Sermon Tone Analysis

Malachi

Malachi

We know very little about this next to the last of the OT prophets (John the Baptist was the last— and 4:5–6 with , , and ).

He ministered to the restored Jewish nation about 400 years before Christ.

The sins described in this book are found in .

Malachi directs his first message to the priests, and then he turns to the people collectively—“Like people, like priest.”

As the prophet delivers God’s Word, the people respond by arguing.

Note the repeated “Wherein?”

(1:2, 6–7; 2:17; 3:7–8, 13).

It is a dangerous thing when people argue with God and try to defend their sinful ways.

Malachi points out the terrible sins of the people and the priests.

I.

They Doubted His Love (1:1–5)

“I have loved you,” God says to His people.

“Oh?” they respond.

“Wherein have You loved us?

Prove it.”

Doubting God’s love is the beginning of unbelief and disobedience.

Eve doubted God’s love and ate of the forbidden tree; she thought God was holding out on her.

Satan wants us to feel neglected by God.

“Look at your difficult circumstances,” he said to the Jewish remnant.

“Where are the crops?

Why doesn’t God take care of you?”

God proves His love to His people in two ways: (1) He graciously chose Jacob, their father, and rejected Esau, who in many ways was a much better man; and (2) He judged the Edomites (Esau’s descendants) and gave to Israel the best of the lands.

He promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, but, alas, their sins polluted the land.

Even then, he graciously restored them to their land and delivered them from captivity.

II.

They Despised His Name (1:6–14)

Now God turns to the priests, who should have been the spiritual leaders of the land.

The priests were not giving honor to God’s name; they were taking the best for themselves.

They did not value the spiritual privileges God gave them: serving at the altar, burning the incense, and eating the dedicated showbread.

And they did not bring their best for the sacrifices: they brought the poorest of the animals (cf.

).

God gave them His very best, and He asked for their best in return, but they would not obey Him.

Verse 10 ought to read: “Who is there spiritual enough to shut the temple doors and put an end to this hypocrisy?”

God would rather see the temple closed than to have the people and the priests “playing at religion” and keeping the best for themselves.

The priests would not even accept a sacrifice until they had first gotten their share.

It was this kind of sin that brought defeat to Israel back in Eli’s day ( and 4:1–18).

Verse 11 states that the “heathen Gentiles” were offering better sacrifices to the Lord than were His own people.

It is too bad when unsaved people sacrifice more for their religion than do those of us who truly know the Lord.

We are priests through Christ, and we too are to bring “spiritual sacrifices” to Him ().

What are these sacrifices?

Our bodies (); our offerings (); praise (); good works (); souls we have won to Christ ().

Are we bringing Him our best—or only what is convenient for us?

III.

They Defiled His Covenant (2:1–17)

It was no light thing to be a priest, for this was a gracious gift of God through His covenant with Levi.

Verses 5–7 describe the ideal priest: he fears the Lord and obeys Him; he receives the Word and teaches it; he lives what he teaches; he seeks to turn others from sin.

But the priests in Malachi’s day actually led people astray (2:8) and defiled the holy covenant.

What would God do to them? “I will curse your blessings.”

This ties in with 3:9 and the lack of tithes and offerings.

God cursed the crops; the people were poor; they did not bring the offerings to the priests; therefore the priests went hungry.

In sinning against God’s covenant they were only hurting themselves.

But vv. 10–16 point out another terrible sin of the priests: they divorced their Jewish wives and married heathen women.

They dealt treacherously against the women and their families; see , , .

All their weeping at the altar (2:13) could not change things; they had to put away their sins.

Read v. 15 like this: “Did not the Lord make husband and wife one?

Why?

That you might bring forth a godly family.”

Actually, the nation’s looseness about divorce was endangering the promise of the Seed, Christ.

God hates divorce; it is the breaking of the covenant between husband and wife and between them and God.

IV.

They Disobeyed His Word (3:1–15)

In 2:17 the people had scornfully asked, “Will God punish us for our sins?

Does He really care?” God answers them by promising to send His messenger (John the Baptist) who would announce the Messenger of the covenant (Jesus Christ).

Jesus did come into the temple and expose its sins and purify its courts.

In His ministry He revealed the sins of the religious leaders, so much so that they finally crucified Him.

Of course, there is a future application here when the Day of the Lord refines Israel and separates the true from the false.

Why does the Lord not simply do away with His rebellious people?

Verse 6 is the answer: He changes not and must be true to His promises ().

The people had disobeyed God by robbing Him of tithes and offerings.

Actually, when God’s people are not faithful in their giving, they not only rob God, but they also rob themselves.

God had shut off the rain and spoiled the crops because of their selfishness.

Tithing, of course, is not “making a bargain with God”; but God does promise to bless and care for those who are faithful in their stewardship ().

Certainly God is not bankrupt; He wants our tithes and offerings as expressions of our faith and love.

When a believer’s love for Christ grows cold, it usually shows up in the area of stewardship.

If every church member would bring the Lord His due (10 percent of the income, the tithe), and then add offerings (as an expression of gratitude), our local churches would have more than enough for their ministries.

And they would be able to share generously with the many other good ministries that deserve support.

Malachi closes his message with some wonderful promises to the faithful (3:16–4:6).

There was that faithful remnant in this day who did not forsake God’s house, but who met together for mutual blessing (3:16–18; see ). “They are My jewels,” says the Lord.

What a beautiful picture of the faithful believer.

Jewels are precious, and we are precious in His sight.

He purchased us with His blood.

He is polishing us with trials and testings; and one day in glory we shall shine in beauty and splendor.

Christ is pictured as the Sun of Righteousness.

To the church, He is the “Bright and Morning Star” (; ), for He will appear when the hour is darkest to take His church home.

But to Israel, He is the Sun, bringing the “Day of the Lord,” a day that will mean burning to the lost, but healing to saved Jews and Gentiles.

“Elijah” in 4:5–6 refers to John the Baptist (; ), but it has a reference also to one of the two witnesses spoken of in .

The last word in our English OT is “curse.”

At the end of the NT we read, “And there shall be no more curse” ().

The difference?

Jesus Christ.