Book of C Malachi 1:1-3:24 Comments A Malachi 1:1-13 :16-4:6 (H 3:16-24) This book is written to The burden of the word of the , particularly the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 16 Then those who feared the priests. 2 "I have loved you," says the LORD spoke to one another, LORD. "Yet you say, `In what And the LORD listened and The name of YHVH’s way have You loved us?' Was heard them; So a book of not 's brother?" remembrance was written before prophet, Malachi, Says the LORD. "Yet Jacob I Him For those who fear the LORD means “My have loved; And who meditate on His name. messenger,” and there 3 But Esau I have hated, And 17 "They shall be Mine," says the are several messengers laid waste his mountains and LORD of hosts, "On the day that described in this book. his heritage For the jackals of I make them My jewels. And I • Malachi the wilderness." will spare them As a man 4 Even though Edom has said, spares his own son who serves • Priests "We have been impoverished, him." • (John the But we will return and build Baptist) the desolate places," Thus 18 Then you shall again discern • Lord (Adon; says the LORD of hosts: Between the righteous and the Messenger of the "They may build, but I will wicked, Between one who serves throw down; They shall be God And one who does not serve covenant; Messiah) called the Territory of Him. Wickedness, And the people There seems to be a against whom the LORD will connection between have indignation forever. 4:1 "For behold, the day is this book and Obadiah 5 Your eyes shall see, And you coming, Burning like an oven, shall say,`The LORD is And all the proud, yes, all who since Edom is magnified beyond the border of do wickedly will be stubble. mentioned. Edom/Esau Israel.' And the day which is coming is an enemy of YHVH shall burn them up," Says the 6 "A son honors his father, And forever. LORD of hosts, "That will leave a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My them neither root nor branch. The priests are being honor? And if I am a Master, singled out for their evil, Where is My reverence? Says 2 But to you who fear My name the LORD of hosts To you The Sun of Righteousness defiled sacrifices, which priests who despise My shall arise With healing in His are stolen, sick, blind name. Yet you say,`In what wings; And you shall go out and lame; they dishonor way have we despised Your And grow fat like stall-fed YHVH. name?' calves. 7 "You offer defiled food on My 3 You shall trample the wicked, There does not appear altar. But say, `In what way For they shall be ashes under the have we defiled You?' By soles of your feet On the day that to be anyone who saying, `The table of the LORD I do this," Says the LORD of would prevent the is contemptible.' hosts. burning of 8 And when you offer the blind unacceptable sacrifices as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And 4 when you offer the lame and "Remember the Law of in vain. sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then , My servant, Which I to your governor! Would he be commanded him in Horeb for all In contrast, YHVH will pleased with you? Would he Israel, With the statutes and burn the wicked into judgments. accept you favorably?" Says ashes. the LORD of hosts. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming

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9 "But now entreat God's favor, of the great and dreadful day of YHVH’s name will be That He may be gracious to us. the LORD. great among the 6 While this is being done by your And he will turn The hearts of Gentiles, and they will hands, Will He accept you the fathers to the children, And favorably?" Says the LORD of the hearts of the children to offer incense in every hosts. their fathers, Lest I come and place and acceptable 10 "Who is there even among strike the earth with a curse." offerings. you who would shut the doors, So that you would not YHVH plans to send the kindle fire on My altar in messenger Elijah to vain? I have no pleasure in you," Says the LORD of hosts, prepare the way for the "Nor will I accept an offering dreadful day of YHVH. from your hands. He would be used to turn the people back to 11 For from the rising of the YHVH. This was seen in sun, even to its going down, the ministry of John the My name shall be great Baptist. among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be The dreadful day of offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name YHVH remains to be shall be great among the seen at some point in nations," Says the LORD of the future. hosts.

12 "But you profane it, In that you say, `The table of the LORD is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.' 13 You also say, `Oh, what a weariness!' And you sneer at it," Says the LORD of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" Says the LORD.

B Malachi 1:14-2:9 :17-3:15 The priests are not 14 "But cursed be the giving glory to YHVH. deceiver Who has in his flock 17 You have wearied the LORD This has resulted in a male, And takes a vow, But with your words; Yet you say, "In cursing; they will be sacrifices to the Lord what is what way have we wearied Him?" shamed. blemished-- For I am a great In that you say, "Everyone who King," Says the LORD of hosts, does evil Is good in the sight of "And My name is to be feared the LORD, And He delights in Yet YHVH wants to keep among the nations. them," Or, "Where is the God of His covenant with the justice?" descendants of . 2:1 "And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. NKJ Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I send The people should seek My messenger, And he will to hear the law of YHVH prepare the way before Me. And from the priests the Lord (Adon), whom you

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2 If you will not hear, And if you seek, Will suddenly come to His because they are will not take it to heart, To give temple, Even the Messenger of YHVH’s messengers. glory to My name," Says the the covenant, In whom you However, they caused LORD of hosts, "I will send a delight. Behold, He is coming," curse upon you, And I will Says the LORD of hosts. the people to stumble curse your blessings. Yes, I 2 "But who can endure the day of at the law; they have cursed them already, His coming? And who can stand corrupted YHVH’s Because you do not take it to when He appears? For He is like covenant and showed heart. a refiner's fire And like launderer's partiality. 3 "Behold, I will rebuke your soap. descendants And spread 3 He will sit as a refiner and a refuse on your faces, The purifier of silver; He will purify the It wearies YHVH to hear refuse of your solemn feasts; sons of Levi, And purge them as people say that And one will take you away with gold and silver, That they may everyone who does evil it. offer to the LORD An offering in is good in His sight, and 4 Then you shall know that I righteousness. He delights in them; 4 have sent this commandment to "Then the offering of they think He will not you, That My covenant with and Will be pleasant Levi may continue," Says the to the LORD, As in the days of execute justice. They LORD of hosts. old, As in former years. are blind; they do not 5 "My covenant was with him, see the curses that are one of life and peace, And I 5 And I will come near you for upon them. gave them to him that he might judgment; I will be a swift witness fear Me; So he feared Me And Against sorcerers, Against Obviously, these priests was reverent before My name. adulterers, Against perjurers, 6 The law of truth was in his – YHVH’s messengers – Against those who exploit wage mouth, And injustice was not were not doing their job earners and widows and orphans, found on his lips. He walked properly. And against those who turn away with Me in peace and equity, an alien-- Because they do not And turned many away from fear Me," Says the LORD of To correct this resulting iniquity. hosts. problem, a Greater 7 "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people Messenger was to come should seek the law from his 6 "For I am the LORD, I do not – the Messiah – who mouth; For he is the change; Therefore you are not would sit as a refiner messenger of the LORD of consumed, O sons of Jacob. and purifier of silver. He 7 hosts. Yet from the days of your will purge them as gold 8 But you have departed from fathers You have gone away and silver, so they can the way; You have caused from My ordinances And have many to stumble at the law. not kept them. offer to YHVH an You have corrupted the offering of covenant of Levi," Says the Return to Me, and I will return righteousness. LORD of hosts. to you," Says the LORD of hosts. 9 "Therefore I also have made "But you said, `In what way shall This process is one of you contemptible and base we return?' the things depicted by Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways the burning of 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you But have shown partiality in offerings. The other have robbed Me! But you say, `In the law." would be the burning of what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. the wicked mentioned above. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even In order to return to this whole nation. YHVH, the priests needed to bring in the

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10 Bring all the tithes into the tithes and offerings, not storehouse, That there may be only the priests’ but food in My house, And try Me those of the whole now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you nation. the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing If they would do this, That there will not be room YHVH would stop the enough to receive it. devourer’s cursing and bring blessing. 11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;

12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts. 13 "Your words have been harsh against Me," Says the LORD, "Yet you say, `What have we spoken against You?' 14 You have said, `It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.'"

C Malachi 2:10-16 The priests have 10 Have we not all one Father? married women outside Has not one God created us? the covenant with Why do we deal YHVH. Women who treacherously with one another By profaning the worship/belong to a covenant of the fathers? foreign god.

11 Judah has dealt The high priest was to treacherously, And an marry a virgin of his own abomination has been people (Leviticus 21:13- committed in Israel and in 14). Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The LORD'S holy In a separate issue, by institution which He loves: He has married the daughter dealing treacherously of a foreign god. with the wives of their youth by putting them

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away, their wives cried 12 May the LORD cut off from out with weeping as the tents of Jacob The man offerings to YHVH. As a who does this, being awake result, what was and aware, Yet who brings an brought on the altar was offering to the LORD of hosts! not regarded by YHVH. 13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, These wives should have With weeping and crying; So been lovingly cared for He does not regard the as sheep by a shepherd. offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.

14 Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.

15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16 "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

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