Freedom from Destruction
When I was a boy living in Decatur, Georgia, we had the Cuban Missile Crisis under President Kennedy. I was in the second or third grade at Midway Elementary School. Everyone was saying that if Cuba fired missiles at Atlanta, it would only take 90 minutes for them to arrive. Because of this threat, we had a drill. We were sent home with instructions to get home as quickly as possible and to get into a basement or crawl space to protect ourselves. I remember doing that with my mother and sister. It was scary, but no missiles were ever fired.
The prophet Malachi was given a message about the coming Day of Judgment in which the wicked would be burned up, but the righteous would be set free. (Malachi 4:2) "But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture." Hundreds of years before Jesus came to die for our sins and rise again to show His power to set us free, Malachi was given this great word picture for the world to consider.
The Day of Judgment can denote two different things. In this case Malachi is speaking of the time God will send those who reject Him to destruction in Hell. He doesn't want to do this, but if they don't put their faith in God, they can't enter Heaven with their sins. On that day those who fear Him, trust in Him, will be set free from any destruction. This is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus for our sins. The other thing that the Judgment Day denotes is when we stand before the Lord to give and account of our life. Everyone will do that, both the lost and the saved.
Therefore, we should be very thankful for the "Sun of Righteousness." That is a great name for Jesus. He is God's "Only Begotten Son." He was not created, but He is eternally God. He came to take on human flesh, so He could shed His blood to pay for our sins and die in our place. Then, He rose again like the sun rising on the third day. By trusting Him we are healed from any effects of sin, and we are free to leap with joy like that calf let out to pasture. I pray we would all rejoice in this description of our Lord and Savior, so we can show everyone what the Sun of Righteousness has done for all mankind and put their trust in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 1-5.