Malachi chapter 4

Short chapter today (although apparently it's numbered differently in Hebrew)

vs 1

Judgement day doesn't sound fantastic for evildoers. What's worse, surely it is coming! Well, worse for them.

vs 2

I think this is the only time the sun is mentioned in this way, but it will be forever remembered not only here, but in Wesley's Christmas carol "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". How this becomes Jesus, I'm not actually sure. I mean, you would assume it's just poetically talking about light.

It's funny imagining some Christians frolicing around like well-fed calves (or calves recently released from the stall). Now there's an interesting difference in translation. TNIV seems to be going against tradition a fair bit there.

vs 3

So to add insult to injury, the wicked who were recently burned in judgement will be trampled under the feet of wel-fed calves. We're not used to talking about the wicked in this way - as if we get to trample over them because they face wrath and we don't. But Israel had more of an Us vs Them mentality.

vs 4

It doesn't get much more obvious a reminder than that to obey the Levitical and Deuteronomic laws.

vs 5

So you see, when the disciples said "Hey Jesus, isn't it written that Elijah must come first before the day of the Lord comes?" - this is what they were talking about. The question being whether Elijah was a type (in which it was John the Baptist) or the actual person returning (in which the Transfiguration account probably covers that nicely).

vs 6

Now here's an interesting idea - Elijah will come and turn people's hearts towards each other (in family relationships mainly). But if that doesn't happen, the land will get cursed and destroyed. The onus of course not being on Elijah changing their hearts, but by implication putting forward a message which would then need to be accepted in order for the striking of cursing to be avoided.