To Know Jesus and Make Him Known

It’s coming. He is coming. And it’s scary or joyous depending on your life.

First of all Malachi says the Day of the Lord is coming. It is a judgment and it will burn like fire. The unrighteous and the wicked will be burned like chaff.

But there’s another coming. It is the sun of righteousness that will come with healing in its wings. For the righteous there will be joy and life and celebration. They will go out and trample the wicked.

Then there’s the call to remember the Law of Moses that were given at Mount Horeb. This was the Mount where Moses was given the Ten Commandments.

Next there is the prophecy that Elijah would come before the day of Judgment. We know from the New Testament that this was fulfilled in Jesus.

It says of the “Elijah” to come that he would turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children. Or else he would come and strike the land with a curse.

This is beautiful and troubling. We see in this a reconciliation of families. A restoration.

And yet we remember the words of Jesus that he would bring a sword to families that would separate. What he meant was that there would be a separation of those who would receive and follow him and those who would reject him. This would separate families. Much like we see adherence to political parties and political leaders today splitting families.

And then there’s the ending with a curse. Not the way you want to end anything. There is either reconciliation or a curse? It is said that the Jews hated this ending and tried to put the blessing at the end instead of this, but it is what it is.

Why end with a curse? There is the greater context of Malachi that the priests of God (and also the people) were spurning God, treating him with great dishonor. As the covenant people of God, they were lazy, neglectful and disrespectful in their relationship to Him. They were dishonoring Him among the people.

The curse was a reminder that God was a just God. He didn’t look upon evil lightly. Evil and wickedness always does great harm to oneself and other people. They need not take sin lightly, nor righteousness. This was especially true among the priests of God.

Putting this all together, what does this look like?

1. There is a coming day of judgment in which the righteous and the unrighteous will be separated. We see John the Baptist speaking about his as well (Mt 3:12).
   
2. The Messiah is coming. He is likely the reference of the Sun of Righteousness and we know for sure he was the Elijah to come.
   
3. Remember the Law. This was going to be an important admonition as the authoritative prophetic would cease for 400 years until Christ came. It was the LOOOOOOng silence before God moved powerfully. But in addition to that, the Law was about the blessings of righteousness and the curse of unrighteousness. That still is in effect today, except through Christ we receive his righteousness.
   
4. There would be great separation. For those that follow righteousness there is joy, peace and restoration. But for those who are wicked there is destruction, a trampling underfoot, and a curse that will come to the land.

So there it is. What a way to end the Old Testament. In some ways it is almost a summation of the Old Testament. A rebuke and a warning once again for their wickedness. The promise of the Messiah to come. And an exhortation to remember the ways of God as given to God’s prophets.

And now what?

Silence.

400 years of silence. The same amount of time the Israelites were held in captivity in Egypt.

But then one day everything would change.