A Survey on Malachi
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Malachi, which means “my messenger,” is the last book that closes the Old Testament canon. The book is classified by scholars as one of the post-exilic writings along with Haggai and Zechariah. However, among the post exilic writings, Malachi was probably written on a later date between Nehemiah’s return to Persia and his sad homecoming to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11-13).
Malachi records a series of disputations between God and His people, using the question and answer method (Malachi 1:2, 6, 7; 2:17; 3:7, 8, 13). In each disputation, the Lord states His case against His people who scornfully respond. Their responses seem to indicate they have forgotten their past experiences while in exile.
In this book, God’s immutability, as described by the Lord (Malachi 3:6) is one of the many attributes of God revealed in Scripture. It is on this attribute that the Israelites were not annihilated as a nation (for God remembers the covenant which He had made with Abraham (Malachi 3:6; cf. Genesis 12).
God is one who does not change and does not go through development, in contrast to us and all the things around us. It is comforting to know that we serve a God who is faithful and true. He doesn’t change and we can fully trust in Him!