The Warning with Hope

The Old Testament gives us so much information leading up to the coming of Christ.  It gives us a history of man from the first people, Adam and Eve, and continues through to the final words of the prophet Malachi.  Throughout the OT we read of God giving warnings and direction and hope to His people.

Malachi is the last of the prophets in the OT through whom God gave His instruction.  It is interesting to read the very final words of Malachi.  "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

God is saying, through the mouth of the prophet, that He expects people to do right; and He is telling them that He will send Elijah the prophet to them.  This is figurative language because Elijah has already come and done his work.  He means here that one like Elijah is going to be sent.  We might think this is Jesus to come.  Actually He is speaking of John the baptist.  We know this by going to Matthew  17:12 and listening to the words of Jesus.

" 'But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist."

God has sent many prophets and even His Son to be sure that we get the message.  He made sure that all of the teaching from these men, especially that of Jesus and the apostles, was preserved through the writing of the Bible.  We have the Word in its entirety.  Now we must heed the warning to follow it.  But it also gives hope.  It offers us life. Let's make sure that we heed and take hold of the life that God has prepared for us.

Thanks for reading.  You are important.