Highworth United Reformed Church

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Malachi

The form mal!akhi signifies "my messenger";   it occurs in Malachi 3:1.   This book concluded the collection of the 12 Minor Prophets,  and it sheds some welcome light on conditions of life for post-exile Judah,  of which little is known.   It harshly condemns priests and evildoers ,  but also shows deep concern for the hard-pressed faithful,  assuring them of God's love,  and God's fulfilling of their hopes.

As it refers to life under Persian rule it is considered the age of Nehemiah and Ezra.   Priesthood was lax,  intermarriage was prevalent and people were slack in tithing,  and there was a fall in social justice.   The book is structured in 6 sections,  introduced by a statement from Yahweh or the prophet.

1:2-5     
Here Jacob and Esau are not 'individuals' but rather symbols of the nations descended from them.   Geographically Edom (= Esau) was Israel's neighbour,  and twin,  so one would have expected similar treatment.   But history points to something different:   a recent desolation of Edom seems to be proof that Esau was not loved.   It could be related to Edom's participation in the Babylonian destruction of Judah in the sixth century  (see Obadaiah)

1:6-2:9
The holiness code and the keeping of the law were essential to the survival of the community,  in this sense priests were crucial.   Though often priests saw themselves as privileged,  accepting the honours of their position while at the same time mocking the cultic practices they had to perform.   And this section points to their lacking,  and how this misleads the people.   Yahweh acts in judgement  (2:9).

2:10-16
This section is closely related to the previous one.   A covenant has been corrupted (2:8) or desecrated (2:10).   In this section the prophet confronts the people with a double abuse that has social and religious consequences:  marriage to foreign women and divorce from legitimate wives.   For a long period polygamy was a common practice but when monogamy was practiced the effect was the increase of divorce.   During the Persian times then both things were increasing:  intermarriage and divorce.   And in a community that was suffering economic problems the thought that marriage would provide an increase of economic power and status began to happen more and more.   And intermarriage led to the introduction of foreign gods and religious practices - this is not about ethnic purity but rather the cult to other gods.
Where we read "for I hate divorce" (2:16) would be better translated as "for one who divorces because of aversion,  thereby covering his garment with wrongdoing".   Covering with a garment means to claim a woman as wife  (see Ruth 3:9).
The word is one of warning against those wo intermarry and turn away from Yahweh and their Judean wives.

2:17-3:5
Malachi's expectation for the coming of the Day of the Lord is here expressed.   A section dealing with priests and cult...the future will be inverse from the present.   There is a movement from a general formulation (1:11) to a more specific one  (3:1-5).   There is a purification of those who offer sacrifices (Levites) which results in sacrifices that are pleasing to God.   And Malachi affirms that the renewal begun with the nations in 1:11 culminates in the transformation of Yahweh's own people, the post-exile community (3:13-4:3).

3:6-12
God affirms his faithfulness when the people "return" to him...and when they ask how this is to be,  again cult and justice are the way forward that mark this 'conversion' back to God.

3:13-4:3
A forgiving God,  as children are forgiven by loving parents.   This marks the difference between righteous and wicked,  those who serve God and those who don't   Healing and righteousness will be with them.

4:4-6
Some scholars believe this is a later addition.   A climax of the prophecy - law, prepare the day of Yahweh's appearance,  judgement...turn to the Lord.   A hope for an Elijah to open the recognition of Yahweh's greatness and power as it happened before  (1 Kings 18:39).   The book then ends in hope.