I was recently visiting with a respected minister friend of mine and the subject of righteousness came up. He said, “I think Malachi 4:2 is the best righteousness scripture in the whole Bible. You know what it says, right?”
Well, at the moment, no. I drew a blank. Then he said, “But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
He went on to say how it describes the revelation of Jesus Christ rising to a place of prominence in our lives as we bask in the beams of His righteousness. (This was my summary, not his exact words.) But loving the scriptures as I do, I looked up this passage and found even more amazing revelation, so I want to share three important truths with you:
“The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with HEALING…”
The obvious understanding of healing is something that aids in the process of getting well. But the better use of the word in this passage describes restoration and peace!
I discovered a long time ago that peace is a synonym for reconciliation. And this is exactly what Jesus did… He restored and reconciled the broken relationship between God and man. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). We were once fractured and separated, but no more!
And how did this happen? Through the Sun of Righteousness!
“…with healing in His WINGS…”
I always pictured the wings of a bird when I read this. And obviously the word wings can be defined as such, but the prominent definition here describes a corner of a garment. Think about that… How did the woman with the issue of blood receive her healing? She touched the hem of His garment and instantly she was restored and made whole!
When we receive Jesus and His righteousness (fully comprehending all that this means), we too are restored and made whole! I’d rather have a broken body with an understanding of righteousness than a healed body with no understanding. Why? Because once I fully grasp the riches of what Christ has given me, my body won’t stay broken for long! Hallelujah!
“…and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
If someone called me a fat calf, I’d be tempted to feel insulted, but let me tell you what it means in this scripture. Stall-fed calves were a valuable property in Israel. It’s the reason calves were made into golden images and worshipped. So those who fear God and receive the restoration and peace of salvation through Jesus Christ shall be deemed as valuable property to the Lord!
And this is the biggest reason to shout! The devil has forever targeted the self-esteem of God’s children. But in reality, he’s jealous of you and I who actually have what he wanted all along. Satan wanted to be like God. You and I have been made in the image of God. This must infuriate the devil. It certainly explains why he loves to make us feel unworthy and inferior.
“But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” The more we grow in revelation of Jesus and the righteousness we have received through Him, the more we shall shine like the Son!
So I have to agree with my friend. Malachi 4:2 explains a lot!
