Malachi 2-4

Malachi 2

To priests:

“If you will not listen… I will curse your blessings…”

• Priests dishonor God’s name
• Covenant with Levi:
  • life and peace
  • based on fear and reverence
• Ideal priest:
  • guards knowledge
  • teaches truth
• Reality:
  • partiality in instruction
  • causing many to stumble

“Have we not all one Father?”

• Betrayal (בָּגַד, bagad) = treachery
• Marrying “daughter of a foreign god”:
• Violates:
  • covenant 
  • holiness of Israel

Divorce & Faithlessness

“The LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth…”

• Men abandoning wives
• God rejects their offerings because relationships are broken

“Everyone who does evil is good…”

• People accuse God of injustice
• Question: “Where is the God of justice?”

Malachi 3

“Behold, I send my messenger…”

• Messenger prepares the way
  • John the Baptist 
• “Lord” comes suddenly to His temple
  • Refines like refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap

“For I the LORD do not change…”

• Hebrew: שָׁנָה (shanah) = change
• Reason Israel not consumed:
  • God’s covenant faithfulness
  • Call:“Return to me, and I will return to you”

“Will man rob God?”

• Answer: tithes and contributions
• Withholding = robbery (קָבַע, qāvaʿ)
• Will be cursed if no tithe
• promise of provision if they do 

“It is vain to serve God…”

• People see:
  • wicked prosper
  • righteous struggle

“Those who feared the LORD spoke with one another…”

• God listens and records:
  • “book of remembrance”
• We are His

Malachi 4

Day of the LORD

“The day is coming, burning like an oven…”

For the Wicked

• burned like stubble
• root and branch removed

For the Righteous

• “sun of righteousness” rises
• healing in its wings
• joyful freedom (“leap like calves”)

“Remember the law of Moses…”

• Return to תורה (torah)

“I will send you Elijah the prophet…”

• Before the “great and awesome day”
• turn hearts

…. Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse

Application

God cares about how we worship Him and live out our lives. He doesn’t want half-hearted obedience, but to live our lives in faith and reverence. In the end God wins and will deliver righteousness.