MALACHI 4:2

“‘But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall.’”

One thing I like about hunting early in the morning is watching the sun rise. Depending on where I am hunting, I can usually watch the sun creep up and then burst onto the landscape around me. Recently I was watching that on a frosty morning. As the sun touched the frosted ground and grasses, the frost melted away. The heat, that I could not detect yet, evaporated the ice.

Many scholars say Malachi is referencing the coming of the Messiah in this verse. He is called “the sun of righteousness.” And I especially like the next phrase – “with healing in its wings.” The winged solar disc was a common symbol then for the sun god. Perhaps Malachi borrowed from that image for this phrase. We do know that Jesus will come quickly and will bring the heat of judgment or the warmth of His love, depending on the person’s decision whether or not to follow Him.

APPLICATION

Just as the sun gives warmth and light to the world to allow it to grow and prosper, the Son brings the same to us. He calls Himself the light of the world in John 8:12. “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’” Don’t you want that?

This Son, unlike the celestial sun, never sets. He is always present in your life once you accept Him as Savior and Lord. Isaiah 60:19 says, “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor will the moon give you light for brightness; But you will have the LORD as an everlasting light, And your God as your glory.” That’s pretty amazing.

The choice is yours. You can either continue to walk in darkness and incur the wrath of God through the Son of righteousness or you can embrace His love and receive the warmth of His rays. I need that embrace every day. I am sure you do too.

Father, send down Your beams of light and fill our hearts with Your love.

P.S. For my frequent followers, I will be taking a short break when we finish Malachi in four days. I will pick back up on January 1. Pray that the Lord shows me where to go to next in our daily study.