Last But Not Least… Malachi

The days of Haggai and Zechariah have passed; their messages of repentance and encouragement of hope in the coming of the Messiah have grown callous in the eyes of Israel. Malachi, one of the final prophets of the Old Testament continues to speak to the people to try and ignite their passion for God and their compassion for people. Malachi was called by God to bring the people back into a genuine faithful relationship with Him. The people had become comfortable once again in their sinful lives; according to what we read through the words of Malachi much of the problem came from what we might call poor leadership. Israel’s leadership had become corrupt, there were issues surrounding true worship, divorce, justice and tithing. Through a series of questions and answers we hear how Malachi reaffirms the critical importance of repentance, the meaning of the law and the incredible blessings that are yet to come.

As I have mentioned throughout my reflections on the Minor Prophets we see many of the same thing happening in our world today. Many people today continue to struggle to understand what God wants of them; we get caught up in our own lives and fall blind to knowing Gods love. Malachi reminds the people of Israel and us today what is yet to come; we get a glimpse into the coming of the great day of the Lord.

Malachi’s reminder and encouragement to the people that God will be there to help them, that He will honor them for their faithfulness hold true to our purpose and calling today. Malachi’s calling like our own is to encourage people to turn their hearts towards God to put their faith and trust in Him to supply all their needs. Malachi not only encourages us to wait patiently for the Lord but to be aware of what He is doing in our lives right now.