And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:6
A famous general lay dying of battlefield wounds as a medic tended to him and tried to ease his suffering. As the general realized the end was near, he pleaded with the medic, ‘Don’t let it end like this, tell them that I said something!’ The general wanted to be remembered for his last words, even if he couldn’t think of any to say at the last moment. Famous last words are important, and the last words of many famous people are recorded in history. Today’s text also contains some last words, the final words of the Old Testament. It should sober us to realize that the last words of the Testament are ‘a curse’. But it should cheer us to realize that our text speaks of One who will prevent the curse from reaching us.
The fall of the year is always beautiful in our part of the world, with the fall foliage displaying all of its glory. But the glories of nature in the autumn remind us that the trees and other plants are finishing up their season. Many trees will be bare and dormant for months until spring warmth – which we are waiting for now – brings forth the buds. Many of the other plants also fading in the fall quickly decay. The fall is a season of death. And death is the great finale of the curse that our sin has caused to be on this earth. We were born under that curse, and only the redemption that our Salvation brings has brought our souls (but not yet our bodies) out from under that curse.
God never desired a curse for us. The curse was man’s own fault, the punishment for disobedience, with man in full knowledge of the tragic consequences of that disobedience. God’s desire is that we should be reconciled to Himself and that we should dwell with Him forever. Our text speaks of a messenger who will prepare hearts so that the curse will be prevented. Much of our earth will not be spared this curse. The previous verse speaks of the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. All those unsheltered by the blood of the Lamb will fall under righteous and total judgment. And yet, there is an escape. Our text makes that plain. And our experience has discovered it, by the grace of God. Protection against that terrible day is available to others, too. That is why we preach the Gospel and live our lives as a witness for our Lord. We need to let people know that safety is found – not in religion, works, or title – but in the person of our Saviour.
The God who must some day smite the earth with a curse is today offering a remedy. You and I are His agents to get the word out. -Jim MacIntosh