Day 273: The Last Word, Not the Final Word (Malachi 4:6)

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

— Malachi 4:6, ESV

Through the Bible: Malachi 1–4

The last word of the Old Testament is “curse” (CSB, “destruction” in ESV. That’s striking. You would think the Hebrew Scriptures would end with hope or blessing, not judgment. But Malachi, the final prophet, closes with a warning. Unless hearts turn back to God, destruction will follow.

That’s the last word, but not the final word. The Old Testament ends in curse. But the New Testament begins with Christ.

“400 Years of Silence”

Between Malachi and Matthew, Bible readers often talk about a gap of “400 silent years.” God did not raise up another prophet in Israel until John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, crying out, “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Matthew 3:3).

But “silent” doesn’t mean absent. Look at all that happened on the world stage during these four centuries:

• Empires Shifted: Persia fell to Greece, then Greece to Rome.
• Scripture spread. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the Septuagint).
• Faith was tested. Under the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes, Jewish worship was outlawed, sparking the Maccabean revolt.
• Hope grew. Messianic expectation swelled, so by the time Jesus was born, people were waiting for a Deliverer. God was not silent—He was setting the stage.

Related Sermon Content: Born at the Right Time

From Curse to Christ

If the Bible ended at Malachi, we would be left with curse, fear, and unfinished promises. But God had already planned a continuation.

• The “messenger” of Malachi 3:1 shows up as John the Baptist.
• The “sun of righteousness” in Malachi 4:2 dawns in Bethlehem.
• The curse of 4:6 is answered by the cross of Christ, where He became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).

The last word of the Old Testament is curse. But the final word of God is grace.

Reflection

If your story ended today, what would the last word be? Brokenness? Curse? Silence? The good news of the gospel is that your last word doesn’t have to be your final word. In Christ, judgment gives way to mercy, despair to hope, silence to song.

The curse is not the end of the story. Jesus is.

Other Day 273 Posts

• 2024: The Sun and the Son

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