 Questions and Answers - Malachi 1 - 4 |
| Q. When was the Book of Malachi written? | A. 450 - 400 B.C. |
| Q. Who were Malachi's contemporaries? | A. Esther, Nehemiah and Ezra. |
| Q. How did Malachi prophesy? | A. Malachi 1:1 = God gave Israel His message through Malachi. |
| Q. How does God view Himself through all of Israel's ups and downs? |
A. Malachi 1:2 = As having loved them deeply. Note: God treats us as a good Father treats His children: Disciplining us to save us from worse things we're drawn to or eventual death, and loving us when we're upright. I would expect no less from my earthly father! |
| Q. How did Israel respond to discipline? |
A. Malachi 1:2 = With attitude, resentment and self-pity. Note: We all have children who act this way in a state of disciplinary actin. Resenting, unaccepting of their discipline, they return to their sin. All sin is about how we treat God. If you sin against people, you sin against God who made them. Don't be offended when your kids sin against you. Be alarmed that they sin against God. Show them this important truth and when they go through life, they will be less inclined to sin and more inclined to have a steady awareness of their heavenly Father. The best thing about being accountable to God is that, unlike our earthly fathers, He is perfect and loving, and we have no history of bad blood between us! And God never holds a grudge! Alleluiah! |
| Q. How did God show His love for Israel? | A. Malachi 1:2 = By loving Jacob. |
| Q. Why did God reject his twin brother, Esau? |
A. Esau didn't take his birthright seriously and sold it to Jacob for a meal. Note: Do yo take your birthright seriously? Are you a child of God, adopted into His family? Your birthright is just as important as Esau's. If you don't take it seriously, God will reject you too! |
| Q. Were Esau's people in Edom long-suffering? | A. Malachi 1:4 = Yes. They plodded on with great determination and resolve, but without God. |
| Q. What does God think of that? | A. Malachi 1:4 = Rotsaruck! God came against Esau's people in Edom and all their efforts, as a display to them of His power. |
| Q. What kind of trouble were the proiests in with God? | A. Malachi 1:8 = They were offering up imperfect animal sacrifices to God on the altar. They knew better because they would never give a gift of one of these animals to a human VIP. |
| Q. How does God see such tainted sacrifices? | A. Malachi 1:7 = As despising His name. |
| Q. What happens as a result? |
A. Malachi 1:6 = 1) God will send a prophet to rebuke you 2) v.9 = God withdraws. Note: If I withdraw from God, He withdraws from me. |
| Q. What would God rather have than tainted sacrifices? | A. Malachi 1:10 = The Temple closed and no sacrifices at all. |
| Q. By this time, were there believers around the world? |
A. Malachi 1:11 = Yes. And they worshipped God right! Note: One tends to think that God was exclusive to Israel in Old Testament times. But people worshipped Him rightly around the world for who knows how long! |
| Q. What mindset did these priests have? | A. Malachi 1:13 = "It's too hard to serve the Lord!" |
| Q. What is really behind this mindset? | A. Malachi 1:13 = Snobbery. They turned up their noses at God's commands. |
| Q. If I promise God one fine thing and give Him something pathetic instead, what am I? | A. Malachi 1:14 = A cheat. |
| Q. Who are we offering sacrifices to when we do? |
A. Malachi 1:14 = The greatest King there ever lived. Note: God asks us to treat Him as we would a king on earth, mindful of the quality of our gifts and sacrifices for Him. Sacrifices are a forerunner of what was still to come—Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. Untainted, perfect and pure Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world. It was very important to keep the Law pure at that time (and now), in order for them to see clearly that Lamb to come. |
| Q. What would happen if they continued offering tainted sacrifices? | A. Malachi 2:4 = The Covenant made with the Levites would be broken, and by their own hands. |
| Q. What was the purpose of that Covenant? | A. Malachi 2:5 = To bring life and peace, which they had. |
| Q. What is the price of such a Covenant? | A. Malachi 2:5 = Reverence for God. |
| Q. What was the Levites' purpose? | A. Malachi 2:5-7 = To receive truth from God and then pass it on to His people. They stood in wonder of God's magnificence! |
| Q. What were the standards for Levites like (also priests and pastors today)? |
A. Malachi 2:6 = 1) They did not lie or cheat 2)They walked with God 3) They lived good and righteous lives 4) Turning away from lives of sinKbr> 5) They guard knowledge 6) People should go to them for instruction. |
| Q. Why should people go to them for instruction? | A. Malachi 2:7 = Because they are the messengers of the Lord Almighty. |
| Q. What does an evil priest do? |
A. Malachi 2:8 = 1) He leaves God's path 2) His bad guidance causes many to stumble into sin 3) He corrupts the Covenant God made with the Levites 4)v.9 = He shows partiality in his interpretation of the Scriptures. |
| Q. What is God's punishment for evil priests? | A. Malachi 2:9 = God makes them despised and humiliated in the eyes of all people. |
| Q. What does it mean to show partiality in interpretation of the Scriptures? |
A. Malachi 2:9 = 1) Ignoring those verses that speak conviction, especially if you are in that specific sin 2) Deciding that some parts of the Bible are more important than others 3) Deciding that some sins are more defiling than others 4) Using my knowledge of the Scriptures as a weapon against my brother 5) Reading the Scriptures half-heartedly 6) Forgetting who authored the Scriptures 7) Not being in awe of God while teaching the Scriptures 8) Using the Scriptures to counsel and offering only condemnation and not restoration 9) Using the Scriptures to offer pat answers to people in deep anguish. Note: It is important that we teach ALL of God to the people. 1) God is Just as well as Judge 2) God loves completely and also hates wrong 3) God is Father and Disciplinarian 4) God's good Words and wrathful Words are always fulfilled 5) God blesses and curses 6) God is both stern and forgiving 7) God is Righteous, yet He knows our weakness 8) God is always there to help, but only with our permission 9) God's Word in us is His desire, but it is our choice to learn it 10) God desires spiritual maturity for us, but won't force it on us 11) Secret life-giving treasures abound in the Scriptures, but only God can show them to us 12) God wants our attention, but He won't grab it from us 13) God disciplines to draw us back to Himself, but we don't have to go 14) Without God, we are nothing; with God we are kings. |
| Q. What does it mean to be faithless? |
A. Malachi 2:10 = 1) Violating our relationship with God in marrying blatant unbelievers and then goingto church to ask God for blessings 2) Violating marriage vows. |
| Q. What is so special about being married? | A. Malachi 2:15 = The Covenant of marriage makes a married couple belong to God as one entity. |
| Q. How does one avoid temptation to cheat on one's partner? |
A. Malachi 2:15 = You must guard yourself and make the choice to remain loyal to your spouse. Note: How3 do you guard yourself? "Put on the armor of God that you will be able to resist the fiery darts of the enemy." (Ephesians 6:13) That is spiritual armor—and it is very important to put it on every morning! |
| Q. What does God think of divorce? | A. Malachi 2:16 = God hates divorce. He knows that unfaithfulness causes it. Divorce is cruel. |
| Q. Does God get tired of our accusations against Him? | A. Malachi 2:17 = Yes. |
| Q. What do we accuse God of doing? | A. Malachi 2:17 = Showing favor to evil people because He doesn't punish them. Saying, "Where is justice?" |
| Q. Why are these words so tiresome? | A. Malachi 2:17 = Because God's people are punished by God through evil nations. They don't recognize or repent of their own sins that cause the punishment. |
| Q. What other prophecies are here in Malachi? | A. Malachi 3:1 = John the Baptist's coming. |
| Q. Who speaks of him? | A. Malachi 3:1 = The Lord. |
| Q. What does it say about John the Baptist's message? |
A. Malachi 3:2-5 = The Lord describes John's ministry to come: 1) His words of truth that cut to the heart; a refining fire 2) He'll judge the world 3) Purify the Levites so they can do their job right 4) Accept offerings 5) Put Israel on trial and be an eye witness against all sorcerers, adulterers and liars, cheaters, unfair employers, oppressors of orphans and widows, and those who don't see that foreigners get justice. |
| Q. What kind of people sin like this? | A. Malachi 3:5 = People who don't know God. |
| Q. How do I repent? |
A. Malachi 3:7 = If I return to God, He will return to me. Note: How do you return to God? Read Malachi, to start with. Repent of your sins and wasted time in the world. God forgives and forgets. You need to examine yourself and sit before God humbly and let Him show you all your sins so you can deal with them. Get in the Word, find a church and surround yourself with believers who are committed to each other and to God. |
| Q. What does it mean that they cheated God? | A. Malachi 3:8 = Old Testament tithes and offerings were withheld. |
| Q. What resulted? |
A. Malachi 3:8 = The whole nation was under a curse. Note: Remember, God is speaking of Levitical Law. When the people obeyed the Law, God could draw near to them. But the priests offered tainted burnt offerings, as we saw eralier, and the people stopped obeying the Law. The Temple couldn't function without tithes and offerings, the priests had no food to eat, much less anything of value to offer up on the altar. |
| Q. How could they remedy the situation? The people were under a curse! | A. Malachi 3:10 = They were to start obeying God immediately. God knew they would be hesitant, so He invited them to test Him in this area. He promised great blessing in their produce, and protection from bugs too. |
| Q. What else would happen? |
A. Malachi 3:12 = All the nations would call them blessed. Note: The best testimony we can have is handling a situation God's way before the world. The worst testimony is handling it with panic, complaining, hysterics and moaning, which will only result in premature atging and poor health! It's hard to sit down in a hurricane, but it's the only real choice we've got. Pray, pray, pray through the hurricanes! |
| Q. How do we speak terrible things about the Lord? |
A. Malachi 3:14 = 1) We declare that it doesn't help us to have known God. 2) That serving God is futile. 3) That being sorry for sins has brought us nothing. |
| Q. What does this complaining lead to? |
A. Malachi 3:15 = Mocking God's Word; twisting it carelessly and causing ourselves woe. Note: Words are powerful! This is the worse use of them I can imagine! |
| Q. Did their bad words bear bad fruit? |
A. Malachi 3:15 = Oh yes! Look at these words: "Blessed are the Arrogant, for those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them go free of harm." Note: And so it happened to them! All words spoken do matter and to all of us. Always speak words of blessing to everyone. Declare good words to the skies and to the mountains, to every man, woman and child; your enemies and friends, every politician, every ailing person, every beast and fish. Good words bring life. As a believer, you have great power to speak great things into peoples' lives! |
| Q. What happened when God was finished speaking these words to the people? | A. Malachi 3:16 = Those who loved God discussed God's words with one another. |
| Q. Who was eavesdropping on them? |
A. Malachi 3:16 = God was! Note: Did you know that God listens to your responses to good sermons and prophets and wise leaders? Where you are spiritually is reflected in your willingness to accept truth and internalize it. Don't mock the preacher! If you don't understand his message, as God for understanding and always try to make sense of it. You will add truth to your life! |
| Q. Did God like what He overheard? | A. Malachi 3:16 = Yes. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him. |
| Q. What will the scroll be used for? | A. Malachi 3:17 = On the day when God acts, those recorded in the scroll will be His own special treasure. He will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. |
| Q. What will this show His people? | A. Malachi 3:18 = The difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. |
| Q. So wicked folks are those who do not serve God? |
A. Malachi 3:18 = Yes. Note: To serve God, according to Malachi, and in God's own words, requires God's set behavior patterns. Look at the chart below and see wickedness the way God sees it in the Book of Malachi; see righteousness the way God sees it in the Book of Malachi. |
| Verse | Righteous Person | Verse | Wicked Person |
| Malachi 1:2 | Knows God loves him deeply | Malachi 1:2,4 | Shows attitude, resents discipline, has self-pity, works very hard, determined in his own strength |
| Malachi 1:2 | Takes his place with God seriously | Malachi 1:8 | Is half-hearted in his worship, despising God |
| Malachi 1:14 | Knows that God is the greatest King | Malachi 1:6 | Doesn't listen to rebuke |
| Malachi 2:5 | Has life and peace on earth | Malachi 1:9 | Withdraws from God |
| Malachi 2:5 | Is reverent toward God | Malachi 1:13 | Thinks being a believer is too hard |
| Malachi 2:5-7 | Receives truth from God and passes it on | Malachi 1:13 | Has an attitude of snobbery toward God's Word |
| Malachi 2:5-7 | Stands in wonder at God's magnificence | Malachi 1:14 | Cheats God, promising one thing and giving another lesser thing. |
| Malachi 2:6 | Doesn't lie | Malachi 2:6 | Lies |
| Malachi 2:6 | Doesn't cheat | Malachi 2:6 | Cheats |
| Malachi 2:6 | Walks with God | Malachi 2:8 | Leaves God's path for him |
| Malachi 2:6 | Lives a good and righteous life | Malachi 2:8 | Gives bad guidance, causing many to stumble |
| Malachi 2:6 | Turns many from sin | Malachi 2:8 | Corrupts the Covenant of God made with the Levites |
| Malachi 2:6 | Guards knowledge | Malachi 2:9 | Shows partiality with God's Word |
| Malachi 2:6 | People go to him for instruction because they know he is God's messenger | Malachi 2:9 | Is dispised and humiliated in all eyes |
| Malachi 2:15 | Marries a believer and knows they are one entity together with God | Malachi 2:10 | Marries an unbeliever |
| Malachi 2:15 | Guards himself and makes the choice to be loyal to his spouse | Malachi 2:10 | Attends church though disobedient |
| Malachi 2:16 | Knows God hates divorce | Malachi 2:17 | Accuses God of loving his wicked enemies |
| Malachi 2:16 | Knows divorce is cruel | Malachi 2:17 | Refuses to repent or acknowledge his sin |
| Malachi 3:2-5 | Speaks God's Word, though it cuts him and others like a knife, like a refining fire | Malachi 3:2-5 | Is God's enemy |
| Malachi 3:2-5 | Sees the world for what it is and judges it as wrong when it goes up against God's Word | Malachi 3:2-5 | Practices sorcery |
| Malachi 3:2-5 | Helps the preacher be a better messenger | Malachi 3:2-5 | Practices adultery (in heart or deed) |
| Malachi 3:2-5 | Does spiritual warfare against God's enemies | Malachi 3:2-5 | Is an unfair employer |
| Malachi 3:7,10 | Repents and is blessed | Malachi 3:2-5 | Oppresses orphans and widows |
| Malachi 3:7,10 | Handles problems God's way | Malachi 3:2-5 | Ignores justice on behalf of those who cannot help themselves |
| Malachi 3:16 | Takes to heart God's truth | Malachi 3:2-5 | Doesn't know God (he cannot know God apart from His Word) |
| Malachi 3:16 | God knows his name and protects him | Malachi 3:7 | Doesn't repent |
| Malachi 3:18 | And people know he belongs to God because of his blessed life | Malachi 3:8 | Helps cause a curse to come to his nation |
| * | * | Malachi 3:14 | Says, "Knowing God hasn't helped me." |
| * | * | Malachi 3:15 | Mocks God's Word, trusting in it carelessly, causing himself woe |
| * | * | Malachi 3:16 | Speaks words of destruction that come to pass in his own life and in his nation |
| Q. What will the Day of Judgment be like? |
A. Malachi 4:1 = It will burn like a furnace. teh arrogant and wicked will be burned up like straw on that day, consumed like a tree—roots and all. Note 1: Notice two types of people mentioned here: arrogant and wicked. Arrogance is seeing oneself as above pure servanthood to God. Wickedness is knowing God's Word and corrupting it, which causes people to stumble. Arrogance is a willful ignorance of God's Word, declaring adamantly that apart from God is wonderful; arrogance and runs away from God's messengers. Wickdness is facing God's messengers with murder in mind, while knowing the truth. Arrogance is, when there comes contradiction between man's thinking and God's Word, it holds men's thinking above God's Word. Arrogance is spending most of one's life as a preacher or teacher, not teaching God's Word as the final truth, nor encouraging each person reliant on his shepherding to be transformed by the Word, because he is not transformed himself. Arrogance says 'the end justifies the means', instead of holding everything up to the light of God's Word. Arrogance manifests itself as spiritual immaturity, even in old age, due to the lack of God's Word in one's life. All can see arrogance, except for the arrogant one, who thinks he is the very first one with his message! Humility cures arrogance. Arrogance is a sin of the mind; wickedness is an evil deed that all can see. Arrogance is discovered in one's speech. Wickedness is discovered in one's actions. Note 2: Analogy: There was once a young gal who came from a volatile family. There were alcohol, drugs and open sin all around her. She desired peace and seemed to get her wish. She met a young man with a peaceable family and felt accepted, well, almost at once. Time passed. Salvation came to her, then to her young man and they were eventually married. His mother admitted to being in a believer's camp. His father confronted him privately and declared quietly that all religions were one in the same. The son quietly disagreed. The father became resentful of the son, affecting his inheritance and his future. Willful arrogance kept his father from seeking God. He had different bibles from Mormon to Jehovah's Witness to the King James Version. But this man wouldn't subject himself to the living God. That is arrogance. If you are confused by multi-exposure to religions, you need only to go to the Living God in Jesus' name and ask Him to reveal Himself. The son's mother had taken her salvation lightly and, sadly, had never cracked open a Bible. When her new daughter-in-law encouraged her to read it, she shot her down, saying, "I'll read what I want and you read what you want!" It was then that I realized she didn't know God at all. My heart breaks to know about this family. They raised children just as arrogant and even more so. Our sins have lasting effects. This family made enemies of their son, as they have set themselves up against God, choosing an ethereal power over the God of the Bible. Therefore, I will pray for them and seek God's blessings, standing in the gap for them, for they think their sense of peace is real and are deep within the enemy's camp. This is my prayer for them: May God bless your eyes with true sight and purpose. May all your devotion to the things of this world be turned to advance the kingdom of God. May your children know God and be zealots for Him. May you make up for lost time and live worthy lives henceforth. May God's Word blow you away so you will never be the same. Amen. |