When we were in school, there were several times when our teachers asked us to read a book and then complete a book report. During elementary school, those reports were very simple. We stood in front of the class and reported on what the book said. But as we progressed, our studies in literature became more complex. Our teachers asked us what style was used by the author, what was happening in history when it was written, and we were asked to look for interesting ideas proposed by the author. Looking for the who, what, when, where, and how of a book often made us appreciate the book all the more.
As we begin a new study of a book in the Bible, we could simply jump into the book, read through it, and learn a few things. However, we would probably miss a lot that God intended for us to learn. In today’s study, we will be looking at a “book report” about the Book of Malachi. It is the last of the Old Testament prophecies contained in the section called the Minor Prophets. As we look over the book, let us consider the answers to several questions that will help us to better understand God’s message for us.
- Who wrote the book?
The first statement in the Book of Malachi says that the book contains the “burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.” By this we learn a couple of things. First, the message of the book was a burden or prophecy from God. Ultimately, what we will be reading is inspired by God and thus the result of God revealing his thoughts to us. Do you remember what Peter said about this? He said that “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). This book was given to us in the same way.
Second, the book was handwritten by someone named Malachi. The word written before Malachi, בְּיַ֖ד, means “by the hand of.” This indicates that after receiving God’s message, the author wrote down God’s message somehow. Perhaps he wrote it on a clay tablet or a parchment. Whatever the case, God’s message was written down by the author. But who was this person? Malachi is only mentioned one time in the entire Bible—in this verse. So, we gain no clues from searching for the name elsewhere. However, we do learn a few things from the name.
The name, מַלְאָכִֽי, is masculine, so it refers to a man. The name means my messenger.1 His name is appropriate because he was God’s messenger who delivered the written prophecy. But it is also appropriate because God twice used the term “my messenger” in the book. The first time He was referring to the priests who should have been His messengers (2:7). The second time God was promising to send a future messenger who would prepare for the Lord’s appearing (3:1). Can you guess who that was? Yes, it was John the Baptist. - To whom was the book written?
The first statement of the book also tells us the target audience. He wrote “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.” Malachi was writing God’s message to the combined kingdom of Israel. But there is other evidence for this as well. Malachi mentions Jacob and Esau (1:2-3), priests (1:6; 2:1,7), the altar and offerings (1:10-11), the tribe of Levi (2:4,8; 3:3), Judah (2:11,12), Jerusalem (2:11; 3:4), the tents of Jacob (2:12; 3:6), the Lord God of Israel (2:16), tithing (3:8-10), the law of Moses (4:4), and Elijah the prophet (4:5). All of these things show that God’s target audience was the Israelites. But that brings up another question. Which Israelites were being addressed and in what time period? - When was the book written?
Sometimes we look at where a book is placed in the Bible to determine when it was written. For instance, Genesis talks about creation and the patriarchs, so it makes sense that it is first in the Bible followed by Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Then the historical books follow in order: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. But then the order doesn’t continue by time. Esther and Job are out of place. Esther should come before Ezra and Job should be somewhere around the time of Abraham. When it comes to the prophets, they are not in order of time. Some fit during Kings and Chronicles while others were written during or after the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. So, being that Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament, should we consider it the last book written? The answer is yes. But how do we know that?
During the biblical history of Israel, they were led by Moses, Joshua, various judges, and various kings before the captivities of 722 and 586 BC. But when God allowed them to return to their land seventy years afterward, they were overseen by governors appointed by the country that ruled over them. With that in mind, look at Malachi 1:8. In that verse, God asks the Israelites if they would offer a blind or lame animal to their governor. The Hebrew word translated as “governor” is לְפֶחָתֶ֗ךָ. Although it is used several times in the historical books, it usually refers to and is most often used to reference a governor from a foreign land (2 Chron. 9:14; Ezra 8:36; Neh. 2:7; Esther 8:9). This gives us the idea that the book was written when Israel was governed by a foreign country. The most likely spot is after the Persians defeated the Babylonians in 539 BC.2 It was after this victory that the Persian king allowed the captives to return to Israel. And when they were back in the land, they were ruled by a governor. You can read more about this in the Old Testament books Ezra and Nehemiah. It was during that time that the temple was rebuilt and sacrifices were once again offered to God by the Levites. - What is the book’s message?
Look back on the history of Israel for a moment. The people were chosen by God to be His own special people. But they often chose to leave Him for false gods, foreign relationships, and pleasure. It happened after they were delivered from Egypt. This happened after Joshua died and they were settled in the land. It happened repeatedly during the time of the Judges. It happened periodically during the reign of the kings. And then God finally judged them with the captivities in Assyria and Babylon. You would think that after going through God’s judgment, that they would have learned their lesson. But even those who returned from captivity had some issues. If you are familiar with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, you know that these men had to address numerous sins.
Malachi’s message was revealed to Israel after their return from captivity. They had rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. Things were beginning to get back to normal and yet… God had to address several issues.
Israel didn’t know God’s love (Mal. 1:2-5).
Israel didn’t honor God (Mal. 1:6-2:9).
Israel wasn’t faithful to God (Mal. 2:10-16).
Israel wasn’t clean for God (Mal. 2:17-3:6).
Israel didn’t obey God (Mal. 3:7-12).
Israel didn’t fear God (Mal. 3:13-4:6).
If you are familiar with the problems addressed in the Book of Nehemiah, you may recognize that “the conditions he describes fit in well with what is recorded of the state of the returned remnant in the latter period of Nehemiah’s governorship. So, it is likely that he lived and ministered the word of [God] either during that time, or a little later.”3 - How can we apply the book’s message?
Whenever we read the Old Testament, we need to be careful to interpret it according to context. God was specifically addressing the Israelites. These people were still governed by the Law of Moses and were required to obey both the ceremonial and moral laws in it. As Christians, we have been freed from the Law (Gal. 5:1). When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for our sins and freed us from having to obey the Old Testament law.
However, Christians should also see the benefit of learning from what the Old Testament says. In the New Testament, Paul tells us that “whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). With that in mind, we should look at what God is saying to the Israelites and see what we can learn as well. For instance…
Do you know that God loves you? (John 3:16)
Are you honoring God with your speech and actions? (1 Tim. 1:17)
Are you being faithful to God? (1 Cor. 4:2)
Are you keeping yourself clean for the Lord? (2 Cor. 7:1)
Are you obeying the commands God has given to Christians? (1 Thess. 4:1-7)
Do you have a proper respect for God? (Heb. 12:28)
In each of these questions, we see that God’s message in the Book of Malachi is repeated in the New Testament. We also see that this message is necessary for us today. As we study the prophecy of Malachi, let us learn from the challenges given to Israel knowing that we, too, need to hear the same messages. And let us pray that God will help us with these same sinful struggles.
Conclusion
With any book report, it is easy to see the excitement of the one who has given it. But it is also easy to become overwhelmed by the many details in the report. I hope that you have not been bored by this presentation. But if you have, let me challenge you to read through the Book of Malachi for yourself. Take some time today to read the book and to consider what we talked about. As you put things together, ask God’s Holy Spirit to guide you in understanding the message for your own good. Then, as we study the book in the days ahead, you will be better equipped to understand all that God is saying in this important book of the Bible.
Bibliography
Blaising, Craig A., “Malachi” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1985.
Feinburg, Charles, The Minor Prophets, Chicago: Moody, 1990, orig. 1948.
Ironside, H. A. Minor Prophets, Neptune: Loizeaux Brothers, 1986, orig. 1909.
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. III Proverbs through Malachi, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Wolf, Herbert, Haggai Malachi Rededication and Renewal, Chicago: Moody Press, 1976.
Footnotes