THIS little book concludes the writings of the prophets. It was given much later than the books of the other post-captivity prophets. No doubt it was the last; for the law and the prophets were until John, and Malachi looks on, not only to the ministry of the Baptist as the Lord’s forerunner at His first coming (chapter 3:1), but also to the ministry of Elijah, which is to be put forth, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (chapter 4:5.)
Malachi exposes the very corrupt condition of the people who came up from the captivity. God had no pleasure in them. Like the end of professed Christianity on the earth, we see the form of godliness and the denial of the power thereof. The source of their terribly foul state is traced by departure from the sense of their being objects of divine love—a most important point. The prophet’s first words therefore are, “I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? “But for Jehovah’s unchanging love, they must have been consumed. (chapter 3:6.) They are then led back to the sovereign acting’s of divine grace in taking Jacob up, and refusing Esau against whom the Lord hath indignation forever. Though the priests and people had profaned Jehovah’s name, counted His service a weariness, put polluted bread upon His altar, offered the blind and lame for sacrifices, yet the prophet enjoins them to turn to God, and that He will be gracious to them. Blessing, however, shall be abundant among the Gentiles, and His name great among them.
The priests are threatened to fall under God’s curse if they do not lay to heart their evil ways. They had caused many to stumble. Judah had dealt treacherously, and that too against the wife of their youth, yet the Lord hateth putting away. (Chap. 2).
The Lord, however, must judge; so when He has refined them as silver, and purged them as gold, then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant. Let them then return unto the Lord, and He will return unto them. If they really returned unto the Lord and obeyed His word, then they should prove His goodness, and all nations call them blessed.
A remnant of God-fearing ones, however, is distinguished by the prophet as speaking one to another and thinking upon His name, who were precious to Jehovah, in that, when He makes up His jewels, He will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (chapter 3) But the day of the Lord is coming, ushered in by the rising of “the Sun of Righteousness,” when the wicked will be cut off, and the faithful in Israel be blessed. It need hardly be said, that the God-fearing men referred to are Jews. When the church is addressed, she is taught to look for the Lord as “the Bright Morning Star,” which we know precedes the sun-rising. Thus the Christian’s hope is to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; but the faithful Jew hopes for blessing to be brought to him in the earth by Messiah coming to them. Then we shall appear with Him. (See Rev 22:1616I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16); Colossians 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4).)