The book of Malachi
The Book of Malachi
What is the book of Malachi about?
The book of Malachi follows the books written by fellow prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The Jewish people finished building the temple in 516 BC and in 458 BC the community is strengthened by the coming of priest Ezra and several thousand more Jews.
Sometime after the temple was bought, several factors contributed to the Jewish peoples' general religious malaise:
- Their land remained a small province dwarfed by the Persian Empire
- The glorious future announced by the prophets have not (yet) been realized
- God had not yet come to the temple to exalt his kingdom among the nations
Doubting God's covenant and no longer trusting his justice, the Jews' worship came with poor attitudes and becomes lazy and listless. Malachi specifically mentions these occurrences of sin:
- Offering "lame and sick" sacrafices (1:8)
- Divorcing their wives to marry pagan women (2:11, 14)
- Failing to pay tithes for the temple (3:8)
The Lord was angry at their attitudes but promised to bless the obedient: "Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (4:2).
Who wrote the book of Malachi?
The author of Malachi is Malachi himself.
Who is the audience?
The postexilic Jews living in the southern kingdom of Judah.
Timeframe Malachi was written:
Written sometime around 430 BC.
"In short" (One sentence summary):
The book of Malachi outlines the prophet's assurance to the Jewish community that the Messianic King will come to not only judge them, but also to bless and restore them.
Fun facts about Malachi/Did you know?
Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, contains the final word from God for the next four hundred years. The next words from God come from Jesus, as prophesied in Malachi 3:1 "I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord, whom ye see, shall suddenly come to his temple."
