Malaquias 4

Malaquias 4

Sproul - Repentance and turning to God will be seen in the restoration of family relationships (Luke 1:17). NLT Study Bible - Turn is the OT term for repentance and indicates a complete change of loyalties. Turning toward God results in reconciliation between generations (see 2 Cor 5:18–20). NET Bible Note on He will restore the hearts… : [the] sons, and the heart[s] of [the] sons to their fathers.” This may mean that the messenger will encourage reconciliation of conflicts within Jewish families in the postexilic community (see Mal 2:10; this interpretation is followed by most English versions). Another option is to translate, “he will turn the hearts of the fathers together with those of the children [to me], and the hearts of the children together with those of their fathers [to me].” In this case the prophet encourages both the younger and older generations of sinful society to repent and return to the LORD (cf. Mal 3:7). This option is preferred in the present translation; see Beth Glazier-McDonald, Malachi (SBLDS), 256. David Dockery - Elijah’s coming before the day of the Lord will result in a great revival of faith in Israel, expressed here as fathers and their “children” (or sons) turning (the same verb translated “return” in 3:7) their hearts toward each other. As quoted in Luke 1:17, it describes fathers turning compassionately toward their children and disobedient people accepting the wisdom of the righteous. (Holman Bible Publishers) Smite the land with a curse - Kaiser - Humanity worldwide will turn to the Lord (Ed: Presumably Kaiser is referring to the Second Coming), or God will need to come and smite the earth with a “curse” (Mal 4:6). The “curse” denotes involuntarily dedicating everything back to God, in contrast to the deliberate act of dedication called for in Romans 12:1–2. After a long pursuit of the wicked, God must ultimately claim everything back to himself, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof (Ps 24:1). Notice, however, that when the hearts of the fathers turn to the Lord the generation gap is bridged, for then it is that the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children and the children’s hearts are turned to the fathers (Mal 4:6). NET Note on "curse" - Heb “[the] ban” (חֵרֶם, kherem). God’s prophetic messenger seeks to bring about salvation and restoration, thus avoiding the imposition of the covenant curse, that is, the divine ban that the hopelessly unrepentant must expect (see Deut 7:2; 20:17; Jdg 1:21; Zech 14:11). If the wicked repent, the purifying judgment threatened in Mal 4:1–3 will be unnecessary. Curse (02764) (herem) it is something devoted unto divine service, and is under a ban. In some context as the present use, it describes a curse or extermination which implies total destruction (see Dt 7:26; 1Sa 15:18; Zech 14:11). MacKay says "The ‘curse’ is the ban, the utter devotion to destruction (Isa. 43:28 — and NIV footnote; Jer. 25:9) of what is an abomination in the LORD’s sight." Herem is not the normal word for curse, and as noted refers to the practice of devoting things or persons irrevocably to God, often by total destruction. Cities of Canaan were put under the “curse,” and thus the people were to be exterminated (cf. Dt. 13:12-18; 20:16ff). Herem "conveys the "basic meaning is the exclusion of an object from the use or abuse of man and its irrevocable surrender to God. The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “to prohibit, especially to ordinary use.” The word “harem,” meaning the special quarters for Muslim wives, comes from it. Usually āram means a ban for utter destruction, the compulsory dedication of something which impedes or resists God’s work, which is considered to be accursed before God. The idea first appears in Nu 21:2–3, where the Israelites vowed that, if God would enable them to defeat a southern Canaanite king, they would “utterly destroy” (i.e. consider as devoted and accordingly utterly destroy) his cities. This word is used regarding almost all the cities which Joshua’s troops destroyed (e.g. Jericho, Josh 6:21; Ai, Josh 8:26; Makkedah, Josh 10:28; Hazor, Josh 11:11), thus indicating the rationale for their destruction. In Dt 7:2–6, the command for this manner of destruction is given, with the explanation following that, otherwise, these cities would lure the Israelites away from the Lord (cf. Dt 20:17–18). Any Israelite city that harbored idolators was to be “utterly destroyed” (Deut 13:12–15; cf. Ex 22:19). A man who was the object devoted to God came under the same ban." (Leon Wood - TWOT) Herem - 31 verses in the KJV. Note that verses that are not in bold are classified in the NAS by the Strong's number 2763a (21 verses) and those in bold by Strong's number 2763b = 9 verses, the latter being translated primarily with the meaning of net. (see Louw-Nida definition below) - Lev 27:21, 28, 29; Nu 18:14; Dt 7:26; 13:17; Josh 6:17,18; 7:1, 11, 12, 13, 15; 22:20; 1Sa 15:21; 1Kgs 20:42; 1Chr 2:7; Eccl 7:26; Isa 34:5; 43:28; Ezek 26:5, 14; 32:3; Ezek 44:29; Ezek 47:10; Mic 7:2; Hab 1:15, 16, 17; Zech 14:11; Mal 4:6. The KJV renders herem as - net 9, accursed thing 9, accursed 4, curse 4, cursed thing 3, devoted 3, destruction 2, devoted thing 2, dedicated thing 1, destroyed 1; 38 Louw Nida definition summarized - 1. consecrated possession, i.e., a thing devoted to the Lord (Lev 27:21); 2. thing set apart to utter destruction, given to the ban, i.e., a thing or person that will be destroyed as a consecration to the Lord (1Sa 15:21; Isa 43:28) 1. fishnet, i.e., a net used to trap fish (Eze 26:5, 14; 32:3; 47:10; Hab 1:15, 16, 17); 2. trap, i.e., a snare used in hunting (Eccl 7:26; Mic 7:2) Eugene Merrill - The ban (herem) was the judgment of God on places, things, and hopelessly unrepentant people that resulted in the extermination of living beings and the destruction or appropriation by YHWH of the rest. Were God’s people at last to remain in unbelief and rebellion, they must suffer the fate of those placed under herem, for they, too, would be under His everlasting curse. The whole earth would suffer similarly, for without the mediatorial ministry of Israel, the kingdom of priests, the program of YHWH for universal redemption would collapse and the design for a universal kingdom come to an end. (Malachi Commentary recommended) Notice what the last word of the OT is "curse." What a way to end. It leaves you hanging, anticipating, searching for resolution. And the resolution would come in the Messiah. Steve Felker has a pithy comment - Conclusion: Following this prophecy by Malachi, Israel is going to move into a period in which heaven goes off the air. God will not be broadcasting. No word was heard from Him until the silence was broken by the messenger who would introduce the Messiah. The silence of four hundred years was broken. Though the OT ends with a curse, the New Testament ushers in salvation, blessing and hope through Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Won't you believe in Him today? Jesus came under the curse of the Law when He died on the cross for you. Now, you can be saved, become a part of the people of God, and share in this marvelous destiny. (Malachi 3:13-4:6 A Glorious Destiny) Thomas