Read Malachi 4
Judgment and Covenant Renewal
4 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Go Deeper
Malachi wraps up the Old Testament, and this chapter gives us God’s final words to His people before a period of 400 years of silence began. In the book of Malachi, we see God’s care for His people, God’s complaint against His people, and God’s future coming for His people. The book of Malachi begins with the Lord reminding the people of His love and faithfulness. Despite God’s unfailing love, Israel had over and over again had turned away from God and went their own way. This is the storyline of the Old Testament starting all the way back in the book of Genesis. God created man in His image and within a page of God creating man, man rebelled against Him. Man chose to sin and break a relationship with a good and holy God. Despite that, God promised that a rescuer would come to redeem and restore the broken world.
Malachi 4 begins telling us the result of the wicked and the result of the righteous. There will be a day where the wicked will not stand in God’s judgment. It says, “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire” (v. 1). In the coming day of the Lord, those who do not fear Him will have no hope. However, there is a promise for the righteous and those who do fear Him. Malachi says, “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays” (v. 2). This is considered by many scholars to be a prophecy of the coming Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection will bring spiritual healing in the form of salvation and the means to be reconciled back to a holy God. This is the promise of redemption that we see woven throughout the Old Testament. God is coming for His people!
In the concluding words of the Old Testament, the Lord calls them to “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel” (v. 4). This is not only a call to remember the Law but to obey it. This echoes the call throughout Scripture to remember the Word of God. We are to write God’s Word on our hearts, meditate on it day and night, and do everything it commands us to do. There would be 400 years of silence to come where they would not hear from the Lord. They were called to remember His faithfulness in the past as they await the coming Savior. Just as the people in the time of Malachi were looking forward to the hope of the future Messiah, we get to look back on the cross and look forward to His return. We can praise God today that despite our brokenness, He is faithful to heal, redeem, and restore His people back to Himself!
Questions
- What prophecies in this chapter do you see fulfilled in the New Testament?
- What does it look like for you to remember the Word of God? Is there a verse you can memorize this week?
- Our God is a God of healing! What has the Lord healed you from?
Keep Digging
To learn more about the 400 year period of silence at the end of the Old Testament, click here to read this article from GotQuestions.org.
Leave a Comment below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.
3 thoughts on “Malachi 4”
I’ve been reminded throughout the pages of Malachi that God continually pursues his people to restore a broken relationship. Although we are selfish, unfaithful and spurn his devotion, he continues to love us perfectly and completely. At any moment we can turn away from our folly and to his unrelenting grace. We, who are worthy of punishment, are offered forgiveness and fellowship with God when we repent. Malachi issues a call to evaluate our lives in light of judgement and eternity, to see what direction our choices are leading us to. Luke 16:19-31 paints a vivid picture of eternity:
[19] “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
[20] And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz’arus, full of sores,
[21] who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
[22] The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried;
[23] and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz’arus in his bosom.
[24] And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz’arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’
[25] But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz’arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
[26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
[27] And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house,
[28] for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
[29] But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
[30] And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
[31] He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'”
This is a short chapter, but it encapsulates the whole Gospel message: God’s righteousness and justice, and his mercy and healing. I am reminded of 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The word that stood out to me in Melachi 4 s in verse 5: BEFORE. God in His mercy sent out his prophet Elijah “before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” Still today we have that opportunity. May we not harden our hearts. May we turn to our gracious Creator at the opportune time (Greek eukairia). As the prophet Isaiah urges us (Isaiah 55:6): ““Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
BUT GOD is so awesome that He made a way and is still making the way. The end is near, so all that you know and love are they going to be with you in glory or burn? I know it is their decision and you cannot make them choose wisely. We have opportunities daily to have God’s story shared by our obedience. He created man for His pleasure, purpose and worship. What I have seen in Malachi is God’s frustration due to lack of authenticity. The so called spiritual leaders then failed. Now those of us who are Christ followers should be leading getting, ready for Jesus to come again. God put them and us through a refining fire to build character. Our money is His money, not just the “tithe” but all of it. We should be doing Kingdom work with all our resources. In this end chapter we are to be looking for the return of Christ, but in the waiting we should be loving Him, actively pursuing Him, serving Him, listening for Him, taking strength from His word and doing all in LOVE. We need to take our eyes off of the fleshly world and know that there is a spiritual battle going on. Pray is the answer/key to working towards that with the word of God as our ammunition. We just got a bracelet that has a key on it. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Eph 6:10-18 the armor of God is how and with what to fight.
God thank You for Your word. Thank You for teaching me more about Your heart. Thank You for giving me ammunition to fight this worldly, fleshly, junk. Thank You for helping me to remember 10 minutes from now, an hour, and to have it come to memory at the time it is needed and before. God this battle belongs to You. I can give it to You, I know I cannot change anyone’s mind or actions. Thank You for helping me to be loving, slow to anger, quick to hear, and breath You. Thank You for shaping my character. Thank You for empowering grace in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!