The book of Malachi is a record of the messages of the prophet Malachi, or “my messenger”. As with most prophets, Malachi’s message focuses on current events for the people of Israel, but also has a secondary meaning, anticipating the life of Jesus.
The book of Malachi addresses a people who believed God had forgotten them and let them down. Although true worship was re-established in the rebuilt temple, the associated blessings predicted by Haggai and Zechariah were yet to take place.
Malachi encouraged that the reverent worship of God continue, despite the peoples’ discouragement over not seeing God’s promised blessings.
Malachi is sometimes called a minor prophet. This doesn’t mean he wasn’t important, but merely that the book named after him is shorter. (Compare this to the major prophets, whose books are much longer.)
Dig into the intriguing lives and ministries of the Bible’s twelve minor prophets in Peter DeHaan’s book Dear Theophilus, Minor Prophets: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
