Lessons From the book of Malachi

Israel History: 

Israel has been in captivity twice in the history of OT. 

Egypt	Babylon
MOSES & Aron	Haggai & Malachi Exhort
Emphasis was laid on building the Tabernacle	Emphasis was laid on Rebuilding Temple
Worship Community Estd - Exodus 5:1 - And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.	How People & Priest should Act in temple
Levitical Law What should be done What offering to be offered What Calendar needs to be followed	Attitude of Worship
How to Worship God	Focus is on the Heart of the Worshipper

 

MALACHI - My Messenger  Written ~ 420 - 415 BC

1. Last book of the OT
2. Focused on Forgetting the God's Love
3. Purpose: To rouse people from their Stupidity & Exhort them to return to the Living God
4. 100 yrs after ministry of Haggai & Zachariah

 

Historical Setting: 

After many wars with Assyrians, Babylonians & Medes and Persians, There was comparative peace upon Israel.  

Malachi found that people had COLD Hearts, When he confronted them with Sin, they asked a series of questions that reveal about their Spiritual Condition.

Question	Significance	Application
"In What way you have loved us? (1:2)	This question reveals an alarming lack of trust in God. The Israelites were implying that God had been unfaithful to His covenant. “If You really love us, why are we still under foreign oppressors, waiting for the promised kingdom?”	Do we demand proof of God’s love for us - John 3:16   Rom 5:8 - but God Demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ Died for us.   Eph 2:4 - but god who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us. Even when we were dead is trespass, made us alive together with Christ  ( by grace you have been saved)   1 John 4:9 - In this the Love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.   Rev 1:5 - and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
“In what way have we despised Your name?” (1:6); “In what way have we defiled You?” (1:7)	Read 1:6,7 -  "A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' 7 "You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, 'The table of the Lord is contemptible.'   This question shows the half-heartedness and the rationalizations of the nation’s religious leaders. They were saying, in effect: “We’ve been making the required sacrifices. What more do you want?” But as Malachi pointed out, the sacrifices offered to God were unfit animals (1:8–10).	Do we offer God our best in worship, or do we just go through the motions? -   Mark 12:32-33 - So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
“In what way shall we return?” (3:7)	Read 3: 6, 7 - “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts.“But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?   This question reveals an appalling blindness to sin and an arrogant attempt to floss over wrongdoing. “We don’t know what You want us to do, because we don’t see what we have done wrong.”	When faced with our sin, do we make excuses?   1 John 1: 8-10 -  "A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' 7 "You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, 'The table of the Lord is contemptible.'   Psalm 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I have not hidden .I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, And you forgave the Iniquity of my sin.   Proverbs 28:13 - He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy   Proverbs 28:14 - Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into Calamity.
“In what way have we robbed You?” (3:8)	Read 3:8-9 - Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.   This question underscores the people’s greed. They did not view their possessions as God’s possessions to be used for His glory.   Deu 28:45 -47- Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever. 47 "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything,   Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with you possessions, And with the Firstfruits of all your increase; so you barns will be filled with plenty, and your Vats will overflow with new wine	Do we gladly give to God?   Mal 3:10 - Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Usually this verse Is preached to people to bring in more offering in to the Church. Nasah - Hebrew work for meaning testing in a negative manner ( This instance God is not happy asking the Israel to TEST HIM) Law of Moses Warned the Israelites not to tempt God ( Deut 6:16) It was a mark of Spiritual Adultery - Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  Matthew 12:38-39   Luke 4: 9-12 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' 11 "and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'     Deu 15:7-11 - "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9 Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you. 10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11 For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.'   2Cor 9:6-15: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
“What have we spoken against You?” (3:13)	Read 3:13-15 13 "Your words have been harsh against Me," Says the Lord, "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?' 14 You have said, 'It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.' "     This question displays the Israelites’ callousness. They had said it was “useless to serve God” (3:14). But they continued to think that their external observance of religious ceremonies would satisfy God’s demands on their lives	Do we wholeheartedly serve God:   Math 18:8 - These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.   Matthew 5:8 - blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.   Mark 12:29-31 -  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."