Malachi

Malachi: A Conversation with God

Imagine you’re having a serious chat with a friend who feels hurt and misunderstood. That’s the kind of conversation happening in the book of Malachi. It’s the last book of the Old Testament, and it’s like a letter from God to His people, the Israelites.

The Backstory

The Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon, but instead of being excited about rebuilding their relationship with God, they were going through the motions. They were offering lame sacrifices, divorcing their wives, and basically acting like God didn’t matter.

God Speaks Up

In Malachi, God isn’t holding back. He tells them straight up that He loves them, but they’re not acting like they love Him back. He reminds them of His promises, but also warns them that there will be consequences if they don’t change their ways.

Key Themes

• God’s Unchanging Love: Even though the Israelites are messing up, God reminds them that He still loves them and wants a relationship with them.
• The Importance of Faithfulness: God calls the Israelites to be faithful in their worship, their marriages, and their daily lives.
• The Coming Day of the Lord: God warns that a day of judgment is coming, but also promises hope and restoration for those who turn back to Him.

Questions for Reflection

1. How does God express His love for His people in Malachi?
2. What are some of the ways the Israelites were being unfaithful to God?
3. Why do you think God includes both warnings and promises in this book?
4. What can we learn from Malachi about the importance of faithfulness in our own lives?
5. How does the message of Malachi give us hope for the future?

Challenge

Take some time to reflect on your own relationship with God. Are there areas where you’ve been going through the motions or taking Him for granted? Malachi reminds us that God desires a genuine relationship with us, one marked by love, faithfulness, and trust. Let’s respond to His call and renew our commitment to Him today.

---

Malachi, whose name means “my messenger,” spoke to the Israelites after their return from exile. The theological message of the book can be summed up in one sentence: The Great King will come not only to judge his people, but also to bless and restore them.

Malachi was the last of the prophets, and is supposed to have prophesied B.C. 420. He reproves the priests and the people for the evil practices into which they had villainy, and invites them to repentance and reformation, with promises of the blessings to be bestowed at the coming of the Messiah. And now that prophecy was to cease, he speaks clearly of the Messiah, as nigh at hand, and directs the people of God to keep in remembrance the law of Moses, while they were in expectation of the gospel of Christ.

Matthew Henry