The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, can seem brutal, as if God has lost all his patience and love for Israel. Yet this book is very important, as it would be the last direct words the Israelites would hear from God for over four hundred years. The time of Malachi was grim: the Israelites felt abandoned by God. He had promised that His presence would return to Israel when they rebuilt the temple (Zechariah 1:16-17), but that promise seemed like a cruel joke now. Failed crops and a prolonged drought only added to the people’s discouragement. Their fervor for God was diminishing. They intermarried with nonbelievers, in addition to committing unjust divorce (Malachi 2:15-16). To top it all off, they treated their sin with apathy, offering blemished, weak animals for sacrifice and keeping the best cattle for themselves (Malachi 1:13).
They doubted God’s goodness and assumed that His patience for sinners meant He didn’t care whether they were good or evil (Malachi 2:17). But through the prophet Malachi, God reminds His people of His love and faithfulness. He tells them His promises are never broken. God also conveys His righteous anger toward the Israelites’ polluted sacrifices and weak, half-hearted faith. However, even as He reminds them of His coming judgment, God also offers them another chance. He ends the book by restating that He will heal the people with the “sun of righteousness†(Malachi 4:2). This prophecy was not fulfilled immediately, but it was four hundred years later…with the coming of Jesus Christ, the light of the world (John 8:12).
As Christians, we might doubt God’s love in our lives when we see the twisted sin and brokenness of the world; however, the Lord offers the same promises to us! Jesus came to heal what causes our brokenness (Luke 4:14-21). He died and rose again to be the ultimate, perfect sacrifice for our sins. And He is coming back again, and He will make all things new. Though we may not live to see His coming, we can rejoice that it will be fulfilled one day. The Lord is faithful, and His promises are true. This hope gives us joy to serve Him in our actions and words, knowing that He will always keep His promises. • Lily Walsh
• How can remembering God’s promises give us hope for the future?
• Do you have a favorite promise from God that gives you joy to serve Him?
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (CSB)
Read Verses:
Ps.63|1Chr.16.11
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