5. The parts of the book are two: I. An accusation against the people on account of their want of zeal for the honor of God (Malachi 1-3). II. A denunciation of the coming of the day of the Lord (Malachi 4). A Synoptic Table of the book, and its Interpreters, Ancient, Reformed, Lutheran, Roman Catholic.
Moreover, this Prophecy is chiefly conversant, First, in the reproving of the want of zeal for the honor of God (Malachi 1-3): Second, in the denunciation of the day of the coming of the Lord, and the admonition to observe the Law of Moses, and the promise of the Prophet Elijah, forerunner of the Christ (Malachi 4). Whence a bipartite division arises:
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I. An accusation against the Israelite people on account of their want of zeal for the divine honor, Chapters 1-3. See:
1. The Prologue, wherein God convinces the Israelites of His love and blessings, which He illustrates by the antithesis of His hatred towards Esau (verses 1-5): chapter 1:1-5.
2. An accusation:
a. On account of their sacrifices not offered in faith (verses 6-9); for which reason the Priests are rejected (verse 10), a sacrifice pleasing to God to be offered in every place is promised (verse 11), and the Priests are again reproved with gravity (verses 12-14): chapter 1:6-14.
b. On account of their contempt of the Divine law and covenant; in which, with a curse again threatened against disobedient Priests (verses 1-3), the covenant with the Levitical tribe is set forth (verses 4-8), and the transgression of the same by the Levites is alleged, with a curse pronounced upon them (verse 9), and the appearance of the covenant violated by them, the profaning of their holy Lord, their perfidy against their wives, and license in divorces and polygamy are touched upon (verses 10-16); and also on account the prejudgment of the Jews concerning the deferring of the day of the Lord (verse 17): chapter 2.
c. After the shattering of the prejudgment concerning the deferring of the day of the Lord, through the promise of the forerunner, John the Baptist, and the honor of the day of the Lord set forth after the likeness of a fire refining the Levites (verses 1-4), and consuming perjurers, etc. (verses 5, 6), a new accusation on account of obstinate impenitence, discovered in this, that they plunder God Himself by the theft of the tithes (verses 7-12), and also their hard speeches concerning the vanity of divine worship (verses 13-18): chapter 3.
II. A denunciation of the coming of the Lord, and an admonition concerning the observance of the Law of Moses, Chapter 4.
In which is announced the coming of the day of the Lord, as a burning oven consuming all the proud, but appearing as the Sun of righteousness to those fearing the Lord, with the impious to be trodden under their feet (verses 1-3); and believers are admonished concerning the keeping of the Law of Moses (verse 4), and then it is promised that Elijah is going to turn the heart of the fathers toward their children (verses 5, 6).