Malachi

A Vague-Personal Religion

“William Miller wrote that ‘One might say that President Eisenhower, like many Americans, is a very fervent believer in a very vague religion.”

(Dever, p. 939)

If we were to poll our society, I wonder if a majority of the American population might fit into this category of being fervent believers in a vague religion.

When the attacks of 911 happened, almost overnight people began putting up signs saying “God Bless America.” We were scared and fearful and wondering what was going on. People went to the church in search for answers.

Within a few weeks, church attendance was back to normal and rather than asking for God’s blessing we were in the mode of “Never Forget.”

But outside of big crises like 9/11 or the COVID pandemic response, as a society, we’ve fashioned God into a deity that meets our needs or makes us feel good. God doesn’t expect anything from us, He wants us to be happy, and to be content doing whatever we want. Sin is re-written as a preference and good deeds are expected to be rewarded with good Karma. And it all works out as long as our belief in whatever is sincere or authentic.

We’ve come to believe that God, if He cares at all, doesn’t want us to have any bad or difficult days - only rainbows and unicorns.

He is the God of our making. He is a God of convenience.

But this God that we’ve imagined up in our society - is not the God of the Bible - and certainly not the God that Malachi talks about.

Introducing Malachi

This week, we’re considering the final book in the Old Testament - the book of Malachi. The four brief chapters of Malachi make for a fitting conclusion to the canon of the Old Testament.

Likely written sometime in the 5th century BC, Malachi was written to the people who had re-settled Jerusalem and Judah. These people had been back in the land for 50 or so years. The temple had likely been rebuilt. There was no king, but only a governor - and that a vassal of a foreign rule.

One commentator noted that several of the issues that Malachi addresses are the same issue that plagued Nehemiah’s rule as governor - indicating that the prophet and Nehemiah may have been contemporaries.

Speaking of the prophet - who is Malachi? No one really knows. The name Malachi is the Hebrew word for “messenger” which may or may not be a proper name. Malachi is not referenced as a person anywhere else in scripture, but the book is quoted several times in the New Testament by Jesus, Luke, Paul, and Mark (Mt. 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:17; 7:27; Rom. 9:13 cf. Dever, 926).

One of the very interesting things about Malachi is the structure of the book. It is divided into six different disputations or arguments - each having a similar formula. God addresses an issue through Malachi, the people respond (or more likely the prophet is responding based on what the people are likely thinking), and then God responds again.

The ESV Study Bible outlines the book in this way:

The ESV Study Bible Outline

Heading (1:1)

A. First disputation: Does God make a distinction between the good and the arrogantly wicked? God’s elective love vindicated in his judgment (1:2–5)

B. Second disputation: Israel’s begrudging offerings condemned (1:6–2:9)

C. Third disputation: Marriage to an idolater—and divorce based on aversion—condemned by the Lord, who is witness to the covenant of marriage (2:10–16)

C′. Fourth disputation: The Lord is a witness against adultery and other moral offenses (2:17–3:5)

B′. Fifth disputation: Israel’s begrudging offerings condemned (3:6–12)

A′. Sixth disputation: Does God make a distinction between the good and the arrogantly wicked? God’s elective love vindicated in his judgment (3:13–4:3)

Conclusion (4:4–6)

Bible scholars call this format a chiasm. In this case the first dispute and the last dispute relate, the second and the fifth relate and the third and fourth relate.

As we discuss the book today, let’s look at these in their pairs because as each couplet seems to have similar themes. Malachi helps us to see that the God of the Bible, the one true God, cares. He cares about how we view Him. He cares about how we worship Him. He cares about how we live before Him.

God cares about how we view Him

It’s not so much that God is insecure or fearful of humanity’s impression, but wants us to have as clear an understanding as possible - which is in part why He has given us His Word and has revealed himself generally in the world.

In the opening dispute, Malachi seems to present the view that ...

God is sovereign and chooses whom He will love (Mal. 1:2-5)

Imagine being an Israelite in Judah during and after the time of the exile. The capital city was in ruins, the land was destroyed and getting back to normal seemed to be out of reach. While they knew that they were God’s people, they could look at the prosperity of the people around them and think that it would be better being Assyrians or Edomites. Does God even love them? Is it worth the pain to be His people? And yet God has something else in store.

Let’s consider what it says in these verses…

Malachi 1:2–5 ESV

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’ ” Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

How does this strike you? God is choosing one person/people group over another?

If we look throughout Israel’s history, there have always been choices. These choices might not always be the choices that we think would be best. As we see here, God chose Jacob - a conniving and deceitful man over his brother Esau. God chose a murderer, Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. God chose a prostitute to be instrumental in the Israelites conquest of her land. God chose Samson - a wild, womanizing man - to be judge in Israel for a time.

We may wonder why a choice would need to be made? Why would God choose one person or group to love and not another.

I don’t fully understand. I wish I did.

But in His sovereignty...

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 ESV

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

One of the beautiful aspects of the coming of Jesus Christ though is that we get to see a bigger picture of the depth and breadth of God’s love. You see, God doesn’t have to love any of us. He doesn’t have to care, but he does and he chose to demonstrate his love in that he sent his only Son to die on the cross for your sin and mine.

Titus 3:4–7 ESV

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

He chose to love you and me - not because we are worthy or because we deserve it or even because we think we love him - He loves us because he chose to love us.

Friend, if you have not yet responded to God’s love for you, I pray that you would do so today. Repent of your sin and your rebellion, receive the love that God has poured out for you.

Where the first dispute helped us see that God chooses whom he will love, the final dispute reminds us that...

God is sovereign and judges good and evil (Mal. 3:13-4:3)

Have you ever had those moments when you wish that your actions and morality were not guided by scripture or constrained by God’s expectations of us? When we consider the lack of values that seem to be pervasive in the leading echelons of our society - being good can seem fruitless.

Maybe Billy Joel was right when he sang “only the good die young.”

In this dispute, God seems to be reminding the people of Judah that being righteous and obedient are good and worthwhile and honoring to him - because one day - he will judge - and there will be no escape for those who rebel against Him.

Malachi 3:13–4:3 ESV

“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ” Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

There will be a day when God will judge. We are not saved by our righteous acts - but only be how we have responded to His Son. You see, Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension brought not only our well-deserved judgment on Jesus but it also brought peace between us and God.

There will still be a future day of judgment - a day of the Lord.

Keep walking in righteousness.

Keep meditating and considering His Law.

Keep seeking to walk in wisdom on holiness.

So the first and the last disputes tell us a bit about how we should view God - as sovereign. The second and fifth disputes remind us that...

God cares about how we worship Him

Here in America, we like things on our terms. We’ve become accustomed to curated advertisements that are designed to cater to our preferences. We like to have things our way and make it fit our schedules and timelines.

Sadly, we like to worship God that way too. We can listen to the best worship music from Hillsong, or Bethel, or Elevation worship, or Northpoint. We like to hear from preachers and Christian inspirational speakers who give us the right blend of information, challenge, and good feelings.

It’s so easy to have the way that we worship be more about us than it is about him.

Israel may not have had all of the options that we have, but they did have plenty of distractions and corruption. And so what we see in this second dispute is that...

God expects our best (Mal. 1:6-2:9)

...in the way that we worship Him.

This is a bit of a longer dispute - but as we read it, notice how God is comparing the honor that he is receiving in their offerings verses the honor that they would give to their ruling officials. Notice how the religious leaders are aiding in the compromise.

Malachi 1:6–2:9 NLT

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord. “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations! “Listen, you priests—this command is for you! Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart. I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile. Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin. “The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.”

We obviously don’t offer sacrifices the way that the Israelites did. That sacrificial system was fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But the point that we need to pay attention to is that God expects our best. He expects the best in how we serve, how we teach, how we use the gifts that he has given us.

I know it’s difficult to gather and worship together with masks on - the heat, the moisture, the fogging of glasses are big obstacles to worship - it is all certainly less than ideal. For those who come and seek to give your best even with the frustration of the masks - God is honored. For those who remain at home because you feel that is the best you can give, I believe God is honored as you present before him your best.

Because we’re not able to see whether or not our sacrifice has blemishes, giving our best becomes a matter of the heart. Presenting our best to God is not to be compared with what someone else can give.

So I guess the question we need to consider is - are you and I giving our best to the Lord?

Closely related to this, the fifth dispute helps us see that...

God expects our everything (Mal. 3:6-12)

We read this passage earlier in the service, so for the sake of time we’re not going to re-read that now.

Throughout the Old Testament, God we see the issue of the tithe brought up at different times. A tithe is simply 10%.

We first learn about a tithe when Abraham offered a tithe to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20).

In Leviticus, the tithe was commanded for the people of Israel...

Leviticus 27:30 ESV

“Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.

The tithe was to be used as a means of supporting the work of the temple and the livelihood of the Levites - the people who had been called to serve in their worship.

In fact even the Levites and Priests we commanded to give a tithe from the tithe that they had received. (Num. 18:26).

For the Israelites, no one was exempt from this.

And yet here in Malachi, the Israelites were failing to give this gift to the Lord. They were failing to provide for the needs of the temple and those who worked in it. They were failing to trust God with the tithe.

In the New Testament, the issue of the tithe is only mentioned twice - and those addressing the same instance when Jesus is condemning the pharisees for their lack of balance...

Matthew 23:23 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Jesus isn’t saying don’t tithe. He is simply saying - don’t forsake these other things.

Later in the New Testament as we see the church beginning to grow and flourish, we find people giving generously - selling their land and possessions for the good of the congregation.

Acts 4:32–37 ESV

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

For the Israelites in Malachi’s day, there was a lack of trust in God. They didn’t think that they would have enough if they tithed.

For those who gave in the New Testament - it also became a matter of trust - trusting that God would meet their needs in the communal nature of the church.

In light of this dispute between God and the Israelites, we need to ask ourselves...

Do we trust God?

Do we trust God enough to give Him a tithe?

Do we trust God enough to give Him more?

Do we trust God enough to give Him everything - living in an open handed way?

On that note, let me just commend you. Last week I asked for some help to get the produce. So many of you responded in profound and generous ways - being willing to give of your resources (trucks, vans) and of your time. You all beautifully demonstrate that you do trust God! You beautifully demonstrate that you trust God with more - living in an open handed way!

Thank you for demonstrating your trust in that way.

So in these disputes, we’ve seen how God wants us to view him and how God wants us to worship him. In the last two disputes - the middle two - Malachi helps us to see that...

God cares about how we live before Him

In some ways this last section goes with out saying. There is a lot in scripture that talks about how we should live. Malachi here is addressing a couple of areas of the Israelites lives that were especially egregious.

First of all, God cares about how we live before him...

… at home (Mal. 2:10-16)

Malachi 2:10–16 ESV

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

It seems like Malachi was addressing a couple of serious domestic issues.

They men were marrying foreign women. Now - it’s not so much that they were foreign, but they were not people of the covenant - they did not believe in God. As a result, these men were breaking the covenant that God had with Judah and they were themselves being drawn away from God.

It seems like the second issue that Malachi was addressing was a sort of “no-fault divorce.” These men were deciding to be faithless with their wives and then were simply divorcing them for no reason.

These two subjects are quite sensitive and really require more time than what we can give them today. But I do want us to think about a couple of things.

Related to the first issue - of marriage with non-believers:

for those of you who are single - being single is a beautiful thing. God gives us all seasons of singleness. Certainly in our growing up years we learn from our parents some of the joys of growing up and the marriage covenant. As we enter into adulthood, we get to continue in singleness. The apostle Paul celebrated the gift of singleness - because it allowed him to do so much for the Lord. Being single may not be what you want right now - but let me encourage you to find contentment there - rather than going to joining yourself to someone who is not a believer. Whether you are young or old - find contentment in the Lord in the station of like that he has ordained for this season. I do think it’s perfectly fine to pray for a spouse who loves and follows the Lord, ask others to pray for a spouse for you and with you. See someone who can run with you spiritually.

for those who are married to someone who is not a believer - keep going. The way that you love, honor, and serve your spouse is pleasing to God. Continue to pray for his or her salvation - and invite others to pray with you. Keep honoring God in your relationship.

On the issue of divorce - I know this affects so many family. It has affected mine.

For those who have experienced divorce - whether by your choice or not - there is no condemnation here. It is history. If you are still single, find contentment there - until such a time as God gives you direction for what’s next - but please, don’t rush into another marriage without working out the things that caused the first marriage to fall apart.

For those of you who are in a difficult marriage and may be considering a way to get out, let me encourage you with this:

remember your covenant and what you promised - your covenant is more than words.

get help if you need it - that is what the community of faith is all about - we want to encourage and help. Your elders are here to listen and counsel. If you need further help, we can recommend other good, christian counselors. Your covenant and your relationship is worth it.

There is a fair amount of debate about what the Bible allows by way of divorce - but it seems at least in the New Testament - there are only two acceptable reasons - adultery and desertion - but even those can be debated.

Malachi addressed a low view of marriage among the Israelites.

He also reminds us that God cares how we live before him...

… with others (Mal. 2:17-3:5)

Malachi 2:17–3:5 ESV

You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Again, there is a lot here and more than we can address, but it seems like part of the reason that the day of the Lord will be a day of refining is because the people here were not treating other people properly.

God cares about how we treat people. He cares about how we care for those in need.

Our faith is more than just a Sunday activity - but is to be lived out each and every day.

Closing thoughts

The book of Malachi concludes with a sort of benediction that calls the people of Israel to look back on the law of Moses in order to live that out. He is also calling them to consider the prophets as they called people back to the Lord but proclaimed a future day when Elijah would come. That “Elijah” was John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus Christ. He embodied the message of the law and the prophets - proclaiming the way for Jesus to fulfill all of that. For the holiness and perfection of God to be manifest in Him. For the grace and mercy of God to be poured out through him.

God is a God of grace - but He is not a God of our own design and our own convenience.

God cares about how we view him, how we worship him, and how we live before him.

How are you and I doing in those areas?

Sources:

https://www.bible.com/videos/3070-malachi-the-bible-project

Craigie, Peter C., The Old Testament: It’s Background, Growth, and Content (Abington, Nashville, 1987)

Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.

Dever, Mark, The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made, (Crossway, Wheaton, 2006)

Longman III, Tremper; Raymond B. Dillard; An Introduction to the Old Testament, 2nd Ed. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 2006)

McConville, Gordon. Exploring the Old Testament: The Prophets. Vol. 4. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2002.