Malachi 4
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For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 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.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Malachi 4:1-6
The Great Day of the Lord
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
4“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Mal. 4:1-6
Judgment and Covenant Renewal
1“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. 2But 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. 3Then 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. 6He 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.”
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
The day of the Lord is surely coming, with justice and consummation. God is not letting Himself be mocked by those who accuse Him of inaction. However, His long-lasting patience and mercy come first. “I will send the prophet Elijah BEFORE that great and dreadful day.” What can be more impressive than to see Elijah, that mighty prophet of God? However, he is not sent to judge and punish, but to bring God’s mercy, righteousness, and healing, before that awesome day.
Who will be a more suitable partner to Elijah than Moses, through whom God issued His laws and decrees? However, the law's main purpose is to protect the vulnerable, to restore the marginalized, and to ensure that justice is preserved. What a beautiful picture to see both Elijah and Moses later on the Mount of Transfiguration, encouraging Jesus!
God’s desire is for revival and restoration. But “HE will turn the hearts.” There will be no more efforts on our side to repair broken relationships. He will do it. There will be no more arrogance, no more evil deeds. For you will honor His name. The Old Testament ends with this majestic image of our relationship with God and with each other being restored. Holy goodness, mighty grace!
Cristian Dumitrescu
Professor and pastor who shares God's love among homeless people on the streets of Bucharest, Romania (as of this writing)
