Introduction
When we come to the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, the pen of inspiration and the voice of prophets cease to exist for a period of around 400 years (430 BC-AD 27). Not until the coming of Christ will they reappear again.
The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem in 605 B.C. Daniel and others of the royal family were taken captive to Babylon. Daniel had only been in Babylon for three years when the king had a dream which none of his wise men could interpret.
He is given the opportunity to interpret a dream of Nebuchadnezzar which none of his wise men were able to do. The king in his dream had seen an image of a man-made up of five different parts. The head was gold, and it represented Babylon. The breast and arms were of silver. This represented the Persian Empire, which would conquer the Babylonian Empire.
The belly and thighs were of brass, representing the Greek Empire, which is a very short space of time (about 10 years), would conquer the world. The feet and toes were partly of iron and clay and represented the Roman Empire. It is during these last two Empires that the period between the Testaments falls. These two empires would have a great impact on the Jews and their homeland of Palestine.
A remnant of the Jews returned to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. by an order from Cyrus king of Persia under the leadership of Zerubbabel. The first thing they did was to reconstruct the altar to sacrifice burnt offerings. The rebuilding of the temple was delayed for a short time but work began in the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Two prophets Zechariah and Haggai both ministered to the Jews during the rebuilding of the temple which took four years to construct (520 – 516).
Sixty years later (458 B.C.) Ezra, a priest, came with the second contingent of Jews from Persia to Jerusalem. It took them four months to make the journey. Things had not been going well. Many had already turned to marrying people who lived around them. Ezra calls upon the people to repent and turn from their unfaithfulness to God. Fourteen years later (444 B.C.) Nehemiah came. He found large breaches in the wall that surrounded Jerusalem. He set out to rebuild and repair the walls, which was accomplished in only 52 days.
This was an amazing feat. The Samaritans were constantly opposing the Jews in everything they attempted to do. When the walls were completed Ezra then stood before the people and read the Law to them calling on them to remain loyal to the Lord.
During Malachi’s time, the remnant of Jews had been home from Babylon for about 100 years. They were cured by the Babylonian exile of their past idolatry. Never again would they worship idols as they had done in the past. But they were prone to neglect the house of God. The priest had become lax and degenerate. Their sacrifices were inferior and tithes were neglected.
They offered diseased and blemished animals. It was the priest who had been ordained by God to lead the people in righteousness who were responsible for their deplorable situation. The people had reverted to their practice of intermarrying with idolatrous neighbours.
They were withholding their tithes, which Malachi called ‘robbing God’. According to the Mosaic Law, one-tenth of all income was God’s property, to which the donor had no more right than he had to another man’s property. This is worth taking the time to read.
‘Every 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? Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, how do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,’ says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty.’ Malachi 3:7-12
Thus, they had settled down into a lethargic condition awaiting the promise of the Messiah, who they thought would restore the nation to its former glory as it was under David and Solomon. Their loose marriage morals, divorcing their wives to marry non-Jewish women, scepticism, and indifference left them at a spiritually low point.
Noticing the wicked nations around them were more prosperous, the people were asking, ‘What profit is it that we have kept his ordinance.’ See Malachi 3:14.
Malachi assures them that the Messiah would come, but it would mean judgment upon them rather than glory. The final prediction of Malachi was that Elijah will usher in ‘the Day of the Lord’ Malachi 4:5. He did 400 years later, in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12; 11:14). This closes the Old Testament. Four hundred years later the New Testament begins with the words, ‘A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)’, Matthew 1:1
Thus the story of the Old Testament ends around 430 B.C. with the prophet Malachi. The Babylonians who had destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. had by now been conquered by the Medes and Persians.
The Persian king Cyrus allowed the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. Under Ezra and Nehemiah, the temple and walls were rebuilt. Thus, at the close of the Old Testament, Judah was a Persian province.
Not much is known about Jewish history during all of this period, except that Persian rule was, for the most part, mild and tolerant. Probably the most amazing event of this period was the willingness of the Persian King to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem. However, we are somewhat disappointed that only a remnant of the Jews returned, about 50,000.
Most of the older people died out during the seventy years of captivity. The younger generation did not grow up in Jerusalem or Palestine. They would not remember the temple and all its glory. No doubt most of them by now had jobs and families to support and thus were not interested in returning back to the Holy Land. By the time a remnant returned probably most of the Jews no longer spoke Hebrew but Aramaic.
The first group of Jews returned to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. Twenty years later the temple was completed. The story of Esther takes place about 40 years after the temple was rebuilt. She became queen of Persia in 478 B.C. and saved the Jews from being massacred in 473 B.C. Fifteen years after Queen Esther saved the Jews, Ezra went to Jerusalem (458 B.C.), and 13 years after that Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. If we are not careful we may overlook the real hero of this story, Esther.
It seems that Esther made possible the work of Nehemiah and others. Her marriage to the king must have given the Jews great prestige. It is impossible to guess what might have happened to the Jews had there been no Esther.
Except for her, Jerusalem might never have been rebuilt, and there might have been a different story to tell. The story of Esther is a story of providence just as Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt was the providence of God.
RETURNING HOME
Summary
When we come to Malachi the pen of inspiration and voice of prophets cease. It will be 400 years (430 BC-AD 27) from Malachi to Christ. When the Jews return home they would find a totally different environment.
Cultural changes
They would live under Greek culture & finally Roman.
Geographical changes
The land is no longer divided between 12 Tribes. Now Palestine is divided into three sections, Judah, Samaria and Galilee.
Religious changes
The priest had been instructors now it is Scribes and Rabies.
Language
No longer Hebrew. Now it will become Aramaic and Greek.
REVIEW
Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem 600 years before the coming of Christ. Daniel is captive for only three years when he interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. After 70 years remnants of Jews return to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel (538).
The Altar was restored, but Temple would be delayed about 20 years. Zechariah and Haggai worked with Jews in the rebuilding. Took 4 years. Sixty years later Ezra, a priest, came to reestablish the nation. Things had not been going well.
Intermarriages were again taking place. 14 years later Nehemiah came and repaired the breaches in the walls in 52 days. During Malachi’s time, Jews had been home for about 100 years. The priest had become lax and degenerate. Offered inferior sacrifices. They are accused of robbing God, Malachi 3:8-10.
Loose morals, scepticism and difference had set in. They noticed the nations around them were more prosperous. They asked, ‘What’s the use of serving God?’ The people had settled into a lethargic condition awaiting the promise of a Messiah who would restore Israel to former greatness.
Malachi assures them the Messiah would come–but in judgment upon them. Elijah would come in ‘the Day of the Lord’ in the person of John the Baptist. The Old Testament story ends in 430 B.C. There will be 400 years of silence until Christ.
THE REAL HERO
Esther became queen of Persia in 478, sixty years after the first contingent. It seems Esther made possible the return and work of Nehemiah. Her marriage to the king must have given the Jews great prestige. Impossible to guess what might have happened to the Jews if there had been no Esther. A story of providence just as Joseph being sold into slavery was providence, Esther 4:16.
Haman personally had sent the decree to kill all the Jews in all provinces. This would include all Jews in Palestine as it was one of the provinces of the Persian Empire. It took great courage for Esther to do this. She was going against the proper way to approach the king. It is her humility and sincerity.
