The book of the prophet Malachi helps Christian readers end their Old Testament devotional time with a question and answer style of argument focusing on sin, judgment, repentance, and God’s covenant, all in anticipation of the coming “Day of the Lord.”
If we are turning from the last book in the Old Testament (Malachi) to the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) we might have some interesting connections:
Malachi 3:1-4
3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
Malachi 4:5-6
5 See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.
Prayer
Prepare my heart for your continual coming into my life. Help me to follow you each and every day. Amen.
