"The Canonical Approach to the Old Testament: An Exegetical and Theological Investigation of Malachi 3:22–24 and Psalms 1–2," is an attempt to respond to a recent call for a new Biblical Theology in Old Testament. A survey of the canonical theologians shows a distinction from the methodologies of higher-criticism. This approach is based upon the canon of the Old Testament. The canon is representative of a particular community of faith's historicity and theology. Compositionally, the canon has a tripartite structure—Pentateuch, Prophets, and Writings, the final form of the Hebrew Bible. The aim of the canonical approach is to formulate an Old Testament theology derived from the original intent of the author or composer of the Hebrew Bible.

It is through this new methodology, which is exegetical and theological in nature, that any text can be evaluated based upon its syntactical structure and its semantic domain. With the use of grammar and exegetical tools, the interpretation of the text comes directly from the text alone. Since the embodiment of the revelation of God is the source of truth and theology, the text speaks to the reader through the events of history and future revealing a consistent hermeneutic throughout the Old Testament.

The greatest opportunity to discover this hermeneutic is in the introductions and conclusions of the larger corpus of Scripture. It is here that the intentionality of the composer of the Tanak has given editorial features that illuminate the rest of the Old Testament. The second seam of the Old Testament canon joining the prophets and the writings juxtaposes Malachi and the Psalms together. The former gives the last words in the Book of the Prophets and Psalms 1 and 2 introduces the Psalter and the third section of the canon—the Writings. The integration of these texts reveals that torah and wisdom provide a theology that encompasses the whole text of the canon. YHWH gave the law to Moses who in turn gave it to the nation, who is now called back to the law that they might receive wisdom and restoration.