“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. (Malachi 4:2*)
Biblical Truth & Life Application
The name "Malachi" means my messenger or the messenger of The Lord. It is the final minor prophet book of the Old Testament, and it is truly full of messages from God. God makes a series of comments, followed by rhetorical questions, and then He answers them, all of which deal with moral issues of the children of Isreal and which still apply to us today:
- “I have always loved you,” says the Lord. But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?” (Malachi 1:2*) God went on to explain to them that He chose Jacob and his descendants, which they were, over Esau and His descendants. (Malachi 1:1-5) Those of us who are children of God through our faith in Jesus know that we are loved by God also: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10)
- The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ (Malachi 1:6*) God goes on to explain that they were not bringing the proper and perfect sacrifices to Him, but were bringing whatever they felt, regardless of its condition. (Malachi 1:6-14) God had to provide His own perfect sacrifice, and through Him we must also make a sacrife to God: He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. (Hebrews 9:26-28); I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)
God also explains that along with their unacceptable sacrifices, the priests were misusing their position: “The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. (Malachi 2:7-8*; Malachi 2:1-9) God does not play with those who should be teaching His Word. Jesus explains how serious this offence is towards God very clearly: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2) All who teach others the Word of God must be careful to Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15)
God also explains how they had been disobedient in marrying people who didn't believe in God, committing adultery and getting divorced: Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife." (Malachi 2:11, 14, 16; Malachi 2:10-16) We are to be very careful who we unite with: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (II Corinthians 6:14)
- You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. (Malachi 2:17*) God explains that they had basically called God a liar. (Malachi 2:17-3:5) But God promised that He would send His messenger to prepare the way before Him, which fortells of the coming of John the Baptist and The Christ: “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. (Malachi 3:1); John [the Baptist] answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! his is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ (John 1:26-30)
- “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ (Malachi 3:6-8*) God explains that they "went away" from Him by not obeying in the area of their giving. We today do the same thing. We expect God to bless, but we don't want to give. God is very clear that blessings are conditional based on being faithful in obeying Him: “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. ... Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! (Malachi 3:8, 1; Malachi 3:6-12)
- “You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord. “But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’ (Malachi 3:13*) The final question God answers should wake us all up. He explains to them that they complained what good had it done them to obey the Word of God: “You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’” (Malachi 3:14-15) What they failed to realize, just as many of us do now, is that we shouldn't be looking for a temporary reward but an eternal one: “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. (Malachi 4:1-2; Malachi 3:13-4:5)
Yes, we all may feel or behave the same way the children of Isreal felt: unloved by God; not wanting to give God our best; wanting to do whatever we want to do, whether it's good for us or not; not wanting to believe the Word of God is true; not wanting to trust God to provide our needs; and finally not even believing that there is anything after this life. PLEASE, TODAY, turn from this way of thinking and commit your life to God, through believing in His Word, in Jesus the Christ. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (II Corinthians 4:16-18) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, ... But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelations 21:22-27)
*New Living Translation
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