“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.

— Malachi 3:1

1 “If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,

2 and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”

— Jeremiah 4:1-2

and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

— 2 Chronicles 7:14

26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

27 And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

— Romans 11:26-27

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Malachi, the author of the last Old Testament book, invited God’s people to return to Him before the Messiah came. The opening verse of the Book of Malachi emphasizes Malachi’s God-given message. Malachi aimed to stir God’s apathetic people to seek His tender love and honor His majestic holiness. Israel’s genuine love for God and heartfelt worship had degenerated into apathetic service and compromised living.

The Israel priests at Malachi’ time had abandoned their responsibility to instruct the people in God’s Word. The people, in turn, succumbed to the surrounding culture. They worshipped false gods, married outside their faith, and robbed God of the tithes He deserved. Therefore Malachi issued God’s call for Israel to return to Him with hearts devoted to true worship. He began by declaring God’s love for Israel. God’s call for Israel’s repentance based upon His covenant with His people and His promise of the coming Messiah.