Lesson 7: Day of the Lord

Scripture to Read: Malachi 4:16

Malachi ended his prophetic ministry by speaking briefly on the impending Day of the Lord. The fourth chapter of Malachi does not exist as a separate chapter in the Hebrew Bible, which includes these six verses as part of chapter 3 (thus giving us 3:124). But the message is the same in each case! In a verse that echoes His earlier reference to the refining fire of His judgment in the days of Messiah, God returns to the theme of a burning fire that will remove not only the evildoers in Israel, but all who stand against Him. The completion of the purging is stated in terms that would be readily grasped by people in an agrarian society: not even “a root or a branch”—that is, no trace—of evil will remain. On the contrary, they will be like a pile of ashes that the wind soon blows away.

However, the future for those who obey God will be much different, as they will experience His restoration and leap like calves released from a stall. These words would have spoken either great comfort or fear to Malachi’s readers as they realized the certainty and finality of God’s judgment. But God will not leave His people without warning or the opportunity to repent before this judgment, as evidenced in the promise to send the prophet Elijah to Israel. The prophet’s return is for the purpose of turning the hearts of Israel back to the Lord. The Sages render the passage to say God will turn the hearts of the fathers “through,” rather than “to,” their children, and vice versa. The meaning is thus that they will encourage each other to walk in the ways of God, the surest way to avoid His putting the land under a curse.

Study Questions

• How will the day of God’s judgment be like a burning furnace?
• What picture is painted by calves freed from their pens?
• Why would God end the book of Malachi with the threat of a curse?

Something to Think About

This final oracle summarizes what our lives need to be about. Either we will be faithful to God and be freed to love Him and follow Him forever, or we will be defeated by His power. Let us strive to live each day with this reality in the forefront of our minds.