Some contextual background for Malachi

The little book of Malachi has set me on a path of enquiry. Here's what I've discovered so far:

Purpose: Its purpose was to "confront the people with their sins" (NIV Study Bible). (Have we some confronting to do - personally and as a nation?)

Who were the intended listeners? Malachi's message was to the Jews (in Jerusalem) who had returned from exile in Babylon (and to us today: those of us who may have unwittingly adopted practices and positions of the culture surrounding us.)

When was it written? Around the middle of the fifth century B.C. (The Continuity of the Bible: Prophetic Writings by Thomas Linton Leishman, p. 85).  

Why? "It was an age of discontent, worldliness, and skepticism.... [The book] confirms the basic law of Deuteronomy ... it upholds the principles of law, thus supporting law rather than legalism." (ibid).

What was Malachi's method? The temple had been rebuilt about one hundred years ago, but the congregation is not tuned in to God's demands and they have many excuses for why not! Malachi uses a special literary technique of questions and answers to get his message across. (Leishman explains that Haggai has a similar approach.) Here are some examples of the question and answer method used:

• I have loved you, says the Lord ... How have you loved us? (Mal. 1:2 NIV)
• It is you priests who show contempt for my name ... How have we shown contempt for your name? (Mal 1:6)
• Return to me, and I will return to you ... How are we to return? (Mal 3: 6)
• ...you rob me. ... How are we robbing you? (Mal 3: 8)

Malachi neatly provides the link between the Old and New Testaments. He references Moses while also pointing to a new messenger to come. After Malachi, there were more than 400 years of "silence" (no further prophecy*) until the appearance of John the Baptist. At this point, explains the NIV Study Bible: "The Eastern empires of the Israelites' captivity -- Babylon, Assyria, and Persia -- no longer dominate the region. Instead, a new power has risen in the West", the empire of Rome. Its boundaries extend from the Mediterranean to North Africa and even Europe".

So what happened in between? 

The Persian Period (539-336 BC)

The Hellenistic Period (336-165 BC) This period began with the "fall of Persia to Alexander the Great" (NIV). During the Hellenistic Period, the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (The Greeks wanted everyone to speak Greek and most Jews would have now used Greek every day.) This was called the Septuagint. It was quoted by Jesus. 

The Maccabean Period (165-63 BC) The book of Daniel was probably* written at this time, even though it describes a period around 600 BC. Daniel wrote "in a secret code understandable only to the Jews" (The Reforming Power of the Scriptures by Mary Trammell and William Dawley, p. 29).

The Roman Period (63 BC - 135 AD)

It's great to learn this context, but it seems to me that Malachi's enduring message is not one of shame, fear or rebuke, but of  promise. We can talk more about that in another post. 

Julie Swannell