Malachi 1:1

This chapter begins with a statement of the name of the prophet and the identification of his message as the Word of God Himself (Malachi 1:1). The next four verses (Malachi 1:2-5) develop the thought that "God had loved Israel, a truth then denied by the people, but proved by God's citation of what he "had done" for them, illustrating it by a comparison of their state with that of Edom. We reject the notion that this is the whole message of Malachi, and even the allegation of "God's eternal, undying, perpetual love for faithless Israel." This prophecy is addressed to Israel, but it is the New Israel that shines in certain of its passages; and any supposition that God was now willing to forget all about his divorcing Israel (as Gomer in Hosea), and that he was now to be happily married for all eternity with the old whore whom he had divorced centuries earlier is nothing but a nightmare of misunderstanding. None of this is to deny that God indeed loves forever the true Israel, the righteous seed of Abraham (in the spiritual sense), and that there were surely some of this sacred number within the group of returnees from Babylon which then constituted the Israel mentioned here; but absolutely none of that love pertained to wicked and arrogant sinners whose only claim upon it was a mere racial connection with the patriarchs of the Old Testament.

What we are looking at in this chapter is Gomer back at home, no longer a trusted wife, but a slave, condemned to "sit still" for God until his purpose of redemption is assured in the birth of Messiah through her flesh. The view of the "Israel" which dominates Malachi is simply not that of a loving and repentant people, but that of the same old Israel that had gone into captivity. God simply would not renew their status as of old. "No king, no prince, no sacrifice, etc." That condition would be substituted for the old and lost intimacy. (See Hosea 3:4.)

The chapter continues with a stinging indictment of the whole people, especially their reprobate priesthood (Malachi 1:6-14).

Malachi 1:1

"The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi."

A literal reading of the Hebrew text here gives "by the hand of Malachi,"[1] and not merely "by Malachi." This indicates that Malachi is a person and that his proper name is given in this verse. See my introduction for full discussion of this.

"Burden of the word of Jehovah ..." This prophecy is thus called because the shameful and sweeping indictment of Israel is indeed a mighty weight upon the once-Chosen people; and yet, there is consolation in it also. "It is not a burden "against Israel," but a burden addressed "to Israel"; and in that profound truth lies the inherent glory of the remnant in the remnant who "feared Jehovah and thought upon his name" (Malachi 3:16ff). That group is the true Israel, still submerged in and indistinguishable (externally) from fleshly Israel, a condition that would continue until Pentecost. These two Israels must be kept continually in mind if one is to understand the prophets.

In all ages, God's Word has been "a burden" in various senses: (1) It is burden for those who are ashamed of it. (2) It is a burden for those who despise it, a burden that "will sink them to the lowest hell, unless they repent."[2] (3) It is a burden even for them that love and keep it, because of the obligations and duties imposed, as Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30); but in this connection, it should ever be remembered that Jesus' burden is the one that makes all other burdens light!

Before leaving Malachi 1:1, we stress that, "There is no adequate reason for rejecting Malachi as the name of this prophet."[3] "Responsible scholarship will not ignore information contained in such verses (as this one)."[4]