Week 9: Lessons from the Prophets Cont’d
Day 4 – The Final Word: Malachi 4:5,6
Malachi ends with yet another prophecy of the ministry of John the Baptist. There seems to be some controversy surrounding the prophecy, but Scripture is really pretty clear if you just take the time to look it over.
Jesus clearly stated that John was one of the two who would come in the spirit of Elias (Elijah). Some want to link this second prophecy more to the second man rather than to John the Baptist or want to say that John would have been “Elijah” if the people had properly responded. We will not get into all of that here. The truth of the matter is that not only did Jesus confirm that John was that one who would come in the spirit of Elijah, but the angel stated it to John’s father before he was even conceived, and he referenced this passage in doing so!
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5,6)
“For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:15-17)
It is interesting to be closing out our study of the fatherless in the Old Testament with this prophecy. A prophecy that, of course, links the Old Testament with the New Testament. But also, a prophecy that shows one of the key elements of a nation being prepared for the Lord, an element in which we are falling so far behind in our world today.
It is true that disease and death rob many children of their parents. But so many have lost them to abandonment, imprisonment, neglect and sinful, selfish living. It is true that, like the poor, the fatherless will always be among us, but the pandemic need not be so great.
What are we doing to turn the hearts of young parents to their children?
We have covered so many things over the last few months. I admit, when I first started these posts I had no idea that the Old Testament alone would cover more than 40 posts. I have learned so much as I have been preparing the posts and am so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to share those lessons with others. I am working on pulling things together to begin the New Testament, but, I wondered if any of the posts have stood out to any of you more than the others and if so, why?
Thank you for taking the time to read these posts and for the feedback that you have already given. It is my prayer that they will be a blessing to many and that they will stir our hearts with the need to reach the fatherless for Christ.
Coming Soon: The New Testament and The Fatherless
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Also Check out Rachel Miller’s Book: The King’s Daughter: A Story of Redemption
