Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” Malachi 1:5
I return to my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book, moving on to Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today, I complete a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 1:2-5 by reading the text accompanied by the commentary's introduction to this book, as well as commentary specifically for 1:2-5 - which has three divisions.
In the introduction, the commentary shares the following excerpts:
- "Throughout Malachi we will see how God, as a loving Father, confronts, corrects, and challenges the people of Israel about straying from Him. No one is excluded."
- "Malachi is a call for Israel to return to God before the Messiah comes to earth, for it was written to a people who lived in expectation of Him, but who had not yet seen Him."
- "Fortunately, the message of Malachi is not only for those who hadn’t yet encountered the Messiah, for its message is not merely, “shape up, because the Messiah is coming”; it is, “evaluate yourself, for you are not measuring up to what is required of you.” Just as the people in Malachi’s day were to introspectively evaluate their walks with God, we must take an inventory of our lives as well."
- Malachi in the text is referred to as "My Messenger" or "My Angel," and this reference has multiple meanings including word of the Lord to Israel, word of the Lord to the priesthood, the forerunner to the Messiah, and the Messiah Himself.
- Malachi was a contemporary of Nehemiah - see also this overview of the book of Nehemiah.
- The audience of the book is a unified Israel and written during 450 and 430 BC after Cyrus of Persia's decree that all Jews return to the land of their forefathers.
- The temple has been rebuilt and the priesthood reestablished.
- Moral degradation is at all-time high.
- Malachi looks forward to the Messiah.
Looking at the text 1:2-5, the commentary outlines the following divisions:
- 1:2a God substantiates His love for His people through His declaration: Although throughout the OT Israel often misses it, God repeatedly asserts His love for His people by protection of Israel and punishment of its enemies. One such example is how God rescued Israel out of bondage from Egypt while Pharaoh and his armies drowned in the Red Sea. Of course, there are MANY others! For believers, we should be reminded that God loved us first and while we were still sinners, hostile and an enemy to Him!
- 1:2b God substantiates His love for His people through His election: Our actions do not determine our faith - instead our faith is a gift from God delivered as a result of God's purpose alone. The commentary points to how the text uses the example of Esau and how Paul describes God's love for Jacob (vs Esau) in Romans 9:10-12 and shares: "God’s election, then, is not influenced by human interaction or cooperation. He chose Abraham out of all the people of the world. He chose Abraham’s son, Isaac, instead of his half-brother, Ishmael. He chose Jacob over his older brother, Esau. He chose the Israelites over all other nations. But He did not choose them based on their merit....The point is not that God loved Jacob more than Esau, but that He desired to make a covenant with Jacob instead of Esau. Consequently, the reason why election is referred to in Malachi 1 is not to create a sense of exclusion. Instead, election is deployed by the prophet to comfort and reassure the people of God."
- 1:3-5 God substantiates His love for His people through His rejection: "God’s rejection of Edom is a response to their wickedness. There is a contrast in the text between wicked Edom and blessed Israel....God’s love for Israel should not be left to speculation. He pointed the people to a historical event to prove His love: the people of God had been brought back from Babylonian captivity while the land of Edom remained in perpetual ruin."
The doctrine of election is intended to humble us, reminding us that God's love for believers is not the result of anything we did or do. We should not respond with a sense of entitlement nor arrogance and we should not be self-reliant as God alone provides - John 15:5 reminds us that apart from God we can do nothing. We should also see how God loves us even in our punishment, and that He welcomes back those who repent as the commentary closes with a reference to the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and love me - not because of anything I do or did, but simply because You are full of grace. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
