Who Was Malachi Written To and Why?

 by Sisterlisa
My husband and I have studied Malachi several times. Instead of just writing this as an article, I chose to present it to you as a study. You need your Bible so you can read along.
Malachi 1:1-5 shows us God’s great love for Israel.
Verses 6-14 He tells how the priests have dishonored the Lord.
There is a pattern in how God speaks to the priests and how they respond to him, it begins like this:

V. 6..”O priests that despise my name and ye say”, “Wherein have we despised thy name?”

This follows a pattern throughout the entire book of Malachi.
Malachi 2:1, “And now O ye priests, this commandment is FOR YOU” (caps by me)
Read Ch 2: 1-7 to see how God feels about them
Malachi 2:8-9 now he rebukes them.
2:10-16 describes their treachery
v 17 shows that pattern again,

“Ye have wearied the Lord with your words, Yet ye say, “Wherein have we wearied Him?”

Malachi Chapter 3 shows that He will send his messenger. he says in verse 1 that ‘he shall prepare the way before me’..we know that John was called to prepare the way for the Lord.
v 1 also says The Lord of this temple shall come suddenly..the messenger of the covenant.
Verses 2-4 tells us that He is coming to refine…to purge that they may offer an offering of righteousness, so it would be pleasant to the Lord as in the days of old.
Beginning in 3:5 he describes His judgment upon the priests. They did not take care of the widows, fatherless, and strangers. Read through to verse 7 where he says to return to Him and He will return to them and they ask again (the pattern is here too)

“Wherein shall we return?”

Remember he is still talking to the priests. He has been…. all through this book.
and again in verse 8 He says they have robbed him and they say (here’s the pattern again)

“Wherein have we robbed thee?”

He say to the PRIESTS, “In tithes and offerings.”
v 9 he tells them their punishment ” YE are cursed with a curse” He is still talking to the Priests.
He goes on to say, “Ye have robbed me, even this whole nation” in Hebrew it says, “הַגֹּ֖וי כֻּלֹּֽו׃ ” which is “The Whole Nation”

The priests were robbing God and the whole nation. Looking back it shows that they were supposed to be caring for the widows, fatherless, and strangers.
Verses 10-12 He gives them a promise…to show mercy and grace if they come back to him and do as He asks.
in Verse 13: He continues with rebuke.Read the verses..it still shows the pattern..

“What have we spoken so much against you?”

finish reading through to verse 15.
In Verse 16, God tells the priests that the people were talking to one another about all this. God heard them and kept everything they said in a book of remembrance.
CAUTION to those who call themselves religious leaders…..He is still speaking this message to you today. Are you taking care of the people’s needs? or are you more concerned with building a social center?
Finish reading the rest of chapter 3 and then finish with chapter 4 where he again tells the priests there SHALL be a burning someday. He offers mercy if they turn to him and consequences if they do not.
I do not believe this burning is about hell. I believe, in the context of the passage, that he is talking about a refining and purging of the method of giving and providing for the people.
When Jesus came to die and rise again, he taught a different message to His people. He began to teach them to bring of their abundance so the elders, pastors, and apostles could freely disperse all the giving to those that he ALWAYS wanted to provide for. In the NT we are told that as the Believers lived THIS way..(giving of their abundance) that the people had no lack and they lived equally. What the priests would NOT do when the people were TRUSTING them with their tithes and offerings, Jesus Christ handed over to the people. They had cried out to him about their lack and He has given to US the opportunity to provide for one another.
This does not mean we are to pay for lazy people to live off of us. We are definitely to work, but sometimes bad stuff happens to good people and they need help. Most churches today lack in this area. How many widows do you know that are living in squander on a measly amount of SSI and go without help at home, or a house keeper to help her? What about kids whose fathers left them? Do they have clothing and school supplies?
Why is the government having to do what WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO? If we each did as God leaned upon our hearts to do…in compassion…he will bless! Can each one of us find someone in need and commit to helping them with SOMETHING?

The message given from God, through Malachi, to the priests, because the people were crying out to Him in their need.

What were those priests doing? What were they thinking? Why did they have to keep asking God (paraphrase) “What did WE do wrong?” I believe they were so blinded by their own selfish desires, they failed to see the need for the people. Are we walking in the priest’s shoes today? Are the religious leaders of today consuming the offerings of the people for themselves and the religious buildings while the widows, fatherless, and strangers go without? Or has the government been making it easy for you to live selfishly while SSI and welfare takes care of them?
I encourage to read more about New Testament Giving.

 

New Testament Giving Part 7 Tithe Fulfilled

There are some that will tell you that you need to tithe to be right with God. First of all, let me say that there is NO amount of obeying that YOU can do in order to be ‘right with God’. Being right with God is by Christ alone! Paying a tithe, by Old Testament Law, does not make us right with God.

Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Ephesians 2:8-9, ” 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The Old Testament Law has been fulfilled by Christ, our Lord. (See Galatians 4 and Colossians 2) There are some who teach the OT Tithe using Malachi 3:8, yet the also fail to inform you that the book of Malachi is actually not even written to the people, it is written to the Levite Priests!

Malachi 2:1-2, “1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.”

I highly recommend for you to read the entire book of Malachi, it doesn’t take long and it is easy to understand who God is talking to and what He is angry about.

Galatians 3:10-25 10″For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

In Hebrews chapter 7 we are taught about the relationship Abraham had with Melchisedec in regards to him being his priest and the one in whom he gave tithes to.


Hebrews 7:1-28 “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

3Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

5And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

8And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

11If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

12For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

17For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

22By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”

Jesus Christ is our High Priest, of whom we give ourselves to. He has no need of tithes. He and His Apostles and disciples taught, very clearly, How to Give in The New Testament.