Outcomes for the book of Malachi
The Prophet Malachi, God’s messenger, called people to repentance because they neglected true worship of the Lord. Worship can be understood in three aspects: essence, functions, and forms. The returned exiles failed to relate to God as a Father, a master, or even a friend, but only as a distant figure. Since the people did not repent (change their minds, turn away from sins, and turn to God), they failed to hear God’s voice for the next 400 years. About 100 years had passed since the Jews returned to Palestine.
The city of Jerusalem and the Second Temple had been rebuilt, but the people’s initial joy in the Lord had faded. Earlier, Nehemiah had brought revival (Nehemiah 10:28-39), but both the people and the priests had backslidden and become mechanical in observing the law of worship.
Despite being careless in seven areas of worship—personal, marital, family, fellowship, marketplace, national, and global—and unfaithful in their five aspects of giving—spiritual, human, time, material, and money—they could not understand why God was not pleased with them. Malachi 1:6-7, 3:7.
When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 1:8
The outline of Malichi:
- God’s compassion for Israel. 1: 1-5
- God’s complaint against Israel. 1:6-3-15
- God’s condemnation of the people of Israel. 3: 16-4: 6.