Exegesis
Malachi closes with an odd set of
three verses. But they serve as a
fitting reminder of what Christians of all times have been called upon to
do. First, Malachi tells Israel to
remember the Law of Moses. (vs. 4) This word “remember” is used thirteen times
in Deuteronomy. It is a call to remember
the covenant that God instituted at Mount Sinai and to obey. True prophets, like Malachi, do not reject
the Law of Moses or add to the Law of Moses. They expound or preach the Law of
Moses. Just like the great prophet
Jesus, they do not destroy the law. (Matthew 5:17-20) Here at the end of the
history of Israel, over a thousand years after Moses was on Mt. Sinai the
command remains; remember the law. It is
worth noting that following Malachi there was four-hundred years of silence.
However, during this time, Israel still had God’s word. She still had the law.
Second, Malachi says that a new
Elijah will come who will help Israel obey the law. (vs. 5-6) Elijah was one of the greatest prophets of
the Old Testament. He changed the course of Israel’s history by his ministry.
But his change was temporary. Malachi, like many of the prophets, saw a coming
day, when God would judge and save his people; the day when Elijah would come.
This Elijah will help God’s people fulfill the fifth commandment, “honor your
father and mother.” He will restore
broken relationships, especially in the home.
He will do this so that Israel will not become a curse. The word “curse”
is the same term used for the nations in Canaan that God drove out by
Joshua. Elijah will come so Israel will
not become like the nations. These last
verses began to be fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist. (Luke 1:17,
Matthew 11:10, 11:14)
Applications
Do not forget the law
of God. The Mosaic Law has change and been adjusted in the New Covenant, but it
has not been discarded. A study of the
first five books of the Bible are worth your time and energy (Exodus 20-25 and
Deuteronomy 19-25).
Christ came to
restore broken relationships, especially those in the home. Therefore one of the fundamental jobs of the
church is to preach the word of Christ so that it builds and strengthens
marriages and the bond between parents and children. It is unfortunate that often the church tears
apart the relationship between parents and children, thus undermining God’s law
and the gospel. This principle of
reconciliation also extends to other relationships as well. With the coming of
Christ true unity in families and communities became possible. Without Christ
all we have is brokenness, separation, and war.
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