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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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Malachi 4:5-6
“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
As we have the last look at the Old Testament, we hear the challenge – “Keep alert!”
As we saw, Elijah was the prophet sent by God at one of the darkest moments of Israel’s history – during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah was a constant thorn in their sides; he did all he could to turn the hearts of the people and the king back to God.
At the beginning of the New Testament, we find another man, another loner, another prophet who, as Isaiah said, would “Prepare the way for the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3). His name was John the Baptist. Indeed the angel told John’s father, Zechariah, “… He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:15-17).
The Priests and Levites came to John the Baptist to find out who he was. “Are you Elijah?” (they asked). He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” (Could refer to Deuteronomy 18:15 - a general reference to the prophet’s role to bring people back to God.) He answered, “No.” … “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:21 & 23).
John the Baptist appears to prefer Isaiah’s prophecy to that of Malachi, although the angel specifically recalls Malachi’s words. Indeed, when the disciples asked Jesus why the teachers of the law said that Elijah had to precede the Messiah, Jesus replied, “‘But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He was talking to them about John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:12-13).
So, although John the Baptist was reticent about it, Jesus affirmed that he was the promised ‘last day Elijah’ who came preparing “the way for the Lord”.
Will he come back? Is he due again before the final Judgement? We know some prophecies appear to ‘happen twice’. Many feel that although Matthew 24 was largely fulfilled in AD70, it will also be true before the Second Advent of Christ and so ‘Elijah’ will ‘come again’.
What was Elijah and John’s message? To “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” What a timely message for today.
Two days ago we looked at what is happening to so many of our marriages and children. If there is one desperate need today, it is for ‘godly’ fathers. (Some would even go so far as to say a father, godly or otherwise, is a rare person to find nowadays.)
If you are a father reading this today, may I encourage you to rise up and fulfil your God-given destiny? Be a Godly Father. Be a fantastic husband to your wife and cause your children to love you, not out of fear but out of respect and reciprocal love. Create ‘fun’ memories. Live out in front of your children eternal moral values and remember that one way of spelling ‘LOVE’ is ‘T.I.M.E.’
If you are a mother – honour your husband, love and respect him and your children will love and respect you both. Also, be like Jochabed, Moses’ Mum, who thought her kids might as well be the chosen leaders of the people.
If you are a single Dad – honour your wife’s memory and train your children to know and follow your godly values.
If you are a single Mum – who may even be unable to honour the children’s father (for righteous reasons), try and find a man who is a father and who could become a good role model for your kids. Above all else, show them that God is their Heavenly Father who is good, faithful and perfect. A Father who will never leave them or let them down.
Teachers – you have a special calling - to cause children to honour and respect their parents – whoever they are (as well as you).
Christian leaders – you have a divine responsibility to promote healthy family life – both in marriages and in the family – particularly regarding the relationships parents have with their children and children have with their parents.
As society continues to head on down the road of disintegrated families and dysfunctional and deviated ‘family units’, let us all rise up with the ‘spirit of Elijah’ for the benefit of the world and in preparation of our Saviour’s ultimate and sure return.
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