"Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6, New Living Translation.
With this prophetic word, the Old Testament closes, promising the restoration of the family through a prophet like Elijah, referencing Jesus. Only Jesus can restore families.
The Old Testament began with the establishment of a family, that of Adam and Eve, who only listened to one voice, the voice of God. They enjoyed everything the Father gave them until they listened to a second voice, that of Satan.
When they sinned, the word "condemnation" appeared, which not only means going to hell but separation from the Father. Condemnation distanced them from God, as happened to Adam and Eve. They began to live without the fatherhood of God and suffered the consequences.
God provided Himself a way to reconnect with men (the altar of sacrifice, in the Holy of Holies). But the people continued sinning, repenting, and sinning again, and then the Father designed the plan of salvation by sacrificing His own Son.
Practically speaking, the word "curse" means the separation of the Father from His children, something we see reflected in society with drug addicts, sexual immorality, sexual diversity, and the separation of children due to language and what is learned in schools.
The family is God's platform for the kingdom of heaven to manifest on earth. Today, we as parents have God's mandate to turn our children's hearts back to us and, primarily, to God. If we do not do this, we will not only be punished but will have lost another generation.
Written by Víctor Preza, based on the sermon on 07/06/2024
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