What would you say to those most important to you if you knew that you were taking your last breaths on this Earth? What would you say to your wife, your children, your parents, your brothers or sisters or whomever else is dearly loved by you? I am sure it would be more than just instructions on how to take care of the car or how to properly water the lawn. It would be carefully weighed and chosen words to convey how deeply you feel love for those individuals, how much you have cherished their relationship, and you would not only want them to know how much you believe they are unique and have special talents and abilities that set them apart from their peers, but you would want to remind them of the things that are most important in life and the value of pursuing them over everything else.
This is exactly what God does in the final chapter of the book of Malachi. Now, you don't find very many books written on, famous expository sermons from, or seminary courses devoted to this book, but it does have significant value. These are the last words God speaks to his people for over four hundred years. So, these are essentially God's lasts words under the Mosaic covenant and he chooses to speak about fatherhood. I think this speaks volumes in and of itself as to the importance that God places on fatherhood. He is about to pull out of Israel, his chosen people for over four hundred years and he tells them you better make sure and make fatherhood a priority or the land will be cursed.
Malachi 4
The Great Day of the LORD
1"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
4"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."
