Fearsome
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See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. -Malachi 4:1-2a
These two sentences are the full Old Testament reading for this Sunday. It may be an unusually short reading, but it sure packs a punch! To me, the passage is a little scary, because the prophet Malachai is talking about people being burned up, left as stubble, with neither root nor branch. But, it’s also pretty comforting to hear God saying that the sun of righteousness, bringing healing in its wings, will shine on those who revere God.
Then it kind of slips back into scary when you recognize your own arrogance and begin to wonder whether you revere God enough.
The prophets spoke hyperbolically to get people’s attention. In some ways this is really a horrifyingly violent passage. But then again, it is also a deeply assuring one, in that God will not allow evil to prevail, and will swoop in with healing to save his beloved children. Just like John the Baptist, who we’ll hear from again in just a few weeks, prophets bark loudly, but the only bite they offer is the bite of the listener’s conscience. The core message is always that God loves us and wants more than anything to redeem us.
My favorite part of Handel’s Messiah is the song that quotes the prophet Malachai - “And who can stand the day of his coming? For he is like a refiner’s fire!” Clearly Malachai has a thing about fire. Nonetheless, something in me loves the drama and the imagery of the prophets, shaking us up and keeping us from complacency. And in calm, prosperous times, the prophets certainly afflict the comfortable. But in troubled times like these, God’s promises begin to stand out more and more strongly than the fearsome words the prophets use. In troubled times, prophets comfort the afflicted.
Prophets are best suited for fraught times. So keep them in your pocket to remind you that God is always at your side, ready to avenge you from all evil.
