Malachi was written to a discouraged people. Their discouragement led to apathetic, lazy and even corrupt worship, and it led to many people abandoning the covenant relationship with God. About 80 years earlier the new temple in Jerusalem was completed, and the everyone who was there celebrated with joy. The temple was not only their place of worship, but symbolized God’s presence among them and God’s blessings to them. 

We’ll look more closely at the context of this, the last book of the Old Testament, focusing on the nature of covenants, and the results of apathy in worship and society at large. And we’ll begin our close look at the book itself, with an examination of the first verse.

sermon: Malachi: Hear the Word of the Lord (Ezra 6:16, Malachi 1:1) with Pastor David Donaldson