Malachi
Malachi seems to have been the last of the prophets. Choose a verse or two that seems to you particulary appropriate as part of God's final prophetic message to the people of Judah. Why do you suppose there were no prophets after Malachi? How would the disappearance of the prophets have affected the Jewish community?
posted by Ancient Art at 10:21 AM
7 Comments:
Malachi is considered the last of the prophets because God was about to allow them to live on their own, like parents advising their son as he heads out of the door into the "real world." God reinforces his earlier messages of sticking to the Mosaic laws, the apperance of a messenger before Him, and the great day of the Lord.
One of the verses that appears to be his farewell is 3:6-7. "(6) For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. (7) Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, 'How shall we return?'" This verse significes that God will return when they repent and turn from their past ways. God has tried everything possible to turn His people away from their sinful nature. Now, he will neglect them and see what will happen.
The people knew that they have offended God in the past but were probably surprised that God did not speak to them through the prophets after Malachi because God was always there in the past to protect them and deliver them a message, especially if they didn't obey Him. Now with no prophets to spread God's message, the Jewish community probably felt an emptiness in their soul knowing that God was gone unless they repent of their ways.
I like the Malachi 1:6, He talks about how the son should honor his father, and a servant should obey his master. Then God says since I am your Father why do you not honor me? If I am your master why do you not obey me? This is a question that longed to be answered in the Old Testement. This is repeated over and over again and it is a good way to close the Old Testement out.
I am guessing that the reason we have no great prophets after this is because of the greatest prophecy comes true. The birth of Jesus comes, and the people of begin to see that God isn't messing around anymore. God did this to once and for all show the people his prescense. I think after Jesus was born people began to see God's greatness. A lot of people need to see things to believe them. Jesus came down to show people, to prove everyone that God is real, and the prophets know what they are talking about.
One quote I chose was Chapter 13 verse 1: "Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts." This seems to be refering to the New Testament and the coming of Christ, who was sent to bring everyong closer to God. This is very important because it seems God is one the verge of giving up on them. After everything he does for them and all the chances he gives, the people of Isreal always turn away and let him down. So God seems to be saying that sometime in the future he will give them another chance and this time it will be through someone who is more than a prophet and carries a new covenant for God and his people.
There probably aren't any prophets after Malachi because there is no more need for them. God has told the peopel of Isreal all he needs to until the coming of the messhiah. Also, the people just don't listen. So he is probably going to wait until enough time has passed and several generations have come and gone, and maybe then the people will listen to him.
Malachi 1:11 mentions how God's name will be great among the Gentiles and heathens. Malachi 3:1 mentions the "messenger" who sounds like John the Baptist. Malachi 3:1 continues with "and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Notice the two forms of lord: Lord and LORD signifying two different individuals, God and the Word.
The reason there would be no more prophets is that the Word (Lord) would be coming as the Son of God (Jesus). No prophet (servant) is greater than God (master). Most of the people probably did not really think about the loss of prophets in much the same way many "Christians" today do not really think about God (they go to church to socialize).
A good bit of passage from Malachi comes from 3:6-7 -"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.
"But you ask, 'How are we to return?' "
It tells us a few absolutes about God.
1. He does not change. This tells us that the God in Genesis who loved his creations and found them 'very good' is the God who is speaking to Malachi. It also means He is the same God who speaks to us today.
2. The Jews will not be destroyed completely. God promised wrath- yes, but he also promised redemption. If God does not change (like we have come to believe now) then how could his promises change?
3. God is just, but also merciful. He tells them of what crime they have committed. They deserve to be forgotten for turning their backs on God. But God, like always, gives them a way to restore themselves. If they return to Him, He'll return to them.
The second, why do I suppose there were no other prophets after Malachi? I can only imagine that God, who has sent messenger after messenger, is tired of the same response. He has told them to repent; to turn away from evil; to return to his love; to take heed of what is to come; to hope in the future; to prepare for his coming... what more does he need to say? This waiting period between the old Testament and the New Testament is a time for the Jews to either listen and do, or forget and regret. God is giving them that choice.
The last question on how the Jewish community would be without the presence of prophets is interesting. I can only assume to Jew who was tired of listening to doomsday prophecies and the like, there would be a great amount of joy. For Jews who regarded the prophets and took them very seriously, it would be a great amount of sorrow. For the Jews who would rather not have someone telling them they were wrong, this would be a time of great relief. This time will show the true character of each Jewish man and woman in the sense that no one is looking over their shoulder to make sure what they are doing is right. The deceitful man will be true to his name; the righteous man will be true to his name; and everyone in between will eventually live up to their names as well. Without a prophet, everyone becomes EXACTLY who they are inside.
Malachi rebukes the Israelites in the beginning by saying 1:8 "When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty" I think this verse is important in making the Israelites realize how they are worshiping the LORD in a way that would not even be acceptable by their own governor. They are putting the LORD aside and not keeping him first in their lives like they should be. This is also an important message for the last prophet to give, so they can turn their ways around after realizing what they have done.
Later, Malachi gives them another piece of advice 2:16 "So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faithâ He also tells them of the last day of judgment 3:5 "So I will come near to your for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, "says the Lord Almighty". He warns them that justice will come to those that deserve it. However, at the same time he comforts them saying not to fear him.
Malachi may have been the last prophet for a number of reasons. However, I think the LORD may have saw that the Israelites continually sin against him and that the next person he would send would be the savior.
The book Malachi is a very grim phophecy. It reflects Gods anger and fustration in having to repeat himself time and time again. The final chapter(4) in the book seems to be the scariest as well as the saddest, it shows God's disappointment in Isreal his chosen people along with the punishment the will recieve.
As for the question why there are no prophets after Malachi, I believe it was due to the coming of the Christ. Short from decending down from the heavens in a chariot of fire, sending his son was probably a last resort for him. It also shows proof of His love for us, His willingness to not give up on us, even after we've given up on Him.
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