Malachi

Open Text | Commentary

The last of the OT prophets, Malachi served the community of Judah who had returned to their homeland after their exile under the Babylonians. Though the temple in Jerusalem and the wall protecting the city had been rebuilt, life was still difficult for the people, as would have been evident already from the opposition they faced from the surrounding peoples as reflected in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

We know very little about him as a person. Some commentators even doubt if his name is Malachi. This is because his name means "my messenger." Mal 1:1 may, therefore, be translated "A prophecy: the word of the Lord to Israel through my messenger" without losing any sense. The name appears nowhere else in the Bible to help clarify the question. Unlike his near contemporaries Haggai and Zechariah, Malachi also did not "date stamp" his oracles; so we are not able to date his ministry with precision. Nonetheless, what he says reflect the circumstances of the post-exilic period after the temple has be rebuilt (see, e.g., 1:10, 3:1), and most biblical scholars posit Malachi about 450 BC, in the reign of Artaxerxes I, r464-424/3 (see also Persian Kings).

At the heart of Malachi's preaching is the message of God's great love. Unfortunately sermons on Malachi almost always turn soon to two issues—divorce and tithing—which serve only as illustrations of the people's faithlessness (in the NIV the adjective 'unfaitful' occurs 5x in Malachi; 8% of 63x in the Bible), their failure to appreciate God's love and to respond appropriately. It is imperative that we get back to the heart when we do preach it.

If you are a relatively new preacher, the book of Malachi is an excellent book to preach from. It has the advantage of being short, and most of the issues he raises are relatively easy to understand, and his message is immediately relevant. Master the book and preach earnestly from it.

Read the entry in:

Eaton's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Media Resources:

Peter Adam, Exposing Half-Hearted Religion I. First of 3 addresses given at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly 2006. ProclamationTrust.
Audio N (Open on Phone)

Peter Adam, Exposing Half-Hearted Religion II. Second of 3 addresses given at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly 2006. ProclamationTrust.
Audio N (Open on Phone)

Peter Adam, Exposing Half-Hearted Religion III. Last of 3 addresses given at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly 2006. ProclamationTrust.
Audio N (Open on Phone)

Aneirin Glyn and Chris Fishlock, "Returning to God." This is a series of six sermons preached at St Helen's Bishopsgate, London, in 2013.
Audio N (Open on Phone)

Nancy Guthrie, "Lee Gatiss on Malachi," The Gospel Coalition, US edition. Interview of Lee Gatiss, with the emphasis on how to teach the book of Malachi. 21 April, 2016. 1.13.33 hr.
Podcast N (Open on Phone) ★

David Pawson, "Malachi, Part 1," being Part 59 of the series Unlocking the Old Testament. DavidPawson.org.
Audio N (Open on Phone)

David Pawson, "Malachi, Part 2," being Part 59 of the series Unlocking the Old Testament. DavidPawson.org.
Audio N (Open on Phone)

John Piper, Malachi: The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise. 12 sermons on the last book of the OT. DesiringGod.com
Audio N (Open on Phone)

Sermons:

Gordon Hugerberger, Sermon Series on Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Biblical eLearning. 12 sermons (select the specific sermons from the list on the page).
Audio N (Open on Phone)

Print Resources:

Lee Gatiss, Leaders' Notes on Malachi. St Helen's Bishopsgate, London.
Pdf N 5-6 (Open on Phone)

Joyce G. Baldwin, "Malachi 1:11 and the Worship of the Nations in the Old Testament," Tyndale Bulletin 23 (1972): 117-124.
Pdf N 6 (Open on Phone)

Walter C. Kaiser Jr., "The promise of the arrival of Elijah in Malachi and the Gospels," Grace Theological Journal 3.2 (Fall 1982): 221-233.
Pdf N 6-7 (Open on Phone)

Ronald W. Pierce, "Literary Connectors and a Haggai/Zechariah/Malachi Corpus," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 27.3 (1984): 277-289.
Pdf N 6 (Open on Phone)

John Proctor, "Fire in God's House: Influence of Malachi 3 in the NT," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36.1 (March 1993): 9-14.
Pdf N 6 (Open on Phone)

John B. Taylor, "And He Shall Purify: an Exposition of Malachi Chapters Two and Three," Anvil 15.1 (1998): 6-12.
Pdf N 5-6 (Open on Phone)

Commentaries & Exposition:

Ordered alphabetically according to author. Starred item ★ are particularly useful to lay-preachers.

Peter Adam, The Message of Malachi (Bible Speaks Today; Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press, 2013). ★

Joyce Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, old series; Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1972). ★

Andrew Hill, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, new series; Nottingham: IVP Academic, 2012). ★

Jacobs de Mignon, The Books of Haggai and Malachi (New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Eerdmans: 2017).

Anthony R. Petterson, Haggai, Zechariah & Malachi (Apollos Old Testament Commenatary; Notthingham: IVP Academic, 2015).

R. L. Smith, Micah-Malachi (Word Biblical Commentary; Waco, Tx: Word Books, 1984).

Richard A. Taylor & E. Ray Clendenen, Haggai & Malachi (New American Commentary; Nashville, Tenn; Holman, 2004).