to verses 7–12. Hence, our fourth message will extend from the question raised in 2:17 to 3:12. Malachi is a gem in its clarity, simplicity, and directness. Out of its fifty-five verses, forty-seven are first-person addresses of the Lord to Israel. It is customary for some to make various types of disparaging remarks about the literary skills of this Hebrew prophet as compared to an Isaiah or Amos. But all such opinions are just that, and the standard by which these evaluations