December 14
Scripture of the day: "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6
Thought of the day: The book of Malachi and the Old Testament end with the prophecy that Elijah would come before "the great and terrible day of the Lord." There are three possibilities about who would come as fulfillment of this prophecy. It could be John the Baptist. Jesus said, "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come." Matthew 11:13-14. Or it may be referring to the Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah appeared and talked to Jesus, Matthew 17:1-3. Or that the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy could still be for the future. After the Transfiguration, Jesus referred to Elijah's coming as both past and future, Matthew 17:10-12.
Challenge of the day: The Israelites should have been ready for the fulfillment by John the Baptist. They were warned in Malachi ... and warned in other prophecies. But many missed it. And they did not understand that Jesus was the Messiah predicted in many prophecies and announced by John. It is easy for us to understand as we can now turn one page forward in our Bibles from Malachi 4 to Matthew 1 and read the beginning of the record of the birth of Jesus. The book of Revelation ends much as Malachi ends ... with warnings of coming judgment and predictions of the return of Jesus. If He came back before this Christmas, would you be ready? Will your Christmas prayer be, Come, Lord Jesus?
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