Today we are finishing up our teaching series on the Minor Prophets studying the last recorded words of a prophet named Malachi.

The way our bibles are organized, Malachi literally gets the last word before the New Testament.

We don’t know a lot about Malachi himself. He was prophesying after the children of Israel got to return from exile in Babylon, somewhere around the 5th century.

The Book of Malachi recounts the people’s unfaithfulness through six “disputes” with God. God will call the people out for their sin and rebellion- and they repeatedly deny it.

As you read the words of Malachi, it becomes clear that the people could not discern the real condition of their hearts.

We focus on the farewell words of the Old Testament. Words that gave way to 400 years of silence from God.

In many ways these last words summarize the whole Old Testament, the law of Moses and the prophets. They call people to action through repentance and returning to the Lord. They call on them to remember the words of the prophets, words of warning, words of judgement, and words of hope. This morning we are glancing back to the minor prophets, but with an eye toward the coming advent season.

The Lord points once again to a coming day of judgement for his people. Within this text we see consequences for sin, but we also see a promised effect of God’s coming-
That he would purify and cleanse, and that He will restore proper worship and relationship with Himself.

God takes sin seriously- the minor prophets have shown us that again and again. But we also see the heart of the Father in calling His people to repent and return to him.

God’s heart is not His people’s destruction, but their restoration in relationship with Him.

And that brings us to the famous last words of Malachi.

Following these words is 400 years of silence. There were no new prophecies, and no recorded words from the Lord- only the command to remember, to wait, and to watch. And many didn’t.

Finding our place in the story:
1. Sometimes when we should learn our lesson, we don't. Just like the Israelites who should've learned after experiencing exile, and didn't. They remained unfaithful. Sometimes we learn and, as proven by the people during the time of the Minor Prophet Malachi, sometimes we don’t.
2. You may feel like 'silence' is your reality right now. What would it felt like to receive these promises, delivered through the prophet Malachi, and yet receive nothing else from the Lord? Some of us feel as though God's silence means God's absence.

Despite all that had gone before, despite a rebellious and disobedient people, by His great grace, God intervened in a moment of time.

The last words of the Old Testament became first cries….
The cries of The Savior.

The famous last words of Malachi point to the messenger and the manger.

Christmas didn’t come because we needed a holiday- it came because we needed a savior.