Today’s reading is Matthew 3.
In 2 Kings 1, King Ahaziah sent messengers to inquire of the Baal-zebub, god of Ekron about his health. A prophet of God stopped the messengers, sending them back to the king to tell him he was going to die. The text tells us who the prophet was, but the messengers didn’t know his name. Ahaziah asked them to describe the prophet. They said, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” Ahaziah knew exactly who that was: “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” If you have time, you may want to go back and read that whole story. It’s fascinating. But for our purposes, let’s get back to Matthew.
In Matthew 3:4, the apostle records, “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey” (ESV). Stop to think about this for a moment. Ahaziah knew who the prophet was by hearing his attire. What are we supposed to hear when we read of this exact same attire? We are supposed to hear that John is Elijah.
Don’t misunderstand. He is not a resurrected Elijah. Rather, he is walking in the footsteps of Elijah. Of all the things that come to mind as we consider Elijah, we should think about how our Old Testaments end:
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of destruction.
Malachi 4:5-6 (ESV)
Don’t miss anything Malachi recorded here. We often pick up on the repentance aspect–fathers and children turning their hearts toward each other. But notice how it ends. Judgment is coming. The great and awesome day of the Lord was coming, if the people didn’t repent, God would come and strike the land with a decree of destruction.
In other words, at the same time Matthew is pointing out two things. The hope and expectation of Israel is being fulfilled. However, if Israel doesn’t respond with repentance, they will not receive reward but recompense. The day of the Lord would be fantastic for those who respond, but terrifying for those who didn’t.
If we want to know how this is going to turn out, perhaps we should pay attention to how John is dealt with. Keep your eyes and ears open for that.
Elijah has come. Let us repent and be part of the kingdom.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 3.
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Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family
- What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
- What do you know about Elijah the prophet?
- How does what you know about Elijah relate to John?
- Why is it great to know God was fulfilling His promises from the Old Testament?
- What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?
Read the Bible 