Malachi 4:4-6

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

From Background Notes [BN] for November 2^nd & 3^rd  written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The audience that heard Malachi had become complacent and jaded about God and religion. Skimming through the chapters of his book, we discover the areas where the spiritual life of Israel had broken down after the return from exile.

What had begun as a period of hopeful new beginnings (as recorded in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah), soon turned into cynicism and neglect. As the last of the writing prophets, Malachi concludes with an agenda focused on the recovery of spiritual life in the family. In effect he is telling the people, “This isn’t just about the adults of Hebrew society; it’s about the children and the future that lies before them.” If families fail, society fails. Only when the hearts of parents and children are focused on the same truth about God will the flow of history turn back from “the great and terrible day” and from “the curse.” Save the children, and you will save the world. [BN,8]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at Chicago First Church of the Nazarene:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am