“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 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.”
Malachi 4:4-6
Last time we saw how Yahweh will burn like chaff those who insist on wickedness, and the righteous will playfully jump like calves. Today we see the final words of our messenger prophet, Malachi.
“Remember the Law of Moses my servant”
Remember is zakar – call to mind, and Law is torah – direction, instruction, law, teaching. And did you know the meaning of Moses’ name? It comes from mashah, meaning to draw or pull out (of the water); Rescued. What a precious name meaning: Rescued one. And servant is ebed – slave, servant, bond slave (from abad – work, serve; become slaves, bondage, cultivate, do the work, labor, perform, till, worship).
Remember the teachings I gave to Moses, my rescued one, my servant.
“which I commanded in Horeb for all Israel with statutes and judgments…”
Commanded is tsavah – conditions, law, ordinance, precept, lay charge upon. Horeb (Choreb) waste, a mountain, desolate; and for (al – hover over) all Israel.
We’ve seen statutes before; it’s choq – something prescribed or owed, a statute, allotment, boundaries, conditions, due, portion, appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decreed, law; From chaqaq – to cut in, inscribe, decree; carve, lawgiver, ruler’s staff, scepter; to hack, i.e. engrave or inscribe; by implication, to enact (laws being cut in stone or metal tablets…); hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage) — set time, statute, task
And judgments is our familiar mishpat – claim, court, crimes, decisions, justice, mode of life, order, plans, rights, rule, standard, verdict, way prescribed, what is right, worthy.
The conditions, boundaries, set tasks, and just mode of life to hover over all Israel.
Basically? Keep brining to mind all I have laid out for you as My people.
“Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet…”
Hinneh is lo! behold! Send is shalach – to send, cast away, forsake, bade his farewell, burned, cast off, certainly let them go, delivered, dismissed, divorce, driving them away, escorted him away, gave them over, get rid, gets his own way, let them down, let them go, release, remove, send them away, set free, stretched. Elijah’s name (Eliyyah) means “Yah is God,” from el and Yah. And prophet is nabi – spokesman, speaker, prophet.
Behold, I will send a spokesperson for Me, one whose name means “Yah is Creator God.“
“Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh…”
Before is paneh (the face of); great is gadol – great, high, prominent from gadal – grow up, advance, magnify, promote; and dreadful is yare – fearful reverence.
Before the prominent and reverent Day of Yahweh.
I find this part more tender as I study it. The coming Elijah was to be a mercy for God’s people, preparing them – once again – for God’s coming judgment. They had the Law of Moses, they had all the commands and prophets, they even had the exile and returning. The generations of His people had lived through all He said was true. But, even still, He would send someone to speak for Him and encourage repentance.
Those of us this side of the prophecy know this Elijah was John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin:
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Matthew 11:11-15
The other part I find tender is that “great and dreadful Day of the LORD.” That is to say, we have seen those words, gadol and yare, before. Yes, the Day will include judgement and fire and chaff. But it’s because there is nothing else to do when every knee will bow and tongue confess in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, that He is the One Who created it all, the only Rescue from ourselves. Fearful reverence and magnifying glory of the Rightful Judge is the point of such a Day.
The next part is very interesting to me. What will this prophet, the spokesperson for Yahweh, do when He comes?
“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their sons, and the hearts of the sons to their fathers…”
The Hebrew is the same in both these phrases. Turn is shub – to turn back. Hearts is leb – inner man, mind, will, heart; care for, comfortably, consent, considered, courageous, friendly, broken, hard; the feelings, the will and even the intellect; the centre of anything, wisdom. And to their sons/fathers is al – hover over.
This Elijah will turn back the center, the inner man of sons and fathers, children and parents, to one another.
Of all the things one would think are needed in repenting before the coming Day, to me top of the list doesn’t seem like it should be parents’ and children’s hearts turning toward one another. How about you?
But as I ponder, I think this is a relationship in which the repentance necessary for entering the Kingdom would most show up in power. Parents know their children, have seen them grow all their days, and can probably point out the areas in which they are lacking. Children know their parents, have seen their shortcomings, and are still to be under their authority.
If a repentant, humble heart is required to live a righteous life before God, it could best be seen in a relationship with such history and close living.
The humility to love and be patient and shepherd children’s hearts – versus simply demanding and correcting – will begin to be obvious as we walk in humility.
And the ability to honor and obey and love someone over you – of whom you have clearly seen their weakness – will be obvious, too, as a repentant, humble heart takes over.
But, based on the words of Jesus, I wonder if there’s something else to this. He said He didn’t come to bring peace but a sword. I mean, listen to this:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”
Matthew 10:34-36
Confused yet? Especially based on what we just read in Malachi?
Perhaps these next two will help us with this:
Now large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Luke 14:25-27
And this:
While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”
But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?”
And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Matthew 12:46-50
Put together, and based on the people of God waiting centuries for the Coming Messiah, Malachi and Jesus are warning of the division that can be caused by entering into this Messiah’s Kingdom. It requires everything: death to self, obedience to Him above all others, and an embracing of those in His Kingdom – even if we are not naturally fans of them. Those that recognize Him as that long-awaited Messiah, will have a new heart and spirit put into them. Their hearts will turn to family members and others in His Church.
And those that don’t? Who reject Him and insist on their own way? This Good News will not be peace, but a sword.
Now let’s put it together with the final warning:
“Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
Lest is pen – because, fear, might, or, or else, otherwise. Strike is nakah – to smite, beat, cast forth, clap, give wounds, go forward, indeed, kill, make slaughter, surely wound. The earth is erets – earth, country, land, region, territories, wild; common, nations, way; From an unused root probably meaning to be firm. And curse is cherem – devoted thing, devotion, ban; accursed dedicated thing, appointed to utter destruction, extermination; from charam; physical (as shutting in) a net (either literally or figuratively); usually a doomed object.
Otherwise I will indeed cast forth the land to utter destruction.
The result of not choosing the King of this Kingdom is to continue to be under the curse of destruction. And we know that because of sin, this earth will pass away. But because of redemption and resurrection, a New Heaven and New Earth will replace it.
He will make all things new.