Malachi Introduction
Timeline of the Prophets
Jonah – 820-804 B.C. – spoke to the Assyrians
Amos – 810-785 B.C. – spoke to the northern kingdom
Joel – 800 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom
Hosea – 785-725 B.C. – spoke to the northern kingdom
Micah – 749-722 B.C. – spoke to the northern kingdom
Isaiah – 740-681 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom
722 B.C.: Northern Kingdom of Israel destroyed by the Assyrians
Nahum – 661-612 B.C. – spoke to the Assyrians
Zephaniah – 630 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom
Habakkuk – 610-599 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom
Jeremiah – 625-582 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom
605, 597, 586 B.C.: Jerusalem is attacked in three waves and ultimately destroyed by the Babylonians
Daniel – 605-534 B.C. – spoke to captives in Babylon
Ezekiel – 592-570 B.C. – spoke to captives in Israel
Obadiah – 585 B.C. – spoke to the Edomites
539 B.C.: Babylon is conquered by Cyrus, and Jews allowed to return to Jerusalem
Haggai – 520 B.C. – spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon
Zechariah – 518 B.C. – spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon
Malachi – 430-400 B.C. – spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon
Malachi addresses his prophetic burden to Israel. The northern kingdom of Israel fell in 722 B.C. and was never reassembled, so, to Malachi, Israel means the entire covenant people of God—former, current, and likely future.
Author
Malachi means messenger, and he was likely a prophet who lived under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah in the mid-fifth century B.C. He is placed at this date due to the Persian title for governor he uses, and he readdresses the same faults Ezra and Nehemiah were dealing with during their leadership. The faults were the corruption of the priesthood, marriage, the abuse of the disadvantaged, and the failure to give tithes.
Purpose
The nation kept sliding into a dead orthodoxy of religious practice that was constantly corrupting the genuine heart of worship.
Historically, Malachi prophesied about 100 years after the Jews returned to the land and some 80 years after Haggai and Zechariah. The anticipated prophecies assuring blessing, expansion, and peace at the return of God’s glorious presence lingered but did not materialize. The patience of the nation was a continual challenge; they had no heart for enduring faithfulness apart from tangible prosperity.
Yahweh’s promises of national prosperity, through Haggai and Zechariah, seemed like a cruel mockery, even though both prophets encouraged patience regarding their fulfillment. Israel, in Malachi’s time, found it impossible to find the good and blessing Yahweh was doing; they were only able to see the negative.
The entire Jewish nation, 100 years after their return, was situated in a territory of 20 by 30 miles, and only 150,000 Jews were living in that space. The Jewish people felt they were insignificant, the ridicule of surrounding nations, and the brunt of Persian oppression, all digging into their desire to marginalize the ways of Yahweh.
In the middle of their difficulty and their resistance to being fully true to Yahweh came Malachi, with his message to remain true to Yahweh’s covenant and persist in faithfulness, as Yahweh would be true to His word.
Outline
The book of Malachi is divided into six arguments, and each argument or prophetic debate follows a basic pattern:
An assertion by Yahweh or the prophet
The anticipated challenge by the Jewish people, usually beginning with the words, “But you say …”
Each challenge answered more fully by Yahweh
The debates are laid out as:
Introduction (1:1)
First Prophetic Debate: God’s Elective Love Contrasted with Edom (1:2-5)
Second Prophetic Debate: Israel’s Half-Hearted Offerings Condemned (1:6-2:9)
Third Prophetic Debate: Intermarriage and Divorce Condemned While the Marriage Covenant Endorsed (2:10-16)
Fourth Prophetic Debate: Adultery and Other Moral Sins Condemned (2:17-3:6)
Fifth Prophetic Debate: Israel’s Reluctance to Give Offerings Condemned (3:7-12)
Sixth Prophetic Debate: Cynics Destroyed, the Reverent Rewarded (3:13-4:3)
Summary (4:4-6)