THE NAME MALACHI MEANS "MY MESSENGER," 3:1. THE BOOK DEALS WITH ISSUES THAT INDICATE WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN. MALACHI'S LITERARY STRUCTURE IS UNIQUE. IT IS MADE UP OF SIX SECTIONS. EACH SECTION. EACH SECTION BEGINS WITH A STATEMENT AND A QUESTION., AND THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL EXPANDS ON THE THEME. TO ILLUSTRATE, NOTE 2:17-3:4.
"YOU HAVE WEARIED ME WITH YOUR WORDS.
YET 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?' "
THE VERSES THAT FOLLOW DECLARE THAT GOD WILL INDEED JUDGE, AND THAT HIS JUDGEMENT WILL BE LIKE A REFINER'S FIRE. NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE HIS COMING.
1. 1:-5 THE LORD'S LOVE FOR JACOB IS GREATER THAN HIS LOVE FOR ESAU.
2.1:6-2:9 BOTH THE PRIESTS AND LAITY ARE WITHHOLDING HONOR FROM THE LORD.
3. 2:10-16 JEWISH MEN HAVE BEEN MARRYING FOREIGN WOMEN.
4. 2: 17-3:5 THE PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONED THE LORD'S JUSTICE. HE WILL JUDGE THEM FOR THIS.
5. 3:6-12 THE PEOPLE ARE ROBBING THE LORD BY WITHHOLDING FROM HIM THE TITHES FROM HIM WHICH ARE DUE HIM.
6. 3:13 4:3. MANY IN THE COMMUNITY NEGLECT THEIR DUTY TO WORSHIP HIM, SOME EVEN DESPISE WORSHIP. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SOME WHO ARE FAITHFUL; THEY WILL BE REWARDED.
THE WORSHIP LIFE IN THE TEMPLE WAS AT A LOW EBB; WORSHIPPERS THOUGHT THEY COULD OFFER BLEMISHED ANIMALS IN THEIR SACRIFICES, 1:7,8,13. THE BLAME IS LAID AT THE FEET OF THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE PRIESTS ,2:1-3, 8,9, MANY IN THE COMMUNITY FLIPPANTLY DECLARED THAT IT MADE MORE SENSE TO BE IRRELIGIOUS THEN RELIGIOUS; TO BE IRRELIGIOUS PAID A BETTER DIVIDEND. MALACHI DESCRIBED THE PRIESTHOOD AS IGNORANT, INDULGENT, AND GRASPING, HE FELT COMPELLED TO ATTACK THEM. THE REFERENCES TO ABUSES IN THE TEMPLE, DIVORCE AND MIXED MARRIAGES, AND EXPLOITATION OF THE POOR BY THE RICH INDICATE THAT MALACHI WAS WRITTEN BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF NEHEMIAH AND EZRA, POSSIBLY 500-450 B.C.
MALACHI REPEATS OBADIAH'S THREAT OF IMPENDING DISASTER FOR EDOMITES, 1:3-5. SOME INTERPRET HIS REFERENCE TO WIDE-SPREAD, ACCEPTABLE GENTILE WORSHIP QUITE LITERALLY; OTHERS RELATE IT TO THE EXPECTED MESSIANIC AGE WHEN SACRIFICES OF ALL NATIONS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD, 1:11. BOTH MALACHI AND JOEL STRESSED THE NEARNESS OF THE DAY OF THE LORD.. MALACHI SAID THAT WOULD SEND ELIJAH TO PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR ITS COMING. MALACHI REPEATS OBADIAH'S THREAT OF IMPENDING DISASTER FOR THE EDOMITES, 1:3,5. SOME INTERPRET HIS REFERENCE TO WIDE-SPREAD, ACCEPTABLE GENTILE WORSHIP QUITE LITERALLY; OTHERS RELATE IT TO THE EXPECTED MESSIANIC AGE WHEN SACRIFICES OF ALL NATIONS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD ALSO THE DESCRIPTION OF THE IDEAL PRIEST. (2:5-7). AND THE LIST OF BLESSINGS THE OBEDIENT COULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE 3:10-12, 16,17; 4:2,3; A SEPERATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS FROM THE UNRIGHTEOUS TAKES PLACE ALREADY IN THIS LIFE. THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO FEARED THE LORD WERE BEING RECORDED IN A BOOK, THEY WOULD BE SPARED ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT,3:16. THE BOOK ENDS BY STATING THAT THE LORD WOULD SEND ELIJAH, THE PROPHET PAR EXCELLENCE, TO SUMMON ISRAEL TO REPENTANCE, AND PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD. 3:1-4; 4:5,6; SEE ALSO MATTHEW 11: 10:14; 11:17:10-13; MARK 1:2; 6:14,15; LUKE 1:17, 76; 7:27.
JOEL: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT JOEL, THE SON OF PETHUEL, AND WHEN HE DID HIS WORK. HIS BOOK DOES NOT MENTION ANY REIGNING KING. ELDERS AND PRIESTS OCCUPY THE PROMINENT POSITIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, 1:2,13; 2:16-17. JUDAH IS CALLED ISRAEL, INDICATING THAT THE NORTHERN TRIBES NO LONGER EXIST. 2:27.
THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, THE EXILE, AND THE ANNEXATION OF JEWISH TERRITORY ARE BUT MEMORIES, 3:1-3, 17. THE COMMUNITY JOEL ADDRESSED OCCUPIES ONLY A SMALL TRACT OF GROUND; IT IS VIRTUALLY WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE TRUMPET BLAST. THOUGH THE EXILE IS OVER, SOME JEWS ARE SCATTERED AMONG THE NATIONS 3;2. TO ADD TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE POST EXILIC COMMUNITY, THE PHOENICIANS AND THE PHILISTINES HAD SOLD OFF SOME OF ITS MEMBERS AS SLAVES TO THE GREEKS 3:6. JOEL WAS WRITTEN ABOUT THE TIME OF MALACHI, POSSIBLY A LITTLE LATER. OTHERS DATE IT AFTER THE TIME OF NEHEMIAH AND EZRA- A TIME WHEN THE RESTORED REMNANT HAD RALLIED AROUND THE TEMPLE, MADE THE LAW THE FOCAL POINT OF ITS INTERESTS AND SETTLED DOWN TO WAIT FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD. JOEL SPOKE AT THE TIME WHEN THE LAND WAS BEING RAVAGED BY A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS AND THE PEOPLE WERE TERROR-STRICKEN. JOEL SAID THE PLAGUE WAS MORE THAN A PASSING PHENOMENON OF NATURE; IT HERALDED THE DAY OF THE LORD AND FORESHADOWED THE FINAL ATTACK THE LORD'S ENEMIES WOULD MAKE ON JUDAH AND ITS GOD. THE LOCUSTS ARE DESCRIBED AS A INVADING ARMY. THEIR MARCH ACROSS THE LAND SHOULD AROUSE WITHIN THE PEOPLE THE HOLY FEAR OF THE LORD'S POWER. HE URGED THE PEOPLE TO INTENSE PRAYER. JOEL'S MESSAGE HAD THE DESIRED EFFECT; THE PEOPLE GAVE THEMSELVES OVER TO REPENTANCE AND PRAYER. JOEL DID NOT STOP THERE, JUST AS THE PLAGUE WOULD BE DISPERSED, SO TOO WOULD THE HARASSING NATIONS BE DESTROYED ON THAT DAY WHEN THE LORD WOULD INTERVENE DECISIVELY ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE. JUDAH WOULD THEN FLOURISH AGAIN 2:18-27. JOEL MAKES USE OF APOCALYPTIC IMAGERY; THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY, 2:28,29; CATACLYSMIC CHANGES IN THE SUN,MOON, AND THE EARTH, 2"30-32, THE ASSEMBLY OF THE NATIONS IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT(" THE LORD JUDGES") FOR JUDGMENT, 3:2,12; THE FLOWING OF A HEALING STREAM FROM THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM,3:18 (SEE (EZEK 47:1ff AND ZECH. . 13;1).JOEL IS BEST REMEMBERED FOR THE USE PETER MADE OF HIM IN HIS PENTECOST SERMON, ACTS 2:17-21 (SEE JOEL 2:28; THE REFERENCE IN BOTH CONTEXTS IS TO ALL ISRAEL.";THE GENTILE PENTECOST IS REPORTED IN ACTS 10). RUTH WAS A MOBITEESS WHO GAVE UP HER COUNTRY AND HER "gods" TO BECOME AN EXEMPLARY ADHERENT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL.
"RUTH": THE NARRATIVE IS SET IN THE PERIOD OF JUDGES (1:1). HENCE ITS LOCATION IN OUR ENGLISH BIBLES. IN THE HEBREW BIBLE, RUTH IS PLACED AMONG THE "WRITINGS" WHERE IT IS THE SECOND OF THE MEGILLIOTH "(FIVE SCROLLS":
SONG OF SOLOMON, RUTH, LAMENTATIONS, ECCLESIASTES AND ESTHER)). AND IS READ AS PART OF THE JEWISH LITURGY FOR PENTECOST, THE FESTIVAL THAT CELEBRATES BOTH HARVEST AND THE GIVING OF THE LAW ON SINAI. THE AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN. THOUGH 1:1 SETS THE STORY IN THE PERIOD OF JUDGES, THE VERSE ITSELF SUGGESTS THAT THE TIME OF JUDGES WAS ALREADY REMOTE WHEN RUTH WAS WRITTEN. SOME BELIEVE IT WAS WRITTEN SOON AFTER THE TIME OF DAVID, 4:17. OTHERS OPT FOR A POST EXILIC DATING, AND POINT TO THE WORDS WHICH
APPEAR ONLY IN LATE OLD TESTAMENT WRITINGS. IN ANCIENT ISRAEL (AS IN OTHER PEOPLES OF THAT TIME). A STRONG SENSE OF FAMILY, SOLIDARITY EXISTED. A MAN HAD SONS AND, THEREBY, A CLAN, FAMILY,. EACH MEMBER OF THE CLAN
WAS CONSIDERED AN EXTENSION OF THE ORIGINAL PATRIARCH. A MAN PERPETUATED HIS NAME AND MEMORY THROUGH SONS AND GRANDSONS. IF HE DIED WITHOUT SONS, AND GRANDSONS HE DIED COMPLETELY AND THE LIFE OF THE CLAN CAME TO AN END. THE MANS BROTHER WAS OBLIGED TO MARRY HIS DECEASED BROTHERS WIDOW. THE FIRST SON OF THE NEW UNION WAS CONSIDERED THE SON OF THE DECEASED, THE HEIR TO HIS PROPERTY, AND THE SUSTAINER OF HIS NAME AND LINE. THE PUNCH LINE OF RUTH OCCURS IN 4: 17: "THEY NAMED HIM OBED: HE WAS THE FATHER OF JESSE, THE FATHER OF DAVID. THE FRUIT OF THE MARRIAGE OF RUTH AND BOAZ WAS OBED, DAVIDS GRANDFATHER. A SHORT GENEALOGY CONTAINING SIMILAR INFORMATION ABOUT DAVID;S FAMILY TREE WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE BOOKS PRESERVATION. THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH. THE AUTHOR GENTLY STRESSES RUTH'S MOABITE BACKGROUND (1:22; 2:2,6,21). AND HINTS THAT GOD ACCOMPLISHES HIS PURPOSES THROUGH EVENTS IN THE UNSPECTACULAR, EVERY DAY LIVES OF HIS PEOPLE.
OTHER REASONS FOR WRITING
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