MALACHI: A STORY OF LOVE AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
By R. Herbert
“So I will come to put you on trial … says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 3:5
Malachi is a fascinating book. It is unclear exactly when it was written, and even whether Malachi is the name of the author or simply a title (malachi means “my messenger” in Hebrew, and the word is not found as a name anywhere else in the Bible), but the “message” of Malachi is clear.
The last book in both the Hebrew Tanak and the Christian Old Testament, Malachi deals with the theme of God’s judgment on the unfaithful and backsliding post-exilic Jewish community, and His eventual judgment of all peoples. But there is an underlying aspect to this theme which is seldom mentioned in commentaries on this book. Malachi presents his message by way of legal complaints produced in trial. In this “trial” God Himself brings a number of charges against Israel, all of which Israel denies. God then provides evidence of Israel’s guilt in each case.
Guilty as charged
Malachi begins immediately with the first charge: “I have loved you,” says the LORD “ (Malachi 1:2) and the charge is implied in this simple statement. God had loved Israel over a great length of time, yet His people had refused to return His love and had been constantly unfaithful to the covenant which He had made with them. Israel’s ungrateful response to the charge: “How have you loved us?” is all the more reprehensible considering God had only recently created the circumstances which allowed the Jews to return from captivity.
Malachi then lists a number of ways in which Israel persisted in breaking its covenant with God and rejecting the love He gave them. First, he charges that Israel had greatly disrespected God (Malachi 1:6) Once again Israel denies the charge: “How have we shown contempt for your name?” , but the evidence is clear: by offering blemished and inferior offerings (Malachi 1:7-8). Malachi particularly faults the priests for accepting and offering such sacrifices: “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger [malach] of the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 2:7).
The same legal pattern of charge, denial, and then presentation of evidence of guilt is repeated throughout the greater part of the book of Malachi:
Charge: The Israelites were breaking their covenant with God by marrying women who worshiped foreign gods, by being unfaithful to their own wives, and by divorcing them (Malachi 2: 12-16).
Charge: Israel was breaking its covenant with God through the injustice which permeated the land (Malachi 2:17 – 3:5).
At this key point the legal nature of this book is made especially clear. God says to Israel : “I will send my messenger (malachi), who will prepare the way before me … the messenger (malach) of the covenant …” (Malachi 3:1) and “… I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 3: 5; see also Isaiah 3:13-15 where God also appears as prosecuting attorney and judge).
Two final charges follow this legal broadside:
Charge: Israel was being unfaithful in its tithes – by not paying a full tithe. (Malachi 3:8-10).
Charge: ‘You have spoken arrogantly against me,’ says the LORD. You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements …’ (Malachi 3:13-15).
Applying the charges to ourselves
Throughout these legal proceedings, Malachi shows the Israelites repeatedly denied the charges brought against them, asking “how have we done this?” or “how have we done that?” They are portrayed as full of sin, yet clean in their own eyes. But before we judge them for this, could any of these charges apply to spiritual Israel? Can we ask ourselves the same questions that God asked them?
Have we failed in our covenant relationship with God in any of the ways spelled out in the charges leveled in the book of Malachi? Let’s take a single example and look at the charge of giving inferior offerings. Malachi shows the Israelites were giving blemished and sub-standard offerings to God that they would probably be embarrassed to give as gifts to one another. It’s easy to read over this and not see how it might apply in our lives, but does it? Malachi offers an instructive example from everyday life in any age: “Try offering [the inferior offerings] to your governor [read “boss”]! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?’ says the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 1:8).
We may faithfully give to our church in terms of monetary offerings, but what about the other things we offer God? Are our prayers too often short, “sleepytime” offerings which skimp on our covenant relationship? We talk about spending “quality time” with our mates, but what about the quality of the time we give to God each day and week – is it hastily crammed in around the edges, or is it something better? How about the Sabbath? Do we keep it in the letter of the law, or do we see it as an opportunity to offer some undivided attention to God within the parameters of the day? These things are just as much our offerings to God as our monetary support of the Gospel.
All of Israel’s failings in their covenant relationship with God have obvious and sometimes not so obvious parallels in our lives (Romans 15:4), and some of the charges against physical Israel may apply to us today. They are worth thinking about.
Suspended penalties and the law of love
Before he moves to the penalty phase of trial, Malachi shows that some few do accept the charges by admitting guilt and penitently turning to God. “Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. “ ‘On the day when I act,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.’ ” (Malachi 3:16-18).
The final section of Malachi then jumps to a future time when most humans finally will understand, appreciate and respond to the covenant that God has offered them and will no longer deceive themselves: “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not” (Malachi 3:18). For those who do not, the penalty will be inescapable and final (Malachi 4:1).
“But for you who revere my name” God says, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays …” (Malachi 4:2). What does this mention of the sun in Malachi have to do with a legal trial? It is interesting that for many of the nations which were ancient Israel’s neighbors, the sun god was also the god of justice and the sun was thus a symbol of justice and law in the Near East, just as the scales of justice are a symbol of law to us. But Malachi stresses that rather than some pagan sun god, the “sun of righteousness” - the embodiment of perfect righteous law - would rise on God’s repentant people.
Then Malachi ends on words that focus on both the law of God: “Remember the law…” (Malachi 4:4) and the love of God which began this book: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents….” (Malachi 4:5-6).
This turning of the hearts as a result of the work of an Elijah-like figure doubtless applies equally to our relationship with our spiritual parent as much as it does to physical parent-child relationships. It also has two possible applications in terms of the person of the latter day Elijah. In the first and clearest application, the prophet “Elijah” indicates John the Baptist who prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus and the institution of the new covenant . “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) Notice also the words of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord … by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven” (Luke 1: 76-78 which uses the same imagery of the rising sun as Malachi 4:3-4). Jesus himself confirms this identity of Malachi’s Elijah figure in Matthew 11:14 by saying of John the Baptist, “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come” (see also Matthew 17:10-12).
In the second understanding, this prophecy also applies to some yet future individual or individuals, but in either case, the closing section of Malachi clearly stresses the parent-child relationship as a metaphor of the love that God has offered throughout the human story.
When God says “I have loved you” at the opening of Malachi it is in the legal context of Israelite and human failure to respond to his love. But the closing verses of this book show that due to the love of God these legal proceedings will eventually have a good outcome for those who accept God’s love. The book of Malachi plainly shows that law has a place in love, and that love has a vital place in law.
By R. Herbert
“So I will come to put you on trial … says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 3:5
Malachi is a fascinating book. It is unclear exactly when it was written, and even whether Malachi is the name of the author or simply a title (malachi means “my messenger” in Hebrew, and the word is not found as a name anywhere else in the Bible), but the “message” of Malachi is clear.
The last book in both the Hebrew Tanak and the Christian Old Testament, Malachi deals with the theme of God’s judgment on the unfaithful and backsliding post-exilic Jewish community, and His eventual judgment of all peoples. But there is an underlying aspect to this theme which is seldom mentioned in commentaries on this book. Malachi presents his message by way of legal complaints produced in trial. In this “trial” God Himself brings a number of charges against Israel, all of which Israel denies. God then provides evidence of Israel’s guilt in each case.
Guilty as charged
Malachi begins immediately with the first charge: “I have loved you,” says the LORD “ (Malachi 1:2) and the charge is implied in this simple statement. God had loved Israel over a great length of time, yet His people had refused to return His love and had been constantly unfaithful to the covenant which He had made with them. Israel’s ungrateful response to the charge: “How have you loved us?” is all the more reprehensible considering God had only recently created the circumstances which allowed the Jews to return from captivity.
Malachi then lists a number of ways in which Israel persisted in breaking its covenant with God and rejecting the love He gave them. First, he charges that Israel had greatly disrespected God (Malachi 1:6) Once again Israel denies the charge: “How have we shown contempt for your name?” , but the evidence is clear: by offering blemished and inferior offerings (Malachi 1:7-8). Malachi particularly faults the priests for accepting and offering such sacrifices: “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger [malach] of the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 2:7).
The same legal pattern of charge, denial, and then presentation of evidence of guilt is repeated throughout the greater part of the book of Malachi:
Charge: The Israelites were breaking their covenant with God by marrying women who worshiped foreign gods, by being unfaithful to their own wives, and by divorcing them (Malachi 2: 12-16).
Charge: Israel was breaking its covenant with God through the injustice which permeated the land (Malachi 2:17 – 3:5).
At this key point the legal nature of this book is made especially clear. God says to Israel : “I will send my messenger (malachi), who will prepare the way before me … the messenger (malach) of the covenant …” (Malachi 3:1) and “… I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 3: 5; see also Isaiah 3:13-15 where God also appears as prosecuting attorney and judge).
Two final charges follow this legal broadside:
Charge: Israel was being unfaithful in its tithes – by not paying a full tithe. (Malachi 3:8-10).
Charge: ‘You have spoken arrogantly against me,’ says the LORD. You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements …’ (Malachi 3:13-15).
Applying the charges to ourselves
Throughout these legal proceedings, Malachi shows the Israelites repeatedly denied the charges brought against them, asking “how have we done this?” or “how have we done that?” They are portrayed as full of sin, yet clean in their own eyes. But before we judge them for this, could any of these charges apply to spiritual Israel? Can we ask ourselves the same questions that God asked them?
Have we failed in our covenant relationship with God in any of the ways spelled out in the charges leveled in the book of Malachi? Let’s take a single example and look at the charge of giving inferior offerings. Malachi shows the Israelites were giving blemished and sub-standard offerings to God that they would probably be embarrassed to give as gifts to one another. It’s easy to read over this and not see how it might apply in our lives, but does it? Malachi offers an instructive example from everyday life in any age: “Try offering [the inferior offerings] to your governor [read “boss”]! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?’ says the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 1:8).
We may faithfully give to our church in terms of monetary offerings, but what about the other things we offer God? Are our prayers too often short, “sleepytime” offerings which skimp on our covenant relationship? We talk about spending “quality time” with our mates, but what about the quality of the time we give to God each day and week – is it hastily crammed in around the edges, or is it something better? How about the Sabbath? Do we keep it in the letter of the law, or do we see it as an opportunity to offer some undivided attention to God within the parameters of the day? These things are just as much our offerings to God as our monetary support of the Gospel.
All of Israel’s failings in their covenant relationship with God have obvious and sometimes not so obvious parallels in our lives (Romans 15:4), and some of the charges against physical Israel may apply to us today. They are worth thinking about.
Suspended penalties and the law of love
Before he moves to the penalty phase of trial, Malachi shows that some few do accept the charges by admitting guilt and penitently turning to God. “Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. “ ‘On the day when I act,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.’ ” (Malachi 3:16-18).
The final section of Malachi then jumps to a future time when most humans finally will understand, appreciate and respond to the covenant that God has offered them and will no longer deceive themselves: “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not” (Malachi 3:18). For those who do not, the penalty will be inescapable and final (Malachi 4:1).
“But for you who revere my name” God says, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays …” (Malachi 4:2). What does this mention of the sun in Malachi have to do with a legal trial? It is interesting that for many of the nations which were ancient Israel’s neighbors, the sun god was also the god of justice and the sun was thus a symbol of justice and law in the Near East, just as the scales of justice are a symbol of law to us. But Malachi stresses that rather than some pagan sun god, the “sun of righteousness” - the embodiment of perfect righteous law - would rise on God’s repentant people.
Then Malachi ends on words that focus on both the law of God: “Remember the law…” (Malachi 4:4) and the love of God which began this book: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents….” (Malachi 4:5-6).
This turning of the hearts as a result of the work of an Elijah-like figure doubtless applies equally to our relationship with our spiritual parent as much as it does to physical parent-child relationships. It also has two possible applications in terms of the person of the latter day Elijah. In the first and clearest application, the prophet “Elijah” indicates John the Baptist who prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus and the institution of the new covenant . “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) Notice also the words of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord … by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven” (Luke 1: 76-78 which uses the same imagery of the rising sun as Malachi 4:3-4). Jesus himself confirms this identity of Malachi’s Elijah figure in Matthew 11:14 by saying of John the Baptist, “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come” (see also Matthew 17:10-12).
In the second understanding, this prophecy also applies to some yet future individual or individuals, but in either case, the closing section of Malachi clearly stresses the parent-child relationship as a metaphor of the love that God has offered throughout the human story.
When God says “I have loved you” at the opening of Malachi it is in the legal context of Israelite and human failure to respond to his love. But the closing verses of this book show that due to the love of God these legal proceedings will eventually have a good outcome for those who accept God’s love. The book of Malachi plainly shows that law has a place in love, and that love has a vital place in law.
