An Effective Deterrent?
Malachi 4:1-2a
The day will come when everything will be set right.
Photo by Madalina Z on Unsplash
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
Light is interpreted as salvation and truth. It is God’s presence among men. From this early time, about 500 years before Christ, people believed God would come and make things right.
We believe the one this messenger of God refers to is the Messiah, the light of the world.
Does this belief give us false hope?
Do we go through this life feeling assured that God will make everything right, so we accept our fate and remain downtrodden?
Without hope, we fall into despair, and despair can lead us to do things that we wouldn’t normally do, like rise up and try to seize control.
Remember when you were young and you did something wrong that Mom saw? Remember hearing the words, “Wait until your father gets home,” not as a joyful expectation, but as a threat of punishment?
We can endure great strife if we believe all will be made right down the line, and we will be redeemed.
Our justice system is based on the belief that the truth will come out and we will be proven innocent, even though it is supposed to be working in our favor. We are supposed to be deemed innocent until proven guilty.
Yet we were all raised to believe we are sinful and guilty, and it is up to us to prove our innocence before God, who holds the gavel.
If we have done something wrong, we can make amends and redeem ourselves. Thank God for that.
We tell ourselves there is hope. If everyone would simply follow the rules, all would be well. But what if some don’t believe the rules are just?
If this day of judgment is coming, and many believe it is not, who will be surprised by the judgment?
Will it be those who follow the laws, or those who stand up against the laws they see as unjust?
So long as both feel their approach is righteous and fair, we remain in conflict.
So, God will send his judgment upon us, and then we will know who was right.
More to come...