#57 On the nature of God: learning from the prophets: Malachi

A continual problem in our society is the relapse of drug addicts into old habits. Some have estimated that up to sixty percent of those in rehab programs relapse within a few weeks of release from the programs. As is evident, this sin is hard to overcome.

The same type of relapsing occurred to the Israelite people after they were released from Babylonian captivity. They started and then stopped work on the temple. God sent the prophet Haggai to stimulate them to finish the temple. Through the prophet Zechariah, God promised to bless them, and they seemed initially to have returned to a correct relationship with God.

Years later, the prophet Malachi appeared and confronted a people mired in poor worship and service of God.

The book, Malachi, is presented like a court of law with the Lord serving as the prosecutor and presenting statements and charges. Israel denied each charge and asked sarcastically, ‘When or how did we do that?’ Each time God explains.

First, the Lord says He has loved them. They asked “How?” The Lord answers, Malachi 1:2-3:

“Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated…”

They had forgotten the super status the Israelites had enjoyed while Jacob’s brother, Esau did not.

 Next, the Lord directs a question to the priests, “Where is the honor of a father and the fear of a master?” Again, they ask “How?” The Lord explains, Malachi 1:7-8:

“By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor?”

They had treated their governor better than they had treated God. Their worship was vain because they did not treat it as important. The Lord responds that they might as well close the doors of the temple. Their polluted offerings were an affront to God.

Then the Lord points out that they were divorcing and marrying foreign wives and relates the practice to their weeping and groaning because God had not accepted their offerings on the altar. Again, they say “Why not?” God says the reason is that they were not honoring His laws on marriage.

The teachings of the priest should have guided the people in obedience and service. But God says they wearied the Lord by teaching that those doing evil are good, and that God delights in them.

At this point, Malachi prophesies that God will send His messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. This is surely a prophecy of the coming of John the Baptist as a forerunner to the coming of Jesus.

Then God issues a call for repentance, Malachi 3:7:

“… Return to me, and I will return to you,”

They ask, “How?” The Lord answers, “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!”

Again they ask, “How?”

The Lord says that they were not contributing the full tithes, Malachi 3:8:

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”

If they would contribute properly, God promised to bless them.

Finally, they were charged with speaking against serving God, Malachi 3:13:

 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD.”

Again, they ask “How?” God answered, Malachi 3:14:

“You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God.’”

They had equated serving God to gaining a profit for themselves.

At the end of this book, God prophesies a day will come when the Messiah will provide salvation. Before that day, a prophet would come, Malachi 4:5:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

As prophesied, John the Baptist came as that prophet.

This book shows that God’s people can fall away. Faithfulness in worship and conduct of life must be restored to be pleasing to God.

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