North Charlottesville church of Christ

Play

Malachi - Class 1 - Six Sins of Malachi's Day

Martin Adams
02/16/25 - Sun Bible Study

Series: The Book of Malachi

Meeting Purpose

Review the book of Malachi and discuss its key themes and messages.

Key Takeaways

• Malachi is God's final message to Israel before 400 years of silence, emphasizing repentance and preparation for the Messiah

• The book highlights 6 major sins of the people, including lifeless worship, marrying foreign wives, robbing God of tithes, questioning God's justice, impatience with God, and divorce

• Malachi's teachings on sin and righteousness are highly applicable to Christians today

Topics

Overview of Malachi

• Written around 425 BC, after the exile and rebuilding of Jerusalem/temple

• Addresses spiritual degeneration among the people since Ezra/Nehemiah's time

• Serves as God's final message before 400 years of silence until John the Baptist

• Appeals to people to repent, return to God; offers promises and warnings

Six Major Sins Addressed

1. Lifeless, ritualistic worship (1:10)

   • People going through motions without heart

   • God wishes someone would shut temple doors to stop meaningless sacrifices

2. Marrying foreign wives (2:11)

   • Led to idolatry and corrupted their faith

   • Illustrates how bad company corrupts good morals

3. Robbing God of tithes/offerings (3:8)

   • Withholding or giving inferior offerings

   • Shows arrogance in challenging God on this

4. Questioning God's justice/goodness (2:17)

   • Claiming God delights in evil

   • Led to justifying sinful behavior

5. Impatience with God (2:17)

   • Asking "Where is the God of justice?"

   • Demanding immediate blessings/action from God

6. Divorce (2:16)

   • God hates divorce

   • People disregarding marriage covenant

Importance of Family/Marriage

• God views marriage as a covenant, not just a commitment

• Divorce severs what God has joined

• Society increasingly views marriage as optional/irrelevant

• Parents should find ways to impress godly values on children

Next Steps

• Continue study of Malachi next week, focusing on chapter 2:10 and teachings on divorce

• Reflect on how Malachi's messages apply to our lives today

• Consider writing letters to children/loved ones to share values and wisdom