Malachi Sermon Series

Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament, written after Israel’s return to the Promised Land in the 5th century B.C. After being conquered by the Babylonians in 586, Israel was exiled, scattered throughout the Middle East. Now they are back in their ancestral homeland, but despite this turn of events and the reconstruction of the temple, the people remain oppressed by pagan overlords, at this time the Persians.

The return was marked by great expectations for self-rule and the revival of their former glory, as during the reigns of David and Solomon. But it never happened. Malachi writes during a period of discouragement and disillusionment. Why isn’t God delivering them?

Having begun with hope and faithfulness, the people now believe God didn’t keep his end of the bargain. They doubt God’s love and care. As a result, their worship is lackluster and their hearts are stingy. And their relationships reflect the cynicism: they’re looking for love in all the wrong places. They’re unconcerned for justice and don’t care for the poor. Malachi shows us that the vertical (relationship with God) always impacts the horizontal (relationship with others).

Although written 2500 years ago, Malachi speaks directly and poignantly to many of the issues pervading the American Church. May God give us ears to hear and hearts that are soft to believe, “I have loved you,” says the Lord (1:2)!