Malachi Chapter 1 Introduction
The name "Malachi" means, "My messenger". In view of the statements in the book that describe various conditions found among God's people, this book fits nicely into the time frame of 445-432 B.C., when Nehemiah described some of the same conditions. Malachi mentions the "governor" (1:8) (indicating they were under foreign rule); the temple has been rebuilt (1:10; 3:1); so has the altar (1:7). And the mention of sacrifices (1:14) tithes (3:8) and incense (1:11) indicates that the worship had been restored. Robert Harkrider gives the following historical overview: “They had been back from Babylonian captivity for about a hundred years, and now the second and third generation of descendants had begun to lose sight of serving the Lord with wholehearted zeal. Though cured of idolatry, their outward formalism was worthless. Worship was in decay as the priests had been careless about insisting on proper sacrifices (1:6-8,13; 2:9) and tithing (3:810). Indifference and skepticism characterized the nation (3:14; 2:10). Furthermore, divorce and intermarriage with Gentile women was common (2:1116)” (The Minor Prophets. p. 131). In this book we find a new style of teaching. It has been called the "didacticdialectic" method of speaking. In simple terms this means that an assertion or charge is made, an anticipated response, which the hearers would make, or were thinking is given, and then the objection is refuted. This method of teaching became the predominant style of teaching found in Jewish schools and the synagogue. Ten times Malachi presents the people as interrupting with an objection (1:2 “But you say..”). A popular modern complaint that is often heard among religious people is that they are looking for a church that doesn't "preach to them". Malachi reminds us that we all need to be "preached to" now and then. Floyd Thompson used to
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