Click chart to enlarge
Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission
Chart on Malachi - Charles Swindoll
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THE ORACLE OF THE WORD OF JEHOVAH |
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Mal 1:1-5 |
Mal 1:6-2:9 |
Mal 2:10-3:15 |
Mal 3:16-4:3 |
Mal 4:4-6 |
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Love of God |
Sin of Priests: |
Sins of People: |
Blessing to All |
Remember the Law |
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| PRIVILEGE OF ISRAEL |
POLLUTION OF ISRAEL |
PROMISE TO ISRAEL |
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| PAST CARE |
PRESENT COMPLAINT |
FUTURE COMING (See also Mal 3:1-6) |
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GOD'S |
GOD'S |
GOD'S CONSOLATION to |
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Mal 3:16 Book of |
Mal 4:1 Coming |
Mal 4:4 Coming |
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GOD'S |
GOD'S |
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PLACE: |
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TIME OF WRITING: |
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HISTORICAL CONTEXT: All dates are approximations
About 100 Years After the Jews had Returned to Jerusalem from 70 years Exile in Babylon (538 BC)
About 80 years after the Temple was rebuilt (516 BC)
About 10 years after Nehemiah had finished rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem (445 BC)
Malachi marks the beginning of God's 400 years of silence broken by John's cry "Behold, the Lamb of God" Jn 1:29 (Mal 3:1)
See Map of Israel at this time in history - "Edomites had migrated northwest from their traditional homeland just south of Moab into the area immediately south of Judea, and this land was now called Idumea. Territory that once belonged to the northern kingdom of Israel had been divided into several different minor provinces, including Samaria." (ESV Study Bible)
Source: ESV Global Study Bible
MacArthur Study Bible - Intro, Date, Setting, Themes, Interpretative Challenges, Outline
Swindoll Overview - Includes "Listen to Chuck Swindoll’s overview in his audio message" - 27 minutes
KJV Bible Commentary - Intro, Outline and Verse by Verse Commentary
The King James Study Bible Second Edition - short introduction
NKJV Study Bible: New King James Version Study Bible - Introduction, Historical Setting, Purpose, Timeline, Christ in the Scriptures
TIMELINES RELATED TO MALACHI -
- The Rulers & Prophets of Malachi Timeline (go to page 28)
- Israel's Division and Captivity (go to page 27)
- Timeline Related to Rebuilding of Temple;
- Timeline Related to Return to the Land
- Possible Date for Malachi
About 100 years had passed since the return of the Jews to the Land. The city of Jerusalem and the second Temple had been built, but initial enthusiasm had worn off. Following a period of revival under Nehemiah (Neh 10:28-39), the people and priests had backslidden (see Backsliding or Drifting) and become mechanical in their observance of the law. Though lax in their worship (Mal 1:7) and delinquent in their tithing (Mal 3:8), they could not understand why God was dissatisfied with them. Malachi rebuked the people for their neglect of the true worship of the Lord and called them to repentance (Mal 3:7). Malachi used a question-and-answer method, there being no fewer than 23 questions in the book. Mal 1:2 gives us the pattern - (1) God's declaration "I have love you"; (2) Israel's rejection - here in form of a question "How hast Thou loved us?" and (3) Justification for God's declaration "Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob."
KEY WORDS/PHRASES - See importance of key words - learn how to mark key words and the associated discipline of how to interrogate them with 5W/H questions. Practice "interrogating" key words as well as term of conclusion (therefore), term of explanation (for), terms of purpose or result (so that, in order that, that, as a result), terms of contrast (but, yet), expressions of time (including then; until, after) and terms of comparison (like, as). You will be amazed at how your Teacher, the Holy Spirit, will illuminate your understanding, a spiritual blessing that will grow the more you practice! Be diligent! Consider the "5P's" - Pause to Ponder the Passage then Practice it in the Power of the Spirit. See also inductive Bible study - observation (Observe With a Purpose), Interpretation (Keep Context King, Read Literally, Compare Scripture with Scripture, Consult Conservative Commentaries), and then be a doer of the Word with Application. Do not overlook "doing the word" for if you do you are deluding yourself, and are just a "smarter sinner," but not more like the Savior! As Jesus said "blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it." (Lk 11:28+, cf James 1:22+)
- "But/yet you say" (8 rhetorical questions to the audience - Israel/Judah) (Mal 1:2, 6, 7, 2:14, 2:17, 3:7, 3:8, 13)
- Return (repent) (Mal 3:7 = 3x)
- Messenger (Mal 2:7, 3:1)
- Curse (Mal 1:14, 2:2, 3:9, 4:6)
- Blessing/blessed (Mal 2:2, 3:10, 3:12, 3:15)
- Test (Mal 3:10, 15)
- Day of the Lord ("the day") - Mal 3:2, 17, Mal 4:1, 3, 5
- My Name (Mal 1:6, 11, 14, Mal 2:2, 5, Mal 4:2, contrast especially Mal 1:6 and Mal 4:2!
- Jehovah Sabaoth, LORD of hosts (of armies) - 24x - here are the uses of the phrase "Lord of hosts" in the Old Testament (from ESV Study Bible - borrow)
1. Malachi (43.6%)
2. Haggai (31.6%)
3. Zechariah (21.8%)
4. Amos (6.1%)
5. Jeremiah (5.9%)
6. Isaiah (4.7%)
7. Nahum (4.3%)
8. Zephaniah (3.8%)
9. Habakkuk (1.8%)
10. Micah (1.0%)
11. 2 Samuel (0.9%)
12. Psalms (0.7%)
13. 1 Samuel (0.6%)
14. Hosea (0.5%)
15. 1 Kings (0.4%)
16. 1 Chronicles (0.3%)
17. 2 Kings (0.3%)
KEY/FAVORITE PASSAGES: "I have loved you" (Mal 1:2) Prophecy of 3 comings:
(1) John the Baptist (Mal 3:1 > Matthew 11:10+)
(2) Messiah (Mal 3:1 = First Coming; Second Coming = Mal 3:2 and Mal 4:2= "Sun of righteousness")
(3) Elijah (Mal 4:5); "I the LORD do not change" (Immutable) (Mal 3:6); "I hate divorce" (Mal 2:16), "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… " (Mal 3:10) "I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau." (Mal 1:2,3).
See ESV Study Bible chart - Malachi's Six Fold "Wake Up" Call.
Outline of Malachi - David Levy
(Borrow his excellent commentary Malachi : messenger of rebuke and renewal)
(Do a quick guided tour through Malachi by holding pointer over Scripture popups)
I. A People Divinely Loved (Malachi 1:1–5+)
A. Love Declared (Malachi 1:1, 2)
B. Love Debated (Malachi 1:2)
C. Love Demonstrated (Malachi 1:3, 4)
D. Love Diffused (Malachi 1:5)
II. Priests Dishonoring the Lord (Malachi 1:6–14+)
A. God’s Sacredness Defamed (Malachi 1:6)
B. God’s Sanctuary Desecrated (Malachi 1:7)
C. God’s Sacrifice Defective (Malachi 1:8, 9)
D. God’s Servants Demeaning (Malachi 1:10, 11, 12)
E. Godless Service Denounced (Malachi 1:13,14)
III. Priests Disciplined by the Lord (Malachi 2:1–9+)
A. The Priests Cursed (Malachi 2:1, 2, 3)
B. The Priests’ Covenant (Malachi 2:4, 5, 6, 7)
C. The Priests’ Corruption (Malachi 2:8)
D. The Priests Condemned (Malachi 2:9)
IV. People Defiling the Law (Malachi 2:10–17+)
A. Mixed Marriage Laws Violated (Malachi 2:10, 11, 12)
B. Marriage Laws Violated (Malachi 2:13, 14, 15, 16)
C. Man’s Loyalty a Veneer (Malachi 2:17)
V. Purification Delivered by the Lord (Malachi 3:1–6+)
A. Messenger’s Preparation (Malachi 3:1)
B. Messiah’s Presentation (Malachi 3:1)
C. Messiah’s Purging (Malachi 3:2, 3, 4)
D. Messiah’s Punishment (Malachi 3:5, 6)
E. Messiah’s Preservation. (Malachi 3:6)
VI. People Defrauding the Lord (Malachi 3:7–18+)
A. Return to God Required (Malachi 3:7)
B. Robbing God Revealed (Malachi 3:8, 9)
C. Reproach of Godless Removed (Malachi 3:10, 11, 12)
D. Rhetoric of Godless Reproved (Malachi 3:13, 14, 15)
E. Righteous of God Remembered (Malachi 3:16, 17, 18)
VIII. Predicted Day of the Lord (Malachi 4:1–6+)
A. Eliminating the Wicked (Malachi 4:1)
B. Exalting the Worthy (Malachi 4:2, 3)
C. Exhorting the Worthy (Malachi 4:4)
D. Elijah’s Work (Malachi 4:5, 6)
David M Levy- borrow Malachi : messenger of rebuke and renewal
Irving Jensen: "The main subjects of Malachi’s message were the love of God, the sin of the priests and people, judgment for sin, and blessing for righteousness. One cannot help but observe that the Gospel of God has been the same message for sinners of all generations… The most notable feature of this book is its repeated pattern of discourse. Three steps are involved: Affirmation (charge or accusation): “You are robbing Me” (Mal 3:8). Interrogation (introduced by “you say”): “But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ ” (Mal 3:8). Refutation (answer to the question): “In tithes and contributions” (Mal 3:8). The common repeated phrase in these discourses is “you say.” It appears eight times: Mal 1:2, 6, 7; 2:14, 17; 3:7, 8, 13. Another feature of Malachi’s message is his strong emphasis on the Law of God (read Mal 4:4). Also, the book surpasses all other prophetic books in the proportion of verses spoken by the Lord to Israel (forty-seven out of the total of fifty-five)." (Jensen's Survey of the OT)
Note - If you are reading through the Bible in a year, etc, consider reading Jensen's excellent overview before you read the Scriptures as he mentions things you should look for in the text. I would also suggest getting a notebook to record your observations, insights, practical applications, prayers, etc. as you go through each book -- that way you can go back later in the year and see what the Spirit taught you and it becomes more an integral part of your being as you "internalize" the Word.
Ray Stedman on the Theme of Malachi: "It is most suggestive that this last book of our Old Testament centers around the theme of a messenger of God and a prediction of the coming of another messenger. In this, therefore, we have a direct tie between Malachi and the New Testament. (Mal 3:1) "Behold, I send my messenger [in Hebrew that would be "Behold, I send Malachi"] to prepare the way before me" {Mal 3:1a} And as you discover in the book of Matthew, that messenger was John the Baptist. He came to prepare the way of the Lord and to announce the coming of the second messenger from God. That second messenger is here in this prophecy in the next phrase: "and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the Messenger of the covenant" {Mal 3:1} It was the work of the Lord Jesus on the closing night of his ministry to take wine and bread with his disciples and holding the cup up to say, "This is my blood of the [new] covenant." (Mt 26:28) The messenger of the covenant is the Lord Jesus himself… This entire book is a series of responses on the part of the people to the challenges of God. Seven times you will find them saying, "How? How does this happen? Prove it." As we go through them you can see how they reveal the state of this people's heart. Here is an outgoing God -- and God is always this way, pouring out love -- but here is a callous people who have become so indifferent and so unresponsive to God that in perfect sincerity they can say, "We don't see this. What do you mean? Why do you say these things to us?" Throughout the book, this is the theme. (See Malachi: Think upon His Name)
John Piper summarizes Malachi -The Israelites had returned from the Babylonian exile. Jerusalem had been rebuilt, and the temple restored. But the people had not learned their lesson from the exile. They had grown skeptical of God's love (Mal 1:2), careless in worship (Mal 1:7), indifferent to the truth (Mal 2:6, 7), disobedient to the covenant (Mal 2:10), faithless in their marriages (Mal 2:15; 3:5), and stingy in their offerings (Mal 3:8). To this carnal and rebellious people God sent his messenger (Malachi means "my messenger"), and the first message he put on his lips was, "I have loved you, says the Lord!"…
The great temptation for Israel in the Old Testament and for the church of Christ today is to forget that we are pilgrims not natives in this world.
The temptation is to let the Lord's delay make us settle into the world and become passive as we wait; to forget that we are aliens and exiles, sojourners, strangers on the earth, seeking another homeland, desiring and yearning for a better country (Heb. 11:13-16). (From The Greatness of God's Electing Love)
J Sidlow Baxter's Outline of Malachi - See page 245 in his excellent overview Explore the Book
I. God’s Compassion for Israel, Malachi 1:1-5
A. His Compassion Declared, Malachi 1:1-2a
B. His Compassion Doubted, Malachi 1:2b
C. His Compassion Demonstrated, 1:3-5
II. God’s Complaint Against Israel, Malachi 1:6-3:15
A. Cheating, Malachi 1:6-14
B. Unfaithfulness, Malachi 2:1-9
C. Spiritually Mixed Marriages, Malachi 2:10-12
D. Divorce, 2:13-16
E. Impiety and Impertinence, 2:17
F. Parenthesis: The Coming of John the Baptist, Malachi 3:1-6
G. Robbery, Malachi 3:7-12
H. Arrogance, Malachi 3:13-15
III. God’s Condemnation of the People, Malachi 3:16-4:6
A. The Ungodly People, Malachi 3:16-18
B. The Nature of God’s Judgment, Malachi 4:1-6
The Meaning and Message of the Book: And now, what is the special purpose, the central message, the key thought, of the book? We need not make any close analysis to find this. If we mentally place ourselves in the ring of Malachi's first audience, and read through the book at speaking pace, letting it speak to us as though it were the living voice of the prophet himself ringing in our ears, we simply cannot miss seeing that from beginning to end this little book is AN APPEAL - a powerful, passionate, pleading appeal - an appeal to repent of sin and to return to God - an appeal accompanied by rich promise if the people respond, and by stern warning if they refuse. Read the little book through again, and get into the eager, urgent flow of the prophet's thoughts and words, and see if this is not so "If I be a Father, where is mine honour? and if he a Master, where is my fear?" (Mal 1:6); "I pray you, beseech God that He will be gracious unto us" (Mal 1:9); "Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created us? Why then do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?" (Mal 2:10); "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. RETURN UNTO ME, AND I WILL RETURN UNTO YOU, SAITH Jehovah OF HOSTS" (Mal 3:7); "BRING YE ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE … AND PROVE ME NOW HEREWITH, SAITH Jehovah OF HOSTS" (3:10); "REMEMBER (GIVE HEED AGAIN TO) THE LAW OF MOSES … WHICH I COMMANDED" (Mal 4:4).
Now we need not try to analyze this little book into five or six or seven parts which burden the mind to remember. The simple fact to note is that this APPEAL of Malachi quite naturally falls into TWO PARTS. In chapters 1 and 2 the appeal is made in view of the present sin of the nation. In chapters 3 and 4 it is in view of the coming "Day of Jehovah."
THE BOOK OF MALACHI
"BEHOLD, HE SHALL COME … BUT"
APPEAL (A) - IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT SIN (Malachi 1:1-2).
JEHOVAH THE SPEAKER: the priests are appealed to (Malachi 1:6-2:9).
MALACHI THE SPEAKER: the people are appealed to (Malachi 2:10-17).
APPEAL (B) - IN VIEW OF THE COMING "DAY" (Malachi 3:3-4).
THE DAY WILL JUDGE THE GUILTY (Malachi 3:1-6)
therefore appeal (Malachi 3:7-12).
THE DAY WILL BLESS THE GODLY (Malachi 3:13-4:3)
therefore appeal (Malachi 4:4-6). (See Explore the Book)
Disciple's Study Bible: "The Book of Malachi is a reminder of how God's people allowed the worldly thinking of their day instead of their reverence for God to determine their behavior. It does matter if the people of God do not truly fear God (Ed: Reverential awe) and magnify His name. God despises those who do not honor Him with the best sacrifice, who refuse to tithe, who divorce and marry unbelievers, who question His love and justice, and who wonder if it is worth it to fear God and serve Him. God has a book of remembrance; He knows those who honor His name and will make them His own and pour out His love on them… The Book of Malachi challenges the people of God to take a fresh look at the way they are thinking about God and at the underlying motives behind their religious activity by emphasizing four doctrines: (1) God is a great King Who loves His people and deserves their respect and honor. (2) The people of God demonstrate true reverence for God in worship and in marriage relationships. (3) Spiritual leaders have a responsibility to instruct the people of God in God's ways. (4) God will one day send the "Messenger of the covenant'' (Messiah) (Mal 3:1 - Ed: First "messenger" = John the Baptist) to judge those who do not honor Him and bless those who magnify His name… The Book of Malachi touches on issues which are significant to our own situation in the church today. Malachi asks us: (1) to take a careful look at our concept of God and evaluate if we truly reverence Him as King in our lives; (2) to honor God with the best that we have to give in worship and in giving our tithes; (3) to confess where we have failed to magnify His name and return to Him in humility" (Borrow Disciple's Study Bible)
OVERVIEW of MALACHI from William Orr (Keys to Malachi)
1. STATISTICS: Writer, Malachi (name means "My Messenger") was a contemporary of Nehemiah; he prophesied against the same abuses Nehemiah described. Time, 435-425 B.C.; key word, a curse; key thought, the love of GOD in spite of the sins of His people; key verses, Mal 3:16, 17. Though linked with Haggai and Zechariah as a post-exilic prophet, he ministered about 100 years later.
2. THEME: Malachi's prophecy was interwoven with Nehemiah's history. Both labored to rebuild moral life of the people as well as the walls of Jerusalem. When Nehemiah returned to Babylon for a period of time Malachi ministered to the people concerning their sins and moral abuses. He looked beyond to the coming day of the LORD. The last word in the Old Testament is "curse." It remains for the New Testament to bring blessing.
3. OUTSTANDING TEACHINGS: Malachi predicts the coming of Elijah (Mal 4:5), partially fulfilled in John the Baptist (Mt 11:14). Since he did not usher in the "great and dreadful day of the LORD" at that time the prediction has a second fulfillment in the future. Possibly, he may be one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-note. (Who are the Two Witnesses?) The matter of withholding tithes and offerings is treated as robbery (Mal 3:8-15). The Mosaic Law pronounced the tithe as "belonging" to the LORD. Here the people were selfishly using it for other things. The essential message of Malachi is an epitome of the entire Old Testament. GOD rebukes corruption and promises deliverance and blessing on obedience. The viewpoint is that of the authority of the present law, but also of the riches of grace which GOD has in store for the age of blessing.
4. KEY TO UNDERSTANDING: Take a broad look at Malachi. It is the same old story of sin and unrighteousness. Mankind has not changed in all these years. But turn around and look the other way. There is coming a day of light when the Sun of Righteousness will arise. Thank GOD there is also a New Testament! (Amen!)
Malachi “the Messenger of the Lord” —wished to be known by this name only. Like the Forerunner, of whom he prophesies, he was but a voice. Speaking of Levi, as an example of the true priesthood, he says “He is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts” (Malachi 2:7). He speaks of John the Baptist as God’s “messenger,” and of our Lord Himself as “the Messenger of the Covenant” (Malachi 3:1).
And what is the “burden” of the Lord’s message by Malachi? “I have loved you, saith the Lord.” What a message to a people who were disappointing God’s love!
Malachi bears the same relation to Nehemiah that Haggai and Zechariah bear to Zerubbabel. He lived either at the time of Nehemiah or directly after, for he rebukes the very same sins among the people that Nehemiah dealt with on his second visit to Jerusalem:—
(1) The corruption of the priesthood (Nehemiah 13:29; Malachi 2:8).
(2) The alliance with idolatrous wives (Nehemiah 13:23–27; Malachi 2:10–16).
(3) The neglect of the tithe (Nehemiah 13:10–12; Malachi 3:10). Eliashib the priest was allied unto Tobiah the Ammonite, and had allowed him the use of a great chamber in the courts of the House of God. Eliashib’s grandson also had married a daughter of Sanballat, the Horonite (Nehemiah 13:1–9).
“WHEREIN?”
Malachi’s message is to the priests who ought to have been the leaders in righteousness, and also to the people who followed their lead in neglecting and dishonoring God. His book is marked by its straightforward, plain words of rebuke, by which he brings home their sins to a self-satisfied people, who had a form of godliness, but were denying the power thereof. Every rebuke of the prophet was disputed by the people with the question “Wherein?” or “What?”
(1) Malachi 1:2KJV: “Wherein hast Thou loved us?”
(2) Malachi 1:6KJV: “Wherein have we despised Thy name?”
(3) Malachi 1:7KJV: “Wherein have we polluted Thee?”
(4) Malachi 2:17KJV: “Wherein have we wearied Him?”
(5) Malachi 3:7KJV: “Wherein shall we return?”
(6) Malachi 3:8KJV: “Wherein have we robbed Thee?”
(7) Malachi 3:13KJV: “What have we spoken so much against Thee?”
(8) Malachi 3:14KJV: “What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance?”
(9) Malachi 2:14KJV: “For what?” or “Wherefore?” (refers to what Malachi had said in Mal 2:13)
Malachi describes the coming of Christ to His Temple. He came as a little babe to the expectant gaze of Simeon and Anna. He came to overturn the tables of the money-changers. He comes to the temple of our hearts. His coming is as purifying fire (Mal 3:2). With the patience of the Refiner of silver He sits till He sees His own image reflected in the molten metal. And when He takes up His abode in our hearts He is a “swift Witness there against sin.” (Mal 3:5) Our Lord calls Himself “the faithful and true Witness.” (Rev 3:14-note, cf Rev 19:11-note)
“The Whole Tithe.”
This book contains the secret of spiritual blessing. “Bring ye the whole tithe into My store house.” (Mal 3:10) The tithe was the outward recognition that everything belonged to God. We are to bring Him our whole selves, body, soul and spirit, all that we have and all that we are, all that we know about in our lives and all that we do not know about yet (cp Ro 12:1-note). If we thus honestly keep nothing back from Him we may be certain that He will accept us (Ed: Note however that our "bringing" does not earn His acceptance for by grace through faith we are accepted in the Beloved - Eph 1:6KJV) and will open the windows of heaven, and pour us out such a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it, but it shall flow out to all around.
“All nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts.” (Mal 3:12KJV)
Amidst all the hypocrisy and formalism there was a little remnant who feared the Lord. His ear was bent down to hear them as they spoke together of Him. He promised that they should be His own special treasure in the coming Day of the Lord. That Day should be as an oven and consume the wicked as stubble, but it should arise upon this faithful remnant as “The Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings.”
The Old Testament closes with the word “curse.” (Mal 4:6) But it is expressive of the great desire of God’s love to avert it, for He says “Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
The New Testament closes with blessing.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
(Rev 22:21+)
A silence of 400 years lay between the voice of Malachi and the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
“But there is a remarkable link between the two Testaments: the last figures on the inspired page of Malachi, and the first on the inspired page of Matthew, are the Angel of the Covenant and His Forerunner” (Dr. A T Pierson).
Explanation - The following list includes not only commentaries but other Christian works by well known evangelical writers. Most of the resources below are newer works (written after 1970) which previously were available only for purchase in book form or in a Bible computer program. The resources are made freely available by archive.org but have several caveats - (1) they do not allow copy and paste, (2) they can only be checked out for one hour (but can be checked out immediately when your hour expires giving you time to read or take notes on a lengthy section) and (3) they require creating an account which allows you to check out the books free of charge. To set up an account click archive.org and then click the picture of the person in right upper corner and enter email and a password. That's all you have to do. Then you can read these more modern resources free of charge! I have read or used many of these resources but not all of them so ultimately you will need to be a Berean (Acts 17:11+) as you use them. I have also selected works that are conservative and Biblically sound. If you find one that you think does not meet those criteria please send an email at https://www.preceptaustin.org/
COMMENTARIES
NOTE - THESE ARE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
Bible Knowledge Commentary - Old Testament - 1608 pages. Dallas Theological Seminary Faculty
The Minor Prophets : an expositional commentary by Boice, James Montgomery, 292 pages
Where are you, God? By: Oswalt, John
Cyril Barber - This commentary on the book of Maiachi provides a contemporary application that helps modern man through some of the problems confronting our civilization and shows how to uncover God's solutions
Haggai and Malachi By: Wolf, Herbert
Cyril Barber - Part of the growing corpus of popular commentaries backed by sound evangelical scholarship. Wolf's handling of the writings of these two prophets reveals the timeliness and practical relevance of their message. Recommended. 2
The Minor Prophets - borrow this well done commentary by Charles Feinberg
Cyril Barber - A forthright study denouncing formalism and heartlessness in worship.
The prophets of Israel by Wood, Leon James
James Rosscup - This quite readable work by a premillennialist covers the overall range of Old Testament prophets, various key subjects under “Prophetism” such as what “to prophesy” means, the prophets’ function, early prophets, Samuel, monarchy prophets, and writing prophets both major and minor. Wood has solid sections on Elijah and Elisha (their spiritual features, episodes, miracles). The Elisha part surveys each miracle. Some sections, as on Hosea, even discuss in some detail leading problems such as whether Gomer was tainted before marriage or became unfaithful later. But sections on the books do not delve into nearly the detail Chisholm gives. Wood does sum up the message well, has an outline on each book, and organizes much on background, character qualities and work of each prophet. He deals with each prophet in relation to the reign he fitted into. Chisholm and Freeman deal more with various problems. Cf. Hobart Freeman, Introd. to the Old Testament Prophets, available now only in some theological libraries.
Micah-Malachi Volume: 32 in Word Biblical Commentary - By: Smith, Ralph L.
Cyril Barber - Adheres to the format established for this series. Handles textual problems adroitly. Discusses the theological implications of these writings, and provides a variety of insights into the text. A necessary volume.
James Rosscup This quite readable work by a premillennialist covers the overall range of Old Testament prophets, various key subjects under “Prophetism” such as what “to prophesy” means, the prophets’ function, early prophets, Samuel, monarchy prophets, and writing prophets both major and minor. Wood has solid sections on Elijah and Elisha (their spiritual features, episodes, miracles). The Elisha part surveys each miracle. Some sections, as on Hosea, even discuss in some detail leading problems such as whether Gomer was tainted before marriage or became unfaithful later. But sections on the books do not delve into nearly the detail Chisholm gives. Wood does sum up the message well, has an outline on each book, and organizes much on background, character qualities and work of each prophet. He deals with each prophet in relation to the reign he fitted into. Chisholm and Freeman deal more with various problems. Cf. Hobart Freeman, Introd. to the Old Testament Prophets, available now only in some theological libraries.
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible - Judges by Andrew Boling (20 pages); editor Walter Elwell (1989) 1239 pages
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi : an introduction and commentary By: Baldwin, Joyce G
Cyril Barber - Brief, scholarly verse-by-verse comments with additional notes interspersed throughout the text
Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament - Warren Wiersbe - always worth checking
Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament by Wiersbe, Warren W 113 ratings
"Even the most difficult Scriptures come alive as Warren Wiersbe leads you book-by-book through the Old Testament and helps you to see the "big picture" of God's revelation. In this unique volume, you will find: • Introductions and/or outlines for every Old Testament book • Practical expositions of strategic chapters • Special studies on key topics, relating the Old Testament to the New Testament • Easy-to-understand expositions that are practical, preachable, and teachable If you have used Dr. Wiersbe's popular BE series, you know how simple and practical his Bible studies are, with outlines that almost teach themselves. If not, you can now discover a wonderful new resource. This work is a unique commentary on every book of the Old Testament. It contains new material not to be found in the BE series.
With the Word - Devotional Commentary - Warren Wiersbe - 428 ratings
Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee - Proverbs - Malachi
Believer's Bible Commentary - OT and NT - MacDonald, William (1995) 2480 pages. Conservative. Literal. Often has very insightful comments. John MacArthur, says "Concise yet comprehensive - the most complete single-volume commentary I have seen." Warren Wiersbe adds "For the student who is serious about seeing Christ in the Word." One hour limit.
James Rosscup - This work, originally issued in 1983, is conservative and premillennial, written to help teachers, preachers and people in every walk of life with different views, explanation and application.
Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament (Volume 2 - Isaiah - Malachi) by Unger, Merrill Frederick, 1909- (1981) 972 pages.
Understanding the Old Testament by Scripture Union - All 12 minor prophets. 100 pages.
J.Sidlow Baxter: Explore The Book - pdf Vol. 4 Ezekiel to Malachi
Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee - Proverbs - Malachi
The twelve minor prophets By: Robinson, George L.
James Rosscup - This is a reprint of the 1926 edition (New York: Harper and Brothers). He devotes a chapter to each prophet, “Hosea the Prophet of Love,” etc. The studies are terse summaries. On Hosea he lists and comments on steps in Israel’s downfall and has five points on the message to men today. He packs a lot of information in and organizes it well. His word portrait of Jonah is choice (pp. 74–75), and he has interesting accounts of great fish swallowing men. Though brief, the book has frequent material a preacher can use.
The Book Of Twelve Prophets Commonly Called The Minor By: George Adam Smith
James Rosscup - Though old this is well-written and often cited, with many good statements on spiritual truths. Users will find much that is worthwhile, and sometimes may disagree, as when he sees the Jonah account as allegorical.
The minor prophets By: Theo. Laetsch, D.D.
James Rosscup - This is a very good amillennial commentary on the minor prophets as a whole. Laetsch deals with the text verse-by-verse, grapples with difficult phrases and explains them, uses the Hebrew extensively, and presents illuminating word studies. The lucid presentation helps make it a very interesting commentary to read. In crucial prophetical sections, his strong amillennialism appears. His weakness here is offset by his helpfulness in exegesis generally plus his good background material.
STUDY BIBLES, ETC
Note: The first 3 resources have no time restriction and allow copy and paste function:
(1) KJV Bible Commentary - Hindson, Edward E; Kroll, Woodrow Michael. Over 3000 pages of the entire OT/NT. Well done conservative commentary that interprets Scripture from a literal perspective. Pre-millennial. User reviews - it generally gets 4/5 stars from users. - 372 ratings
Very well done conservative commentary that interprets Scripture from a literal perspective user reviews
The King James Version Bible Commentary is a complete verse-by-verse commentary. It is comprehensive in scope, reliable in scholarship, and easy to use. Its authors are leading evangelical theologians who provide practical truths and biblical principles. Any Bible student will gain new insights through this one-volume commentary based on the timeless King James Version of the Bible.
(2) The King James Study Bible Second Edition 2240 pages (2013) (Thomas Nelson) General Editor - Edward Hindson with multiple contributing editors. . 3,194 ratings. Pre-millennial. See introduction on How to Use this Study Bible.
(3) NKJV Study Bible: New King James Version Study Bible (formerly "The Nelson Study Bible - NKJV") by Earl D Radmacher; Ronald Barclay Allen; Wayne H House. 2345 pages. (1997, 2007). Very helpful notes. Conservative. Pre-millennial. 917 ratings
HCSB Study Bible : Holman Christian Standard Bible - General Editor Jeremy Royal Howard (2010) 2360 pages. Conservative. Good notes. Include Holmans excellent maps. One hour limit
Life Application Study Bible: Old Testament and New Testament: New Living Translation. Has some very helpful notes especially with application of texts. 4,445 ratings. See also Life application New Testament commentary - Bruce Barton
The MacArthur Study Bible - John MacArthur. Brief but well done notes for conservative, literal perspective. 1,275 ratings
ESV Study Bible - Excellent resource but not always literal in eschatology and the nation of Israel 6,004 ratings
Zondervan NIV Study Bible - (2011) 2570 pages - Use this one if available as it has more notes than edition below.
The David Jeremiah Study Bible - (2013) 2208 pages. 2,272 ratings Logos.com - "Drawing on more than 40 years of study, Dr. David Jeremiah has compiled a legacy resource that will make an eternal impact on generations to come. 8,000 study notes. Hundreds of enriching word studies"50+ Essentials of the Christian Faith" articles."
Wycliffe Bible Commentary - Charles Pfeiffer - 1560 pages (1962). 214 ratings Less detailed than the KJV Bible Commentary. Conservative. Notes are generally verse by verse but brief.
Rosscup - Conservative and premillennial scholars here have been experts in their fields. The work contains brief introductions and attempts to give a verse-by-verse exposition, though it does skip over some verses. The treatments vary with the authors, but as a whole it is a fine one-volume commentary for pastors and students to use or give to a layman. Outstanding sections include, for example: Whitcomb on Ezra-Nehemiah-Esther; Culver on Daniel; Ladd on Acts; Harrison on Galatians; Johnson on I Corinthians; and Ryrie on the Johannine Epistles.
Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition (1994) 2232 pages
The Defender's Study Bible : King James Version by Morris, Henry M. Excellent notes by well known creationist. 45 ratings
NLT Study Bible (Illustration Version)
Disciple's Study Bible: New international version 54 ratings Not that helpful for verse by verse study. Focuses on application of Christian doctrines. 10,000 annotations; doctrinal summaries, "Life Helps" section relate doctrine to everyday discipleship.
The Living Insights Study Bible : New International Version - Charles Swindoll. Notes are good but somewhat sparse and not verse by verse.
The Apologetics Study Bible Understand Why You Believe by Norman Geisler
NIV Archaeological Study Bible (2005) 2360 pages 950 ratings (See also Archaeology and the Bible - OT and NT)
New Bible Commentary - (1994) See user reviews
Compact Bible commentary by Radmacher, Earl D; Allen, Ronald Barclay; House, H Wayne, et al - 954 pages. 424 ratings Multiple contributors to the comments which are often verse by verse. The comments are brief but meaty and can really help your study through a given book. A sleeper in my opinion.
The Experiencing God Study Bible: the Bible for knowing and doing the will of God - Blackaby, Henry (1996) 1968 pages - CHECK THIS ONE! Each chapter begins with several questions under the title "PREPARE TO MEET GOD." Then you will interesting symbols before many of the passages. The chapter ends with a "DID YOU NOTICE?" question. This might make a "dry chapter" jump off the page! Read some of the 48 ratings
Unger's bible handbook : a best-selling guide to understanding the bible by Unger, Merrill F
Encyclopedia of Bible difficulties by Archer, Gleason L - or here with no restrictions
Halley's Bible Handbook Henry H. Halley - (2000) 2720 pages (much larger than original edition in 1965 and no time limit on use). (Halley's Bible handbook : an abbreviated Bible commentary - one hour limit 1965 872 pages)
Rosscup - A much-used older evangelical handbook bringing together a brief commentary on Bible books, some key archaeological findings, historical background, maps, quotes, etc. It is helpful to a lay Bible teacher, Sunday School leader, or pastor looking for quick, pertinent information on a Bible book. This is the 72nd printing somewhat revised. Halley packed in much information. Unger’s is better overall, but that is not to say that Halley’s will not provide much help on basic information.
The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook - Editor - Walter Elwell (1984) 408 pages.
"This hardback is small in size but packed full of content: Brief summaries of every book of the bible, cultural, archaeological and historical info, word definitions, pictures, maps and charts." Worth checking!
HEBREW WORD STUDY
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament by Harris, R. Laird - (5/5 Stars) One of the best OT lexicons for laymen. no time limit on use and does allow copy and paste. Can be downloaded as PDF.
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words
Nelson's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament by Unger, Merrill. Indexed by English word and then any related Hebrew nouns or verbs. Definitions are solid and geared to the lay person.
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words by Richards, Larry, It is does not go into great depth on the Greek or Hebrew words but does have some excellent insights.
Includes numerous Hebrew Word Studies See Devotional on site - Sun of Righteousness
MALACHI 1
- Malachi 1:1 Commentary
- Malachi 1:2 Commentary
- Malachi 1:3 Commentary
- Malachi 1:4 Commentary
- Malachi 1:5 Commentary
- Malachi 1:6 Commentary
- Malachi 1:7 Commentary
- Malachi 1:8 Commentary
- Malachi 1:9 Commentary
- Malachi 1:10 Commentary
- Malachi 1:11 Commentary
- Malachi 1:12 Commentary
- Malachi 1:13 Commentary
- Malachi 1:14 Commentary
MALACHI 2
- Malachi 2:1 Commentary
- Malachi 2:2 Commentary
- Malachi 2:3 Commentary
- Malachi 2:4 Commentary
- Malachi 2:5 Commentary
- Malachi 2:6 Commentary
- Malachi 2:7 Commentary
- Malachi 2:8 Commentary
- Malachi 2:9 Commentary
- Malachi 2:10 Commentary
- Malachi 2:11 Commentary
- Malachi 2:12 Commentary
- Malachi 2:13 Commentary
- Malachi 2:14 Commentary
- Malachi 2:15 Commentary
- Malachi 2:16 Commentary
- Malachi 2:17 Commentary
MALACHI 3
- Malachi 3:1 Commentary
- Malachi 3:2 Commentary
- Malachi 3:3 Commentary
- Malachi 3:4 Commentary
- Malachi 3:5 Commentary
- Malachi 3:6 Commentary
- Malachi 3:7 Commentary
- Malachi 3:8 Commentary
- Malachi 3:9 Commentary
- Malachi 3:10 Commentary
- Malachi 3:11 Commentary
- Malachi 3:12 Commentary
- Malachi 3:13 Commentary
- Malachi 3:14 Commentary
- Malachi 3:15 Commentary
- Malachi 3:16 Commentary
- Malachi 3:17 Commentary
- Malachi 3:18 Commentary
MALACHI 4
- Malachi 4:1 Commentary
- Malachi 4:2 Commentary
- Malachi 4:3 Commentary
- Malachi 4:4 Commentary
- Malachi 4:5 Commentary
- Malachi 4:6 Commentary
Well done commentary. Nice Quotes and Devotional Questions
- God Rebukes The Proud Cries of the Self Righteous and Calls Them to Repentance
Includes Devotional Questions and Quotes for Reflection. Below is an excerpt...
DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS:
1) What causes us to question God’s personal love for us? How could He love us any more than He has already demonstrated?
2) Why do we confuse getting our way with God’s love for us? How is this analogous to the relationship between parents and children?
3) Do you resent having to defend the reality of your love for your wife or for your children? How must God feel when we question His love towards us?
4) Is our heart passionate to see our Lord glorified beyond the borders of our current circle of Christian members?
QUOTES FOR REFLECTION:
Piper: Notice four aspects to God's hate of Esau.
First, it means that God opposes their prosperity and brings their land under judgment. "I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert."
Second, it means that God will continue to oppose them when they resist his judgment. His judgment will not suffer resistance. Malachi 1:4: "If Edom says, We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins, the Lord of hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down."
Third, God's hate for Esau means that they will by and large as a nation be given up to wickedness. Verse 4b: ". . . till they are called the wicked country. . ." This is the most devastating of the judgments and the one that makes all the others just. God is not bring judgments on an innocent people. He is just in all his dealings. When he passed over Esau and chose Jacob there was no decree that an innocent Esau would be judged. Rather what God decreed was to pass Esau by, to withhold his electing love and to give him up to wickedness.
Now there is great mystery here, and I do not claim to solve all the problems that our little minds can think up. There is much we are not yet ready to know. We see through a glass darkly. But this much we are surely to believe: God did not choose the descendants of Esau; rather he passed over them and withheld his electing love; as a result Esau gave rein to wickedness and deserved the indignation of God. Which leads to the fourth aspect of God's hate.
Fourth, at the end of Malachi 1:4 it means that the Lord is angry, or indignant with them for ever.
Levy: There are several aspects to God’s love for Israel. First, His love is unconditional, for it was an act of pure grace, not dependent on anything Israel had done (Dt. 7:7-8; 10:15; 23:5). Second, God’s love was sovereignly bestowed. He called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans, made a covenant with him, and confirmed it through Isaac and Jacob. Third, God’s love for Israel is everlasting (Jer. 31:3) – a commitment He has not made with any other nation. His compassion for Israel is like that of a mother for her child. In fact, God has engraved them on the palms of His hands (Isa. 49:14-16). Fourth, God’s love for Israel is like that of a husband and wife (Mal 2:11). Fifth, God’s love for Israel is like a father’s love for his son (Mal 1:6; 3:17). On two occasions He called Israel His son (Ex. 4:22; Hos. 11:1).
Calvin: Hence he says, I loved you. God might indeed have made an appeal to the Jews on another ground; for had he not manifested his love to them, they were yet bound to submit to his authority. He does not indeed speak here of God’s love generally, such as he shows to the whole human race; but he condemns the Jews, inasmuch as having been freely adopted by God as his holy and peculiar people, they yet forgot this honour, and despised the Giver, and regarded what he taught them as nothing. When therefore God says that he loved the Jews, we see that his object was to convict them of ingratitude for having despised the singular favour bestowed on them alone, rather than to press that authority which he possesses over all mankind in common.
- Malachi 1:1-6 Gods Declaration of Love
- Malachi 1:6-14 Gods Denunciation of the Priests for neglected Temple Duties
- Malachi 2:1-9 Gods Denunciation of the Priests for Perversion of the Law
- Malachi 2:10-16 Gods Denunciation of the People for Perversion of Marriage
- Malachi 2:17-3:6 Gods Warning of Judgment to Israel (currently down)
- Malachi 3:7-12 Gods Disgust with Israels Failure to Tithe
- Malachi 3:13-18 Gods Rebuke to Murmurers in Israel
- Malachi 4:1-6 Gods Answer to Belief and Unbelief
- Malachi 1 Careless Cynicism & Leaders Lethargy!
- Malachi 2 Triple Covenants!
Be cautious (Acts 17:11-note): Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church (note)
- Malachi 1:1-5 Experiencing God's Love
- Malachi 1:6-14 Giving God Your Best
- Malachi 2:1-9 Leading Others Upward
- Malachi 2:10-16 Making a Marathon Marriage
- Malachi 2:17-3:5 Living in Light of the Future
- Malachi 3:6 Coping with Change
- Malachi 3:10 Finding Worth in Your Work
- Malachi 3:10 Giving With Grace
- Malachi 3:6-12 Proving God's Faithfulness
- Malachi 3:13-18 Serving to the End
Recommended - Almost 120 Pages which functions much like a commentary
- Malachi 1:1-5 God Loves Us
- Malachi 1:6-14 Serving God the Leftovers
- Malachi 2:1-9 Requirements for Spiritual Leadership
- Malachi 2:10-12 "But I Love Him" - God's Will for Whom You Marry
- Malachi 2:13-16 How to Avoid Divorce (Part 1)
- Malachi 2:13-16 How to Avoid Divorce (Part 2)
- Malachi 2 & 3:17, 1-6 What to Do When Evil Prevails
- Malachi 3:7-12 Robbing God
- Malachi 3:10-12 God's Dare
- Malachi 3:13-18 Why Serve God?
- Malachi 4:1-3 The Coming Day
- Malachi 4:4-6 Reconciled Families
Cole often introduces his sermons with pithy, poignant illustrations. Here is an example from Malachi 4:4-6 Reconciled Families...
A boy once asked his father, “Dad, how do wars begin?” “Well, take the First World War,” said his father. “That got started when Germany invaded Belgium.” Immediately his wife interrupted, “Tell the boy the truth. It began because somebody was murdered.” The husband drew himself up with an air of superiority and snapped back, “”Are you answering the question, or am I?” Turning her back on him in a huff, the wife walked out of the room and slammed the door as hard as she could. When the dishes stopped rattling in the cupboard, an uneasy silence followed, broken at length by the son. “Dad, you don’t have to tell me any more. I know now!”
It is not news that American families are fracturing at an alarming rate. Only 34 percent of all children born in America will live with both biological parents through age eighteen. Seventy percent of African-American babies and 19 percent of white babies in the United States are born out of wedlock. Most will never know their fathers, let alone experience their love (source, James Dobson newsletter, March, 2002).
If those statistics were only “out there,” it would be alarming enough. But evangelical Christians don’t fare much better than the world when it comes to fractured families. At a recent pastors and wives conference that Marla and I attended, the speaker said that he grew up in an evangelical family, but his parents’ faith never quite connected with the way that they related to one another in the home. That’s tragic, in light of the fact that the second great commandment is to love one another! What good is our faith if it doesn’t result in daily loving relationships in our families?
Malachi’s parting shot tells us how to have reconciled families. It is significant that this is also God’s parting shot to His people for 400 years. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets. After him, there was no fresh word from the Lord for four long centuries, until John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness. In His parting shot, God speaks to His people about reconciled families. It is not a minor subject: God indicates that the only alternative to reconciled families is His curse upon the land! Our families are the building blocks of our churches and of our entire society. If our families fracture en masse, we will have a fractured nation. It’s vital that we all follow God’s directives on how to have reconciled families.
- Malachi 1-3: Tithing Measures Our Love
- Malachi-Matthew 1-4: The Interbiblical Period
- Malachi 3:1 The Coming of Christ
- Malachi 3:10 Practicing the Promises of God - 1
- Malachi 3:10 Practicing the Promises of God - 2
- Malachi 3:10 Practicing the Promises of God - 3
Be a Berean - Not always a literal interpretation. Caveat Emptor!
- Commentary on the Book of Malachi
- Easy English Translation of the Book of Malachi
- Malachi: The Problem of Indifference - Their Problem and Ours
Note: This resource is listed because it has numerous commentary notes that relate to the OT Prophetic Books
- Israelology: Part 1 of 6 Introduction: Definition of Terms
- Israelology: Part 2 of 6 Israel Present (Note: Article begins on Page 2)
- Israelology: Part 3 of 6 Israel Present (Continued)
- Israelology: Part 4 of 6 - Israel Future (Part One)
- Israelology: Part 5 of 6 - Israel Future (Part Two)
The Basis for the Messianic Kingdom, New Covenant: Israel's Regeneration, Land Covenant: Israel's Regathering; Abrahamic Covenant: Possessing the Land; Davidic Covenant: Re-Establishing David's Throne; Other Characteristics of Israel's Final Restoration
- Introduction
- Malachi 1:1-5 Jehovah's Love for His People
- Malachi 1:6-2:9 The Rebuke of the Priests
- Malachi 2:10-16 The Rebuke of the Social Conditions
- Malachi 3:1-6 The Announcement of the Messenger and the Day of the Lord
- Malachi 3:7-15 Rebuke for Defrauding the Lord
- Malachi 3:16-4:6 The Remnant and the Concluding Prophecy
Be cautious (Acts 17:11-note): Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church (note)
- Malachi Survey
- What are the Major and Minor Prophets?
- Malachi 1:3 - Why did God love Jacob and hate Esau (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13)?
- Malachi 1:8 - How do we bring blemished offerings to God (Malachi 1:8)?
- Malachi 2:10 - What does it mean to profane the covenant (Malachi 2:10)?
- Malachi 2:16 - What does Malachi 2:16 mean when God says, ‘I hate divorce’?
- Malachi 2:17 - How can we express our doubt to God without offending Him (Malachi 2:17; 3:14-15)?
- Malachi 3:1 - Who is the promised messenger of Malachi 3:1?
- Malachi 3:2 - What is the significance of the refiner’s fire and launderer’s soap in Malachi 3:2?
- Malachi 3:10 - What Does It Mean to Test God?
- Malachi 3:11 - What does it mean to rebuke the devourer in Malachi 3:11?
- Malachi 3:9-10 - Does the teaching on tithing in Malachi 3:9-10 apply to us today?
- Malachi 3:16 - What is the book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16)?
- Malachi 4:2 - What is the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2)?
- Malachi 4:5 - Was John the Baptist Elijah reincarnated (Malachi 3:1; 4:5)?
- Malachi 4:5 - What is the Day of the Lord?
- Malachi 4:5-6 - Why must Elijah return before the end times (Malachi 4:5-6)?
- Malachi 1-2 - click text
- Malachi 3-4 - click text
James Rosscup writes "This 1858 work supplies much help on matters of the text, word meaning, resolving some problems, etc. Some have found it one of the most contributive sources in getting at what a text means." (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
- General Preface
- Introduction
- Malachi 1 Commentary
- Malachi 2 Commentary
- Malachi 3 Commentary
- Malachi 4 Commentary
Be cautious (Acts 17:11-note): Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church (note) (Click example of his interpretative approach which is often allegorical) (Or another example)
- Malachi 1:6-11 How To Honor God
- Malachi 2:10-16 Don't Break Faith
- Malachi 3:6-12 Tithing in the Bible
- Malachi 3:6-12 What Do You Owe God?
- Malachi 3:6-18 Giving Up On God
- Malachi 3:8-10 Christian Tithing
- Malachi 3:8-12 Don't Rip Off God
- Malachi 3:8-12 Commitment Where It Hurts
- Malachi 3:13-18 Is It Futile To Serve God?
Multiple Contributors (Spurgeon, Luther, Gurnall, Trapp, etc) Homilies, Illustrations Interesting Resource but Be a Berean - Not Always Literal List of homilies is below Link to Critical Notes
- Malachi 1:2-5 Special Favors Demand Special Returns
- Malachi 1:3-5 Lessons from the Ruin of Edom
- Malachi 1:4 Building Up Without God
- Malachi 1:6 Titles Without Honors
- Malachi 1:6-10 The Sins of the Priests
- Malachi 1:7, 8 True Spiritual Service
- Malachi 1:11 The Great Name Honored
- Malachi 1:12, 13 Man's Estimate of God's Worship
- Malachi 1:12-14 God's Majesty A Notice for True Service
- Malachi 1 Illustrations to Chapter 1
- Malachi 2:1-5 Priestly Blessings Turned into a Curse
- Malachi 2:2, 3 Failure in Official Duties
- Malachi 2:6,7 The True Minister
- Malachi 2:8, 9 The False Minister
- Malachi 2:10-12 Unlawful Marriages
- Malachi 2:10 A Common Fatherhood
- Malachi 2:11 Unholy Marriages
- Malachi 2:13-16 Unlawful Divorce
- Malachi 2:17 Practical Infidelity
- Malachi 2 Illustrations to Chapter 2
- Malachi 3:1-5 The Coming of the Lord
- Malachi 3:1 The Messenger of the Covenant
- Malachi 3:2, 3 The Refiner and the Crucible
- Malachi 3:6 The Unchanging God
- Malachi 3:7-12 Divine Blessings Suspended
- Malachi 3:8 Robbing God
- Malachi 3:13-15 Hard Sayings Against God
- Malachi 3:16-18 Divine Recognition of Christian Fellowship
- Malachi 3 Illustrations to Chapter 3
- Malachi 4:1-5 The Approach of the Judgment Day
- Malachi 4:2 The Sun of Righteousness
- Malachi 4:4 Remembering the Law
- Malachi 4:5,6 Elijah's Ministry A Type of the Christian Ministry
- Malachi 4 Illustrations to Chapter 4
Note: JFB is one of the more literal, conservative older commentaries (prior to 1900). Sample excerpt of eschatological (prophetic, apocalyptic) passage Zechariah 14:2 - "gather all nations, etc. — The prophecy seems literal (compare Joel 3:2). If Antichrist be the leader of the nations, it seems inconsistent with the statement that he will at this time be sitting in the temple as God at Jerusalem (2Thessalonians 2:4); thus Antichrist outside would be made to besiege Antichrist within the city. But difficulties do not set aside revelations: the event will clear up seeming difficulties (Ed: Interesting statement!). Compare the complicated movements, Daniel 11:1-45." Comment on Zech 14:11 - "no more utter destruction — (Jer 31:40). Literally, “no more curse” (Rev 22:3; compare Malachi 4:6), for there will be no more sin. Temporal blessings and spiritual prosperity shall go together in the millennium: long life (Isaiah 65:20-22), peace (Isaiah 2:4), honor (Isaiah 60:14-16), righteous government (Isaiah 54:14; Isaiah 60:18). (Zechariah 14 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible)
BELOW IS THE UNABRIDGED VERSION
- Malachi 1:2, 6, 7 The Last of the Prophets
- Malachi 1:1-5 The Enigma of the Divine Hatred
- Malachi 1:6-14 The Worship that Enrages God
- Malachi 2:1-9 God and the Ministry
- Malachi 2:10-17 The Lord God on the Subject of Divorce
- Malachi 2:17-3:6 The Coming Judge
- Malachi 3:7-12 Shall We Tithe?
- Malachi 3:13-4:6 The Day of the Lord
See caveat regarding this commentary
Rosscup - This is the best older, overall treatment of a critical nature on the Old Testament Hebrew text verse by verse and is a good standard work to buy. The student can buy parts or the whole of this series. Sometimes it is evangelical, at other times liberal ideas enter… In prophecy it is amillennial. (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works).
Galeotti - The outstanding example of the technical-textual commentary of the OT is the series by C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch. Their commentary is the standard in the field of OT commentaries and a classic in its own right. Though dated, it still serves as the primary measure by which all other works are judged. Keil's volume on The Twelve Minor Prophets is conservative in scope and serves as a scholarly foundation upon which any in-depth study of Malachi is to be made. (Reference)
- Malachi 1:1-5 Malachi's Message On Love
- Malachi 1:6-14 Malachi's Message On Service
- Malachi 2:1-9 Malachi's Message On Discipline
- Malachi 2:10-16 Malachi's Message On Marriage
- Malachi 2:17-3:6 Malachi's Message On Messiah
- Malachi 3:7-12 Malachi's Message On Stewardship
- Malachi 3:13-18 Malachi's Message On Faithfulness
- Malachi 4 Malachi's Message On The Future
- Malachi 1:1-5 The LORD God's Love Questioned
- Malachi 1:6 The LORD God's Name Disesteemed
- Malachi 1:7 The LORD God's Worship Corrupted
- Malachi 3:7 The LORD God's Entreaty Refused
- Malachi 3:8 The LORD God's Treasury Robbed
- Malachi 3:13 The LORD God's Sovereignty Denied
- Malachi 3:6 (et al) The Three Tenses of the LORD's Sovereignty
- Malachi 3:1-3, 4:2-5 Messiah's Coming Ignored
- Malachi 1:8: Blemished Offering
- Malachi 2:12, 14: A Dialogue With God 2
- Malachi 3:1-12: The Last Word of Prophecy
- Malachi 3:6: The Unchanging Lord
- Malachi 3:7: A Dialogue With God 3
- Malachi 3:13-18, 4:1-6:‘Stout Words: And Their Confutation
- Malachi 4:6: The Last Words of the Old and New Testaments
These are excellent full color, modern maps with events marked on many of the maps
The Kingdom of David and Solomon
- David's Rise to Power
- David in Conquest of Canaan
- David's Wars of Conquest
- Kingdom of David and Solomon
- The United Monarchy under Solomon (1)
- The United Monarchy under Solomon (2)
- Solomon's Economic Enterprises
- Solomon's Building Activities
- Solomon's Temple
- Jerusalem in the Time of David and Solomon
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
- The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1)
- The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (2)
- The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (3)
- The Campaign of Shishak
- Conflicts between Israel and Aram-Damascus
- The Omride Dynasty
- The Golden Ages of the 9th & 8th centuries BCE
- Phoenician Trade and Civilization
- Trade Routes throughout the Middle East
- Travel Routes throughout Palestine
- Elijah and Elisha
- The Revolt of Jehu
- The Rise of Assyria
- Israel & Judah in the days of Jeroboam II and Uzziah
- The Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III
- The Syro-Ephraimite War
- Tiglath-Pileser III's Campaigns
- Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites
- The Fall of the Kingdom of Israel
- Assyrian Districts after the Fall of Samaria
- Prophets of the 8th Century BCE
Judah Alone amid International Powers
- Hezekiah's Preparation for Revolt
- Judah under King Hezekiah
- Hezekiah's Jerusalem
- Sennacherib's Campaign against Judah
- Assyria in the 7th century BCE
- The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
- The Reign of Josiah
- The Districts of Judah under King Josiah
- The Golden Age of King Josiah
- Nebuchadnezzar's Campaigns against Judah
The Babylonian Exile up to the early Rome
- Judah during the Exile
- The Kingdom of Judah
- Exile; Palestine in the Post-Exilic Period
- Jewish Exiles in Babylon
- World Powers of the 6th century BCE
- The Conquests of Cyrus the Great
- The Persian Empire
- The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
- Judah in the 5th century BCE
- Palestine after the Exile
- Alexander the Great's Empire
- The Division of Alexander's Empire ca. 275 BCE
- Palestine under the Ptolemies
- The Seleucid Empire and Antiochus III
- Campaigns of Antiochus IV against Egypt
- The Maccabees in 168 BCE
- Selected Events in the Maccabean Revolt
- Jewish Expansion under the Hasmonean Dynasty
- Pompey's Campaign against Jerusalem
- Early Rome
MAPS FROM ESV
Prophets of Israel and Judah
c. 875–430 B.C.
- Extent of Solomon’s Kingdom
- Israel and Judah in 2 Kings
- Solomon’s Administrative Districts
- The Kingdom Divides
- Syria Captures Gilead
- Resurgence during Azariah, Jeroboam II
- Prophets of Israel and Judah
- Resurgence of Assyrian Influence
- Fall of Samaria, Deportation of Israelites
- Exile to Babylon
- Extent of David’s Kingdom
- Solomon’s International Ventures
- Syria and Israel Attack Judah
- Judah after the Fall of Israel
- Persian Empire at the Time of Ezra
- Persian Empire at the Time of Nehemiah
- Judea under Persian Rule
- Persian Empire at the Time of Esther
- Near East at the Time of Isaiah
- Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah
- Babylonian Empire
- Babylon Attacks Judah
- Jeremiah Prophesies against Egypt
- Near East at the Time of Ezekiel
- Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s New Boundaries
- Introduction to Daniel: Babylonian Empire
- Empires of Daniel’s Visions: Persians
- Empires of Daniel’s Visions: Greeks
- Empires of Daniel’s Visions: Ptolemies and Seleucids (Early)
- Empires of Daniel’s Visions: Ptolemies and Seleucids (Late)
- Maccabean Kingdom
- Complete Commentary of Malachi on one zip file
- Malachi - Introductory Notes, Outlines - Pdf
- Another source for these files
- Malachi - Introduction
- Malachi - Malachi's Message
- Malachi 1:1 Commentary
- Malachi 1:2-3 Commentary
- Malachi 1:4-7 Commentary
- Malachi 1:8 Commentary
- Malachi 1:9-13 Commentary
- Malachi 1:13-14 Commentary
- Malachi 2 Introduction
- Malachi 2:1-3 Commentary
- Malachi 2:4-6 Commentary
- Malachi 2:7-9 Commentary
- Malachi 2:10 Commentary
- Malachi 2:11-14 Commentary
- Malachi 2:15 Commentary
- Malachi 2:15-16 Commentary
- Malachi - The Best Love
- Malachi 2:17 Commentary
- Malachi 3:1-3 Commentary
- Malachi 3:4-6 Commentary
- Malachi 3:7 Commentary
- Malachi 3:8 Commentary
- Malachi 3:9 Commentary
- Malachi 3:10 Commentary
- Malachi 3:11-12 Commentary
- Malachi 3:13-14 Commentary
- Malachi 3:15-18 Commentary
- Malachi 4:1-5 Commentary
- Malachi 4:6 Commentary
Excellent-Recommended
Rosscup: Here is an evangelical commentary well-done in 493 pp. Introductions gather much that is most pertinent for expositors. In Hag 2:7, “precious things” are Gentiles’ tributes (Isa. 60:5; 61:6) in the future kingdom. Merrill sees Zech. 14 as related to Christ’s Second Advent and the coming of the Messianic Kingdom, in premillennial fashion. Fairly full exegetical detail meets readers verse by verse, yet Merrill’s comments are readable for others than scholars, except the technical notes in special sections will be more for the latter. Problem passages usually draw careful remarks, as in seeing Zech 12:10 as referring to the Lord, and in a future day. (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
Cyril Barber - While the comments on each verse are brief, they are adequate. Throughout there is a pleasing balance between exegesis and exposition. Pastors will find this volume a great resource for their sermons, and they are sure to appreciate the devotional hints that are scattered throughout. Recommended.
- Preface to Haggai Zechariah Malachi
- 1. Haggai
- 2. Zechariah
- 3. Zechariah Part 1 - The Night Visions (1:1—6:15)
- 4. Zechariah Part 2 - Oracles Concerning Hypocritical Fasting (7:1—8:23)
- 5. Zechariah - Part 3 Oracle Concerning YHWH’s Sovereignty (9:1-11:17)
- 6. Zechariah - Part 4 Oracle Concerning Israel (12:1-14:21)
- 7. Malachi >70 page exegetical commentary with extensive bibliography (>200 resources referenced!)
The Theological Journal Library on galaxie.com - An annual $50 or monthly $5 subscription is required to view the entire article but will give you access to literally thousands of conservative articles.
Here are examples of articles one can retrieve from the online conservative theological journals
- Wakening A Sleeping Metaphor- A New Interpretation Of Malachi 1:11 --Åke Viberg
- Discovering the Macrostructure of the Book of Malachi- Mal. 1:1–12 as a Test Case -- Rand Michael Muender
- Malachi 1:11 And The Worship Of The Nations In The Old Testament -- J. G. Baldwin
- Divorce And Violence- Synonymous Parallelism In Malachi 2:16 -- Elaine A. Heath
- Is The Messiah Announced In Malachi 3:1- Andrew S. Malone
- Will There Be Another Elijah- Carl Armerding
- A Thematic Development Of The Haggai-Zechariah-Malachi Corpus -- Ronald W. Pierce
- Holman Christian Standard Bible - Study Notes - well done notes - Here is an example from Malachi 4...
Malachi 4:1 The fiery element of the coming day echoes similar images in eschatological passages such as Joel 2:3-5 (see Ps 21:9; Isa 31:9). The wicked may seem powerful, but they will be removed, both root and branches, from the earth like dry stubble thrown into a furnace."
Malachi 4:2-3 Darkness in the Bible often symbolizes earthly life full of evil, ignorance, pain, and death (Gen 1:4; 1Sam 2:9; Isa 8:22-9:2). God promises to invade this world with righteousness as the sun invades the night, driving the darkness away (Dt 33:2; 2Sam 23:3-4; Isa 60:1-3,19-21). Other texts clarify that this image represents the Messiah, whose coming will be celebrated like the dawn (Lk 1:76-79), often pictured as the wings of the sun (Ps 139:9). As a bird's wings offer protection (Dt 32:11), God's "wings" will bring healing to His children (Ps 91:4; Isa 53:5; 57:18-19), who will never again fear the wicked.
Malachi 4:4-6 The people of Israel wore tassels as constant reminders of God's instructions (Num 15:38-40). Malachi called them to remember—not to be guided by human wisdom, ambition, or societal expectations, but by the application of God's instruction through Moses (see Ps 119:16). On the great and awesome Day of the LORD, see Joel 2:31 (the only other place where this phrase occurs). This will be a day of blessing for God's people as well as a time of judgment on His enemies. Elijah, mentioned 28 times in the NT, was viewed as the preeminent prophet of repentance. He appeared with Moses on the mountain of Jesus' transfiguration to testify that Jesus is the Messiah (Lk 9:29-31). Both Moses and Elijah were connected with Horeb, God's mountain (Ex 3:1; 1Ki 19:8). Although this prophecy was provisionally fulfilled by John the Baptist (Mal 3:1-5), it will be further fulfilled at Jesus' return (Mt 11:14; 17:11; Rev 11:3) and it will be accompanied by a great revival of faith in Israel (Dt 30:1-2). Malachi 4:6, quoted in Lk 1:16-17, describes a time of reconciliation when "the disobedient" will accept the wisdom of "the righteous" and when fathers and their children will no longer live self-serving lives but will regard one another with compassion and respect (Malachi 2:15; Ezek 5:10; Ro 1:30).
- American Tract Society Malachi
- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Malachi
- Fausset Bible Dictionary Malachi
- Holman Bible Dictionary Malachi
- Hitchcock Bible Names Malachi
- Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Malachi
- Morrish Bible Dictionary Malachi
- Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary Malachi
- People's Dictionary of the Bible Malachi
- Watson's Theological Dictionary Malachi
- 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Malachi
- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Malachi
- Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Malachi
- McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Malachi
- The Nuttall Encyclopedia Malachi
- Easton's Bible Dictionary Malachi
W J BEECHER
- The Commanding Importance of the Prophetic Scriptures
- The Minor Prophets - borrow this well done commentary
- Divorce and Re-Marriage: Recovering the Biblical View - 11 chapter book with appendix - recommended
- Divorce in the Prophets Discipline or Adultery
- Malachi -Intro, Date, Setting, Themes, Interpretative Challenges, Outline
- In a Separate Article the Question is answered: When were the Bible books written?
- Malachi Commentary 1856 - has practical applications after each section
- Rosscup: This work came out in 1856. It is competent in exegetical detail of a reformed nature, explaining much in the books, but disappointing to premillennialists in passages on the future kingdom. (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
- Cyril Barber - Studies which are loyal to the text, endear themselves to the reade and edified and enrich the soul. Reformed.
- Malachi in the Analyzed Bible - see additional notes by chapter
- Malachi 1
- Malachi 2
- Malachi 3
- Malachi 4
- See discussion of the Day of the Lord = Malachi 3:2, 4:5
- Sermon Illustrations on Malachi
- The Messianic Hope of Israel - The Hope Scheduled in Malachi
The Witness of Malachi
We come now to the close of the prophetic period in Israel. The anointed seer, speaking directly from the mouth of JEHOVAH, saying: "Thus saith the Lord," is about to be displaced by the learned scribe and doctor of the law, whose authority consisted in their being in harmony with the recognized rabbis who had preceded them. But before the living voice of prophecy is silenced by dead tradition, a messenger utters the divine Word once more.
The anonymous prophet (for Malachi means: "My messenger," and is clearly an appellation and not a name) evidently appeared during the absence of Nehemiah in Persia, before his return. The abuses which he dealt with are the same denounced in this book.
It is the last prophetic communication to Israel and is of the nature of a dialogue between JEHOVAH and the people who had so sadly degenerated. See Malachi 1:2, 6, 7; 2:14, 17; 3:7, 8, 13.
Judges and the two books of Samuel contemplate the failure of the nation. First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles, the failure of the kingdom; but Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi, witness against the community of restored exiles.
The sevenfold "wherein?" of the people (Malachi 1:2, 6, 7; 2:17; 3:7, 8, 13* - this last is "what") is answered by a fourfold indictment.
(a) Their religion was profane (Mal 1:7-10) (b) Their morality was corrupt. They practiced sorcery, committed adultery, were given to perjury, oppressed the weaker (Mal 3:5).
(c) Their social relations were in utter confusion. Intermarriage with heathens was rife (Mal 2:11).
(d) They robbed GOD in not paying the income tax in the form of "tithes" (Mal 3:8).The priests were guilty of profaning the temple, so that GOD could take no pleasure in them. He refused to accept a meat-offering at their hands (Mal 1:10).
But they were told that there would be a calling out of a new people of GOD from among the Gentiles:
"For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal 1:11). The prophet uses the present tense - it is the prophetic vision of the future as already present. And while the thought-forms (incense and meat-offering) are borrowed from the ritual of the Jewish temple, the spiritual message is that the Kingdom of GOD would be taken from the covenant-people and be found among the Gentiles, as has come to pass. Jerusalem has ceased to be GOD's religious center, as our LORD pointed out to the woman of Samaria (John 4:23) as about to happen. Thus is the present dispensation clearly foretold in this book.
he Angel of the Covenant
Before the close of Malachi a very wonderful Messianic promise shines out in celestial splendor. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in (or for whom ye long): behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal 3:1).
The messenger (or angel) who prepares the way of JEHOVAH is explained as a second Elijah (Mal 4:5). "Suddenly," i.e.. immediately following him, the herald, the LORD Himself (Hebrew Ha-Adon, proprietor of the temple) will come. He is also called Malach Ha-Berith, i.e. the angel of the Covenant. It is the same Angel-Presence that connected Himself with the patriarchs and was with their descendants throughout their history. He would once again appear. JEHOVAH is in this Angel. He is called "the Angel of His Presence" (or Face). The word "covenant" links Him with "the Servant" of Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8, where the servant of JEHOVAH is made L'berith Am, i.e. a "covenant of the people." He is the Messianic Mediator of the new and everlasting covenant of grace. The Elijah-like ministry of John, calling to repentance, prepared His way, Israel having broken the old covenant; and so He comes to establish the new and better covenant, established on grace and not on human merit, and ratified in His Blood.
The Son of Righteousness
But for Israel fierce judgments are appointed before the terms of the new covenant can be made good (Mal 4:1). Out of this fiery oven a new and purified nation will emerge. In fact, it will only be a remnant which will be the nucleus of a holy people of GOD. Those who in Malachi's day feared the LORD and spake often one to another of Him, were despised by the mass (Mal 3:16-18). They were but a remnant of the remnant escaped from Babylon. But they will be as precious jewels to the LORD in the day of His public manifestation. The Sun of Righteousness will arise upon them with heavenly healing (Mal 4:2). They have loved His appearing during the long night of His absence. His coming will bring in everlasting day.
Thus does Old Testament prophecy close. The prophets were shining stars, but the Messiah is the Sun. The whole Old Testament is waiting for the sunrise. The key to the entire Scriptures of Israel is the word: Yovah, i.e. He comes!
- Malachi - How Has God Loved Us? - Here is an excerpt...
What Do You Believe About the Love of God?
“I think He loves us unconditionally, whether we love Him or not.”
“I believe God loves us.But that doesn’t mean I’m religious. The way I see it,if God loves us, what do we have to worry about?”
“I want to believe God loves us. But that might be reading too much human emotion into Him.”
“I used to believe in a God of love. But some thingshave happened to methat I really don’t want totalk about.”• “I think God loves us, but it’s probably a different kind of love than we show for one another. I think He loves us in ways that we might not even recognize as love.”
“I believe God loves me. But I often have a hard time reconciling that wit hthe way I’m feeling about myself.”
Excerpt: What's the big idea? The people of Judah began to be exiled from the Promised Land in 605 BC, returning from Babylon seventy years later. By the time of Malachi, they had been back in the land for more than a hundred years and were looking for the blessings they expected to receive when they returned. Though the temple had been rebuilt, the fervor of those early returning Israelites gave way to a thorough apathy for the things of God. This led to rampant corruption among the priesthood and a spiritual lethargy among the people. Malachi came along at a time when the people were struggling to believe that God loved them (Malachi 1:2). The people focused on their unfortunate circumstances and refused to account for their own sinful deeds. So God pointed the finger back at them, and through Malachi, God told the people where they had fallen short of their covenant with Him. If they hoped to see changes, they needed to take responsibility for their own actions and serve God faithfully according to the promise their fathers had made to God on Mount Sinai all those years before. How do I apply this? Throughout Israel’s history, the nation failed and God called His people back to Himself. Each time, Israel would fail again, prompting the cycle to begin again. God’s final word of the Old Testament concerns judgment for sin and testifies to our inability to love Him without the help of His grace. Do you struggle to follow God consistently? Malachi’s call prompts us to live faithfully before God and offers hope that God is not yet through with extending mercy to His people (Malachi 3:1; 4:2, 5–6).
- The Big Idea: Malachi - scroll down for notes. Sample Excerpt on Malachi 4:2...
What does this mean when it says that the Lord has wings?
The phrase translated "in his wings" also carries the idea of "corners" or an "outer edge." It is often used this way to speak of literal wings (Genesis 1:21; 7:14; Exodus 19:4; 25:20; 37:9; Leviticus 1:17). But it can also be used to speak of the "corners" of a person’s robe. These outer corners of the robe came to be known as a person’s "wings."
In 1 Samuel 24:4 we read that David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly
Deuteronomy 22:12 "You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself.
Deuteronomy 22:30 "A man shall not take his father's wife so that he shall not uncover his father's skirt."
Ruth 3:9 - And he said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative."
In what way is there healing in the Lord’s wings? One significant fulfillment of this prophecy is to be found in Matthew 9:20 where a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak. Do you see it? She touched His WINGS and in them she found healing.
- My personal favorite is by Walter Kaiser - Malachi - God's Unchanging Love
- Walter Kaiser - Preacher's Commentary - conservative, literal - excellent for preaching
Rosscup on Kaiser: A careful evangelical gives contemporary outlines usable to pastors. He has occasional illustrations and serious explanation of the text. He is premillennial, as on Zechariah 14, and packs in much expositional help, relating it strategically to life. (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
Galeotti - The best overall commentary is the recent work by W. C. Kaiser, Jr. entitled Malachi: God's Unchanging Love. His purpose is not to do an exegesis based on sound hermeneutical principles alone but to bridge the gap between the then and now. His book is thus an excellent balance between the technical and the practical. His combination of both the descriptive element with the normative element has produced a commentary that rises above the mere informative level. Kaiser includes two appendixes which not only add important supportive material but also help to maintain clarity and flow throughout his exposition of the text. The first appendix deals with contextual, syntactical, verbal, theological and homiletical analysis. His second appendix on the usefulness of commentaries for Bible study and preaching serves not only as an excellent standard for evaluating other commentaries but also for evaluating Kaiser's book on Malachi. His commentary is conservative in stance and easy to understand. His introduction is very good. His balance of the practical and theological with the exegetical and technical, may in large measure be a prototype of a new breed of commentaries. God’s unchanging love and man's response to it are at the heart of the Covenant relationship between God and his people. (Commenting on Commentaries on the Book of Malachi)
- James Montgomery Boice - conservative, literal, futuristic - excellent for preaching - borrow this book
- Haggai, Malachi- An Exegetical and Theological Exposition- New American Commentary- Richard A. Taylor, Ray Clendenen - conservative, literal
- Exploring the Minor Prophets John Phillips -
Rosscup on John Phillips - A respected popular expositor on a number of biblical books here has two introductory chapters, then a chapter of about 20–30 pp. on each prophet (50 on Zech.). Several charts aid readers, and a detailed outline runs before each exposition. The exposition is in general surveys of sections, at times taking a view on a main problem. In Hosea 1:2, he feels that God had Hosea marry an immoral woman but Phillips offers no help on the moral issue. Phillips is premillennial, seeing Israel’s future kingdom blessings as in the millennium after Christ’s Second Coming (Hosea 3:5; Joel 3:14ff; Amos 9:15; Zeph. 3:9ff; Zech 2:10–13; 14:1–21). In Mal. 2:15 he has “one” refer to God making husband and wife into one, and in 4:5 he thinks the Elijah will be fulfilled in one of the two witnesses in Rev. 11. The work helps on broad coverage, and is quite readable for preachers, church teachers, students and lay people wanting a general devotional sweep. (Ibid)
- The Books of Haggai and Malachi - New International Commentary on the Old Testament - Pieter A. Verhoef - borrow this book-
Rosscup writes that "This is by the Professor of Old Testament, Emeritus, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. It is conservative and offers much on current literature, introductory matters, and verse by verse content, adeptly explaining the text and flow of thought. He takes issue with W. Rudolph who says in his commentary on Haggai that the book has no relevance at all for the Christian faith (Verhoef, p. vii), and strives to show the significance of both Haggai and Malachi to today. He has interacted with much scholarship within the text and in footnotes. He believes that someone close to Haggai in his day wrote the book with authentic material from Haggai. He upholds the unity of the book, and traces the movement through the verses carefully in relation to its background. He may or may not be premillennial, seeing the fulfillment of prophetical aspects about the temple beyond the Second Advent. He deals at length with many of the problems, giving different views and factors to weigh, as on God’s love and hate (Malachi 1:2–3), “one” in 2:15, the messenger concepts of 3:1, and “Elijah” in 4:4–6." (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
- Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi - Commentary by T V Moore - older work - online (see below)
- Best Commentaries on Malachi - Caveat Emptor - largely amillennial perspective
- Malachi Commentary - but be very discerning as he replaces Israel with the church writing "God permanently removed the "kingdom" from Israel, and gave it to the church" (page 42). However see Jehovah's inviolable, immutable promise (Josh 23:14) to Israel in Je 31:35, 36, 37 (cp Lk 22:30 - where Israel is clearly Israel! See also Ro 11:13,-30-notes. See discussion of Gal 6:16 - Israel of God)
- Malachi 1:1-14 Love Wholeheartedly
- Malachi 1:1-14 Are You Just Going Through the Motions?
- Malachi 2:1-16 Live Honorably - not available
- Malachi 2:1-16 Do You Honor Your Commitments?
- Malachi 2:17-4:6 Worship Appropriately not available
- Malachi 2:17-3:12 How Do You Treat God?
- Malachi 3:13–4:6 What Is Your Decision?
- Malachi 1 Are You Just Going Through the Motions? - not available
Introduction - Nate cautiously approached his pastor one day and admitted, "I'm not sure what the problem is. I feel empty inside." This confession concerned his pastor considerably since Nate was one of his most faithful laypersons. Whenever the pastor called a meeting or needed something done around the church, Nate and Nancy always showed up. "Tell me about it," the pastor said. "Well, I just feel like I am going through the motions. Doing church work, helping people, and even attending worship do not energize me anymore," moaned Nate. "I'm tired of doing stuff. I'm living a lifeless religion." The Jews living in Jerusalem were just going through the motions in their worship when Malachi arrived on the scene.
- Malachi 2 Do You Honor Your Commitments?
Introduction - Jack Canfield, writing in "The Success Principles", asks participants in his seminars to agree to a list of 15 ground rules - be on time, sit in a different chair after every break, no alcoholic beverages until the training is over, and others. He makes them sign a form in their workbook that says, "I agree to keep all these guidelines and ground rules." On the morning of the third day, he asks everyone who has broken one of the ground rules to stand up. "What becomes apparent," he writes, "is how casually we give our word - and then how casually we break it."
Cavett Robert, author and professional speaker, writes, "Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution, long after the excitement of the moment has passed." Honoring your commitments is part of your character. It's a quality that attracts people to you and enhances your relationships and opportunities. Failing to honor your commitments will tarnish your image and have a negative effect on your reputation. It can create a barrier to personal achievement and erect a roadblock against success. By honoring your commitments you create a strong foundation that will support you and your endeavors. As a result you will be recognized as a person of integrity and character - someone others can trust. Werner Erhard states, "Your life works to the degree you keep your agreements."
Honoring commitments impacts all dimensions of life. Let me ask: Do you honor commitments you make to your team - to show up for them - even in tough or uncomfortable situations? Do you honor the commitments you make to your family and friends? Do you keep the promises you make to them? Do you honor commitments you make to yourself? Do you honor the commitments you have made to God?
The people of Judah, with the priests leading the way, had failed to keep their covenant agreement with God.
- Malachi 3 How Do You Treat God?
Introduction - The title grabbed my attention: "Our Church Was Robbed Recently." The story that followed said:
"We are thankful that no one was injured physically, but it will be some time before things are back to normal. It's clear that more than one person is responsible - in fact, there may actually be many people who have been party to the crime. Two things are most unfortunate about the robbery - one is that we have no assurances that it won't happen again, and that is a bit unnerving! The other unfortunate element is that we're certain that those who carried out the robbery are members of our church. It's bad enough to know that a theft has occurred, but it's really hard to imagine that professing Christians would actually steal from God and the ministries of his church. We can certainly hope that anyone who has participated in this act will repent and repay what has been taken. It's reported that some of the stolen money has been used for vacations, cars, boats, designer clothes, athletic equipment, homes, and even dining out. We don't have a complete list of all the suspects, but there is consolation in knowing that God does.
"You haven't read about this in the papers and hopefully you won't. I realize that some of you will disagree, but it would be difficult to get a conviction in the courts given the clever way in which the robbery was carried out. You are probably also interested in how much was taken. The amount is undetermined, but at the very least exceeds many thousands of dollars.
"By the way, the robbery happened in full view of the church during Sunday services. It happened as the offering plates were passed during Sunday school and worship. It also happened as people who didn't come simply didn't give the Lord's tithe."
The people in Malachi's day had treated God badly by robbing from him.
- Malachi 3-4 What is Your Decision?
Introduction - A fictional tale is told in management seminars about a young manager who was to replace a retiring executive. The younger man approached the older, venerated leader and asked, "Sir, I know of the legend that you have become as a leader in this company. Could you give me some advice as I try to fill your shoes?"
The older man pondered the question and responded: "Three words: Make good decisions!"
"That is good advice," the young man replied as he wrote this down. "And what is the key to making good decisions?"
"One word," the veteran executive replied. "Experience."
"And how do I get this," the eager young man asked as he scribbled "experience" on his paper.
"Two words," the retiring man answered. "Bad decisions."
Richard Petty, an Ohio State University psychologist, estimates that each of us is faced with hundreds of decisions each day. They range from trivial (Italian or Mexican for lunch), to moral (good from evil), to priority (best from better). In these decisions we want to make good choices.
Why? Because we are the sum total of our decisions. We make our decisions, and our decisions make us. Mary Kay Ash said, "Be careful of the choices you make today. They will become your lifestyle tomorrow."
Each day we face choices regarding our walk with God. From the closing of Malachi's book let me explain five areas where we are forced to make decisions.
- Malachi Survey
- Malachi 1:1-4:6 Malachi - God's Messenger
- Malachi 1:1 The Burden of the Word of the Lord
- Malachi 1:2-05 I Loved Jacob
- Malachi 1:5 The Lord will be Magnified
- Malachi 1:6-11 A Lead Pipe Cinch
- Malachi 1:1-14 A Message You Don't Want To Hear
- Malachi 2:1-17 Seeking a Godly Seed
- Malachi 2:4-07 God's Covenant with Levi
- Malachi 2:1-17 Treachery
- Malachi 2:16 He Hateth Putting Away
- Malachi 2:17-03:6 Because He Hates Putting Away
- Malachi 3:1-06 Christ our Refiner and Purifier
- Malachi 3:6 I Change Not
- Malachi 3:7-12 Will A Man Rob God
- Malachi 3:8-12 More than a Tithe
- Malachi 3:13-18 Discerning Between the Righteous and the Wicked
- Malachi 3:17 Jehovah's Jewels
- Malachi 4:1-06 Behold, the Day Cometh
- Malachi 4:2 Christ the Sun of Righteousness
- Malachi 1:1-14; Living Transformed Lives: Because of God's love and mercy in choosing us to become part of His eternal family, we are to live righteous and holy lives. Video
- Malachi 2:1-9; Leadership Accountability: Spiritual leaders in the church should be accountable both to God and to fellow Christians. Video
- Malachi 2:10-16; Marital Faithfulness: We are to marry only fellow believers and commit to a permanent one man-one woman relationship. Video
- Malachi 2:17-3:6; The Second Coming: We are always to be prepared for the Lord's second coming. Video
- Malachi 3:7-12; Grace Giving: To experience the riches of God's grace, we must become generous Christians. Video
- Malachi 3:13-18; Pure Motives: We are to serve God and one another out of hearts of love and with pure motives, not in order to receive material benefits. Video
Spurgeon on Kitto: "Then, of course, gentlemen, you will economize rigidly until you have accumulated funds to purchase Kitto’s Pictorial Bible. You mean to take that goodly freight on board before you launch upon the sea of married life. As you cannot visit the Holy Land, it is well for you that there is a work like the Pictorial Bible, in which the notes of the most observant travellers are arranged under the texts which they illustrate. For the geography, zoology, botany, and manners and customs of Palestine, this will be your counselor and guide… A work of art as well as learning."
- The Minor Prophets - sample excerpt...
CHRIST AS SEEN IN MALACHI: Regarding the Messianic focus of Malachi, Wilkinson and Boa have an excellent summary: The Book of Malachi is the prelude to 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 (3:1; cf. Is. 40:30. John the Baptist later fulfills this prophecy, but in the next few verses (3:2-5) jump ahead to Christ in His second advent…(Wilkinson and Boa, p. 296.)
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi Sermons - Mp3
- Malachi 1, Sermon Illustrations
- Malachi 2, Sermon Illustrations
- Malachi 3,Sermon Illustrations
- Malachi 4, Sermon Illustrations
- Malachi 1:1-5 The God Who Loves
- Malachi 1:6-2:16 The God Who Draws Me to Himself
- Malachi 2:17-3:15 The God Who Draws Me Away From Myself
- Malachi 3:16-4:6 The God Who Is Coming
- Malachi Commentary - Be very discerning: Utley is Amillennial and replaces Israel with the Church. Why listed? Because he has interesting grammatical (word and phrase studies) and historical comments.
- Malachi 1 Commentary
- Malachi 2 Commentary
- Malachi 3 Commentary
- Malachi 4 Commentary
- (See Related Resources: Millennium; Israel of God)
- Malachi 1-2 - click text
- Malachi 3-4 - click text
- Malachi 1-3 When Worship Has Lost Its Worth - Recommended
- Malachi 1- Product Recall: Worthless Worship
Excerpt - What if you opened your church bulletin next Sunday morning and saw this across the top: "WARNING: Product Recall — Worthless Worship!" When the prophet Malachi put down his pen after writing the last book in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit fell silent for 400 years. A look at what worship had become in Malachi's day may tell us why. May we never come to the place where the joy, wonder, and enthusiasm goes out of our worship. What we do for the Lord Jesus Christ should never be "a weariness." Perhaps you've heard people complain, "Are we going to church again? Do we have to sit there and be bored?" No matter how large the crowd, it's sad to see a full church with empty people trying to overflow.
Weariness in Worship - One of the worst insults to God is half-hearted worship. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said, "Lukewarmness is the worst form of blasphemy." Lukewarmness says, "I believe, I'm just not excited about it." Jesus said to the church at Laodicea, "Because you are neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16) That's not a place we want to find ourselves! Have you become weary in your worship? We are to worship to the Lord with enthusiasm, not weariness. In fact, the word "enthusiasm" has the word theos (God) as its root. We should be excited — enthousiasmos — about serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Every day should become sweeter.
- Malachi 2:10-16 Divorce in Malachi 2:10-16
Excerpt - Mal 2:10-16 is at once one of the most important and one of the most difficult pericopes in the book of Malachi. It is also one of the most succinct statements we have on our Lord's attitude toward divorce. The importance of this pericope may be seen in the fact that it treats the topic of individual family life from the perspective of its ties with the life of the nation, the realm of spiritual development, and also as a covenant made in the presence of God. The outbreak of ethical problems that this passage attempts to rebuke are: disloyalty to the spiritual unity of the national family (Mal 2:10), disloyalty to the family of faith (Mal 2:11-12), and disloyalty to the marriage partner to whom one pledges covenantal loyalty before God (Mal 2:13-16). The evidences of these disloyalties can be seen in spiritual harlotry, mixed marriages with unbelieving partners, adultery, and finally divorce!
- Malachi 2:10-16 Building Godly Marriages and 'God Kids'
Excerpt - Let me give you a very simple acrostic of the word CHILD that I think helps us to understand the kind of environment in which it is most likely that godly kids will grow. First look for CHARACTER. What I mean by character is Christian character. The people Malachi was talking about continued to go to church, we know they continued to put something in the plate, they said their prayers. But we also know they were divorcing their Hebrew wives and were marrying pagan women! We also know they were being more infected by nations around them than they were affecting the nations. In other words, they were going through the motions, but at heart there was no spiritual reality! That is fundamental inconsistency; and kids can smell it a mile off! We are looking for character where there is performance that equates to profession.
- Malachi 3:10 - Six Promises
- Malachi 3:10 Just Try It, And See If God Doesn't Bless You
- Malachi 3:10 I Need Help with My Tithing
- Malachi 3:16 The Fellowship of the Saints (18 pages)
- Malachi 3:16 Religious Conversation (14 pages)
- Malachi 3:17 A Peculiar Treasure (16 pages)
- Malachi 1:1-5 The Three Loves
- Malachi 1:6-14 Bored with Jesus
- Malachi 2:1-9 A Faithful Ministry
- Malachi 2:10-16 Covenant Faithfulness
- Malachi 2:17-3:12 God Unchanging
- Malachi 3:16-4:6 What a Difference a Day Makes
MORE ON MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN THE BIBLE - THESE BOOKS CAN BE BORROWED
Today's Handbook of Bible Times & Customs by Coleman, William L
Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners & Customs : How the People of the Bible Really Lived by Vos, Howard Frederic
Manners & Customs of the Bible (The New Manners and Customs) Freeman, James M., 1827-1900 Published 1998
The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times: Gower, Ralph, 1933- Published 1987
Manners and Customs of Bible lands By: Wight, Fred Published 1983
Manners and Customs in the Bible By: Matthews, Victor Harold Published 1991
Handbook of life in Bible times By: Thompson, J. A. (John Arthur), 1913-2002 Published 1986
Illustrated dictionary of Bible manners and customs By: Deursen, A. van (Arie), 1891-1963 Published 1982
The Illustrated Guide to Bible Customs & Curiosities by Knight, George W.
Orientalisms in Bible lands, giving light from customs, habits, manners, imagery, thought and life in the East for Bible students By: Rice, Edwin Wilbur, 1831-1929 Published 1910
Bible manners and customs By: Mackie, G. M. 1854-1922 Published 1898
Teach it to your children : how kids lived in Bible days By: Vamosh, Miriam Feinberg, author
Everyday life in Bible times : work, worship, and war By: Embry, Margaret Published 1994
Everyday living : Bible life and times : fascinating, everyday customs and traditions from the people of the Bible Published 2006
The Land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery, of the Holy land By: Thomson, William M. (William McClure), 1806-1894 Published 1880
Eastern manners illustrative of the Old Testament history By: Jamieson, Robert, 1802-1880 Published 1838
Scripture manners and customs : being an account of the domestic habits, arts, etc., of Eastern nations mentioned in Holy Scripture Published 1895
Conservative notes from Dr Morris who approaches the text seeking it's literal meaning in the context. Millennial. Click the words or phrases after the Scripture for the Study Notes and note that they are from the KJV translation.
Malachi 1 Commentary
- Malachi 1:1 Malachi
- Malachi 1:2 I loved Jacob
- Malachi 1:3 dragons of the wilderness
- Malachi 1:7 ye say, Wherein
- Malachi 1:14 a corrupt thing
Malachi 2 Commentary
- Malachi 2:3 dung upon your faces
- Malachi 2:5 My covenant
- Malachi 2:10 God created us
- Malachi 2:15 make one
Malachi 3 Commentary
- Malachi 3:1 my messenger come to his temple messenger
- Malachi 3:2 day of his coming fullers’ soap
- Malachi 3:8 tithes and offerings
- Malachi 3:10 into the storehouse
- Malachi 3:16 book of remembrance
- Malachi 3:17 my jewels
Malachi 4 Commentary
- Malachi 4:1 burn as an oven
- Malachi 4:2 Sun of righteousness healing in his wings
- Malachi 4:5 Elijah the prophet
- Malachi 4:6 children to their fathers a curse
NETBible notes are in the right panel. You can also select the tab for "Constable's Notes." As you scroll the Bible text in the left panel, the notes are synchronized and will scroll to the same passage. Also has a nice parallel Bible feature (see Tab = "Parallel"). Select a different Bible translation (see Tab = "Bible"). Open Greek/Hebrew tab. Mouse over shows corresponding English word and has short definition at bottom of right panel.
Note there are several devotionals and illustrations below from sources other than Our Daily Bread.
- Malachi 1 God Is A Very Important Person!
- Malachi 1:2 - Returning God's Love
- Malachi 1:2 - "I Love You" Computer Virus
- Malachi 1:2-3 - It's So Unfair!
- Malachi 1:1-13
- Malachi 1:1-10 An Amazing Love
- Malachi 1:6-14 Shopping Strategy
- Malachi 1:7 - The Polluters
- Malachi 1:1-8 Meaning And Purpose
- Malachi 1:8 Assess Your Commitment to God
- Malachi 1:10 Trouble at the Top
- Malachi 2:7
- Malachi 2:10-16 Sad Split
- Malachi 2:13-16 For Life!
- Malachi 2:14 A Different Time
- Malachi 2:14 Building Marriages for Life
- Malachi 2:14 The Marriage Covenant
- Malachi 2:15
- Malachi 2:15a
- Malachi 2:17 - Illusionary Living
- Malachi 2:13-17 Reality Or Illusion
- Malachi 2:17 He's Not Here
- Malachi 3:1-18
- Malachi 3:7-12
- Malachi 3:7-12a
- Malachi 3:1-6 Orphans And Widows
- Malachi 3:5: "Financial Immorality"
- Malachi 3:6 Our Changing World
- Malachi 3:6: A God Of Absolutes
- Malachi 3:10 Giving Your Best
- Malachi 3:10 -- 100, 20, 1 Dollar Bills
- Malachi 3:10 - God has "Bigger Hands"
- Malachi 3:10 The Grain Elevator Operator
- Malachi 3:15 Do Those Who Tempt God Really Escape?
- Malachi 3:16-18 Returning God's Love
- Malachi 3:16 Fellowship
- Malachi 3:17 Glass Beach
- Malachi 4:2
- Malachi 4:2 Sunrise!
- Malachi 4:2 Sun of Righteousness
- Malachi 4:2 Restoring Order
- Malachi 4:2 Let's Get Growing!
- Malachi 4:2 - Sunshine For Your Soul
- Malachi 4:2 Songbird In The Dark
- Malachi 4:2 -The Power Of The Sun
- Malachi 4:4-6 A Family In Trouble
- Malachi 4:6 - Final Words
Rosscup: This work, later called Preaching Through the Bible (Baker Book House), is rich in its applications and exhortations, though often not particularly helpful for the reader who is looking for exposition that stays right with the text. Treatment of the texts is sermonic. (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An annotated bibliography of selected works)
- Malachi 1:1-6 The Burden of Malachi
- Malachi 2 Prophets and Priests
- Malachi 3 The Divine Call
- Malachi 4 Closing Prophecies
- Malachi - The Refiner's Fire - Franklin L. Kirksey - Sample from Introduction -
Rev. James W. Tharp, author of Revival Must Come! shares the following: “A few years ago, Billy Graham asked a university professor what he considered to be the greatest need in our country. The professor replied, ‘I may surprise you, since I’m not a religious person, but I believe the greatest need we have at this hour in America is a spiritual awakening which will restore individual and collective morals and integrity throughout the nation.’
The apostle Paul wrote about a messed-up civilization so totally insensitive to God’s holiness and grace that it had given itself over to a downward spiral of perversion (Rom. 1:18-32). When a generation arrogantly closes its mind to creation’s evidence of God, Paul argued, it sinks deeper and deeper into the swamps of its own sick behavior. Those who reject divine revelation are soon able to ignore conscience, and those who ignore conscience will in time refuse to listen to reason. It is this writer’s considered opinion that America is rapidly approaching this dreadful point of moral insanity. Only a sovereign, merciful God can save us by sending a full-scale, historical outpouring of His Spirit that will result in His people humbling themselves in prayer and fasting, seeking the will and truth of God, and turning in repentance from their self-righteousness, unbelief, pride, lust, and materialistic idolatry.”[1]
A while back I woke up singing the lyrics, "Send the refiner's fire, Come purge away our sin..." and looked it up online to hear it sung by Ron Owens as I remembered it from a Christian Life Convention at the Stephen Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Here is one stanza:
Send the refiner’s fire
Come purge away our sin
Help us oh God return to You
Revive Your church again.[2] - Malachi 1:1 Listen - I Am Speaking But Not for Long - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from introduction -
When we were young, probably all of us had a parent say, “You listen to me when I am talking to you!” That, in essence, is what God is saying as the Book of Malachi begins. Someone once said, "History repeats itself because no one listens the first time." God's people are often like that. They repeat the same mistakes generation and generation because they do not listen to what God said, nor do they watch what He did! Dick Cavett, a television personality of a former time, once said, "It’s a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn’t want to hear." If we don't listen to what God says, we will have endure the results He has pronounced!
- Malachi 1:2-5 Listen - I Love You - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from introduction -
If I could open the greatest dictionaries in the world's largest libraries and could find the most beautiful and detailed vocabulary conceivable, I would not be able to fully tell you the magnitude of God's love. If I could take the colorful hues and tones from the earth's most beautiful rainbow, I would not be able to paint the loveliness of His love. If I could produce the most glorious music which the ear can receive, I would not be able to sing fully the splendor of His love. To describe the love of God in all its fullness is impossible. But we can understand more about His love than we now know. We can grow in our appreciation of the love of God. I feel like the two men who saw the ocean for the first time. One said to the other, "Look at all that water." The other replied, "Yes, and just think, we are only seeing the top of it!" The love of God is so vast that in our most observant moments we only see the surface of it. It is higher than the highest mountain, deeper than the deepest sea and wider than the clearest sky. It is more profound than the loftiest thoughts of the most intelligent people on earth. Yet, what we can see of it, we must seek to see fully. Ephesians 3:17-19 reads, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." How sad to read in Malachi 1:2-5 of the people of God who doubted and questioned the love of God. God says, "Listen, I love you." He was speaking to a people who had drifted far from their first love – their love for God. They neglected His Word, His House and His ways. Yet, we hear God calling to them in love. Note with me an explanation, which is very revealing, regarding God’s love for a rebellious people. In this text we learn three things about the love of God.
- Malachi 1:6-14 - Listen - I am Disappointed in your Worship - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from introduction -
Someone once said, "A cold church, like cold butter, never spreads very well." Indeed, nothing is quite as un-spreadable as dead, lifeless, and cold worship.
It is sad to note that some people who have no faith in a living God have a greater devotion that many Christians. A two inch long discolored eyetooth is reverenced by 400 million Buddhists as the most sacred object on earth. The tooth is supposed to have been reclaimed from Buddha's funeral pyre in 543 B.C. and was brought to Ceylon 800 years later. Today the tooth sets upon a golden lotus in the glorious temple of the tooth in Kandy, Ceylon. It is surrounded by rubies and tons of flowers. Each year a hundred thousand faithful Buddhists come from many countries to gaze at the sacred tooth. They bring gifts of gold, silver and jewels to place within the temple.
Jill Briscoe said, “I love what Corrie ten Boom once taught me. She said, ‘Jill, people thank me so much, and it used to worry me because I didn't want to get a big head. So I began to collect those compliments like flowers. Thank you, I'd say. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Then at the end of the day I'd kneel down and I'd say, Here You are Jesus, they're all Yours.'" - Jill Briscoe
One of the greatest definitions of worship ever laid down was one by by William Temple: "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God."
A. W. Tozer said, "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God. Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship. As a result, their meanings and values are distorted. Their relationships disintegrate faster than they can keep them in repair and their lifestyles resemble a cast of characters in search of a plot."
One writer notes that worship in our time has been captured by the tourist mindset. Worship is understood as a visit to an attractive site to be made when we have adequate leisure. For some it is a weekly jaunt to church, while for others, occasional visits to special services. Some, with a bent for Christian entertainment and sacred diversion, plan their lives around special events like retreats, rallies and conferences. We go to see a new personality, to hear a new truth, to get a new experience and so, somehow, expand our otherwise humdrum lives. We'll try anything - until something else comes along.
Is God pleased with our worship? This is a question few Christian every ask or think about. After all, when it comes to worship, that is the One with whom we must be concerned. If He is displeased, it doesn’t matter how much we are pleased with it!
A little boy went with his parents to worship one Sunday and he saw his dad put a dollar in the offering plate. On the way home from church the parents discussed the service. "The music was too loud," his mother said. "The service was too long," the father complained. The little boy chimed in, "I thought it was a pretty good show for a dollar!" Sadly, we are judging the services instead of allowing God to judge the way we worship!
Malachi was prompted by God to speak to the people about their worship. God shared three important things that were wrong with the worship of the people in that day.
- Malachi 1 :6-14 - What is the Big Deal about Worship? - Franklin L. Kirksey - Sample from introduction (note that his sermons have many quotes) -
Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse shares, “As we were leaving Beaumont, Texas, we saw a large sign along the highway calling upon people to acknowledge God. ‘Go and worship God in the church of your choice,’ we read. We pulled to a stop in front of a red light. Another car drew alongside us. A child’s voice read the sign and said, ‘Daddy, what does worship mean?’ The father replied, ‘It means to go to church and listen to the preacher preach.’ Could there be a more horrible definition? Worship—three or four hundred years ago it was pronounced worth–ship—means the acknowledgement of the worth that is in our God.
Worship in heaven is described in terms of God’s angels and sons falling before Him, saying, ‘Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever’ (Revelation 7:12).”[1]
Dr. Vance Havner (1901-1986) writes, “If our lives and ministry count for anything today, we must solemnly resolve to make time for God. It is not easy. Some people won’t like it, but somebody else wouldn’t like it if we did some other way, so that doesn’t matter.” Malachi 1:6-14 reads, “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ ‘You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘Nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘But you profane it, In that you say,
‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ You also say,
‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?’ Says the Lord. ‘But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—For I am a great King,’ Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And My name is to be feared among the nations.’”What is the big deal about worship? Let’s think about it.
- Malachi 2 :13-17 - Guard Your Family - J. W. Hutchens - Sample from Introduction -
You've probably insured your home against almost every possibility of tragedy. You have life insurance, fire insurance, accident insurance, health insurance. In fact, if you sat down and figured up how much of your budget goes to buying insurance, it probably would be alarming and disturbing. But have you insured the family itself? Do you have some kind of policy that guarantees your marriage against divorce? Is it safe? Unfortunately, you can't buy that kind of insurance, but, if I understand the word of God spoken through Malachi, there are steps you can take to protect the home against tragic destruction. It's amazing how God enabled these Old Testament prophets to look beneath the symptoms of the age and put their finger on the problem, on the cause, on the source.
The symptom in that age was social unrest, marital infidelity, flagrant divorce on every side. There were occasions of men who were leaving their Hebrew wives to be married to the wives of families that worshiped other gods. They flagrantly put aside the wives with whom they had made covenants and took to themselves these pagan wives, and it is against that kind of social unrest, that Malachi writes this word. And in it he enunciates as clearly as you'll find in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, some of God's ideals as they relate to the family. Twice in this passage an admonition is given which if followed will put your family under protection. Interestingly, in the text, the emphasis seems to be to the men of Judah. They were the violators of that day, but I think we will do no injustice to the text if we make it broad enough to apply to both husband and wives.
Here is the admonition - you find it first in the fifteenth verse when he says, "So guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
Now, when God repeats something, you and I certainly need to listen. He repeats it in the sixteenth verse when He comes to say, "So guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith." There is a relationship between the two sides of that admonition. You keep your spirit - you guard your inner spirit - so that you will not violate the commitment you made in that marriage vow; so you will not break faith with the wife or the husband of your youth.
Guard your spirit. It is as you guard your spirit that you protect your family from those things that would slip in and undermine the foundations of the home and cause the family to come to ruin. Now, if your family is to be used, you must have a family that is spiritually, and emotionally intact; in every way solid, and committed to exemplifying God's highest ideals for families. Those families that are filled with unrest, unhappiness and tensions and discontent are not useable in the hands of the sovereign and Holy God. I want to say to you three things from this text about: Guarding your spirit.
- Malachi 2 :1-9 - Listen - I am Disappointed in your Ways - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from Introduction -
The little girl was warned by her parents not to play near the busy highway in front of her home. Her mother had caught her near the street on one occasion and had spanked her lightly as a warning. The child wandered once again toward the roadway to play her childish games. This time a spanking would have been a blessing compared to what happened. A truck came over the hill, struck the little girl solidly and threw her more than a hundred feet down the highway. Both of her shoes were knocked completely from her feet. She was killed instantly.
In essence, we could say that the mother had pronounced a curse on the road and told the child to stay away from it. The child had chosen to do her own thing. Now the girl was dead, the mother was grieving that her little one had not listened to her. The story I have just told you is true. It happened just up the road from my home when I was a boy. The little neighbor girl was about six years old when her life ended.
We can use this incident as an analogy. There are some things upon which God has pronounced a curse. The curse of God is not a divine power-play. God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that there was a curse of death upon anyone who ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know what happened. The pair did not listen to God and the curse became a reality. God did n tell them about the curse because He was mad at them or because He wanted to hurt them, but He told them about it to protect them. Just as the little girl's parents had warned her about playing in the road.
It is sad to note that many people today treat God the way the little girl treated her parents. She thought, no doubt, that her parents were trying to deprive her of some pleasure, which she considered her right. The result was death. Since the days of Adam and Eve, we have had an internal desire to do our own thing. The result is to experience the curse upon our lives.
- Malachi 3 :1-6 - Listen - I Am Coming To You - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from introduction -
Something often repeated is usually a message of importance. You know that I frequently refer to my wife as sweet Jayne. Let me share an experience that illustrates the point of something often repeated and epitomizes why I refer to my wife in such kind terms.
My wife is fond of moving furniture around in our home. I always look twice before I sit down to avoid the mistake of sitting where a chair used to be! The other day she moved the furniture in our den and I have to admit it looks a lot better. When moving everything around, she arranged things so that a light switch on the wall activates two lamps, a floor lamp by my recliner and a table lamp in a corner of the room. Well, I didn't know that the table lamp was plugged into a socket that caused it to work with the light switch. So, every night when I left the den to go to bed, I would turn off the table lamp manually and then flip off the switch that turned off the floor lamp. For several days my wife would go into the den, flip on the switch and notice that the table lamp would not come on. She would then turn it on manually. Finally, the other day, she came into the room when I was there, flipped on the light switch and the floor lamp came on but the table lamp did not. She went over to the table lamp, turned it on and gently said, "I wonder who is turning off this lamp by hand rather than using the switch to turn it off?" She said that just as if some little man was slipping into our home after we had gone to bed for the express purpose of turning off that lamp to make her life more difficult. Then she looked at me lovingly and asked, "It wouldn't be you, would it?"
I confessed that I didn't know that the switch turned off both lights and would refrain from the practice of turning off the table lamp manually so as not to make her life miserable. The point of the story is that a recurrence of the table lamp not coming on when the switch was flipped conveyed a message that something was definitely happening from day-to-day that created the situation.
Whenever we come to the Bible and find a repeated event or word from God, you can be sure that something very important is taking place and we ought to find out what it is. That is the case with our message today. Throughout the Bible there is a repetition, an echo if you please, of a promise from God. It is the promise of the coming of the Lord to this earth.
We need to understand that the Old Testament prophets did not foresee the birth of Christ, His ministry, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His return in the rapture and His Second Coming in a neat, chronological order. They saw pieces of the puzzle and because of this their writing on the subject can sometimes be confusing to us. Nonetheless, they gave forth the word that the Messiah was coming.
We know that Christ came the first time, just as prophesied, to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. We know that the forerunner, namely John the Baptist, came before Him as Jesus originated His earthly ministry. We know that He died on the cross; just as Isaiah the Prophet said that He would. He was the suffering servant and the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. We know that He arose, as prophesied in the Bible. He ascended back to the Heavenly Father and one day is coming again.
One preacher has stated that one out of every thirty Bible verses speaks of the second coming of Jesus Christ. His Second Coming is mentioned eight times more often than his first coming. Angels, prophets, apostles and Christ mentioned his the promised Second Coming of Jesus. Whole chapters are given to this subject.
We may ask, "What delays His coming?" There are at least three reasons why the Lord has not come for His Church.
i. God's appointed hour has not yet arrived (Matthew 24:36).
ii. The church has not yet been completed (Acts 15:14-16).
iii. Lastly, the long-suffering of God has not yet been exhausted (2 Peter 3:8-11).
Our duty is not to look AT the return of the Savior, but to look FOR the return of the Savior. It is not the subject of the return of Christ, but the Savior who is returning that must capture our attention!
- Malachi 3 :16-18 - Listen - I Am Separating Those Who Serve and Those Who Don't - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from the Introduction -
Nobody likes a fake; we all want The Real Thing. I heard a story about two little boys trying to get enough money to go buy some candy at the store. So one of the little boys went up to a lady on the street and said, "Lady, if you'll give us a quarter, my little brother will imitate a chicken." She laughed and asked, "What will he do? Cackle like a hen?" The little boy almost looked offended. He replied, "Oh, no. He wouldn't do a cheap imitation like that. He'll eat a worm." I like that story. They little fellow was not about to cheapen his act with anything less than The Real Thing. Often, however, it is not the real thing that is actually presented.
Tourists throughout the centuries have visited the famous Acropolis, the ancient religious citadel in Athens. Thousands of sightseers from all over the world have picked up marble chunks as souvenirs. A question arises when one considers how many people have been to the famous Greek hilltop. Why hasn't the supply of pieces been exhausted long ago due to the many tourists taking pieces of the marble home with them? The answer is quite simple. Every few months a truckload of marble fragments from a quarry that is miles away is scattered around the whole Acropolis area. So tourists go home happy with what they think are authentic pieces of ancient history, actually the tourists are carrying away useless, worthless pieces of marble.
No real damage is done by the Greek tourist agencies using a little sleight of hand to keep people from totally destroying the famous sight of the Acropolis. But in most cases, having an imitation rather than the real thing is very costly. At an art auction some time ago, a painting by Van Gogh sold for the high bid of $82.5 million. At the same auction, a Renoir was auctioned for $78.1 million. Imagine what would have happened if the buyer of either of those famous paintings had gotten home and discovered that the work they had purchased was a mere copy! Even if the copy was so like the original that only an expert could tell the difference, the copy would have been worth mere pennies. Failing to have the real thing would have cost the owner millions of dollars.
There is one area in which having the real thing is even more important, and that is in the realm of faith. If you fail in the arena of genuine religion, you could pay for it for eternity. In fact, Jesus once said, “What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
In the days of the prophet Malachi, the people were having a problem with genuine religion. Most of the people did not have the real thing so God sent a messenger to warn them of the danger of living in hypocrisy or false security. Is it possible that one of the reasons the church is in retreat today is that many church members do not have the real thing? And, even if some have Christ as their Savior, isn’t it true that many do not live in a way that honors Him? Today we shall look at The Real Thing. We shall view genuine religion from three perspectives.
- Malachi 3 :2 Fireworks - Independence Day Sermon - Alan Stewart- Here is a sample from the introduction -
Every fourth of July, the town of Soddy-Daisy comes to a near standstill as people assemble together to celebrate American's freedom with food, fun, and fellowship. However, what draws the overflowing crowds is the finale of the day. The festivities are always concluded with an exciting fireworks presentation. It is a most interesting site to behold as total strangers huddle side-by-side, and even enemies are at peace to enjoy the spectacle. A couple of years ago, my family and I sat among the huge crowd prepared to see a light show in the sky. Perhaps it was due to the unexpected rain that came late in the day, but the first few rockets that were sent skyward fizzled out before their display. A young child that was sitting near to us made an observation that carried more significance than he realized. He said, "Mom, it looks like the fire has gone out of the works." I thought to myself, "Out of the mouth of babes…."
All across America, both writers and speakers have engaged themselves in theories and speculations as to what is wrong with the church today. There are worship wars, plateaued ministries, cultural preferences, and "come see what we are about" churches. Anyone and everyone can easily offer commentary on the symptoms, but could the cause of our condition be hidden in the words of a child: "the fire has gone out of the work"?
Throughout scripture, fire was an essential means by which God moved and spoke. It was God's fire that condemned Sodom and Gomorrah, yet consumed Pentecost. It was God's fire that directed Israel in the wilderness, yet defeated Nadab and Abihu. Today, there is a growing trend to "make God our buddy," and the result has left us with smoldering embers on the altar of His glory. We cannot even hope to experience genuine revival until we gain the eyes of Moses and Elijah to see He is a God who still answers by fire! Why is God's fire so valuable to His work?
- Malachi 3 :7-12 - Listen - I am Calling you to Stewardship - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from Introduction -
God's call to stewardship is a call to OPEN UP! We shall see that as we look at the text for today.
There are many people who will say, “I just don’t like to hear money talked about in church.” If you don’t want to hear about money in church, you must get rid of your Bible, because the Bible is filled with stories about finances, possessions and money. Also, you are not going to be able to talk about Jesus, because Jesus talked about money over and over as recorded in the New Testament. On one occasion, Jesus talked about a woman who had ten coins and lost one of them. That story was about money. Jesus told about a man who had two sons, and one of them came and asked for his inheritance. That story was about money. Then when the son who received his inheritance and wasted it in riotous living, he came home. His older brother complained because his brother had wasted the inheritance. That was about money. Jesus told about a man who found a treasure in a field and went to buy it so he could own the treasure. That story was about money. Jesus told about a man who was going away on a journey and he gave money to three men and told them that when he returned he wanted to see what profit they had gained. That story was clearly about money. So, you see, if you don’t want to talk about money in church, you are asking that we throw out the Bible and that we don’t talk about Jesus. In truth, Jesus talked about money and possessions more than he talked about heaven and hell. In fact, money is important to God and it ought to important to every child of God
I love a cartoon I saw in a newspaper some years ago. It was a Dennis the Menace cartoon. I must say that Dennis the Menace sounds a lot like Dennis the Minnix and that worries me a bit, but in the cartoon a preacher is shown shaking hands with Dennis’ father outside the church. The preacher is smiling but the father appears to be troubled. The words of Dennis are, “Preacher, what are you going to do with that dollar my daddy gave in church today?” The father was embarrassed that the preacher knew how little he had given in the offering.
John Broadus was a great Baptist leader from the past. One Sunday, as the offering was being received, Broadus stepped out of the pulpit and walked down the aisle of the church. He watched each person as they placed their offerings in the offering plates. It was easy to see that the members were not too happy about it. Broadus walked back up to the pulpit and reminded the people that the Lord sees what is given by each person every week. He then added that God also knows exactly what you have left after you have given.
That reminds me of the story from the Gospel of Luke where Jesus was with the disciples at the Temple watching what the people gave as they brought their offerings to God. In those days, large vessels set outside the Temple and people placed their tithes and offerings into those vessels. The sound of the coins dropping into the vessels made a loud noise as some of the large gifts were given. People would often stand and watch to see the people place their gifts into the vessels and to hear the sound when someone dropped in a very large gift. If I may summarize in my own words, let me tell you what happened. Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “Did you see that?” They had been watching the process but they didn’t know which event had impressed the Lord. Jesus said, “That woman, walking away, she just gave a wonderful offering.” The disciples had not seen anything outstanding and must have looked surprised. Jesus said, “That woman gave two mites.” Now the disciples were truly baffled. Two mites! The International Bible Encyclopedia states that two mites is equal to about ½ cent in today’s money. Why had such a small gift impressed Jesus so greatly that he was pointing it out to them? We learn the answer from the words of Jesus found in Luke 21:4, “...for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had. (NKJV)” You see, Jesus not only saw what people were giving, but He knew exactly what they had left after they had given. This poor woman had given all she had. We learn here that Jesus is concerned about our finances, what we give and what we have left after we give. If Jesus is that concerned with what we give and what we have remaining after we give, we are foolish not to care as well.
- Malachi 3 :7-12 - Robbery Without A Weapon - O.S. Hawkins
- Malachi 3:8-10 - The Power of Ten - James Merritt
- Malachi 3:16-18 - Listen - I Am Separating Those Who Serve and Those Who Don't - J Mike Minnix - Here is a sample from introduction -
Nobody likes a fake; we all want The Real Thing. I heard a story about two little boys trying to get enough money to go buy some candy at the store. So one of the little boys went up to a lady on the street and said, "Lady, if you'll give us a quarter, my little brother will imitate a chicken." She laughed and asked, "What will he do? Cackle like a hen?" The little boy almost looked offended. He replied, "Oh, no. He wouldn't do a cheap imitation like that. He'll eat a worm." I like that story. They little fellow was not about to cheapen his act with anything less than The Real Thing. Often, however, it is not the real thing that is actually presented.
Tourists throughout the centuries have visited the famous Acropolis, the ancient religious citadel in Athens. Thousands of sightseers from all over the world have picked up marble chunks as souvenirs. A question arises when one considers how many people have been to the famous Greek hilltop. Why hasn't the supply of pieces been exhausted long ago due to the many tourists taking pieces of the marble home with them? The answer is quite simple. Every few months a truckload of marble fragments from a quarry that is miles away is scattered around the whole Acropolis area. So tourists go home happy with what they think are authentic pieces of ancient history, actually the tourists are carrying away useless, worthless pieces of marble.
No real damage is done by the Greek tourist agencies using a little sleight of hand to keep people from totally destroying the famous sight of the Acropolis. But in most cases, having an imitation rather than the real thing is very costly. At an art auction some time ago, a painting by Van Gogh sold for the high bid of $82.5 million. At the same auction, a Renoir was auctioned for $78.1 million. Imagine what would have happened if the buyer of either of those famous paintings had gotten home and discovered that the work they had purchased was a mere copy! Even if the copy was so like the original that only an expert could tell the difference, the copy would have been worth mere pennies. Failing to have the real thing would have cost the owner millions of dollars.
There is one area in which having the real thing is even more important, and that is in the realm of faith. If you fail in the arena of genuine religion, you could pay for it for eternity. In fact, Jesus once said, “What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
In the days of the prophet Malachi, the people were having a problem with genuine religion. Most of the people did not have the real thing so God sent a messenger to warn them of the danger of living in hypocrisy or false security. Is it possible that one of the reasons the church is in retreat today is that many church members do not have the real thing? And, even if some have Christ as their Savior, isn’t it true that many do not live in a way that honors Him? Today we shall look at The Real Thing. We shall view genuine religion from three perspectives.
- Malachi 4 - Listen - I am Bringing things to a Close - J. Mike Minnix - Sample from Introduction -
Today we come to the last message in a series of sermons from Malachi. On this last day in this great book, I must remind you of a truth which is serious. The Lord says, “Listen – I am bringing things to a close.” Yes, a day is approaching when the Lord will end the day of grace and forgiveness; and, the Day of Judgment will follow.
In the Bible we see a great contrast between being lost and saved. God uses contrasts in everyday life. The brilliance of the noon-day sun and the blackness of the midnight are a God-given contrast. The warmth of a summer day and the icy snow of a winter's night serve as a divine contrast. God created our world to be a place of contrasts. In the spiritual realm, God often uses contrasts to make a point. Jesus told of the two men who went up to the Temple to pray and in so doing He presented a contrast. He told of ten virgins, five or whom had oil in their lamps and five who did not, and thus were not ready for the Bridegroom to come - and in that story He presented a contrast. He told of a man with two sons, one of whom was a prodigal and in telling that story he used contrast to make His point. God is fond of using contrasting elements to reveal truth.
Here in Malachi the Lord comes to the close of this prophecy by using a contrast. Look at verse 18 of chapter 3. You will note that the Lord told of a time when he would contrast the righteous and the wicked. This tells us something very important. On this earth it is impossible to fully tell the blessings of the righteous and the condemnations upon the lost. In the here and now we observe that the saved sometimes suffer while the wicked seem to prosper. But God states clearly that one day He will reveal the true blessings of the saved and the horrible overthrow of the unsaved.
We do not have to wait fully to the end to have knowledge of the facts in this case. God states them in the Bible many times and He does so right here in this passage. Today we are going to look at this in order to encourage the saved and warn the lost. It is my hope that the redeemed will leave here more committed to Christ and more comforted in Him than when they arrived. And it is my prayer that the lost will leave here having turned to the Savior and joined the faithful band of followers who are on their way to meet the King of Kings!
Be cautious (Acts 17:11-note): Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church (note)
- Malachi You Shall Go Forth Leaping Like Calves
- Malachi 1:1-5 The Greatness of God's Electing Love
- Malachi 1:6-14 Honor Thy Majestic Father
- Malachi 1:6-14 The Curse of Careless Worship
- Malachi 2:1-9 The Curse of Priestly Failure
- Malachi 2:1-9 The Glory of Priestly Success
- Malachi 2:10-16 Let None Be Faithless to the Wife of His Youth
- Malachi 2:17-3:6 He Is Like a Refiner's Fire
- Malachi 3:7-12 You Will Be a Land of Delight
- Malachi 3:13-18 I Will Spare Them as a Man Spares His Son
- Malachi 4:1-3 The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise
- Malachi 4:4-6 He Will Turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children
- Lesson 1-Have You Ever Doubted God's Love?
- Lesson 2 How Do You KNOW You are OK with God?
- Lesson 3 What is Involved in -"Returning to God"?
- Malachi - Precept Lesson 1 free download
- Malachi 1:1 Malachi and His Burden
- Malachi 1:1 Burdensome Prophecies
- Malachi 1:1-5 The Sovereignty of God in Relation to Man's…
- Malachi 1:2-5 The Sovereign Love of God
- Malachi 1:2-3 The Lord's Love for His People
- Malachi 1:4-5 Divine Judgments by Disappointments
- Malachi 1:6 The Reverence Due to God
- Malachi 1:6-9 The Profession and Practice of Religion
- Malachi 1:7, 8 Irreverence-Its Causes and Signs
- Malachi 1:6 Human Claims Impressing Divine Claims
- Malachi 1:7 Polluted Bread or Priestly Sins
- Malachi 1:8 The Law of Acceptable Sacrifice
- Malachi 1:9 Regarding the Person
- Malachi 1:10 Self-Serving Religion
- Malachi 1:10-14 Wrong Worship
- Malachi 1:11 God's Honor Secured in Spirit of His People's Sins
- Malachi 1:11 The Universal Worship that is to Be
- Malachi 1:13 Religion a Weariness
- Malachi 1:14 The Great and Dreadful Name
James Rosscup writes "This work originally appeared in 1860. The present publication is set up in two columns to the page with the text of the Authorized Version reproduced at the top. Scripture references, Hebrew words, and other citations are relegated to the bottom of the page. The work is detailed and analytical in nature. Introduction, background and explanation of the Hebrew are quite helpful. Pusey holds to the grammatical-historical type of interpretation until he gets into sections dealing with the future of Israel, and here Israel becomes the church in the amillennial vein." (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
Malachi Introduction https://www.faithtacoma.org/ma
Malachi Introduction https://www.faithtacoma.org/ma
Malachi 1:1-5 Sermon https://www.faithtacoma.org/ma
Malachi 1:6-2:9 Sermon https://www.faithtacoma.org/ma
Malachi 1:6-2:9 Sermon https://www.faithtacoma.org/ma
- Mal 1:1–5
- Mal 1:1
- Mal 1:2
- Mal 1:3
- Mal 1:5
- Mal 1:6–2:9
- Mal 1:6
- Mal 1:7
- Mal 1:8
- Mal 1:11
- Mal 1:14
- Mal 2:2
- Mal 2:5
- Mal 2:7
- Mal 2:8
- Mal 2:9
- Mal 2:10–16
- Mal 2:10
- Mal 2:11
- Mal 2:14
- Mal 2:15
- Mal 2:16
- Mal 2:17–3:5
- Mal 2:17
- Mal 3:1–5
- Mal 3:1
- Mal 3:3
- Mal 3:5
- Mal 3:6–12
- Mal 3:6
- Mal 3:7
- Mal 3:8
- Mal 3:10
- Mal 3:13–4:6
- Mal 3:14
- Mal 3:16
- Mal 3:17
- Mal 4:1
- Mal 4:2
- Mal 4:5
- Mal 4:6
Click for pdf with following sermons
- The Never Ending War—Malachi 1:1–4
- When You Doubt God’s Love—Malachi 1:1–5, 11
- What to Do When You’re Weary of Worship—Malachi 1:6–13
- How to Keep the Wonder in Your Worship—Malachi 1:6–14
- Enjoying Covenant Blessings—Malachi 2:1–9
- The Problem of Throwaway Marriages—Malachi 2:11–16
- How to Change the Superficial into the Supernatural—Malachi 3:1–4
- Opening the Windows of Heaven—Malachi 3:7–12
- Faithful in Stewardship—Malachi 3:7–12
- How to Obtain Financial Freedom—Malachi 3:7–12
- It Pays to Serve Jesus—Malachi 3:13–18
- Some Golden Daybreak—Malachi 4:1–3
Click here scroll down to bottom of page and select "BOOK" (Malachi) for the following sermons
- 18 Dec 2011 The God Who Is Coming Malachi 3:16-18, 4:1-6T aylor, Paul
- 12 Mar 1983 You Bet Your Life Malachi 3:16-18, 4:1-6 Zeisler, Steve
- 05 Mar 1983 Where is the God Of Justice Malachi 2:17, 3:1-15 Zeisler, Steve
- 26 Feb 1983 Divorce: The Corruption Of A Covenant Malachi 2:10-16 Zeisler, Steve
- 19 Feb 1983 Worthless Worship Malachi 1:6-14, 2:1-9 Zeisler, Steve
- 12 Feb 1983 Tough Love Malachi 1:1-5 Zeisler, Steve
- 29 Nov 1975 The Rising of the Son Malachi 3:13-18, 4:1-6 Roper, Dave
- 22 Nov 1975 Healing the Land Malachi 2:17, 3:1-12 Roper, Dave
- 15 Nov 1975 The Wife of Your Youth Malachi 2:10-16 Roper, Dave
- 08 Nov 1975 The Cure for Boredom Malachi 1:6-14, 2:1-9 Roper, Dave
- 01 Nov 1975 God Loves You Malachi 1:1-5 Roper, Dave
- 25 Sep 1966 Malachi: Think upon His Name Malachi Stedman, Ray
NOTE: If you are not familiar with the great saint Charles Simeon see Dr John Piper's discussion of Simeon's life - you will want to read Simeon's sermons after meeting him! - click Brothers We Must Not Mind a Little Suffering (Mp3 even better)
- Malachi 1:2, 3 The Sovereignty of God's Grace
- Malachi 1:6 Relative Duties to God and Man
- Malachi 1:8 God's Appeal to Self-Justifying Sinners
- Malachi 1:11 The Calling of the Gentiles
- Malachi 2:2 Repentance Glorifying God
- Malachi 2:5-7 The Ministerial Office
- Malachi 3:1-3 The Effect's of Christ's Advent
- Malachi 3:6 The Immutability of God
- Malachi 3:8 Sin a Robbery of God
- Malachi 3:16, 17 Christian Fellowship Approved of God
- Malachi 4:1,2 The Sun of Righteousness Arising
- Malachi 4:5,6 Elijah to Precede our Lord
- Preface
- The Book of the Twelve
- The Prophet in Early Israel
- The Eighth Century in Israel
- Influence of Assyria Upon Prophecy
- The Seventh Century in Israel
- The Early Years of Josiah (639-625): Jeremiah and Zephaniah
- The Rest of the Century (625-586): The Fall of Nineveh; Nahum and Habakkuk
- Israel Under the Persians (539-331BC)
- From the Return from Babylon to the Building of the Temple (536-516BC)
James Rosscup writes "Though old this is well-written and often cited, with many good statements on spiritual truths. Users will find much that is worthwhile, and sometimes may disagree, as when he sees the Jonah account as allegorical (Ed: See Tony Garland's article on the Rise of Allegorical Interpretation)." (Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works)
- Introduction
- Malachi 1: Prophecy Within the Law
- Malachi 1:2-5 God's Love for Israel and Hatred of Edom
- Malachi 1:6-14 Honour Thy Father
- Malachi 2:1-9 The Priesthood of Knowledge
- Malachi 2:10-17 The Cruelty of Divorce
- Malachi 2:17-3:5 Where is the God of Judgment?
- Malachi 3:6-12 Repentance by Tithes
- Malachi 3:13-21 The Judgment to Come
- Malachi 4:4-6 The Return of Elijah
Be cautious (Acts 17:11-note): Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church (note)
- Malachi - Introduction
- Malachi 1:1-5 Commentary
- Malachi 1:7-11 Commentary
- Malachi 1:12-14 Commentary
- Malachi 2:1-3 Commentary
- Malachi 2:4-11 Commentary
- Malachi 2:12-16 Commentary
- Malachi 2:17 Commentary
- Malachi 3:1-5 Commentary
- Malachi 3:6-12 Commentary
- Malachi 3:13-18 Commentary
- Malachi 4:1-2 Commentary
- Malachi 4:3-6 Commentary
From Morning and Evening, Faith's Checkbook
- Malachi 1:1 The Burden of the Word of the Lord
- Malachi 1:2a Love's Lamentation
- Malachi 1:2 God’s Love Shamefully Questioned
- Malachi 1:2 Sermon Notes and Illustrations
- Malachi 2:17 Great Difference
- Malachi 3:1 The Messenger of the Covenant
- Malachi 3:1 The Immutability of God ( one of first Sermons preached)
- Malachi 3:3 The Sitting of the Refiner
- Malachi 3:8 Robbers of God
- Malachi 3:10 Proving God
- Malachi 3:17 God’s Jewels
- Malachi 4:2 Bright Prospects for Young Believers
- Malachi 4:2 Sun of Righteousness
- Malachi 4:2 Sermon Notes and Illustrations
- Malachi 4:2 The Rising Sun
Spurgeon comments: Contains a stock of knowledge, and more than a sufficient stock of quotations from the fathers. Torshell printed the book fifteen years after Stock’s death, and finding it to be written for a popular audience only, he added an examination of the original and a few notes in a more learned style, to make a complete commentary. The two authors have thus composed the work upon Malachi.
These notes do not always interpret the text literally. These are the old notes.
OUTLINE & REFERENCES
NOTES ON THE TEXT
Malachi 1
- Yahweh's Covenantal Love - Malachi 1:1-5
- Yahweh: Underserved Election - Malachi 1:1-3a
- Yahweh: Deserved Judgment - Malachi 1:3b-4
- Yahweh: Undeserved Grace - Malachi 1:5
- Israel's Covenantal Unfaithfulness - Malachi 1:6-2:16
- A Blemished Worship - Malachi 1:6-14
Malachi 2
- Unfaithful Priests - Malachi 2:1-9
- Unfaithful Judah - Malachi 2:10-16
- Yahweh's Covenantal Judgment - Malachi 2:17-4:6
- Certainty of Justice - Malachi 2:17-3:5
Malachi 3
- Longing to Bless - Malachi 3:6-12
- Final Judgment - Malachi 3:13-4:6
- The Faithless and Faithful - Malachi 3:13-18
Malachi 4
Conservative, pre-millennial - links to audio and pdfs
- Exposition of Malachi - #1 Intro Malachi 1:1
- Exposition of Malachi - #2 Malachi 1:1-5
- Exposition of Malachi - #3 Malachi 1:6-14
- Exposition of Malachi - #4 Malachi 2:1-9
- Exposition of Malachi - #5 Malachi 2:10-17
- Exposition of Malachi - #6 Malachi 2:17-3:7
- Exposition of Malachi - #7 Malachi 3:7-12
- Exposition of Malachi - #8 Malachi 3:13-18
- Exposition of Malachi - #9 Malachi 4:1-6
See more sermons from Sermonaudio.com but be a Berean as quality may vary...
- Malachi 1 - audio - pdf's
- Malachi 2 - audio - pdf's
- Malachi 3 - audio - pdf's
- Malachi 4 - audio - pdf's
Study Guide Commentary Series, Old Testament, Vol. 12. Utley is amillennial.
- Introduction to Obadiah
- Obadiah
- Introduction to Joel
- Joel 1
- Joel 2
- Joel 3
- Introduction to Haggai
- Haggai 1
- Haggai 2
- Introduction to Malachi
- Malachi 1
- Malachi 2:1-16
- Malachi 2:17-3:12
- Malachi 3:14-4:6
- Appendix: Timeline of the Post-Exilic Period
| 18 Dec 2011 | The God Who Is Coming | Malachi 3:16-18, 4:1-6 | Taylor, Paul | Malachi | |
| 12 Mar 1983 | You Bet Your Life | Malachi 3:16-18, 4:1-6 | Zeisler, Steve | Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi | |
| 05 Mar 1983 | Where is the God Of Justice | Malachi 2:17, 3:1-15 | Zeisler, Steve | Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi | |
| 26 Feb 1983 | Divorce: The Corruption Of A Covenant | Malachi 2:10-16 | Zeisler, Steve | Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi | |
| 19 Feb 1983 | Worthless Worship | Malachi 1:6-14, 2:1-9 | Zeisler, Steve | Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi | |
| 12 Feb 1983 | Tough Love | Malachi 1:1-5 | Zeisler, Steve | Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi | |
| 29 Nov 1975 | The Rising of the Son | Malachi 3:13-18, 4:1-6 | Roper, Dave | When Love Grows Old | |
| 22 Nov 1975 | Healing the Land | Malachi 2:17, 3:1-12 | Roper, Dave | When Love Grows Old | |
| The Wife of Your Youth | Malachi 2:10-16 | Roper, Dave | When Love Grows Old | ||
| 08 Nov 1975 | The Cure for Boredom | Malachi 1:6-14, 2:1-9 | Roper, Dave | When Love Grows Old | |
| 01 Nov 1975 | God Loves You | Malachi 1:1-5 | Roper, Dave | When Love Grows Old | |
| 25 Sep 1966 | Malachi: Think upon His Name | Malachi | Stedman, Ray | Adventuring through the Bible |