MALACHI Introduction 1 1 -5 North

MALACHI Introduction &1: 1 -5 • • North York (Chinese) Baptist Church ESC Sunday School October 2, 2011 Pastor Lu-Lu Ling

Malachi Historical Background

YEAR (B. C. ) EVENT 722 Israel fell to Assyria 605 1 st deportation 597 2 nd deportation 586 Jerusalem fell, 3 rd deportation 583 4 th deportation 539 Cyrus – Persian Empire 538 -537 1 st return (Ezra 1: 1 -3) ? ? 2 nd return (Ezra 2, 3)

YEAR (B. C. ) EVENT 536 -530 Opposition (Ezra 4: 1 -5) Building stopped (Ezra 4: 24) 520 516 Building restarted (Ezra 5: 2, 6: 14; Hag 1: 14) Temple completed (Ezra 6: 15) 458 3 rd return: build faith (Ezra 7) 445 4 th return: build wall (Neh) 500 -430 Malachi: holy living

God’s Building Projects Temple People Wall/ People Zerubbabel, Joshua, Haggai, Zechariah 536 -516 B. C. Ezra: taught the Law (7: 10) 457 B. C. Nehemiah 444 B. C. , 432 B. C. , ? ? ? Malachi: Holy Living 500 – 430 B. C. Malachi: Title or Name?

Common Themes in Malachi, Ezra. Nehemiah Subject Malachi Foreign wives 2: 10 -16 Social Justice 2: 17 -3: 6 Tithing 3: 7 -12 Ezra Nehemiah 9 -10 13: 23 -27 5: 1 -13 13: 1 -14

Malachi Structure 6 questions that God said the people were asking/ thinking

# Six Questions & Conclusion 7 Questions & Conclusion Introduction 1: 1 1 How have you loved us? 1: 2 -5 2 How have we despised your name? 1: 6 -2: 9 For what reason? 2: 10 -16 4 How they have wearied the Lord? 2: 17 -3: 6 How have we wearied the Lord? 2: 17 -3: 6 5 Now should we return? 3: 7 -12 How should we return? 3: 7 6 How have we spoken against the Lord? 3: 13 -15 How have we robbed the Lord? 3: 8 -12 3 7 How have we spoken against the Lord? 3: 13 -15 Conclusion 4: 1 -6 The Day of the Lord 4: 1 -3 The Promise 4: 4 -6

Malachi Chiastic Structure A Superscription (1: 1) B First Disputation (1: 2 -5) C Second Disputation (1: 6— 2: 9) D Third Disputation (2: 10 -16) D' Fourth Disputation (2: 17— 3: 6) C' Fifth Disputation (3: 7 -12) B' Sixth Disputation (3: 13— 4: 3 A' Summary challenge (4: 4 -6)

Malachi Chiastic Structure A Superscription (1: 1): Yahweh has a message for Israel. B First Disputation (1: 2 -5): God distinguishes between the good and the wicked. The proof of His love is His sparing the righteous and condemning the wicked. C Second Disputation (1: 6— 2: 9): Condemnation of improper, begrudging offerings, promise of reversal of blessing, and the greatness of Yahweh's name among the nations. D Third Disputation (2: 10 -16): The Lord is witness to marital fidelity, and Judah is unfaithful. D' Fourth Disputation (2: 17— 3: 6): The Lord is witness to marital fidelity, and Judah is unfaithful. C' Fifth Disputation (3: 7 -12): Condemnation of improper, begrudging offerings, promise of reversal of blessing, and the greatness of Yahweh's name among the nations. B' Sixth Disputation (3: 13— 4: 3): God distinguishes between the good and the wicked. The proof of His love is His sparing the righteous and condemning the wicked. A' Summary challenge (4: 4 -6): Yahweh has a message for Israel.

Malachi 1: 2 -5 1 An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. “I have loved you, ” says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us? ’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? ” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland left his inheritance to the desert jackals. ” 4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins. ” But this is what the LORD Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the LORD—even beyond the borders of Israel!’ 2

Structure of Malachi 1: 1 -5 1: 1 An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi A. Blessings for Jacob v. 2 B. Judgment for Esau v. 3 C. Edom’s lack of Repentance v. 4 a B. Judgment for Esau v. 4 b A. Blessings for Jacob v. 5

Esau and Edom

How has God loved Israel? What is common between Esau and Jacob? What is the difference between Esau/Edom and Israel? Was God fair to Esau? (Paul used this passage in Romans 9: 13)