#DailyDevotion Jesus Of Nazareth Is The Sun Of Righteousness
Malachi 4“You see, the day will come, burning like a furnace, and all who defy God and all who do wrong will be straw. The coming day will burn them,” says the LORD of armies, “leaving no root or branch of them. 2“But for you who respect My name there will rise the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings. You will go out and frolic like calves let out of their barn. You will trample on the wicked because they will be ashes under your feet on the day when I act,” says the LORD of armies. 4“Remember the instructions I gave My servant Moses at Horeb as laws and decrees for all Israel.”
Oftentimes in prophecy you’ll get mixed images of the future. Prof. Hummel compared it to looking at a mountain range. There was stuff right up on you and then other stuff in the distance that was related but further off in the distance. Sometimes they started off with the nearest and then the farthest. Sometimes they would go back and forth. Such seems to be the case with today’s lesson. Wouldn’t it be nice if they prophets just did things the way we expected them to do in our own cultural milieu? Well, they didn’t, so deal with it.
So we get two images here, the Last Day and some time before that day but which announced the Last Days. Concerning the Last Day, it isn’t going to be pretty. This day will be like a furnace. For the LORD God is coming down from heaven and our God is a consuming fire. All who defy God and all who do wrong will be like straw. (If you’d like another image of this day I refer you to Rev. chapter nineteen). Those who defy God and those who do wrong are in fact the same people. Who are these people? Those deny Jesus is the Son of God who has come in the flesh and who have not put their trust in him. It will be a day of darkness and death.
Then there are those who respect the LORD’s name i.e Jesus Christ of Nazareth who is the LORD, YHWH. Frolicking like calves coming out of the barn we will trample upon their ashes on that day. What else is the barn but the grave and coming out of it is nothing less than the resurrection to eternal life. The Sun of Righteousness is our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World. He comes to us with healing in his wings. You might recall how he wanted to gather the Jews to himself like a hen does her chicks under her wings. On that day, in the resurrection we shall finally be totally healed of all our afflictions.
This is how John sees that day, Rev. 1118“The nations were angry, but Your anger has come, and so has the time to judge the dead, O reward Your servants, the prophets, and the holy people, little and great, who fear Your name, and to destroy those who are destroying the earth.” Yes, on that day, the dead who don’t have Christ’s life in them will be judged and will experience his wrath since they have despised his love, mercy, kindness, peace and forgiveness. Those who feared and respected the name of Jesus will receive their reward, the new heavens and new earth, with new immortal, imperishable and glorious bodies like their Lord Jesus Christ when he was raised from the dead.
So take warning lest you despise the Sun of Righteousness and his fire consume you and put your trust in him, the Son of God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth and receive eternal life in his name.
Almighty and all merciful Father, you sent your son Jesus Christ into the world to deliver man by his light. May all who hear the good news and see his light fear his name and be saved on the Last Day from the coming destruction which is due to all men for their sin and rebellion against your word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.