04/17/2021 – Day 335 – Malachi 1 – 4// “Final Old Testament Message to a Disobediant Nation”
Halley’s Bible Handbook summarizes: “Malachi exact date is not known. It is generally aceepted that he lived 10 years after Haggai and Zechariah; and that that he was associated with Ezra and Neheiah in their reforms. His date is place approxiamtely at 450 – 400 B.C.
A Remnant had returned from Captivity (536 B.C.) Under leadership of Haggai and Zechariah they had rebuilt the Temple (520 – 516 B.C.) Then 60 years later (457 B.C.), Ezra came to help reestabilish the nation. Then, 11 years later (444 B.C.) Nehemiah came, and rebuilt the wall.
This in Malachi’s time, the Jews had been home from Babylon about 100 years, cured by the captivity, of their Idolatry, but prone to neglect the House of God. The priests had become lax and degenerate, Sacrifices were inferior. Tithes were neglected. The people had reverted to their old practice of intermarrying with idolatrous neighbors. (See on Ezra 9)
So the Jews, favored of God above all nations, discouraged by their weakness , and wedded to their sins, had settled down, in a lethargic state of mind, to await the coming of the Promised Messiah. Malachi assured them that the Messiah would come, but that it would mean judgment for such as they.”
3:1: The prophesy of the coming messenger, John the Baptist was fulfilled in Matthew 11:10; Luke 1: 13-17; 1:76. See also Isaiah 40:3.