We need to remember God’s Word. That is the final principle in the book of Malachi and it’s actually the final statement of the entire Old Testament. In Malachi 4:4-6, God basically sums up all 39 books, all 929 chapters of the “before Christ Bible” with an urgent reminder to remember His truth and teaching. There are 3 basic reasons why this is so important . . .
God’s Word contains practical truth to live by. In Malachi 4:4 it says, “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.” When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Mt. Sinai was also known as Mt. Horeb), and when God composed the rest of the Old Testament through the pen of Moses and various other writers, He was giving His people practical words to live by. God’s truth guides us and provides us with the correct way to live; that’s why we need to be mindful of it. Life is filled with all kinds of ups and downs, twists, turns, and distractions. It’s easy to lose sight of the right way to go and the right thing to do. God’s Word is our practical reminder.
Second, God’s Word warns us when we are in danger. In Malachi 4:5 it speaks of God sending “Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.” This statement functions as a glimpse into the future and as a look in the rearview mirror. The reference to “Elijah the prophet” here is a reference to the coming of John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the beginning of Christ’s ministry in the New Testament. On the flip side, Elijah the prophet was an actual prophet or preacher who served as one of God’s messengers, long before the book of Malachi was written. Elijah provided God’s people and the leaders of God’s people with numerous warnings about the fact that they had drifted away from God and from the truth of His principles. The point here is that God’s Word (whether it’s delivered through a preacher or by looking to the Bible ourselves) serves to warn us when we go astray and get off track in our lives. The Bible is our life compass to help us get back on course and navigate through life correctly.
Third, God’s Word repairs brokenness in our world. In Malachi 4:6 it says that God will “restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Did you notice the emphasis on relationships there? Specifically, did you notice the emphasis on family relationships in that verse? The idea is that God’s Word is the repair manual that provides us with instructions for how we can repair broken relationships, broken hearts, and brokenness in general in our lives.
Remember, it’s all about honor; specifically, it's all about honoring God. That’s why the Word of God is so important. We need to read God’s Word, reference it, and record it in our memory, so that we can remember His truth, and live lives that honor Him!
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