LESSON 25
LESSON 25 MALACHI 1 : 1 – 4 : 6
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. —Malachi 2:11
Just as God raised up Haggai and Zechariah, He sent the third post-exilic prophet, Malachi, to call God’s people to renew their covenant obedience. Malachi’s words mirrored Nehemiah’s same concerns. Malachi’s name means “my messenger,” which was appropriate, because his message predicted a messenger who would suddenly come to the temple before the awesome day of Yahweh (Mal. 3:1).” 66 Malachi chal- lenged the Israelites at a time when worship became perfunctory, injustice was normal, and love for God and one another grew cold. In Malachi you will notice a prophetic oracle structure called disputation. The dispute in this prophetic book is between God and Israel. Each dispute has a similar pattern, in which God charges His people with a question or statement, then predicts what they will say back to Him (“but you say” statements), and lastly God responds. 67
READ THE WORD Pray. Take a moment to pray, asking the Lord to prepare your heart and teach you.
Malachi 1:1–4:6 1 The oracle of the word of the L ord to Israel by Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says the L ord . But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the L ord . “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the L ord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked coun- try,’ and ‘the people with whom the L ord is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the L ord beyond the border of Israel!” 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the L ord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the L ord ’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in
66 B orrowed from What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About. Jason DeRouchie, p. 296. 67 S ee https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/introduction-to-malachi/ for extra help with the struc- ture of Malachi.
Malachi 1:1–4:6 | 249
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator