2005 Bible Reading

This page is not a commentary, nor an outline. It is something to bear in mind in this kind of reading. These materials I learnt from two books by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (How to Read the Bible for All Its worth; How to Read the Bible Book By Book). You could consult these books if you are interested.

Pastor Raymond

Malachi

There was hardly anything in the Bible about this prophet Malachi, the author of this final book of the Twelve. His name could be Malachi or it could just be a Hebrew word, “my messenger,” and not a proper noun. Therefore readers of Malachi should be careful in estimating the historical background from outside what is given in this book itself. Since the contents of this book share the following similarities with those in Nehemiah and Ezra, many scholars estimate that this book was a product around that period, about B. C. 460:

§ Mixed marriages (2:11-15; Ezra 9-10; Nehemiah 13:23-27)

§ Short changing the tithe (3:8-10; Nehemiah 13:1-14)

§ Corrupt priesthood (1:6-2:9; Nehemiah 13:1-9)

§ Social injustice (3:5; Nehemiah 5:1-13)

The book is structured around “disputes.” There are 6 of them, grouped into two sets (1:2-4:3). The book ends with two interesting sentences (4:4-6). Each of the disputes is introduced in a similar format:

§ Yahweh raised the matter of dispute

§ People’s rebuttal, often led in by “how so”

§ Yahweh’s response and explanation

A closer examination of the 6 disputes will reveal that the 1^st set revolves around the people’s complaint that Yahweh no longer loved His people. However, Yahweh not only reiterated His love towards them but also countered that it was they who no longer loved Yahweh. The second set deals with the alleged “unrighteousness” of Yahweh. The set-up is roughly as follows:

1. 1:2-5 Complaint: God did not love His people

Response: God “hated” Edom, the enemies of His people, was an expression of His

“love” (recall in loving Jacob and hating Esau, God revealed His election and rejection)

2. 1:6-2:9 Complaint: It was the people (represented by the priests) who did not love Yahweh

Explanation: Their offerings were “blemished” showing their unfaithful adherence to the covenant

3. 2:10-16 Complaint: It was the people who did not love Yahweh

Explanation: Their mixed marriages and divorces showed their unfaithfulness

4. 2:17-35 Complaint: God was unjust because the livelihood of the wicked was better than His

people

Response: The righteous LORD they sought would suddenly show up in the temple

executing the fiery judgment

5. 3:6-13 Complaint: It was the people who were unrighteous

Explanation: The people should repent of their sins because they showed their

unrighteousness in cheating the tithe (Note that one of the purposes of tithing was to support the Levites and the poor)

6. 3: 13-4:3 Complaint: Since God was unrighteous, therefore serving Him had no returns

Response: God would judge the proud (3:15; 4:1); doers of righteous acts and

servants of God would reap benefits (3:17; 4:2-3)

Judged from these two sets of disputes, it could be gathered that when the people of God fell into bad times, they did not know how to reflect on their own lives and their unfaithfulness. They lost faith in God, became discouraged and cynical. They misunderstood the real cause and effect in life and lost grasp of the faithful character of God.

Towards the end of this book, two names are mentioned: Moses and Elijah. On the one hand this is intended to remind the people to keep the commands of the Law (represented by Moses) and the Prophets (represented by Elijah). On the other hand, the appearance of them testified to the covenant faithfulness of God towards His people. In the New Testament, Moses and Elijah appeared at the transfiguration of Jesus, underlining the fact that the life and work of Jesus was the living proof of God’s faithfulness, righteousness and love toward His people.