Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)

Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)

MALACHI 4

Judgment and Covenant Renewal

1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 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.”

Application Notes

4:2-6 These last verses of the Old Testament are filled with hope. Re­gardless of how life looks now, God controls the future, when everything will be made right. We who have loved and served God look forward to a joyful celebration. He sets us free from sin and death, our problems, addictions, despair, and anything else that enslaves us. This hope for the future becomes ours when we trust God with our lives. 

4:2 On the Day of the Lord, God's wrath toward the wicked will burn like a furnace (4:1). But he will be like the healing warmth of the sun to those who love and obey him. John the Baptist prophesied that with the coming of Jesus, the dawn was about to break with light for those in sin's darkness (Luke 1:76-79). In Isaiah 60:20 and Revelation 21:23-24, we learn that no light will be needed in God's holy city, because God himself will be the light. 

4:2 The “sun of righteousness” can refer both to the glory of God, whose coming will be as bright as a sunrise (Habakkuk 3:4), and to Jesus, the Messiah. When the kingdom of God comes, the Lord will bring healing to all creation. When Jesus ministered on earth, he healed many (Mark 3:10; 6:13). Through his death, he brought healing from sin and disease (Isaiah 53:5). On the Day of the Lord, God will heal Israel from faithlessness (Hosea 14:4). This brings great hope for all who love and worship God. One day, water from the throne of God will produce leaves of healing for all the nations (Revelation 22:1-2). Now, we should pray for God to heal us and all who suffer. One day in his marvelous presence, all who love him will be healed from all sin and brokenness. 

4:4 The law of Moses, which God gave to him at Mount Horeb (Sinai), became the first five books of the Old Testament. This law was the founda­tion of Israel's civil, moral, and ceremonial life (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 4:5-6). It showed the people how to live in the presence of God and follow his way. The moral laws apply to all generations. 

4:5-6 Elijah was one of the greatest prophets who ever lived (see his story in 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2 and his profile on page 543). With Malachi's death, the voice of God's prophets would be silent for 400 years. Then a prophet like Elijah would come to herald the Messiah's coming (Matthew 17:10-13; Luke 1:17). This prophet was John the Baptist. John prepared people's hearts for Jesus by urging people to repent of their sins. Christ's coming would bring not only unity and peace but also judgment on those who refused to turn from their sins. 

4:6 Malachi gives us practical guidelines about commitment to God: God deserves the best we have to offer (1:7-10). We must be willing to change our ways of living that do not line up with God's way (2:1-2). We should make family a lifelong priority (2:13-16). We should welcome God's refining process in our lives (3:3). We should support our spiritual leaders and God's work in the world through our tithes (3:8-12). We shouldn't let pride gain a foothold in our lives (3:13-15). 

     Malachi closes his messages by pointing to the great final Day of Judgment. For those who are committed to God, Judgment Day will be a day of joy because it will usher in eternity in God's presence. Those who have ignored God will be “stubble,” to be burned up (4:1). To help the people prepare for that Day of Judgment, God promised to send a prophet like Elijah (John the Baptist), who would prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah. The New Testament begins with this prophet calling the people to turn from their sins and to turn toward God. Such a com­mitment to God demands great sacrifice on our part, but we can be sure it will be worth it all in the end. 

Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)