful to His promises and just toward His Son who died for our sins that we might be forgiven. (See also Num. 23:19; Deut. 4:31; James 1:17.)
Over the centuries, many of the Jews committed two errors with regard to the tithe: (1) the legalists obeyed the law so scrupulously that, like the Pharisees, they even tithed the minute garden herbs (Matt. 23:23–24), all the while thinking that their obedience would earn them righteousness before God; (2) the irreligious neglected the tithe and by disobeying God deprived the temple ministry of what it needed to keep going. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, the temple storerooms were empty of produce and many of the priests and Levites had abandoned their service to go back home and work their fields in order to care for their families (Neh. 13:10). The people had vowed to bring their tithes (10:34–39), but they hadn't kept their vow.
Malachi has proved that God is just. Now he discusses the fact that the people are unjust in the way they've robbed God of what rightfully belongs to Him.
Robbing God's Storehouse (3:7–12) If "like people, like priest" (Hos. 4:9) applied to the spiritual leaders of the nation, then "like father, like son" (or "like mother, like daughter") applied to everybody else. From the days of the patriarchs until Malachi's time, the nation frequently disobeyed God's
Since God made and owns everything, He doesn't
Malachi 3
faith and nobody could look at them and call them blessed.
need anything that we can bring Him (Acts 17:25). But when we obey His Word and bring our gifts as an act of worship with grateful hearts, it pleases Him. While 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 suggests proportionate giving ("as God has prospered him").3 there is no express command to tithe given to the church in the New Testament. Paul teaches "grace giving" in 2 Corinthians 8—9, which is certainly beyond 10 percent. Many Christians feel that if believers under the old covenant brought their tithes, how could Christians under the new covenant begin with anything less?
God's promise was, "The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you" (Deut. 28:9–10 nkjv). The Gentiles would have come to Jerusalem to learn about this great and wonderful God who could take a group of refugees and turn them into a blessed nation.
Despising God's Service (3:13—4:6) This is the sixth and last of Malachi's accusations: "'You have said harsh things against me,' says the Lord" (3:13 niv). As he closes his book, he points out four different groups of people and what they said and did.
They were robbing themselves (vv. 9–11). In robbing God, the people were not fulfilling the covenant they had made with the Lord; therefore, God couldn't fulfill His promise and bless them (Lev. 26:3ff.). "The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land" (Deut. 28:8). Insects had invaded the land ("the devourer," Mal. 3:11) and the grain and fruit were not maturing.
The complainers (3:13–15). These people were guilty of saying "harsh things" against the Lord. For one thing, they felt that serving the Lord was drudgery; it was "futile" to be His servants. The priests may have been the leaders in this complaining, but the common people were just as guilty. "We're not getting anything out of it!" was their grievance. "Things just keep getting worse."
Whenever we rob God, we always rob ourselves. To begin with, we rob ourselves of the spiritual blessings that always accompany obedience and faithful giving (2 Cor. 9:6–15). But even more, the money that rightfully belongs to God that we keep for ourselves never stays with us. It ends up going to the doctor, the auto body shop, or the tax collector. "You have sown much, and bring in little … and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes" (Hag. 1:6 nkjv). If we don't trust God to care for us, whatever we do trust will prove futile. People who lovingly give tithes and offerings to God find that whatever is left over goes much further and brings much greater blessing.
I hear this complaint from some believers about their churches. "We're not getting anything out of it!" But a church is like a bank or a home: you don't get anything out of it unless you put something into it. We serve God because it's the right thing to do, not because we're rewarded for our service. (We shall be rewarded, but that's not our main motive.)
B.Robbing themselves—3:9–11 C.Robbing others—3:12
But they had a second complaint: the pagan peoples around them who didn't know the Lord were in better shape than the people of Judah! The wicked were prospering, while the godly were suffering. Of course, it would have been difficult for the Jews to prove that they were "godly," because they were guilty of disobeying the Lord. God would have blessed them if they had yielded themselves to Him, but they preferred to have their own way and then complain about what didn't happen.
Yes, giving is an act of faith, but God rewards that faith in every way. That isn't the reason we give, because that kind of motivation would be selfish. "If you give because it pays, it won't pay!" said industrialist R. G. LeTourneau, and he was right. We give because we love God and want to obey Him, and because He's very generous to us. When we lay up treasures in heaven, they pay rich dividends for all eternity.
VI. Despising God's service (3:13—4:6) A.The complainers—3:13–15 B.The believers—3:16–18