Malachi 4:5-6 NLT “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.
6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
God’s people are on a collision course with a curse from God. Why? There is a missing element within God’s people. It is the life of a father within the families and people of God.
In the Jewish culture, as a male-dominated people, some had multiple wives and concubines, in which they had multiple children. These children were primarily raised by their mothers.
In today’s modern time, many of God’s children are raised by single moms. Where are the dads? Where are the fathers? What is missing is the discipline and rearing of a child when the father figure is not in their lives?
Moms have a natural function of nurturing, empathizing, and filling any lack. Since the husbands are not there, the moms will gravitate towards the children to seek the love that has been devoided. Sadly, as a negative result, many spoiled brats, entitled people, “Karens,” lazy, have princess syndrome, passive males, ahabs, and the like are produced. It does not matter how much of a hard life you may have experienced. Even within a hard life and single-parent family, spoiled brats are easily produced. Mom will give and give to the point of teaching a child that their tantrums, playing Mexican standoff, throwing a fit, and being stubborn as a mule will produce the result of their objective. Many mothers feeling sorry for their children will just give and give without proper discipline. Such people are on a collision course with God. Such people have been trained to usurp and disrespect authority.
Why does Malachi say God’s preaching will restore the hearts of the father to the sons (and daughters) and the sons to the father? A father is required to bring balance within the family. The father brings discipline, structure, rebuke, and a strong hand like a rod of authority to keep the children in line.
You can receive the preaching by submitting and repenting or continuing to stare with a stiff neck. But if you continue to stare with a stiff neck, verse six warns you that a curse is coming to strike your land. Your finances and your health will be struck.
Pastor Steve Kim