Malachi
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Introduction[i]
The
prophecy of Malachi deals with the people brought back from the captivity of
Babylon, and is most important as shewing the moral condition of the people consequent
upon their return. Its last verses evidently close the testimony of Jehovah to
the people, till the coming of him who should prepare the way of Jehovah, in a
word, till John the Baptist. The law and the prophets were until John, and
Malachi is professedly, and from the nature of his testimony, the last. The
great moral principle unfolded in the book, is the insensibility of the people
to that which Jehovah was for them, and to their own iniquity with respect to
Jehovah-their want of reverence for God, their despisal of Jehovah.
Alas!
this insensibility had reached such a point that, when the very actions that
proved their contempt were laid before their consciences, they saw no harm in
them. Nevertheless this did not alter the purposes and counsels of God,
although it brought judgment on those who were guilty of it (see Mal_1:2; Mal_1:6;
Mal_2:14; Mal_3:7;
Mal_3:13).
Malachi
also distinguishes the remnant and that which characterised them, while
proclaiming the punishment of the wicked, and the call of God to those who had
ears to hear to bring them back to repentance-a ministry which would restore
moral order in the hearts of parents and children-that relationship, from the
maintenance and exercise of which, all earthly peaceful order according to God
flows; and that order is what God is considering here.
At
the commencement of the prophecy Jehovah sets forth His love to Israel,
slighted alas! by an ungrateful people, yet proved by their election from the
beginning. Even while exhibiting the sad ingratitude of the people, Jehovah
adheres to His own thoughts toward them. He will bless Israel, and He will
judge Edom, in spite of the pride of the latter.
The
sin of Israel, and their offensive indifference in the service of their God, is
shewn (Mal_1:6-10). This gives occasion
to another expression of grace-the revelation of the name of Jehovah among all
nations. Thus, the election of Israel, and mercy towards the Gentiles, are
established amidst, and even on occasion of, the sin of the restored people. Mal_1:12-14 also display their offences against
Jehovah and their contempt of His majesty. Mal_2:1-9
proclaims the fallen condition of the priests, who ought to have been the
faithful depositaries of the mind and ways of God; Mal_2:10-12,
their misconduct towards their brethren, and their intimate relationship with
idolaters, are pointed out; Mal_2:13-16,
the lightness with which they were in the habit of divorcing at their pleasure.
But Jehovah was coming.
Here
again we find the Lord's [See Note #1] first coming connected with the full
result of the second. John the Baptist is announced as His messenger to prepare
the way before Him; and then, the Angel of the covenant, whom they so earnestly
desired, should come; but it would be in judgment, to purge the people and take
away all their dross. Then should their offering in Jerusalem be acceptable to
Jehovah, an offering in righteousness. But all the evil-doers should be judged;
for God was unchangeable, both in righteousness and grace. It was this which, after
all, secured the existence of Israel, happen what might. Let Israel then return
unto Jehovah, and Jehovah would return unto them. But the pride of Israel is
excited by this, and they say, "Wherein shall we return?" Their sins
with respect to the offerings and the ordinances are then shewn. But grace
again displays itself in prospect of the people's return from their practical
alienation from God. They had but to return and prove the goodness of God.
In
the midst of the pride of the wicked in their apparent success, the remnant are
distinguished as being drawn together by their common spiritual wants and
feelings, founded on the fear of Jehovah which governed them all. In their
affliction they spake often one to another of these things; [See Note #2] and
Jehovah hearkened and heard and wrote it down in His book. And they shall be
His in the day when He maketh up His jewels. After this they should discern
between the righteous and the wicked, between those that served God and those
that served Him not. For the day was coming which should burn as an oven, and
the proud and the wicked should be as stubble. But to those that feared the
name of Jehovah, the Sun of Righteousness should rise. It should be no longer
the sorrowful night of darkness and affliction and of the enemy's dominion, but
a day which God would cause to shine by the presence of His Son, by the reign
of His Beloved One on the earth. The righteous would have dominion over them in
the morning, for the time is a time of judgment, and the wicked would be as
ashes under the soles of their feet.
It
will be remarked here, that all is in connection with the authority of Jehovah
and His dispensations towards Israel, and with the conduct of Israel, as a
nation, towards their God. That which belongs to the first coming of Christ,
and its consequences to Israel, is not brought in here. John the Baptist is
presented as the forerunner of Jehovah, who without doubt is Christ Himself,
but who here comes as the Angel of the covenant, coming suddenly to His temple,
and trying everything in Israel by fire and by His judgment, in order that the
offering of Judah may be pleasant to Jehovah as in the days of old. The
transgressions here spoken of are those of the people brought back from Babylon
against Jehovah. The Gentiles, and their empire, are not seen here. All takes
place between Israel only and Jehovah, the God of their fathers, as in former
days between the people loved of God and Jehovah who loved them. A strange god
is that which Jehovah will not endure. It is Levi, with whom His covenant had
been; it was the priests, whose lips should have kept the true knowledge of
Jehovah.
There
is even no king here spoken of; except that Jehovah, whose name is terrible
among the heathen, is their king. Finally the people (Israel) are commanded to
return to the law of Moses given at Horeb for all Israel.
Thus
we have here Jehovah's unchangeable love for the people whom He gathered to
Himself at Horeb, His controversy with them on account of their sins, the
marking out of a faithful remnant, and the sending of a messenger before the
execution of the judgment. Israel is looked at nationally, in their own
relationship with Jehovah, as returned from captivity and awaiting the judgment
of their God, who sends His messenger to forewarn them.
All
was prepared to put the people morally to the proof, with respect to the
accomplishment of this, at the time when John the Baptist was sent; but Israel
had not ears to hear, and all was lost.
The
perfect and entire fulfilment will take place at the end, after that other
glorious work of God with regard to the assembly shall have been accomplished.
The
longsuffering of God towards Israel had been great; for, when they had rejected
His Son, He sent them-through the intercession of that same well-beloved
Saviour on the cross-the message by the mouth of Peter, that, if they repented,
the Christ whom they had slain would return. But their leaders were more than
deaf to this grace on the part of God, and their house still remains empty and
desolate.
At
the time of the end, Elias-whose mission was to call back an apostate Israel
who had forsaken Jehovah to own Him in truth, and that, by the sovereign grace
of God, although in connection with the law, and that Mount Horeb, whither he
went to lay down the burden of his prophetic office, when rendered useless by
the unbelief of the people-Elias shall effectually accomplish his mission
before the great and terrible day of Jehovah; in order that the curse of God
may not fall upon the land of His delight in that day when He will definitively
execute His judgments. It is on this account that John the Baptist is spoken of
as being Elias, if Israel could receive it; for he answered to Mal_3:1, whilst, at the same time, he said he
was not Elias; for in fact he did not at all fulfil Mal_4:5-6
(compare Luk_1:17; Luk_1:76).
The
prophecy speaks to the conscience of those who lived at the time it was
delivered (Mal_3:10); and passes
on-shewing that at the end of those times Israel would be put on trial by the
mission of grace-to the last days, in which God would display His unchangeable
love for His people, and His righteous judgment against evil, by separating a
remnant unto Himself for blessing, and by executing judgment on the rebellious.
The
Gentiles are not mentioned, nor even the connection of His people with Christ,
coming down as man to the earth.
We
have thus in these three post-captivity prophets, three distinct subjects, but
which make a whole of the three. In Haggai it is grace toward the returned
remnant, God's Spirit still among them, and in connection with the house and
worship of Jehovah, the temple. Its latter glory should be greater than its
former. The kingdoms of the heathen should be cast down, and Zerubbabel
(Christ) as a signet on Jehovah's hand. Peace would be given in Jerusalem.
Zechariah
takes up two points: first the empires of the heathen and God's providential
ways with Israel-the times of the Gentiles-Jerusalem is owned, but judged of
God and stamped as Babylonish in its true character; but at the end the Branch,
the Lord Jesus, sets crowns instead of fasting for the faithful-Babylon being
already judged-and strangers should come and build in the temple of the Lord.
From
chapter 7 to the end, it is the relation of Israel with Christ, and His
rejection and its consequences in the last judgment of Jerusalem; but for all
that Jehovah, as we have often seen, would judge definitively all the nations
assembled against her. The remnant would be brought to repentance, and
Jerusalem be holiness to the Lord, nor should strangers defile it.
Finally
we have Malachi shewing us, the state the Jews soon got into, slighting all
that was agreeable to God, and indifferent and insensible to their violating
every righteous feeling; the practical separation of those that feared the
Lord, and the coming of the Lord in judgment and deliverance: meanwhile their
recall to the authority of the law, and the coming of Elias before the great
and terrible day of the Lord, to turn their hearts in grace into the way of
peace.
Note #1:
It
is, note distinctly, Jehovah's.
Note #2:
See the lovely picture of this in the first two chapters
of Luke's Gospel, before he begins the general subject of it. Only then the
Saviour was rejected, and the remnant passed into the assembly, the deliverance
of Israel being deferred to the coming of the Lord in power. Here it is looked
at as the remnant in Israel connected with that deliverance.