Daily Devotional Wednesday 1st January 2020
by William Moody
Malachi 1:1–5
1:1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.1
The Lord’s Love for Israel
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 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, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”
Footnotes
[1] 1:1
Malachi means my messenger (ESV)
| Date B.C. | Events | Bible Books |
| 597-587 | Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed, the people taken into exile. | Jeremiah Ezekiel |
| 587-539 | Exile in Babylon | Daniel |
| 539 | Cyrus allows the first group to return with Haggai Zerubbabel and the temple is rebuilt. | Haggai Zechariah |
| 485 | Xerxes is king | Esther |
| 458 | Second group return with Ezra | Ezra |
| 445 | Third group return with Nehemiah and the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt. | Nehemiah |
Malachi’s prophecy is estimated to have come between Ezra and Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem. The name Malachi means ‘my messenger’.
The word oracle (masa) can be translated as ‘burden’ which speaks of a message that weighs heavy not just on Malachi but also on the Lord. The word of the Lord’ is a normal prophetic designation and emphasises the authority with which Malachi speaks to God’s people Israel.
There is a problem here of God not being believed and this includes when He speaks of His love (v2). God’s people struggle when they don’t believe God.
To confirm His love God goes to the doctrine of election (v2-3) and Israel’s privileged position compared to Esau and the Edomites who were related to them (v4-5). This truth of election is humbling, but it brings home the wonder of God’s mercy (see Romans 9 v12-16).
The theme of seeing that ‘Great is the Lord’ (v5) will be repeated (v11) and is a particular passion of God’s here. Do you see the greatness of God in His work of salvation? Pray about this.
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