Malachi 2
OGCMalachi 2:1-9
ISRAEL IS UNFAITHFUL. Malachi 1:6 to Malachi 2:9
RV. A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master; if then I am a father, whereis mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible. And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts. And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious unto us; this hath been by your means: will he accept any of your persons? saith Jehovah of hosts. Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible. Ye say also, Behold what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering; should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah. But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacarificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith Jehovah of hosts, and my name is terrible among the Gentiles. And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and ye shall be taken away with it. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant may be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts. But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have had respect of persons in the law. LXX. A son honours his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honour? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord Almighty. Yet the priests are they that despise my name: yet ye said, Wherein have we despised thy name? In that ye bring to mine altar polluted bread; and ye said, Wherein have ye polluted it? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and that which was set thereon ye have despised. For if ye bring a blind victim for sacrifices, is it not evil? and if ye bring the lame or the sick, is it not evil? offer it now to thy ruler, and see if he will receive thee, if he will accept thy person, saith the Lord Almighty. And now intreat the face of your God, and make supplication to him. These things have been done by your hands; shall I accept you? saith the Lord Almighty. Because even among you the doors shall be shut, and one will not kindle the fire of mine altar for nothing, I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept a sacrifice at your hands. For from the rising of the sun even to the going down thereof my name has been glorified among the Gentiles; and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord Almighty. But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and his meats set thereon are despised. And ye said, These services are troublesome: therefore I have utterly rejected them with scorn, saith the Lord Almighty: and ye brought in torn victims, and lame, and sick: if then ye should bring an offering, shall I accept them at your hands? saith the Lord Almighty. And cursed is the man who had the power, and possessed a male in his flock, and whose vow is upon him, and who sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord; for I am a great King, saith the Lord Almighty, and my name is glorious among the nations. And now, O priests, this commandment is to you. If ye will not hearken, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, saith the Lord Almighty, then I will send forth the curse upon you, and I will bring a curse upon your blessing; yea, I will curse it, and I will scatter your blessing, and it shall not exist among you, because ye lay not this to heart. Behold, I turn my back upon you, and I will scatter dung upon your faces, the dung of your feasts, and I will carry you away at the same time. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with the sons of Levi, saith the Lord Almighty. My covenant of life and peace was with him, and I gave it him that he might reverently fear me, and that he might be awe-struck at my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked before me directing his way in peace, and he turned many from unrighteousness. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. But ye have turned aside from the way, and caused many to fail in following the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord Almighty. And I have made you despised and cast out among all the people, because ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.
COMMENTS
God’s love and faithfulness to His covenant people stands in stark contrast to their unfaithfulness to Him. They neither fear Him as a master nor honor Him as a father. and their priests are the chief offenders. The severe reproof of the priests is a just one. They have profaned the holy things of God with which they were intrusted. It was their sin that was leading the people to be unfaithful. They took His name in vain, not by pronouncing it in profanity, but by offering unacceptable sacrifices to him. They are accused of polluting the altar. When they deny the charge, saying, Wherein have we polluted thee?, Jehovah’s answer is In that ye say the table of Jehovah is contemptible.
The term bread of God is synonymous with sacrifices to God (Leviticus 21:8), so we should not think here of the table of shewbread, but of the sacrificial flesh offered upon the altar.
The priests have declared the table of God contemptible by sanctioning the offering of skimpy and blemished sacrifices. The sacrificial animals Darius, and no doubt his successors had provided Israel as a vassal state were kept to replenish their own flocks and only the culls were brought to God. Such cheap religion is less than worthless, it is an affront to God.
The law said such animals were not to be offered as sacrifice (cp. Leviticus 22:17-25, Deuteronomy 15:21) yet the priests addressed here saw no harm in it.
The governor appointed by the Gentile emperor would not eat the meat they offered to God, yet they presented it as an act of worship and said, it is not evil.
Their real error in offering blemished sacrifices lies in the fact that such animals could not do what the sacrifices were designed to do, namely, typlify the ultimate Sacrifice, without spot or blemish. (1 Peter 1:19) It was to keep this prophetic object lesson before the people that the temple had been rebuilt. It was to maintain this constant covenant reminder in the eyes of the people that the sacrifices must be made according to divine directive. A blemished animal could not possibly portend the coming Lamb of God, and without that portent the entire sacrificial system was meaningless.
The scathing irony of verse nine underscores this truth. Malachi challenges the unfaithful priests to try it, if they think such unacceptable sacrifices will win them the favor of God. The entire passage draws a vivid contrast between man’s religion and God’s sacrificial scheme of redemption. Men, in their religious efforts to curry God’s favor, always think of themselves as bringing Him something. The advent of the Christ, toward which the sacrificial system pointed, is the exact opposite. God was bringing the Real Sacrifice to man. From the beginning God has not been served by men’s hands as though He needed anything. (cp. Psalms 10:1-12, Acts 17:25) In demanding the presentation of the very best of Israel’s flocks to be slain upon the altar, God intended that they learn something of the price He would pay for our redemption when He offered the Choice Jewel of Heaven on Calvary. If He were to tolerate a lesser offering, the whole point of the sacrifices would be missed.
GOD DESPISES INFIDELITY.
(Malachi 1:10) Calvin points out that, in the temple, one priest was stationed at the doors of the court of burnt offerings for the express purpose of keeping out animals unfit for sacrifice. In this verse, God cries out in anguish for just one priest whose concern for God’s law would cause him to shut the door against such blemished sacrifices as were being offered daily. It would be better to let the fires go unkindled than to continue to desecrate the altar and mar the meaning of God’s covenant by offering animals unfit to depict the coming Real Sacrifice. Better none at all than these. (cp. Isaiah 1:11-15)
Since no such priest stood at the door, God would Himself refuse to accept their sacrifices.
(Malachi 1:11) This verse is reminiscent of Paul’s attitude toward those Jews who rejected the preaching of the Gospel. (Acts 13:46) God, Who lives in eternity and so is much less pre-occupied with time than we, treats the acceptance of His Sacrifice by the Gentiles as an already accomplished fact. He Who knows the end from the beginning is able of. the very stones to raise up children to Abraham (Matthew 3:9). Other sheep He has which are not of this fold (John 10:16). For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. (Romans 2:14) and God is glorified. His name is, in fact, great among the nations. (cp. Isa. 1:-11-15)
Sacrifice, in Malachi 1:11, is used figuratively as in Psalms 51:17, Hebrews 13:10; Hebrews 13:15-16 and 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:12, but the truth is that in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him. (Acts 10:35)
(Malachi 1:12-13) Whereas the ineffable name of God is thus glorified among the nations who have not the law and are thus separated from the Messianic hope, foreigners in the commonwealth of Israel, oblivious of the promises of God and unaware of any hope as yet (Ephesians 2:12), that same name is made a mockery among those who have for centuries been His covenant people.
They offer to God what they would not eat themselves, and even this is a drag, irksome service! Isaiah had informed their fathers that it was God Who is wearied by such service and not they. (Isaiah 43:22 -f)
Meat taken by violence,* i.e.* torn by animals, was not even lawful for human consumption, yet they offered it to God. (cp. Exodus 22:31)
(Malachi 1:14) For deceiver here, read hypocrite. It was not poverty, as some pretended, which caused such niggardly sacrifices. It was greed which placed personal gain above God’s required service. They possessed a male,* i.e.* such as required by law sacrifice, yet they offered God blemished animals. (cp. Leviticus 1:3-10) Even the Gentiles would be too fearful of God to do such things.
ESPECIALLY FOR PRIESTS.
(Malachi 2:1-2) Here begins a special decree for the priests of Israel who are the cause of Israel’s infidelity. Ministers, Moore points out, cannot sin or suffer alone. They drag down others if they fall. Thus does God, for the sake of His people, pronounce a curse on their unfaithful spiritual leaders. That which had been their special blessing as priests would become a curse.
(Malachi 2:3) The maw of the sacrificial victims was, on feast days, the special food of the priests. (Deuteronomy 18:3) The stomach, or maw, was regarded as one of the choice delicacies. Instead of receiving this, God threatens to fling dung in their faces because of the defiled offerings from which it came.
By law, the dung of the sacrifices was to be carried outside the gate and disposed of. Because of the awful way the priests insulted God in the offering of blemished animals, they were to be carried with it. Whether the threat to fling dung in their faces and to carry themselves to the dung heap is to be understood literally or not, it leaves little doubt as to how much God despises those who make a sham of His services. They are to be banished from His presence.
(Malachi 2:4) The reason for God’s rebuke of the priests is that the special priestly covenant which He had made with Levi, the priestly tribe, must be maintained.
(Malachi 2:5-9) Here Malachi describes the promises and conditions of the Levitical covenant, Levi’s former observance of this covenant, and the rewards of such observance. Over against these he sets the consequences of violating this covenant as these priests were doing.
Formerly, God had bestowed life and prosperity upon Levi (the priestly tribe). On him God laid the duty of reverence. In return the priests had revered God and respected His name. They had given true instructions to the people and had spoken no injustice. They had lived in accord with Him and in so doing had turned many people from sin to God. Men then stood in respect of the priests and sought to learn from them because they recognized in them God’s messengers. The unfaithful priests of Malachi’s time, in contrast, have left off the righteous practices of their predecessors. Instead of leading many from sin to God, they have caused many to fall into sin. Whereas the former priests of Levi had taken their special relationship to God very much to heart, these have treated it as of no consequence.
As a result, God will make them despicable in the eyes of the people. Because of their sinful lives and unjust application of the law for favor (cp. Leviticus 19:15) the people would no longer respect them as a special class and their special privileges would cease.
The principles underlying God’s denunciation of the priests through Malachi merit our attention. We, as Christians, are all priests of God (1 Peter 2:9). As such, we enjoy blessings those outside of Christ never dream of. We, too, are charged to offer sacrifices to God, holy and acceptable (Romans 12:1-2). To do less is to make a mockery of His name before the world.
If we do not offer ourselves as holy and acceptable sacrifices to God, we may be assured that our relationship to Him will become a curse rather than a blessing. Un-Christian men will be able to point at us and say they have more fear of God than do we. We shall then be stumbling blocks, leading them deeper into sin rather than teaching them God’s truth, for they will not heed the words of priests whose lives do not match their doctrines.
Chapter XLIVQuestions
Denunciation of Unfaithfulness
The prophet ______________ is considered by Jewish tradition as the seal of prophecy.
The traditional Christian view is that Malachi is the bridge between the
_____________ and the _______________.
Malachi probably wrote about _______________.B.C.
Malachi means _______________.
Malachi’s prophecy coincides with the _______________ period of Daniel’s seventy weeks.
Malachi’s central concern is _______________.
Discuss the corruption of the priesthood as addressed by Malachi and show its effect upon the people.
Why does Malachi immediately precede the New Testament in our English versions of the Bible?
Outline the book of Malachi.
The next word from Jehovah to His people after Malachi would be spoken by_______________.
Malachi 2:10-16
GOD DESPISES INFIDELITY. Malachi 2:10-16
RV. Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of Jehovah which he loveth, and hath married the daughter of a foreign god. Jehovah will cut off, to the man that doeth this, him that waketh and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto Jehovah of hosts. And this again ye do: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more neither receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts; therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
LXX. Have ye not all one father? Did not one God create you? why have ye forsaken every man his brother, to profane the covenant of your fathers? Juda has been forsaken, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Juda has profaned the holy things of the Lord, which he delighted in, and has gone after other gods, The Lord will utterly destroy the man that does these things, until he be even cast down from out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and from among them that offer sacrifice to the Lord Almighty. And these things which I hated, ye did: ye covered with tears the altar of the Lord, and with weeping and groaning because of troubles: is it meet for me to have respect to your sacrifice, or to receive anything from your hands as welcome? Yet ye said, Wherefore? Because the Lord has borne witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast forsaken, and yet she was thy partner, and the wife of thy covenant. And did he not do well? and there was the residue of his spirit. But ye said, What does God seek but a seed? But take ye heed to your spirit, and forsake not the wife of thy youth. But if thou shouldest hate thy wife and put her away, saith the Lord God of Israel, then ungodliness shall cover thy thoughts, saith the Lord Almighty: therefore take ye heed to your spirit, and forsake them not.
COMMENTS
(Malachi 2:10-12) The special covenant which made priests of the tribe of Levi was not unrelated to the everlasting covenant which is the prophet’s primary concern. The common father here (Malachi 2:10)* is* not God as some have said, but Jacob. The Levites as well as the people were the children of Israel (i.e. Jacob)
Of all the nations on earth, they alone worshipped but one God In any other nation the people professed varied loyalties to various household deities. Because all Israel, priests and people alike, stood under one covenant before one God, unfaithfulness to one another constituted unfaithfulness to the covenant. And such abominable practices were present, the prophet assures his readers, in all Judah and even in the holy city in the shadow of the temple. The holy relationship of the covenant was being violated in loving and marrying pagan women.
(Malachi 2:12) The words of verse twelve are not idle threat. The practice of inter-marriage with foreign women had brought Baal worship among the people and it was this which brought about the destruction of the northern tribes as well as the captivity of the southern tribes. If it again gained ascendance among the returned remnant, God’s covenant purpose would indeed be in jeopardy.
To avoid this, God here threatens to cut off to the man,* i.e.* on an individual basis, all who indulge in such practice. Out of the tents of Jacob signifies separation from the people of the covenant.
(Malachi 2:13 -a) This sin had once, since the return, been checked by Ezra (Ezra 9:10). Malachi here addresses a relapse. This again ye do.
(Malachi 2:13(b) - Malachi 2:14) The covering of the altar with tears is symbolic of the weeping of wives who were being deserted for foreign women. These were Israelite women who were of the covenant people. Their abuse covered the altar* i.e.* the covenant with tears.
It was customary for such marriages,* i.e.* the wife of thy youth, to be contracted when the parties were very young. Many were only thirteen or fourteen and their wives even younger. (cf. Proverbs 5:8, Isaiah 54:6) The couple was bound not only by the covenant of marriage, but by the even deeper relationship they shared as children of God’s covenant. Those who, at later age, abandoned the wives of their youth to marry foreign women were not only breaking their own marriage vows, they were violating God’s everlasting covenant with Israel.
(Malachi 2:15) Did He not make one. Malachi’s argument here in reference to this abandonment is similar to that of Jesus concerning divorce. (cp. Matthew 19:3 -ff) God, in the beginning, made one male and one female, although He had unlimited spiritual resources and could have made more of either. These two, male and female, are called one man (humankind). (cf. Genesis 1:27) Malachi, as Jesus, understands this to indicate God’s intent that there be one wife for each man.
The prophet says the reason God established this unity is that He sought a godly seed. The modern concern of the sociologist for the effect of broken marriages upon the children (seed) of those marriages is well-founded. Eternity alone will reveal the number of children who have turned from God because their fathers abandoned their mothers to marry pagan women! Every Christian father stands in covenant relationship to God, as did those in Israel who were addressed by Malachi. Such a father always jeopardizes his children’s relationship to God when he leaves the wife of his youth for another woman. Therefore, says Malachi, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
(Malachi 2:16) I hate putting away. Whatever doubt may linger concerning God’s attitude toward divorce is certainly dispelled by this verse, The statement of His hatred of the practice is accompanied by His name Jehovah as God of the covenant people. It could not be more emphatic.
Him that covereth his garments with violence. A better translation would be Him that covereth his violence with a garment. One commentator has suggested their violence is the putting away of their wives; the garment with which they try to cover it is the plea of Moses permission.
The terminology of Genesis 20:16, Deuteronomy 22:30, Rth 3:9, and Ezekiel 16:8 in which husbands and wives are each described as a covering for the eyes of the other would tend to indicate that the garment here is the wife and the violence with which the garment is covered is the divorce. The thought in these passages is that one’s love for and marriage to one’s wife should cover his eyes against the attraction of other women.
Whatever the meaning of this idiomatic expression, it is obvious that Malachi is denouncing, in God’s name, the practice of leaving a wife who is of the faith for another who is not of the faith, and denouncing divorce in general.
Chapter XLIVQuestions
Denunciation of Unfaithfulness
The prophet ______________ is considered by Jewish tradition as the seal of prophecy.
The traditional Christian view is that Malachi is the bridge between the
_____________ and the _______________.
Malachi probably wrote about _______________.B.C.
Malachi means _______________.
Malachi’s prophecy coincides with the _______________ period of Daniel’s seventy weeks.
Malachi’s central concern is _______________.
Discuss the corruption of the priesthood as addressed by Malachi and show its effect upon the people.
Why does Malachi immediately precede the New Testament in our English versions of the Bible?
Outline the book of Malachi.
The next word from Jehovah to His people after Malachi would be spoken by_______________.
Malachi 2:17
CHAPTER XLV
THE COMING DAY OF THE LORD
THE LORD WILL SEND A MESSENGER TO PREPARE FOR HIS DAY. Malachi 2:17 to Malachi 3:6.
RV. Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or where is the God of justice? Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers-’ soap: and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. And I will come near to you to judgement; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and. fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
LXX. ye that have provoked God with your words. But ye said, Wherein have we provoked him? In that ye say, Every one that does evil is a pleasing object in the sight of the Lord, and he takes pleasure in such; and where is the God of justice? Behold, I send forth my messenger, and he shall survey the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the angel of the covenant, whom ye take pleasure in: behold, he is coming, saith the Lord Almighty. And who will abide the day of his coming? or who will withstand at his appearing? for he is coming in as the fire of a furnace and as the herb of fullers. He shall sit to melt and purify as it were silver, and as it were gold: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. And the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Lord, according to the former days, and according to the former years. And I will draw near to you in judgement; and I will be a swift witness against the witches, and against the adulteresses, and against them that swear falsely by my name, and against them that keep back the hireling’s wages, and them that oppress the widow, and afflict orphans, and that wrest the judgement of the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord Almighty, For I am the Lord your God, and I am not changed:
COMMENTS
WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE. Malachi 2:17
Two things in the arguments of the priests wearied Jehovah. First, they considered evil to be good, so they declared it good in the sight of Jehovah.
Second, they said where is the God of justice. They looked at the drought, crop failures and generally unprosperous conditions of Judah on the one hand, and on the other, the fact that the forms of the ceremonial law were being observed and concluded that God was slack in His justice, As we have seen, the quality of the sacrifices and the spirit in which they were offered put the lie to their arguments.
BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER. Malachi 3:1
Here is God’s answer to their question, where is the God of justice. Suddenly the Lord will appear in the temple heralded by His forerunner.
Isaiah had made a similar prediction. (Isaiah 40:3-5).
The New Testament applies Malachi’s prophecy to John the Baptist. (e.g. Matthew 3:3; Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2-3, Luke 1:76; Luke 3:4; Luke 7:26-27, John 1:23) The obvious fulfillment of this promise in the baptist’s ministry would be difficult for any open-minded Bible student to overlook.
The sudden appearance of the Lord mentioned hare was interpreted by the Rabbis as a dramatic explosive visitation by which the Messiah would announce His presence. It was this popular expectation which the devil exploited in tempting Jesus to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple. (Luke 4:9) To have done so would have won for Him instant acceptance as the Messiah on the basis of popular though erroneous expectation.
The messenger of the covenant. What more apt description could there be of Him Whose coming formed the heart of God’s covenant promise? How fitting that the writer of Hebrews should introduce his comparison of the Old and New Covenants with the argument for the superiority of the New based on the superiority of the Son over the prophets, angels and Moses, who were the messengers of the Old. (cp. Hebrews 1:1 to Hebrews 2:4)
(Malachi 3:2-6) Who can abide the day of His coming? The Messiah was coming but not to confirm the racial arrogance or religious exclusiveness of these false Israelites. John will speak of Him as one whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor; and He will gather His wheat into the garner but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12).
Malachi here makes a like prediction. By a change of metaphors he describes the Messiah’s judgement first as fuller’s soap then as refiners fire. In this sense, soap and fire have one thing in common, both remove, impurity. The entire ministry of the Messiah, including His first coming, the intervening age and His second coming, will purge the impurities from the people of God. Those whose profession is false, whose hope is based on false ambition and nationalistic exclusiveness will be removed from Israel. The remnant will be saved.
This refining process is described by Zechariah as removing all but a third of those who call themselves Israel. (cp. Isaiah 1:25)
(Malachi 3:3-4) Since Malachi’s primary concern is with false priests (see above on Malachi 3:1-10* -ff),* he pictures the Messiah, in verse three, as a refiner sitting before the crucible in which the sons of Levi are purged of those who are unfaithful so that they will offer to Jehovah offerings in righteousness.
The offerings to the Christ are not the blemished animals of Malachi’s day. Rather they are to be holy and acceptable unto God, (cf. Romans 12:1, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Peter 2:5) as were those offered in the beginning by Aaron.
(Malachi 3:5-6) They have asked where is the God of justice. (Malachi 2:17) When Messiah comes they will have their answer. He will testify against the sorcerers (Acts 8:1; Acts 13:6, Galatians 5:20), against adulterers (Matthew 5:28), against false swearers (Matthew 5:34; Matthew 5:36), against those that oppress the hireling, the widows, the fatherless, and they that turn aside the sojourners (Matthew 25:31-46), and that fear not me(Matthew 10:26-28).
Special notice should be taken of the inclusion in this list of priestly sins of those that turn aside the sojourner. A sojourner was one of another land who was not a Jew. God’s concern for all men, rather than just for the Jew, as stated in the covenant is apparent throughout His dealings with the people through whom He purposed to bless all men.
(Verse b) It is a tragic error to assume that, because God has not smitten the wicked, He has changed from a God of justice to one of easy-going tolerance. Malachi points out to his readers that God’s unchanging nature is the only reason they were not themselves long since wiped out!
Paul points out in Romans eleven (cf. Romans 11:29) that God’s mercy toward even the covenant people finds its source in His unfailing faithfulness to His own covenant.
Peter speaks to the same fatal fallacy when he writes, But forget not this one thing beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
Chapter XLVQuestions
The Coming Day of the Lord
What were the two arguments of the wicked priests?
What was God’s answer to the questions, Where is the God of justice?
The New Testament applies Malachi 3:1 to _________________.
Relate the rabbinic interpretation of this verse to Jesus-’ temptations.
What is meant by Malachi’s description of the Messiah as fullers-’ soap and refiner’s fire?
When Messiah came He would testify against the ___________, ___________, ___________, and against __________.
Comment on those who turn aside the sojourner.
Discuss the proposition that, because God does not immediately smite the wicked, He is no longer a God of justice.
Note the similarity of Malachi 3:7-12 to Stephen’s defense (Acts 7).
What is the eternal principle presented in these passages?
How were Malachi’s readers robbing God?
What is the distinction between tithes and offerings?
What were the first, second and third tithes required by the Law?
The offering consisted of not less than ___________ of one’s corn, wine and oil.
The Israelites were commanded to give in three categories: ___________, ___________ and ___________.
How does Jesus express the thought of Malachi 3:10?
Is this passage a valid proof text for modern store house tithing?
List four pertinent points concerning Mosaic tithing.
When the principles of stewardship presented by Malachi is applied to modern giving, ten per cent seems._____________________.
What is meant by the promise of Malachi that God would open the windows of heaven?
God’s provisions are always adequate to those who ________________.
Not only have Malachi’s readers robbed God, they have ______________________.
God has never promised ___________________ to the faithful nor ___________ to the unjust.
The people equated the sacrifice of blemished animals and with holding of tithes and offerings with ___________________.
A book of ________________ is being written.
To whom does they shall be mine (Malachi 3:17-18) refer?
Discuss Malachi 3:17-18 in comparison to Acts 10:34-35.
Trace the association of fire with judgement.
The sun of righteousness shall ____________________.
The wicked are to be punished by fire while God’s people are freed from _____________________.
Does the unequal distribution of wealth negate the necessity of righteousness?
The justice of God demands a ______________________.
The Old Testament closes with a plea to God’s people to ___________________.
Why was it essential that the formal observance of the sacrificial system be preserved?
The proud and wicked would be consumed but the ___________________ would survive.
Who is the second Elijah?
How is the New Testament continuous with the Old?
What is the new factor in the New Testament not present in the Old?
The coming of Christ did not constitute an abrupt break but a __________________.
Approximately how much time lapsed between Malachi and Jesus?