The Prophets - Malachi

          All of Malachi 

          Chapters 1-4

  Paraphrased, Condensed

 and Snipped.. Last prophet

 🗝️ [Information] (Thoughts)

1 - The word/message of the Lord to Israel by Malachi — 2 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 not so much. His hill country is laid waste and his heritage is left to jackals of the desert. 4 If Edom (descended from Esau) says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD says, “Build they may, but torn down, broken, called ‘the wicked territory,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is indignant forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see it, and you will say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

     6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my reverence? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests (leaders, rulers) who despise my name. 7-9 Your offerings and sacrifices are not right.. Yet you think to seek my favor.. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors about you, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! You are not pleasing, says the Lord of hosts, I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name should be great among the nations, and in every place incense offered to my name, a pure offering! (With love and joy!) 12 But my name/reputation is defamed when spoilage is the fruit of your table. 13 What a weariness you say this is, scoffing you bring what has been taken by force or is lame or sick..

Chapter 2 

And now, O priests this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart ..will not your blessings be cursed? The refuse of your solemn feasts is on your faces...4 My covenant with Levi (public servants) should continue.. It was one of life and peace, which I gave to him. A noble covenant.. He stood in awe of my name. 6 No wrong was found on his lips, but true instruction. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from wickedness and corruption. 7 For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge secure, and the people be able to seek instruction from his words, for he is the messenger of the LORD. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi.. 9 and so ..despised and abased are you before all people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality. 10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 ..abomination has been committed.. The sanctuary of the Lord profaned.. foreign ‘gods’.. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents any doing this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

     13 And this second thing you do. ..For what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 The man who does not love his wife but puts her away, says the Lord, the God of Israel, his way is violence. 17 You have wearied the Lord with your complaints. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where iS the God of justice?”

Chapter 3

1 - Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way.. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings of righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offerings will be pleasing to the Lord as in days of old and former years.

     5 Then I will swiftly draw near for judgment against the sorcerers, against the adulterers (with other ‘gods’). Against those who swear falsely against others, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, who oppress the widow or the fatherless, against those who abuse the sojourner, and doing so do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

     6 “But I the Lord do not change, therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. [Food for the Levites, who are having to work in the fields rather than in public and civic service as arranged.] ... And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more lack. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD.

13 Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, “How have we spoken against you?” 14 You have said, “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.”

     16 Then those who honored the LORD spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who honor the Lord and esteem his name. 17 “They shall be mine” says the LORD of hosts, “in the day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his son.18 Then once more you shall discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”

Chapter 4

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the arrogant [zed - insolent, presumptuous] and all that are doing [asah - accomplish, make, do] evil will be stubble. The day that is coming will set them ablaze, says the Yahweh of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who reverence my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings, and you shall go out leaping like calves released from the stall. 3 You shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. (I think he claims it - consequences, called wrath - because it is He after all, who created a cause and effect universe.) 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 And behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (“Better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone than to harm one of these little ones” Lk.17:2.)