What we find in the book of Malachi is the last description of the history of Israel in the Old Testament. It does contain some striking references to the New Testament. The book bridges the period of four hundred years between the two Testaments by anticipating the Gospels.
The book describes scenes that run parallel to the book of Nehemiah. It is about those who have returned from exile in Babylon and are in the land of Israel. The book of Nehemiah deals with the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. The first return, that under Cyrus, is in the book of Ezra. In that book it is about the rebuilding of the altar and the temple. Ezra and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah belong together (Ezra 5:1).
Nehemiah rebuilds the wall and points out abuses among the people. These abuses return in this book of Malachi. We see them in the temple service and in not giving the tithes. Possibly they are situations that immediately after the days of Nehemiah are denounced by Malachi. He prophesied about a century later than Haggai and Zechariah, towards the end of the fifth century BC.
In Malachi 1 the last book of the Old Testament refers back to Genesis, the first book of the Bible by mentioning Jacob and Esau (Mal 1:2; Gen 25:23). In Malachi 3 the book goes forward to the first books of the New Testament (Mal 3:1; Mt 11:10; Mk 1:2) and over that in Malachi 4 to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, in connection with the mention of the return of the Lord Jesus (Mal 4:2).
The book applies to us who live in the last days of the church on earth. We are also children of a revival given by the Lord at the beginning of the nineteenth century. But we are later generations. What our ancestors acquired with much struggle has been thrown into our laps. We do live according to the same forms, but the question is whether behind those forms real life with God is present. In the days of Malachi, worship has become a hollow form. There is no idolatry, there is temple service, but it is only the outer form, out of which the inner strength has disappeared (2Tim 3:5a).
Important spiritual lessons from this book are coming to us. We see the insensitivity of the people to what the LORD, Yahweh, has been to them. We also see their own iniquity toward Yahweh – their total lack of reverence for God, their contempt for Yahweh. Their insensitivity has reached a climax: they can discover absolutely no evil in their actions which clearly shows that contempt when they are put before them to awaken their conscience.
The abuses to which Malachi refers are not found among the Jews who stayed in Babylon, but among the descendants of those who came out of the confusion – Babel means ‘confusion’ (Gen 11:9). They have returned to the place where Yahweh dwelled. Malachi addresses his important admonitions to them.
The wrongs of that time also occur today in Christianity. We can apply what Malachi says to Israel to all those who say they have separated themselves from the spiritual Babylon. Babylon represents the nominal Christian system that has become Christianity, through which there is no unity but confusion.
The call of Malachi does not concern idolatry, as in the days of the kings. He does not call to return to the land as in the days of Ezra. His message is also not about rebuilding the temple as in the days of Haggai, or rebuilding the walls as in the days of Nehemiah. There is no idolatry. There is a remnant back in the land and the temple has been rebuilt. The religious ceremonies are performed.
But everything happens with the appearance of outer order. Outwardly they are in the right position with a correct ritual, but their moral state is completely false. Therefore, this burden of the LORD in this last message is mainly an incisive appeal to the conscience of the remnant about their low spiritual state.
Malachi means ‘my messenger’ (Mal 3:1). It is not known where he comes from or who his parents are. His message consists mainly of exhortation and condemnation. He resembles John the baptist who also only wanted to be a ‘voice’. His person is completely hidden behind the message he brings and which serves to prepare us for the soon coming of the Lord. That is the second reason why this book is so topical, after the admonition of the form service: it wants to remind the hearts of the faithful of the coming of the Lord.
Division of the book
1. Heading (Malachi 1:1)
2. God’s love for Israel (Malachi 1:2-5)
3. Disrespectful service (Malachi 1:6-7)
4. Unclean offerings (Malachi 1:8-9)
5. Contemptuous attitude (Malachi 1:10-14)
6. Preaching of punishment against the priests (Malachi 2:1-9)
7. The unfaithfulness of the people (Malachi 2:10-16)
8. The coming messenger of the LORD (Malachi 2:17-3:5)
9. God is withheld the tithes (Malachi 3:6-9)
10. Promise of blessing (Malachi 3:10-12)
11. Unfaithful servants (Malachi 3:13-15)
12. Faithful servants (Malachi 3:16-18)
13. The day of the LORD (Malachi 4:1-6)