Malachi

Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. It's pretty small, and it has nothing much to say that hasn't been said before. Christians like one verse in it that has a prophecy of the birth of a great leader, but that one verse is about all you normally see from it. Here are a few other interesting thing in this book.

Mal 1:2-5 - I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say, "How have you loved us?" Is not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau; I have made his hill country a desolation and his heritage a desert for jackals. If Edom says, "We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins," the Lord of hosts says: They may build, but I will tear down, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry forever. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, "Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel!"
Maybe "great" is a poorly applied word in this case. Certainly not to be admired, for why should we admire a being who hated Esau for no particular reason, and continues to hate those he allows to be born? Another way of looking at this is rather Calvinistic - if a people or place experience bad things in their life, must that be taken as a sign of God's hatred?

Mal 1:6-9 - A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, "How have we despised your name?" By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say, "How have we polluted it?" By thinking that the Lord's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.
Now this is a pretty strange complaint, considering that in Ps 50:8-13, God says there that he's not interested in eating animals sacrificed in the temple. Why should God be concerned over the things put on his "table"? This sounds more like the words of a priest trying to get his followers to offer a better quality animal so he can eat better.

Mal 1:11 - For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
Since when has this happened? It certainly wasn't the case back when this was written! I think this is yet another case of an attempt to shame the Hebrew followers into following the religion more closely.

Mal 2:4-7 - Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Sounds like Levi was a sinless person, from what this says. However, more importantly, this passage tries to impart to all priests this aura of holiness, and make them the only source of knowledge, being the messenger from God. Experience shows that this leads to horrendous consequences - witness the Dark Ages, when this was practiced!

Mal 3:8-10 - Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, "How are we robbing you?" In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me-the whole nation of you! Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.
This looks like an obvious ploy from a priest to solidify the temple's cash flow. I know that this passage is used quite frequently by today's preachers (I even heard one say: "That's 10 percent of GROSS, people! Not NET! You're cheating if you try tithing on your NET income!"). My question is how many faithful gross-income tithers are there, and how many have had an overflowing payback dumped on them? Isn't it interesting that nearly all who would claim this also claim that their payback has been in completely non-tangible terms?

Mal 3:13-18 - You have spoken harsh words against me, says the Lord. Yet you say, "How have we spoken against you?" You have said, "It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of hosts? Now we count the arrogant happy; evildoers not only prosper, but when they put God to the test they escape." Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the Lord and thought on his name. They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them. Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
I find it interesting that this criticism of the faith is not really answered here. What good does following this religion do for its followers? Why do people like atheists have lives as good and happy as God's followers, and why doesn't this powerful war god not punish those atheists when they throw out a direct challenge? The answer found here is akin to "You'll see! I'm taking names, and I'll get my revenge ONE DAY!" That's avoiding the question and acting quite childish, if you ask me!

Mal 4:1-6 - See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.
A nice little bit of fire and damnation for the unchosen. All in the indeterminate future, though. Note that Elijah's only reason to return is to get people back to the old religion, to try and keep God from zapping the land. Not much of a mission, if you ask me!