Malachi - At A Glance

Theme: Malachi's message was to confront the people with their sins and to restore their relationship with God. The people had not learned the lesson of exile nor listened to the prophets. Men were callously divorcing their faithful wives to marry younger pagan women. Pride had caused their hardened hearts to ignore God's law.

Malachi 1
At a Glance (14 V)
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1-6_I have loved you, says the LORD. But you ask how can that be? I chose Jacob over Esau.

A son honors his father and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? If I am a master, where is My respect? You, O priests, have despised My name. You ask, how have we despised Your name?

__7-9_You are presenting defiled food upon My alter. You ask how this is? It happens when you present the blind, the lame and the sick for sacrifice. This is evil on your part. Would you offer such a gift to your governor? Would he take kindly to such a gift? Do you expect to entreat God's favor with an offering such as this?

__10-13_Oh that there was one among you who would put a stop to this. My name is to be great among the nations, but you are profaning it. You tire of honoring me with what is your own and bring what was taken in robbery and what is lame or sick. Should I receive that from your hand?

__14_The one who has a male and vows it but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the LORD is a swindler. Don't you understand that My name is feared among the nations? I am a great King, says the LORD of Hosts.

Malachi 2
At a Glance (17 V)
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1-6_Here is a commandment for you, O priests. If you will not listen and take to heart to give My name honor by doing as I ask, then I will send a curse on you.

I made a covenant with Levi for life and peace. He was to be in awe of My name. He was to have true instruction and walk with Me turning many back from iniquity.

__7-9_The lips of a priest should preserve knowledge. Men should seek instruction from him as the messenger of the LORD. But you have turned aside from the way and caused many to stumble. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi. So I have made you despised by the people because of your unfaithfulness to Me.

__10-12_Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why have you not been fair with your brother? Judah has dealt treacherously and profanes the LORD's sanctuary. The LORD will remove from Israel those who do these things.

__13-15_And you cover the alter of the LORD with tears, weeping and groaning because He does not regard your offering. You ask why He does not accept it? Because He has been a witness to the way you have treated the wife of your youth whom you made a marriage covenant with. No one does this who has a remnant of the Spirit.

__16-17_I hate divorce, says the LORD God of Israel. Take heed that you do not deal treacherously with your wife.

You have wearied the LORD with your words. What words you ask? When you say:
"Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them."
Or
"Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 3
At a Glance (18 V)
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1-3_Behold, I am going to send My messenger. He will clear the way before Me. And the LORD, Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple. Who can endure the day of His coming? He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers soap. He will purify the sons of Levi so that they may present the LORD's offerings in righteousness.

__4-5_Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD, as in the old days. Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, those who swear falsely, those who oppress the wage earner, the widow and the orphan, those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me.

__6-8_For I, the LORD, do not change. Therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed.

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes. Return to Me and I will return to you, says the LORD. But you ask, how shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. How? In tithes and offerings.

__9-11_You are cursed because the whole nation of you rob Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer that would destroy your crops, says the LORD.

__12-15_All the nations will call you blessed for your land shall be delightful to behold.

Your words to Me have been arrogant, says the LORD. Yet you ask, when have we spoken against You? When you say it is vain to serve the LORD, and how have we profited by doing as He asks? And so the wicked are built up and they test God.

__16-18_Then those who feared the LORD spoke to each other and the LORD noticed. A book of remembrance was written in His presence listing those who fear His name. They will be mine, says the LORD. On the day that I prepare My own possession I will spare them, so that you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked.

Malachi 4
At a Glance (6 V)
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1-3_The day is coming that will burn like a furnace. The arrogant and the evil doer will be chaff. They will be set ablaze, says the LORD. But for those who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. You will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under your feet, says the LORD.

__4-6_Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will reconcile the hearts of the father and their children, lest I come and smite the land.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4