Malachi Chapter One, Messenger of Yahweh

 

Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

 

Malachi, which means, “my messenger” was the final writing prophet of the Old Testament, as well as the last of what is commonly referred to as the Minor Prophets. The time of his prophecy settles in the 5^th century B.C. with dates ranging between 430-423 offered as potential the years of his activity. Malachi’s name hails from the Hebrew word “malak” and can be translated as “messenger” or “angel,” who are of course seen in Scripture as God’s messengers. The word “malak” denotes someone sent over a great distance by an individual or by a community to deliver a message.

Malachi followed Haggai and Zechariah in their subsequent prophetic careers since both men preceding Malachi cared deeply for the temple’s restoration (Haggai 1:2-4, Zechariah 4:9, 10), while their successor expresses his disgust with the peoples’ laxity toward proper worship, Malachi 1:6-8. There is a distinct chance that the prophet was either a contemporary to Nehemiah or prophesied shortly after the end of Nehemiah’s life, since both men address the same issues about their kinsmen, Nehemiah 13:10-13, 23-27, Malachi 1:6-10, 2:11, 12.

 

Malachi is the final prophet inspired by the Holy Spirit to visit Israel with God’s oracles before the long silence, broken first by John the Baptist and shortly thereafter by our Lord Jesus. Malachi’s vision is a burden, which is sometimes translated oracle or prophecy, save if it is in the context of the deliverance of divine judgment. The word’s first contextual appearance in Scripture tends to help elucidate a proper understanding.

 

The first mention of prophecy being a burden comes from 1 Kings 21. Elijah is divinely ordained to confront Ahab, a godless king of northern Israel, on a plot of land that the king murdered someone to possess. Elijah pronounced a severe judgment against Ahab for his wickedness. Upon hearing this, Ahab repented and humbled himself. God spoke again to Elijah, saying, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house,” 1 Kings 21:29. This calamity was accomplished by Jehu in the days of Elisha. Jehu confronted Joram (Jehoram), Ahab’s son and accused his bloodline (primarily through his mother Jezebel) of leading Israel into harlotry. When the king attempted to flee, Jehu killed him. Then we read, “Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up, and throw him into the tract of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember when you and I were riding together behind Ahab his father, that the Lord laid this burden upon him,” 2 Kings 9:25. The burden, or oracle, had been transferred from Ahab to Joram who was just as godless but much less willing to be humbled.

 

We find the term again in Isaiah 13:1: “The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.” The oracle, or burden, was a divinely passed sentence upon Babylon for their savagery and self-righteous pride. Isaiah goes on to pronounce judgment (burdens) upon various places and peoples 10 more times through 7 more chapters.

 

The idea of using the term “burden” might have come about because of the immense responsibility of the one chosen of God to deliver its contents to those it is meant for. In Jeremiah’s day there seems to have been perhaps flippant word play going on in regards to God’s messages of judgment, meant to forewarn people to mend their ways. False prophets prophesying dreams, lies, and practicing apparent plagiarism had corrupted and confused the Jewish mind as to the sacredness and sobriety of genuine oracles, Jeremiah 23:25-32. This attitude aroused ire from Yahweh, who says through Jeremiah, “And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord…And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden, for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God,” Jeremiah 23:33, 36 KJV.

 

The divine burden in Malachi’s instance had come to Israel, that is, a newly reinstated Israel under the diligent and faithful restoration perpetrated by Nehemiah, Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Joshua. These political and religious giants effected great reforms within Judah, restoring temple worship and Mosaic Law, Nehemiah 9:1-3. This final God ordained burden was given through Malachi, which again is translated “my messenger.” Some people believe “Malachi” is merely a cypher to create anonymity for the speaker since the name merely suggests the speaker’s function or purpose and not his identity. While interesting, it seems unnecessary for God’s prophet to hide, and while there are a few books in the Bible whose authorship is debatable from a human perspective, Malachi doesn’t fit the mold. Perhaps God chose Malachi because his name meant what it did, and because when this particular prophet went silent, so too would God, so to speak, for the next four centuries.