Keep The Law - Malachi

Malachi 4:4 (ESV)

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

Remembering that Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament , the above verse seems to be appropriate in many ways.   

1. Since the Old Testament is basically about the Law and the New Testament about Grace, it seems appropriate to conclude the book and the Testament with the reminder to keep the Law of Moses.     

1. It is also appropriate for Malachi’s words.  The nation of Israel had gone into captivity because they failed to obey God’s commands.   The reason Malachi was writing them is that they had returned from captivity and were, once again, refusing to obey God’s commands.   

1. The last reason this is appropriate is that the Old Testament Law was given to point out the need for grace.  Man can’t keep the Law without God giving them His grace.  The New Testament is about God giving that grace to us through the work of Jesus as He fulfilled the law.   Jesus fulfilled the Law and that gives us the ability to live the Law in our lives through Him.  We can now keep the Law because He came to fulfill it for us and to enable us to fulfill it with His power. 

Matthew 5:17-20 (ESV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.