Malachi 1:1 ESV
Malachi 1:2 ESV
Malachi 1:2-3 ESV
Malachi 1:6 ESV
Malachi 1:7-8 ESV
Malachi 2:17 ESV
Malachi 3:7 ESV
Malachi 3:8 ESV
Malachi 3:13-15 ESV
Malachi 3:6 ESV
Malachi 3:16-18 ESV
Matthew 3:12 ESV
Malachi prophesied to the people and in his opening remarks in Malachi 1:1 he only says, “The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.” The meaning of the name Malachi is Messenger. The message given to God’s people makes it clear that God is on a mission to set them straight.
After that brief introduction of Malachi, his first words to Israel from God in Malachi 1:2 stated emphatically, “I have loved you.”
As we begin this hearing of a discussion of the word of the Lord given through Malachi to the people of God, we quickly realize God through Malachi is challenging the people of God.
Throughout the book there are seven questions raised by Israel. In asking each question, a challenge is made.
God tells Israel He has “loved” them and they ask,“How have You loved us? (Malachi 1:2-3)
God tells Israel they have despised His name in Malachi 1:6 and they reply asking, “How have we despised Your name? (Malachi 1:6)
God tells Israel they “offered polluted” food on His altar and the people ask, “How have we polluted You? Malachi 1:7-8)
God tells His people He is weary “of their words” and the people ask the prophet, “How have we wearied Him? (Malachi 2:17)
God through Malachi tells the people, “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts”…and the people ask,“How shall we return? (Malachi 3:7)
God asks, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me“ and the people ask “How have we robbed You?” (Malachi 3:8)
God tells the people “ “Your words have been hard against me” and the people ask, “How have we spoken against You?” (Malachi 3:13-15).
After the first four accusing questions of Israel’s challenge God responded by telling them in Malachi 3:6: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
Honestly, as we read through the back and forth conversation between Malachi the Prophet thru God and the people of God, we begin to see a miracle occurred and that miracle was outlined in Malachi 3:6!
God IS God and is loving and patient. As stated, God does not change and is not in the habit of ending an argument by consuming those doing the questioning with fire.
God could have done just that.
The people of God were taunting God with their questions.
They were intentionally playing dumb. God knew what their actions were and they were pretending they had no idea what God was talking about.
It’s like when you have caught someone red handed telling you a lie and they pretend they have no idea what you’re talking about. If that’s ever happened to you, you know how maddening that is…it can make you crazy.
The difference is that the people were dealing with God. God knew the people knew they were wrong but they just wouldn’t admit they were wrong.
So, what can God do with them?
In Malachi 3:16-18 this was how God handled it:
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”
God knew the truth and told the truth to them.
It’s what John the Baptist described in Matthew 3:12 will happen with the ONE coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with Fire, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Through God, Malachi was giving the people of God a preview of what was to come. They had a clear choice…
He was whispering that ONE was coming. Jesus is coming. He will clear the threshing floor and gather the wheat into the barn…
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Face God
God knows truth. Be honest about where you stand with God.
In God, Deborah
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