2016, November 13 ~ Malachi 4:1-2a & 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Malachi 4: 1-2a
The Book of Malachi is the last book of the 12 “Minor” Prophets – so called because these 12 books are much shorter than the three “Major” Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel). His name literally means “my messenger” and the book appears to be written in the 5th Century BCE, after the Second Temple was built. Malachi asserts that the “Day of the Lord” is coming soon, and the “messenger” of the Day of the Lord is later identified as Elijah (4:5). In most prophetic books, the Day of the Lord is presented as a time of wrath, darkness, fear and trembling.
In today’s reading from the last chapter in the book, the author reiterates that the Day of the Lord will be terrible for the arrogant and evildoers, but that those who revere Yahweh’s name will rise. In the Hebrew Bible, all the Books of the Prophets are in the middle of the Bible, but in Christian Bibles, Malachi is the last book, so that when one turns the page, a prophet much like Elijah (John the Baptist) is encountered.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Thessalonica, a port city in northern Greece, was capital of the Roman province of Macedonia in the First Century. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest part of the Christian Scriptures and was written by Paul before 50 CE, about 20 years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written. A principal theme of both 1 and 2 Thessalonians is the return of the Lord Jesus in the end time. In 2 Thessalonians, however, there is an emphasis on living in the present and warnings about forgeries of Paul’s writings. For these reasons, many scholars conclude that 2 Thessalonians was written by one of Paul’s disciples after Paul’s death in 64 CE.
In today’s reading, the author directs comments to the entire community and emphasizes the need to continue to work for a living.