The fact that nothing is known of his personal lineage or history is not. So it is likely that malachi was written during the period of nehemiahs absence, almost a century after haggai and zechariah began to prophesy. The seed was promised and the line was chosenabraham and his descendants. Historically, there was a long, long time when no voice spoke for god, no prophet came to israel. This final book of the old testament tells the truth about the human condition, but also reveals gods promise to one day send a messenger who will announce the arrival of the kingdom of god. God condemns the wrongdoing and the underlying attitude, issuing a challenge to immediate reform, but also announcing a general reckoning at a future moment. Summary of the book of malachi the story of the bible. So malachi begins with the most powerful motivation that he can use to appeal to the peoplethe love of god. Have on large card god had loved them and chosen them and had restored them, so they were to love him with all they had. Israel would suffer much during those years, and a look at malachi will reveal the cause of that suffering. In malachi, god denounces his people by raising the question of. The students will discover from the book of malachi that god loves his people and.
The book of malachi begins with an affirmation about the love god has shown to generations by choosing jacobs family to carry his covenant promise. Book of malachi what is malachi and who wrote malachi. The book of malachi, the last of the twelve minor prophets, was written by an anonymous writer called malachi, or my messenger. The following outline is a general overview of the book. Book of malachi overview insight for living ministries. One hundred years after exile, the israelites who had returned to jerusalem were as evil and corrupt as their ancestors. I hope you enjoy this book because it is a great little book, by the way. The burden of this, the last of the old testament prophets, was the glaring inconsistency between the identity of the jewish community as the people of god and the living out of all that this required of them. See also douglas stuart, malachi, in the minor prophets, pp. The first part of the book is about god s mercy to his disobedient prophet.
Other scholars have taken malachi to be a pseudonym for ezra, nehemiah, or zerubbabel. It is as if god wanted to underline his last message and we find 25 times thus says jehovah in the whole book. The book of malachi closes with a statement affirming god s love for israel. The second part of the book is about god s mercy to the wicked people nineveh. The chosen seed became a nation of people in bondage and then delivered by god. Malachi reminds israel of gods love calling them to repent. As we shall see, though, there were no kings in israel when malachi delivered his messagesthey. The book of malachi addresses their corruption regarding issues like. Regardless of human failure, god promises to send messengers preparing the way for messiah. The people cannot disobey god, then rationally blame him for the consequences of their sins. Malachi is a small book tucked at the very end of the old testament.
The students will discover from the book of malachi that god loves his people and always keeps his promises. The last prophetic book both chronologically and in canonical order reveals our creators. Even jesus himself quoted malachi s prophecy when telling a crowd about the place of john the baptist in heavenly history. Quiz 4 bible 104 with washington at liberty university. In response, god uses the fate of esau to illustrate gods love for israel. The temple had been rebuilt, but as the following video done by the bible project so lucidly explains, things were not going well. Malachi preaches gods love for israel reformed bible studies.
Malachi s threefold message focuses on god s faithfulness to israel, despite their failures. The lords love for israel 1 this is an oracle, the word of the lord to israel through malachi. The final book of the old testament, malachi received its name from its author. We know nothing of the prophets parentage, ancestral or. Malachi finishes off the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament. The people of israel can find no evidence that god. The following lesson was prepared for a small group of students. To throw in a few bible verses here and there to illustrate or back up the preachers stories, but. A large part of the book is devoted to manifesting the peoples state of. Covenant broken god admonishes the men who married foreign women, worshiped their gods or divorced their wives to be faithful to their covenant with him and marriage. God made final preparation for his redeemed people to enter the promised land. We have studied many lessons about the disobedience of god s people.
Bible study malachi and the problem of indifference. So, god proves it by showing how he selected them above their brethren edom or esau. The book of malachi exposes israels corruption and offers. Perhaps written from about 500450 bce, the book is concerned with spiritual degradation, religious perversions, social injustices, and unfaithfulness to. In the entire bible, the prophet malachi is mentioned by name only once. Malachi was a prophet of god sent to the jews who had resettled in judea and to all israel in general, depicted as the sons of jacob malachi 3. It was arrogant and haughty and presumptuous and even insulting. But, believe me, malachi has some good answers from the lord. This concludes our study of how christ is reflected in the 39 books of the old testament. The hebrew word malachi simply means my that is, gods messenger. The burden of the word of jehovah to israel by malachi. Theme of malachi the theme of the book of malachi seems to be found at chapter 3.
The book of malachi exposes israels corruption and offers hope. Since he never stops loving us we should give him our very best. Types and shadows in malachi jesus will come to his temple. And god tells malachi that things arent quite as good as they look. This video from the bible project provides an overview of the book. In 45 he reminds israel to look back and remember the law and the prophets what we call the old testament how they tell a unified story of gods. The book of malachi is a series of disputes between god and israel. God taught his people how redeemed sinners can worship and serve a holy god. God either at the time of nehemiah or immediately after that book ended. In this book, malachi accuses israel of selfishness after the exile and announces that the day of the lord will purify israel and prepare them for god s kingdom. The book of remembrance is mentioned as an encouragement to those faithful to god, since he needs no book of records to remember or recollect names. The book of malachi is structured around disputations in which the lord dialogues with his people in series of questions and answers.
His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. So, malachi wrote the capstone prophecy of the old testament in which he delivered gods message of judgment on israel for their continuing sin and gods promise that one day in the future, when the jews would repent, messiah would be revealed and gods covenant promises would be fulfilled. You see the first commandment that the people had to keep was to, love the lord your god with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. When god had a message for the people, he spoke through the prophets. The book of malachi is written in a teaching conversation style where god has a conversation with israel. Malachi begins with a declaration of yahwehs love for his people, the only book of the ot or nt to begin with such an affirmation. In hebrew, the name comes from a word meaning messenger, which points to malachi s role as a prophet of the lord, delivering gods message to gods people. But god also announces to the jews that severe judgments will come upon them before the day of jehovah will arise with full blessing for the repent ones malachi 3. Malachi reminds israel of gods love calling them to. Malachi with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The people display disdain and lack of respect for god 1. One of the 12 minor prophets, malachi lived about 100 years after the israelites returned to jerusalem after the babylonian exile.
His prophecy deals with the sad spiritual condition of israel. Six additional gates were mentioned by nehemiah, but not as being constructed. And that is all the information we have on this prophet. And since they are the lords answers, it is the lord who has a sense of humor. Malachi is the last book of the neviim contained in the tanakh, canonically the last of the. Pastor paul leboutillier of calvary chapel ontario oregon teaches through the bible from the hebrew old testament book of malachi. Even the unbelievers would have to acknowledge that they were part of a special people that god loved and desired to use, if they would only believe and follow his word. When the people ask for proof of gods love, he reminds them of their election. It was written to a people who questioned the love of god, were troubled by the world around them, were apathetic in their worship, were indulging in sinful activities, dishonoring marriage, selfishly withholding their tithes and offerings, and questioning the benefit of following the lord.
This introduction to the book illustrates the severity of the situation which malachi addresses. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In fact, malachi foretold the coming of john in his book. A burden, the word of yahweh to israel by the hand of malachi. In spite of this, his words are either quoted directly, or alluded to, at least 15 times in our new testament. God begins this last book by reminding israel of his great love for them, and yet they are suspicious. It also affirms that god does love his people and will fulfill prophecy. Malachi preaches gods love for israel reformed bible. Malachi accuses israel of selfishness after the exile and announces that the day of the lord will purify israel and prepare them for god s kingdom. The graveness of the situation is also indicated by the dialectical style with which malachi confronts his audience. Toward the close of the book, it becomes clear that god.