Malachi
Prophet of Covenant Faithfulness
Name Information
- Meaning: "My messenger"
- Language of Origin: Hebrew
- Gender Usage: Masculine
Malachi was the final prophet of the Old Testament, ministering to the returned exiles in Jerusalem. He confronted the people’s spiritual apathy, corrupt priests, and dishonorable worship. Malachi called Israel to faithfulness in their covenant with God and pointed forward to the coming messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord.
⏰ Mid-5th century BC (post-exilic period)
Roles
- Prophet
Story
Ministered to the Jewish community after the return from exile, when the temple had already been rebuilt.
Confronted priests for dishonoring God with polluted offerings.
Spoke against Israel’s unfaithfulness in marriage and failure to tithe.
Assured the faithful that God remembered them in His 'scroll of remembrance.'
Promised that the 'messenger of the covenant' would come to prepare the way for the Lord.
Spiritual Significance
- Confronted priests and people for offering defiled sacrifices and dishonoring God.
- Called the people to be faithful in marriage and in tithes.
- Warned of judgment but promised blessing for those who feared the Lord.
- Prophesied the coming of Elijah-like messenger before the great Day of the Lord.
Christ Connection
Malachi foretold the coming of John the Baptist, the messenger who prepared the way for Christ (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 11:10).
Jesus is the 'messenger of the covenant,' who fulfills God’s promises and brings salvation.
What We Can Learn
- God deserves pure worship, not leftovers or halfhearted offerings.
- Faithfulness in relationships, worship, and giving reflects covenant loyalty to God.
- God is unchanging, and His promises remain firm.
- God will send His messenger to prepare His people for His coming.
Memory Verses
‘I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.’
— Malachi 3:6Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
— Malachi 3:10See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
— Malachi 4:5
Key Passages
- Malachi 1–4
- Matthew 11:10
- Mark 1:2
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