As with most Old Testament prophets, Malachi was sent by God to confront, correct, and console his wayward people. When he arrived in post-exilic Judah, the remnant was doubting God’s love (1:1–5), dishonouring God’s name (1:6–2:9), profaning God’s promises (2:10–16), and wrestling with God’s justice (2:17–3:5). Israel had become frustratedwith and fatiguedby life, spiritually immature and covenantally insecure, hard-hearted and pig-headed. Their priests weren’t teaching them, their crops weren’t feeding them, and their God, it seemed, wasn’t hearing them. So, what did they do? Among other things, they stopped giving to him. They reasoned to themselves, “If he won’t give us whatwe want, why should we give him whathe wants?” And because Israel wasn’tgiving, God wasn’tblessing, and the world wasn’tnoticing.