Malachi my messenger

To Judah. This is the final book of the Old Testament. Malachi is the last messenger until John the Baptist comes on the scene 400 years later.

Judah had completed her punishment of 70 years in exile in Babylon. Tens of thousands of Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and the city wall. Perhaps disappointed that life was still very hard, the people became complacent about Temple worship and returned to the patterns of sin that had caused them to be punished in the first place.

Malachi used a series of rhetorical questions to make the Jews aware of their sin. He wanted them to repent and abide by the terms of the ancient covenant they had with the Lord. They would be accepted and richly blessed if they did what was right. The day of the Lord is coming! Malachi set the stage for the coming of Christ. He proved that, in spite of God’s mercy, human nature had not changed. A Messiah was needed whose Spirit would change the hearts of people in a lasting way.