A. THE PROPHET
Of the life of the prophet Malachi we know absolutely nothing historically. All we know of him we infer from his utterances. We cannot be sure whether “Malachi,” which means “my messenger,”1 is the prophet’s personal name or simply his title. Josephus, who mentions Haggai and Zechariah, makes no reference to Malachi. The Targum2 paraphrases 1:1 “as by the hand of my messenger, whose name is called Ezra the scribe.”3 The Septuagint4 also translates “my messenger” but entitles the book “Malachias” or Malachi. Archer observes, “Every other prophetic book in the Old Testament bears the name of its author. It would be strange if this one were left anonymous.”5 Since the question is open, we shall refer to the prophetas Malachi.
Although we cannot be certain as to theprophet’s name, we have no difficulty in forming a clear-cut conception of Malachi’s personality. The little book which comes from his hand witnesses to a forceceful and vigorous preacher who pled for sincerity in Worship and holiness of life. He had an intense love for Israel and the services of the Temple. It is true that he laid more stress upon worship than upon inward spirituality. However, “for him ritual was not an end in itself, but an expression of the people’s faith in the Lord.’6
B. THE SITUATION
The Jews had returned from the Captivity with high hopes. Interpreting the fair promises of Ezekiel and Zechariah as of immediate fulfillment, many of the devout believed the Messianic age was at hand. The nation, it was expected, was about to recover the lost glory of the kingdom of David. The land would become miraculously fruitful and the cities populous. The ideal King would be soon raised up, and all the nations would come to Jerusalem to serve the Lord.
As the years passed, however, disillusionment set in. The anticipated prosperity and blessing did not materialize. Life was hard. Crops were poor, parasites ruined the plants, and the fruit was disappointing. As these conditions persisted year after year and the bright dreams of earlier times were not realized, a spirit of dull depression settled down upon the community. The priests became careless in the performance of their duties and neglected the religious instruction of their charges. The people began to complain that God no longer loved them or cared for them. A spirit of cynicism spread to the entire population, and even those who remained true to the faith began to ask the question, “Why?” Many withheld their tithes and offerings. Social injustice became common. Intermarriage with the heathen of the land was freely practiced. Divorce became the order of the day as the people forgot their covenant with God. Everyone was disposed to question the authority and ways of God.
Such is the background against which the prophecies of Malachi must be studied. It was a situation which called for a fearless prophet. Malachi was God's man for the crisis. His book might be subtitled “A Message for an Age of Discouragement.”7 It therefore speaks to our day and to every period of spiritual depression.
C. DATE
The conditions described above point to the period immediately preceding the work of Ezra and Nehemiah. The abuses are precisely those described in the Book of Ezra8 and those which occupied the attention of Nehemiah.9 Ezra returned from Babylon in 458-457 B.C. Nehemiah became governor for the first time in 444 B.C. and then had a second administration beginning in 433. It Was during his second term that Nehemiah dealt with the problem of mixed marriages, but it would be too precarious to locate Malachi between the two administrations of Nehemiah. Since the prophet makes no reference to Nehemiah, his prophecies must antedate by a few years the beginning of his first period as governor. A date between 460 and 450 B.C. is generally accepted.
D. THE BOOK
The Book of Malachi bears evidence of having been “hammered out in the actual discipline of public debate.”10 It differs greatly from the other prophetic writings. Malachi does not present his sermons or addresses in formal fashion as do the other prophets but launches into an argument with his hearers. The dialogue of question and answer reflects the actual situation in which the prophet found himself and the frequent verbal conflicts he was involved in with his contemporaries. In these questions and answers we can hear Malachi publicly defending the honor and justice of God against the attacks of skeptical opponents. The master debater takes up each objection and answers it before going on to another. “Throughout the entire dialogue he is describing the divine love, revealing the faithlessness and ingratitude of the peoples calling for genuine repentance, answering the skeptics, challenging the current godlessness, and making glorious promises for those who are faithful.”11 It was no longer possible for a prophet of God to gain a hearing simply by saying, “Thus saith the Lord.” It was an age of rationalism and even the Jews were beginning to require a logical and reasoned argument. They demanded that assertions be justified and objections met.12
Employing the device of dialogue, Malachi condemned the sins of the people and summoned them to repentance. Their ultimate salvation, however, was not to be found in their repentance but in God's action. The great day of the Lord would dawn in which He would purify the godly and destroy the wicked. That day would be heralded by the coming of Elijah.13
With Malachi, Old Testament prophecy ceased until the coming of John the Baptist. Yet in the closing verses of this book we have a shining prophecy of God's new age. “Malachi is like a late evening which closes a long day, but he is at the same time the morning twilight, which bears in its womb a glorious day.”14
Outline
II. God's Love for Israel, 1:2-5
III. Sins of the Priesthood, 1:6—2:9
IV. Divorce and Foreign Marriages, 2:10-16
A. Marriage with Heathen Women, 2:10-12
B. Divorce of Jewish Wives, 2:13-16
V. Where Is the God of Judgment? 2:17—3:5
A. The Complaint of the People, 2:17
B. The Answer of the Lord, 3:1-5
VI. Tithing, the Way of Blessing, 3:6-12
VII. Final Triumph of the Righteous, 3:13—4:3