Turning the Hearts

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6.

In these verses, the Lord draws our attention to how important the prophecy is by pronouncing a curse if His people do not do as He says.  It is unusual in these days to think of our God as pronouncing a curse.  However, if we look at the work of the Lord in turning the hearts of fathers and children towards each other, we can guess that without this work being done, we would suffer great loss in our families and in our countries.

What turns a heart towards another person? Seeing admirable traits does.  Usually, children will grow up to imitate their father’s admirable traits.  In looking at what these traits are we see parallels between the nature of the father, and the nature of our heavenly Father, God.  We could deduce, then, that the Lord wants the younger generation to imitate His nature, which is seen in their fathers. The children need to admire their fathers or they will not emulate them.

A father is one who provides for others.  He is a problem-solver, and a protector.  If an earthly father does not want this role in life, others will suffer lack.  If a Christian man wants to be provided for, and believes that God should solve all his problems, that man will be unsuccessful in developing God’s nature in His life, for he is avoiding the practice of it. Though God protects us from much, He also asks fathers to protect their families.

Many ministries have been outlining the walk of faith as one of being provided for.  They have portrayed God as the One who eliminates problems by miraculous means.  Although God can do these things, He has given Man the earth to govern in this life.  Jesus likens real faith to a mustard seed “which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade” (Mk 4:31-32). This is a visual image of how a man provides for others, letting faith grow to the point of offering rest and shade for others.

Christians should be concerned with more than their ministries alone.  If a man would have the heart of a father, let his faith grow so that he can care for more than himself.  This is also the model we have of church rulers. In 1 Timothy 3 we read that overseers and elders should rule their families well.  This is the prerequisite for governing God’s Church.  In fact, Paul goes on to say that “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Tim 5:8).  This is the “curse” mentioned in the opening scripture by Malachi.  To provide for and protect others is the true role of a father and is developed by a life of faith.  To ask others to provide for him and protect him is to deny our faith, and cannot be developed as a life of faith.

How do the hearts of the fathers turn towards the children? Through love. Paul wrote that “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”(Gal 5:6). As a servant to the Church, the Apostles and church leaders cared for congregations.  As fathers, the love and care for wives and children molds a family into God’s image as well.

We want our children and their generation to walk a life of faith in our Lord Jesus.  Let us demonstrate a faith to follow, one that is concerned with the well-being of others.  This is admirable, and a life the younger generation would not be ashamed to imitate.  Amen.