Study Notes Ed Underwood

Sermons By Ed: Malachi: The Only Hope for Your Hearts of Stone—The Lord You Are Seeking!

“I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me.” (Malachi 3:1)

The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for Him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther)

The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:29). Walk with me and I will bless you. Walk away from me and I will call you back to myself through loving discipline (Conditional covenant, Romans 9-11).

Life in the Promise Land was hard, very hard. The Persians still ruled their homeland, crops were failing, and locust plagues ravaged the land (Malachi 3:11). 80 years ago, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah had promised blessing, but the prosperity never came. Even after Ezra’s profound reforms and Nehemiah’s amazing success, most of the people were discouraged and doubtful of God’s goodness and care. The priests were self-serving and led them in cold, ritualistic worship and demanded outward obedience to the Law. But their hearts weren’t in it. On the inside they remained as rebellious as any generation of Israelites.

Foreign cultures had successfully invaded the consciousness and morality of God’s people. The Israelites divorced their wives to marry Gentiles, and greed and injustice was the order of the day. “... Malachi and his contemporaries were living in an uneventful waiting period, when God seemed to have forgotten His people enduring poverty and foreign domination in the little province of Judah. ... True the Temple had been completed, but nothing momentous had occurred to indicate that God’s presence had returned to fill it with glory, as Ezekiel had indicated would happen (Ezk. 43:4). ... Generations were dying without receiving the promises (cf. Heb 11:13) and many were losing their faith.” (Joyce G. Baldwin, “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary, p. 211)

Using a confrontational style, Malachi encourages them to pursue holiness by exposing their sin. He is the only prophet who ends his book with judgment. His book is an appropriate conclusion to the Old Testament. It stresses the hopelessly sinful condition of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who had been called by God to be a blessing to all nations. His message ends in a curse, leaving the world in need of another plan that isn’t dependent upon the obedience of the nation Israel. That plan will be introduced by the next prophet to speak, John the Baptist, who will, in turn, announce the coming of the One who would be called the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His name is Jesus Christ:

Malachi emphasizes Israel’s God as the sovereign over the whole world, who is extremely patient with His wayward people. The last prophet to speak to God’s people before 400 years of silence, 47 of Malachi’s 55 verses are spoken by God Himself – the highest portion of all the prophets.

I. “I STILL LOVE YOU!” (1:1-5): Malachi’s generation has forgotten how much God loves them. Embittered by the problems of the present, they have forgotten God’s past works on their behalf. God reminds them of His special love by contrasting the fates of Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel).

II. “YOUR PRIESTS DO NOT REPRESENT ME!” (1:6-2:9): Though the returning remnant had succeeded in rebuilding extraneous worship, the priests were taking the lead in hypocritical worship. They exhibited favoritism as they encouraged flawed sacrifices.

Malachi: Doubting God’s love leads to inauthentic worship and calloused disobedience! III. “YOUR MEN DIVORCE THEIR WIVES AND MARRY GENTILES!” (2:10-16): A sure sign of an inner attitude of rebellion against the God of Israel is intermarriage with pagan peoples. Malachi’s generation ignored God’s teaching on the sanctity of marriage.

IV. “YOU DOUBT MY JUSTICE?” (2:17-3:6): Malachi’s generation had become apathetic to the point of doubting if God would ever back up His teaching on the necessity of justice in relationships and society.

V. “YOU’RE ROBBING GOD!” (3:7-12): Malachi’s generation failed to connect their withholding of tithes and offerings with God’s withholding of blessing.

VI. “I WILL JUDGE THE ARROGANCE OF THE PEOPLE WHILE BLESSING THE REMNANT FOR THEIR HUMILITY” (3:13-4:3): Those who feared the Lord and esteemed His name would be spared in the day of judgment as His own special possession.

VII. “I WILL SEND AN ENCOURAGER TO RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE I JUDGE THE EARTH” (4:4-6): Malachi ends on the bitter word “curse.” Although the people are finally cured of idolatry, there is little spiritual progress in Israel’s history. Sin abounds, and the need for the coming Messiah is greater than ever.

MALACHI AND YOU: The Old Testament concludes with a curse. In spite of God’s unfailing love for His people, they are irreparably flawed by sin. The ever-loving, never-failing God pronounces judgment on His never-loving, ever-failing people. But all is not lost. A coming herald will make the way for the One who will encourage God’s people to return to Him.

Two indicators a person has fallen out of love with God:

1. Inauthentic Worship. Like Malachi’s generation they simply go through the motions. Doubting God’s love, they concentrate on the externals of worship while avoiding deep heart-interaction with God. Doubting God’s justice toward them, they give themselves permission to rob God of His lordship of their time and resources.

2. Calloused Disobedience. Like Malachi’s generation their attitude overflows into sinful behaviors. Doubting God’s love, they arrogantly express their cynicism and rebellion. Doubting God’s justice toward them, they give themselves permission to treat others unjustly. Especially the families they abandon through divorce.

Two meditations that will encourage a person to fall back in love with God:

Messiah: The Book of Malachi precedes four hundred years of prophetic silence, broken finally by the words of

the next prophet, John the Baptist: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Malachi predicts the coming of the messenger who will clear the way before the Lord’s First Advent (3:1; cf.

Isaiah 40:3). John the Baptist later fulfills this prophecy, but the next few verses (3:2-5) look to Christ’s Second

Advent. “Elijah the prophet” will encourage repentance before the day of the Lord (4:5). John the Baptist was

this Elijah (Matthew 3:3; 11:10-14; 17:9-13), but Elijah will also appear before the second coming of Christ

(Revelation 11:6).

First Advent of Christ

To Rescue from Sin Suffering Servant Messenger to prepare the way (3:1a) (John the Baptist, Matt. 11:10; 17:11-12) Lord comes to the Temple (3:1a) (Triumphal Entry, Matt. 21:12-14) Cross of Christ Offers Love

Second Advent of Christ

To Rescue Creation Conquering King Messenger of the (new) Covenant (3:1b-4) (Jesus Christ, Matt. 26:28) Angel (messenger) of the Lord (3:1b-4) Elijah encourages repentance (4:4-6) Day of the Lord (4:4-6) Offers Hope.