“The Burden of the Word of the Lord” ( 1:1-5)1

Introduction to Malachi

Malachi's name in Hebrew simply means “my messenger.” It is a fitting name for a man who really was God's man, God's messenger to His wayward people. Malachi is the last book of the , and the prophet Malachi himself was the last of the long line of Old Testament prophets until John the Baptist. There was a gap of approximately 400 years between the time of Malachi's prophecy and the arrival of John the Baptist in the opening pages of the Gospels.

Imagine having the prophets, the messengers from God for hundreds and hundreds of years - even well over a thousand years if you start with – and then nothing. Complete radio silence, so to speak, for 400 years. No word from the Lord.

Why would God do that? Why the seemingly long gap and delay? We do not know for sure. John Calvin ventures an educated guess when he writes:

“When therefore God left his people without Prophets, it was either to show his great displeasure, as during the Babylonian exile, or to hold them in suspense, that they might with stronger desire look forward to the coming of Christ.”2

Whatever the case, the fact that this was God's last Word until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to give this book, as brief as it is, an added weight in our eyes. Everything that God says in His holy Word is important and given for our instruction and benefit (Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16), but when God gives His last Word (or The Next to Last Word, as the title of one recent book3 on the post- exilic prophets suggests), it should cause us to sit up and take notice. What the Lord says here must have been (and must still be!) awfully important.

Malachi was one of the post-exilic prophets, a group that includes Haggai, Zecharaiah, and Malachi. What that means is that they prophesied to God's people after the Assyrian (722 B.C.) and Babylonian (586 B.C.) exiles were over, and the people had begin to return to the land of promise.

Some prophets (like Isaiah and Jeremiah) were sent by God before (or even during) the exile in order to call the people of and to repent, and to warn the people that destruction and exile would surely come if they did not repent and turn back to God.

As we know from history, most of the Israelites did not heed these warnings, and so eventually both the Northern and Southern kingdoms were cast out of the land and taken away into captivity. But around 536 B.C. King Cyrus of Persia (who had, in turn, conquered Babylon) issued an edict allowing the Jews to return to their land and rebuild. (See 2 Chronicles 36:22-23.)4

The temple was rebuilt in around 516 B.C., and the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system were re-established. This should have been gratefully received as a blessing of God and a sign of His covenant faithfulness. But the message of Malachi tells us that all was not well. Far from it!

1 All Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted. 2 Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XV, p.460 3 See The Next to Last Word: Service, Hope, and Revival in the Postexilic Prophets, by Michael P.V. Barrett. 4 This actually marks the end of the Old Testament according to the order of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Burden of the Word of the Lord

The very first thing that we see here in the opening words of the prophecy of Malachi is the burden of the Word of the Lord. The ESV puts v.1 this way:

“The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.” (Italics added)

The King James puts it a little differently when it says, “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.” That probably sounds rather strange to our ears, doesn't it? But Calvin notes that the really does convey the idea of a specific kind of prophecy, a burden, and (משא) Hebrew word used here that “whenever this word is expressed, there is ever to be understood some judgment of God; and it appears evident from Jer. xxiii. 38, that this word was regarded as ominous . . . .”5

Have you ever had someone tell you, “We need to talk.” That usually isn't followed by good news, is it? We have a similar figure of speech in English when we speak of getting something off our chest. You could say that the is God getting something off His chest, so to speak.

Many in the church, have always tended to prefer pastors and preachers who speak smooth, pleasant things. That has probably always been the case to some degree. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3–4,

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

It brings to mind King Ahab calling the “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17) He called him that because he always seemed to speak unpleasant things such as calls to repentance and threatenings of judgment from God.

Malachi's message was a “burden.” That is, it was (and still is) a difficult message to hear. It includes elements of strong rebuke and correction for gross sin and the empty outward show of religion. It includes threatenings of chastisement and judgment. But that “burden” is truly a token of God's mercy in seeking to turn His wayward people from their sins to repentance.

Malachi's message is also “the word of the LORD to Israel.” In other words, it is not ultimately Malachi's message at all – it was and is God's message to His people.

And although it was originally directed “to Israel” (v.1), and had rather specific application to those particular people nearly 2500 years ago on the other side of the globe, it is still very much relevant and timely for us today as it has ever been!

This book, like the rest of the Scriptures, was written for our benefit and instruction. In Romans 15:4 the Apostle Paul says of the Old Testament,

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Italics added) And likewise in 1 Corinthians 10:6–11 Paul says the following about the Old Testament:

5 Ibid, p.461 “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (Italics added)

And so the message of Malachi, this “burden of the word of the Lord” (KJV) was written “for our instruction,” and the people of Israel, even in the post-exilic period, are to be taken “as examples for us.”

So let us learn our lessons well and take them to heart. Let us learn from the example of the Israelites, as it is set before us in the Scriptures. So as we go through this book, let us be careful to examine our own hearts and lives in light of what is written here. And, as the saying goes, if the shoe fits, let us wear it, and turn from our sins back to God, that He might send times of refreshing upon us once again.

The Love of the LORD

It has been pointed out by many commentators that this brief book takes the form of a dialectic of sorts – a back and forth conversation between God and His wayward people. This pattern is found repeatedly throughout the book. And the very first example is found in our text in v.2, where it is written:

““I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not ’s brother?” declares the LORD.”

It is remarkable that the first thing that the LORD tells His wayward, sinning people is that He has loved them! It is as if God is seeking to woo them back to Himself by reminding them of the greatness of His steadfast love toward them and reassuring them of it!

But just look at their reply - “How have you loved us?” What a callous response to the love of God! It is as if they were saying to God, “What have you done for us lately?”

They are not just talking with God – they are talking back to God! That is a dangerous position to be in when God is calling you to account!

But God answers their question, doesn't He? And His answer may seem a little strange to us, just as it might have to them as well. In v.2-3 the Lord tells them exactly how He had loved them:

“Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated.”

God gives them a history lesson of sorts, one that stretches back all the way to the early chapters of the book of Genesis, and even back before creation itself! God's love was demonstrated in His gracious election of Jacob over Esau. They were brothers – even twins – but God set His love upon one of them (and His hatred upon the other one!) before they had even been born!

You might know that the Apostle Paul quotes this very passage in Romans chapter 9. There in that great chapter of Paul's magnum opus on the gospel of Christ, He is setting out to prove that the Jews' rejection of Christ was not an indication that the Word of God had somehow failed (9:6). Why is that? Because it was never God's purpose to save everyone who was a biological descendant of , but rather all of those who were his spiritual offspring, the offspring of God's promise in the gospel.

That is the context of Paul's extensive treatment of the doctrine of election and predestination in that chapter. In :6–13 Paul writes,

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (ESV)

God chose Abraham. God chose Isaac, not Ishmael. And God chose Jacob over Esau. All of this was (to use Paul's words in v.11) “in order that God’s purpose of election might continue” (or “stand”).6

And so the doctrine of election or predestination is all about salvation being by grace alone rather than works. That's what Paul says there. That is God's “purpose of election.” And more than that, according to our text, the doctrine of election is about nothing less than the love of God!

And so if you would have a strong grasp of the truth of the gospel, of salvation by grace, and of the love of God toward sinners, you simply must have a grasp of what the says about election and predestination. To neglect these great truths is to do so to your own detriment.

You will never really understand the grace and love of God unless you understand election.

Now the Lord further makes His case through Malachi here in our text. He shows His great love for His people Israel not only by comparing His disposition toward Jacob and Esau, but also by comparing His actions toward their respective descendants.

He had loved Jacob, but hated Esau. How so? Not only had God chosen Jacob over Esau and set His love upon Jacob from all eternity, but He also (in more recent history in their own day) had brought them back from exile and planted them back in the promised land, even allowing the temple to be rebuilt and the sacrifices to be reinstated!

How many decades had many of them cried out to God for His mercy in doing this! And He did it!

6 KJV, NASB The Greatness of the Lord of Hosts

But what of Esau? In v.3-4 He says of Esau and Edom:

“I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’”

Israel was allowed to rebuild, but not Edom (the descendants of Esau). God had “laid waste his hill country,” which was Edom's natural defense against attack. God had “shattered” them by an invading army. (See the book of Obadiah for the prophecy of this destruction.) And if they tried to rebuild, God would tear it down again!

They had made themselves enemies of God! How had they done this? Among other things, they did nothing to help the people of Judah when they were attacked by the Babylonians. More than that, they even gloated over their misfortune. Obadiah 1:10–12 says,

“Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.”

Not only had God chosen Jacob/Israel, but He had mercy upon them in bringing them back from captivity and allowing them to rebuild. And not only that, but He took notice of Edom's treachery against Israel and avenged it!

What a foreshadowing of the final judgment of the wicked on the last day. Edom had harmed the apple of God's eye, which was Israel, the church in the Old Testament. And so Edom was destroyed from the face of the earth, never again to be rebuilt. And worse yet, they would come to be known as “the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.”

What a warning this should be to the wicked and the unrepentant to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith for salvation while there is yet time to do so!

What a warning this should be to any nation or terrorist group who would dare to harm the apple of God's eye in persecuting Christians in this or any other day. God will surely visit for such wickedness, whether it be in Afghanistan, China, Canada, or even here in the U.S. God tells His people in v.5 that they would see this with their own eyes. They would see God's judgment upon their enemies in Edom. There in v.5 it is written:

“Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

They would see God at work, and would themselves be led to speak of the greatness of their God! They would say that God is great even “beyond the border of Israel.” His greatness, power, and majesty know no bounds. They were not limited to the land of Canaan or anywhere else.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I'd like to quote Iain Duguid's words on our text from his commentary. There he writes:

“When life is hard, it is tempting for us to doubt God's love. We interpret God's love in the light of his providence, and our consequent doubts about God's attitude toward us can actually make our suffering all the more intense . . . .Malachi is teaching us to interpret God's providence in the light of his love rather than reading his love off our interpretation of his providence.”7

Are your present circumstances and hardships making you doubt God's love for you in Christ? Then look back to your salvation in Christ, and even back to God setting His electing love upon you in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)!

God may send us hard times to test us, and even to chastise us for disobedience and unfaithfulness. He may send us hard words to correct us and call us to repentance.

But to all who are in Christ by faith this is all evidence and proof of the steadfast love of God toward us in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Let us not grumble and ask God how He has loved us, but rather look at our circumstances with the eyes of faith, knowing that God intends all these things for our good always. And let us then see and confess that “great is the Lord” beyond all borders or comparison! - Amen

7 Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi (Reformed Expository Commentary), p.106)