Would anyone care to suggest a good commentary on Malachi?

__________________
Briant Holley
Grace Reformed Baptist Church;
Husband to Barbara, Father of Alexis, Justin, and Lacey
Silver Creek, MS

Go here:

http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/20...iah-malachi-2/

and here:

http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/20...-as-a-whole-2/

Cheers.

__________________
Rev. Lane Keister
Teaching Elder, PCA, North Dakota (working out of bounds in a CRC and an RCA church)
http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com
http://brahmsgreenglove.blogspot.com
http://accenttranslation.blogspot.com
Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

P&R, just came out with a new book on the Sermons of Malachi by John Calvin .

__________________
Gil Garcia
Rehoboth Reformed Church (RCUS)
La Habra, CA

"Ignorance of this distinction between Law and Gospel is one of the principal sources of the abuses which corrupted and still corrupt Christianity." - Calvin's successor


"By the words of the law man is admonished and taught, not what he can do, but what he ought to do. How is it that you theologians are twice as stupid as schoolboys, in that as soon as you get hold of a single imperative verb you infer an indicative meaning...?"
-Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

Thomas Verner Moore's commentary on Malachi is highly regarded.

__________________
Andrew

Andrew, by now you may have read my post in the Church History forum and wondered what is wrong with me. Well, I posted before I scanned through the rest of that forum and saw your other posts, and it was several minutes later when I found your post here about Moore's work. Thank you for the suggestion.

No prob, brother!

I am presently preaching through Malachi. For a newer commentary I have found Pieter A. Verhoef in the NICOT helpful. Walter Kaiser had a small book on Malachi, that although it had some unhelpful stuff was a starter in terms of application.

__________________
Rev. Adam King
Minister in the RPCNA
Pastor,Trinity Reformed Church
Wichita, KS

Bro. King, what text are you currently on? I am currently in what T.V. Moore defines as section II (1:6-2:9). For the last few days I have been meditating on v. 10 of chapter 1.

Spurgeon wanted to acquire Thomas Watson's The Great Gain of Godliness, a study on Malachi 3.16-18, but it was not available to him -- it is now available as as Puritan Paperback.

Spurgeon:

This past Sabbath I preached on Malachi 1.6-14. I am currently attempting to judge just how much of chapter 2 I will do next.

Thanks for the lead. I still have some time to get the book before I reach that point! There is nothing quite like finding out about a great book that could have helped you with a passage or sermon series the week after one has just preached the text. I will avoid it this time.

Thank you Andrew, I have also acquired this little volume recently. Following is a footnote at the end of the publisher's preface: "Interestingly, there is now a copy in the C.H. Spurgeon collection of the Curry Library, William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri. The College acquired Spurgeon's private library containing thousands of volumes when it was put up for sale for L500 in 1905." I assume that means 500 pounds. I have not finished reading the book yet, but as other Watson writings, it is very thorough.

May I ask what are your thoughts on v. 10?

Malachi 1:10 (King James Version)


10Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

What do you want to know? The corrupt worship offered by the priests is worse than no worship at all. The priests were charged with keeping the sanctuary from the profane things but here they are the cause of the profane things being offered. God does not stand in need of our worship. Even as the priests thought that God's worship and name were contemptible and took no pleasure in him, neither will he take any pleasure in them.

The temple was to be that place where sinful man could come and worship God and have fellowship with him through a mediator. God is here declaring he would rather have them shut out of his presence. The church needs to take this seriously. We serve a majestic God who is a great King. We do not desrve to be in his presence as sinners. It is by grace we are enabled to come near and worship him. Some of us need to take worship much more seriously. It is not a mere ritual. It is not a matter of personal choice as to what is right and wrong in worship, it is not something we should take for granted. For we may find that God will take no pleasure in corrupt worship and remove our lampstand all together.

I am not sure if any of this gets at what you are interested in?

My reason for asking is simple, Bro. King. As I work my way through the text, I stumbled at v. 10. I do not mean to say that the other verses were "easy", it is just that my train of thought was derailed by this verse. I slowed down and have been spending some extra time so that I may be able to understand better what the LORD was saying here through Malachi. I find the first part, concerning the closing of the doors, most troublesome. Calvin interprets this to mean that the priests, even in their doorkeeping duties, have utterly failed. I have no problem with that interpretation. I do, however, struggle to see the implication of the adverb rendered "in vain". Some interpret this to mean that the LORD wonders why no priest rose up in indignation over the blatant disregard and disrespect being shown by the Israelites, and allowed by the complacent priesthood. An example of the attitude considered appropriate may perhaps be found in Numbers 25: 1-13. I simply desired to talk with you since perhaps the text and your expositions were still fresh in your mind. You strike me as a pious and diligent student, and I sought your input only as one seeking advice. Thank you for your comments.

Here is a book review for those who may be interested.

Richard Stock wrote THE Puritan commentary on Malachi. It's never been reprinted in a modern format, but would be available through Early English Books Online of you have access to that wonderful program.

Don Kistler

__________________
Dr. Don Kistler

Thanks for that tip, Dr. Kistler! I'm adding it to my list and look forward to reading it someday, dv.

Richard Stock, English Puritan (c. 1569 - April 20, 1626) -- DNB entry here.

I just recently purchased "The Minor Prophets" volume 2 by James M Boice. It has Micah though Malachi.

__________________
Frank O Fuentes
Church of THE King
McAllen, Texas
Student at Edinburg Theological Seminary

Richard Stock's commentary has been reprinted by Tentmaker Publications.

I am enjoying reading this. Thanks again, Dr. Kistler!

I also have these (Vols 1&2). Very helpful. I miss Boice.

__________________
Donald P. Grubb
theol46@embarqmail.com

Berean Baptist Church, Mansfield, OH
Mansfield, OH

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.