14th. December. 2021. Daily Devotion.
Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that 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. Malachi 4:1-5
As we prepare to sing familiar Christmas carols, we might notice some words from this passage. Charles Wesley’s ‘Hark! The herald-angels sing’ talks about ‘sun of righteousness’, and ‘healing in its wings’. Sun of righteousness’ is clearly a title for Jesus, with ‘its wings’ being changed to ‘his wings’. In this passage of Malachi it isn’t seen as a title for the Messiah, rather it is an image of the new dawn that will come to those who remain faithful. Whereas those who have ignored the ways of God will be burned up by the scorching heat, the faithful people of God will feel the healing and restorative rays of the sun of righteousness.
In today’s reading, we get reference to mysterious figures who will come. Today he is named as Elijah – that great early prophet of God who the Bible said didn’t die but was taken up in a whirlwind and chariot of fire. the figure was described as a messenger going before God. There has been much speculation about who this figure might be. Is the messenger Jesus, with God coming at a later date? The Gospel writers clearly associated John the Baptist with this Elijah figure coming to prepare the people for the arrival of Jesus, who was Emmanuel – God with us. There is enough flexibility in the text for it to have many layers of meaning. What has been clear for Christians throughout the centuries has been that, in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, this new kingdom of justice, peace and joy that both Zechariah and Malachi pictured, most definitely broke into our world. To Ponder:
- There are many great hymns for Advent and Christmas. Is there a particular line or phrase that always speaks to you?
- How could you be a sign of hope this Christmas?
Prayers
God of hope, we thank you for that new dawn that came in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Help us to live in that light and work to see your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
God of hope, who brought love into this world,
be the love that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought peace into this world,
be the peace that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought joy into this world,
be the joy that dwells between us.
God of hope, the rock we stand upon,
be the centre, the focus of our lives
always, and particularly this Advent time.