Malachi 2:1

The apostasy of Israel so apparent in the last chapter has in this one continued unabated. The inner spiritual life of the people which should have been nurtured and encouraged by the priesthood is, in this chapter, further hindered and destroyed by an unbelieving, reprobate priesthood (Malachi 2:1-9). God announced even the annulment of the Levitical covenant (Malachi 2:8). In the second chapter division (Malachi 2:9-16), it is starkly clear that the vast majority of the remnant were going the way of Gilgal and Shittim in exactly the same manner of the corruption which had previously sent both northern and southern kingdoms into captivity.

And yet the Messiah had not come, a fact which absolutely necessitate the preservation and continuity of fleshly Israel as an identifiable people upon the earth until that Redemptive Event for all mankind occurred. It was this undeniable truth that accounts for the protective arm of Jehovah around Israel throughout the inter-testamental period. Such continued support would continue to be the portion of the returned Israel, no matter what they did; and yet the displeasure of God with their behavior (as a whole) would continue to be evident in the execution of the sentence of Hosea 3:4,5. "Without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without altar, without ephod and teraphim."

Malachi 2:1

"And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."

The language here is in the same tone of the pre-exilic judgments of Hosea, Amos, and Micah, implying that, "There can be no mitigation of the punishment about to be pronounced."[1]

"This commandment ..." Although no actual commandment is seen in these verses, the Hebrew word from which this comes, "Indicates that what follows is not simply the prophet's message but a self-fulfilling word from Yahweh."[2] Thus the judgment and threat announced are to be understood as God-ordained and in process of execution.