Introduction:     The Book of Malachi is a small book with a big message. The Prophet Malachi is a minor prophet with a major message. The theme of the Book is "Getting Ready For The Coming Of The Lord."  The key verses of the book is found in chapter 3:1-2, The Book can be divided into 2 divisions: (Chapter 1-2) The Condition of the People. (Chapter 3-4) The Coming of the Lord. Malachi predicts a Returning Lord and preaches a ready people. Now understanding this, let's lay a foundation for the Book. First, notice:

I.          THE COMMISSION OF THE PROPHET!

In the beginning, lets acquaint ourselves with Malachi and learn a couple of things about the man and his message. First, notice: 

A.        Malachi The Man.

About all we know about Malachi is his name. His name means "My Messenger" or the "Messenger of God." We know nothing about his background. We know nothing about his family. We know nothing about his personality. All we know is that he was a man characterized by two features.

He was a man submitted to God. God had called and he had yielded. He was also a man sent by God. He was the "messenger of God." He was a man that had been sent by God. Malachi reminds us that God is not looking for people with impressive resumes', or a long list of credentials or recommendations, but one who is yielded to His will.

James A. Stewart in his book "Heaven's Throne Gift" has a chapter entitled "Four Fundamental Facts."  In the chapter he gives 4 great principles that we all need to listen to very carefully. He says:

·        What God claims, I yield.

·        What I yield, God accepts.

·        What God accepts, He fills.

·        What God fills, He uses.

There is a not one believer that cannot be used of God if these four laws are observed and obeyed. As it has often been said, "God is not looking for ability, but availability.

 B.         Malachi The Messenger.

We read in verse 1, "The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi." There was a word that God wanted sent to Israel and Malachi was the chosen messenger. Malachi was sent by God as a spokesman for God. Malachi had a message from God.

As we look at the message we see that it was a

·        Heavy message.  His message was called a "burden."  The word that is used was used to speak of an animal carrying a heavy load for its master. The word indicates that the message he delivered was heavy upon his heart.

·        Heavenly message. His message was called "the Word of the Lord." His message was God's Word. It was not Malachi's message. Malachi was but the delivery boy. It was God's message.

·        Hard message. The message was "to Israel." As we learn more about the message we will learn that the message was not sent to comfort, but to convict. It was not a message of commendation, but one of condemnation. It was not a message that delighted the people, but discomforted the people. Malachi's message was aimed at the people's personal sinfulness and spiritual blindness. Malachi's message was a direct word to a defiled walk.

We live in a day when preachers are fearful of hard preaching and people are resentful of hard preaching. I remind you that God is not only a Saviour but He is also a Surgeon. Before He can arise with healing in his wings He must cut out the sin in our hearts. The scalpel that He uses is His Word. The Hospital in which He performs the surgery is the Church. The staff is His preachers. I wouldn't give you a dime for a preacher that want tell it like it is. I wouldn't attend a Church where everything is right and nothing is wrong. We not only want to be blessed by the Word, but also broken by the Word.

President Grover Cleveland came home from Church one Sunday and his wife asked him what the message was about. He simply answered, "Sin." His wife asked, "Well, what did he say about it?" He answered, "I don't remember, but he was against it."

Preachers may not always like to preach a hard message and people especially may not like to hear a hard message, but sometimes the message of the Lord is meant to break rather than bless.

II.         THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE!

The condition of the people necessitated the content of the message. The message had to be hard because the people were hardened. The condition of the people is indicated by two particular features of  the book of Malachi.

A.        The Announcements Of God.

A specific feature of the book is that we find 7 times God made an announcement to the people. Briefly notice these 7 announcements. The first is found in

1.      Malachi 1:2, "I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob."

2.      Malachi 1:6, "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"

3.      Malachi 1:7, "Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible."

4.      Malachi 2:17, "Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?"

5.      Malachi 3:7, "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?"

6.      Malachi 3:8, " Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."

7.      Malachi 3:13, "Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?"

These announcements of God were for the purpose of showing their real condition in the eyes of God. These announcements revealed that the people were:

Denying His Love (1:2); Despising His Name (1:6); Defiling His Altar (1:7); Defying His Patience (2:17); Deserting His Fellowship (3:7); Debating His Command (3:8); Despairing His Service (3:13) 

B.         The Answers Of The People.

Another feature of the book is that to each of these announcements, the response of the people is marked by the word "Wherein." Notice again these seven announcements and the response of the people.

·        In 1:2 God said they were denying His love and they said, "Wherein hast Thou loved us?"

·        In 1:6 God said they were despising His name and they said, "Wherein have we despised Thy name?"

·        In 1:7 God said they were defiling His altar and they said "Wherein have we polluted Thee?"

·        In 2:17 God said they were defying His patience and they said, "Wherein have we wearied Him?"

·        In 3:7 God said they were deserting His fellowship and they said, "Wherein shall we return?"

·        In 3:8 God said they were debating His command and they said, "Wherein have we robbed Thee?"

·        In 3:13 God said they were despairing His service and they said, "What have we spoken so much against Thee?"  The words "What have we spoken" are the same as "Wherein."

Their answers reveal that they felt they were doing what was right and doing nothing wrong. Their answers said in effect, "What do you mean? We are not guilty of these things." Their answers reveal:

·        Their Spiritual Ignorance: (They did not know)

·        Their Spiritual Indifference: (They did not care)

·        Their Spiritual Incompliance: (They did not listen)

·        Their Spiritual Impertinence: (They argued with God) 

In their answers we see their dullness of hearing and  their hardness of heart. We see these people in a time when the Temple was rebuilt, the altar is set up, the sacrifices are offered, and the feasts and fasts are observed. They have all the outward form and ritual, but their heart was far from God. It is as Isaiah described in 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart from Me..." It is one thing to think we are right,  to declare we are right, and actually be right! There are numerous people who sit on Church pews week after week who claim to be close to God and in reality are no where near being close to God and right with God. It is a tragedy when people think they are right with God and in reality they are not! The real issue is not what we think but what God says about us!

III.       THE CORRUPTION OF THE PRIESTS!

We might ask, "How did these people get into such a condition?" The answer was in their spiritual leadership. The priests were corrupt and the end result was the people were corrupt. Do you realize that much rests upon those who are in a position of leadership? As has been correctly said, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." Good leadership lifts people. Bad leadership lowers people. We see this illustrated in Malachi.

A.        The Requirements Of Dedicated Leadership.

Notice Malachi 2:1, "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you." Also Malachi 2:7, "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." As God speaks to the leaders we see three things about dedicated leadership.

For one thing, dedicated leadership is a

·        Growing leadership.

The priests were to "keep knowledge." It is leadership that has learned and a leadership that is learning. It is leadership equipped and enabled by the personal growth and enrichment of their lives. In this case it a knowledge God's Word. How sad it is that people know so little about the Word of God. In one survey conducted by Gallup, 60% of Americans did not know what the Trinity was. 66% couldn't identify the person who delivered the sermon on the mount. 79% were not able to name a single OT prophet. The majority of those surveyed claimed to be Christians (81 %). Only 46% were able to name the four gospels. (Illus: a Bible knowledge test was given to 5 classes of High School seniors and most failed completely. Among the inaccuracies, they claimed that the Gospel writers were Matthew, Mark, Luther, and John. Eve was created out of an apple, and Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.) Spiritual leaders ought to growing in their knowledge of God's Word. There is a reason why leaders must grow in God' Word. It is because dedicated leadership is a

·        Guiding leadership. 

We read of the priests, "They should seek the law of His mouth." "They" refers to the people. The people were to seek God's Word and the priests were the ones that the people came to for spiritual advice. Leaders are Guiders. A leader must be a leader in spiritual truth. They must lead when it comes to the explanation of God's truth. Spiritual leaders should have a knowledge of God's Word and be able to help others to know what God expects and wants of their life. They must lead when it comes to the embodiment of God's truth. This seeking of truth was more than what they heard from their lips. It was also what they saw in their lives. Spiritual leaders are to model truth. They are to model faithfulness, trustfulness, and submissiveness. Finally dedicated leadership is a

·        Godly leadership.

The priests were called "Messengers of the Lord of Hosts." Spiritual leaders are representatives of God. They should be a reflection of the one they serve.

B.         The Reprimand Of Defiled Leadership.

We read in Malachi 3:7, "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?" Instead of consecrated leadership, there was corrupt leadership.

·        There was individual corruption. They had departed out of the way.

·        There was influential corruption. They led others astray. They caused others to stumble. Whereas the people were answerable to God for their sins, God laid the ultimate blame on the priests. Here is a call for spiritual leaders to be spiritual leaders! 

Conclusion:       Malachi is saying: "The Lord is coming!" In light of His coming both the PEOPLE and the PREACHER need to get right.