Malachi 4:5-6
Fathers and the Honor Due Them
One of the last books to have been written in the Old Testament is Malachi’s prophecy. There the prophet issues a wake-up call to a people whose worship has become mechanical. The passion in their relationship with God has dried up.
In response, Malachi lays down a series of indictments from the LORD against his people. An early one has to do with the indifference that the people had come to have toward their God. The LORD says, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor?” (Malachi 1:6).
The comparison is deliberate. From the beginning, the LORD has chosen family relationships to reflect his relationship with his people.
Epic Stories of Fathers, and Sons
Because he values his children’s love so deeply, God has made the need for fathers to relate to their sons to be one of the most fundamental forces in our psyches. Think of the MANY f books and movies that feature this theme. It is one that refuses to grow old.
One of my favorites is the moment of resolution in the movie Field of Dreams, when Kevin Costner’s character finally gathers the courage to forgive the conflicts that had driven him from his father. Two lines of dialogue dissolve years of tension.
“Hey! Dad? You want to have a catch?”
“I’d like that.”
Men never stop craving the approval of their fathers, and fathers never stop seeking their sons’ honor.
Promises for Fathers and Sons in Malachi
Malachi’s prophecy ends on a similar note. After Malachi delivers the LORD’s indictments, those who fear the LORD awaken from their lethargy and create a book of remembrance. In turn, the LORD forgives their former indifference and addresses them in Father-son language again. Speaking of the final judgment day, he says, “They shall be mine in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him” (Malachi 4:16).
The book closes with these words of hope:
Behold, I am sending Elijah the Prophet to you before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth as a thing devoted to destruction.
--Malachi 4:5-6, author’s translation
Modern versions use gender-neutral language by referring to parents and children. Malachi speaks to fathers and sons.
Because relationships come from God, they exist in two directions—human-to-human on a horizontal plane, and human-to-God on the vertical. Both are necessary. After all, how either be healthy when the other is lame?
The horizontal relationship between fathers and sons—and here we can expand the picture to fathers and daughters—reflects our relationship with our Father in heaven.
Malachi’s Prophecy in Fulfillment
From our New Testament perspective, we know that Malachi’s last words anticipate the coming of John the Baptist, Jesus’ forerunner.
There is only one problem. None of the New Testament accounts of John the Baptist record him saying anything about fathers and sons. Has John forgotten his mission?
Not at all. John’s ministry pointed to Jesus, who was none other than the Son of God. While Jesus was on the earth, he showed the world the embodiment of a perfect Father-Son relationship.
He did not leave us only with an example, though. His work on the cross brought restoration on both planes. When Christ redeems human beings, restoration of their relationships between each other becomes possible.
Healing Relationships in a Broken World
However, we live in a fallen world. Healing between fathers and their children is not a given. The process takes work.
God’s grace in salvation is the starting point. If you need to forgive, remember that God has forgiven you. If you need to be forgiven, humble yourself. The humility that you presented to God is appropriate for human renewal as well.
God has healed our spiritual brokenness, which is infinite in scope. He certainly can heal human wounding. While you live, pray for that healing.
Doug Knox