Page 65 - Christ in You - The Hope of Glory

Heart of a Son

want to draw your attention to the last two verses of Malachi. They are the final verses of
Ithe Old Testament. Placement is significant in Scriptures. First occurrences and last
occurrences alike hold a particular meaning. That which is last speaks of the goal, or the
end result of a matter. So it is with these words. The Old Testament concludes with that
which is most upon the heart of God, Who is the Father of mankind. His heart is turned
toward His sons, and He wants His sons hearts to be turned toward Him.

Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of Yahweh. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the
sons, and the hearts of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and strike the
earth with a curse.

Malachi prophesied that Elijah the prophet would come prior to the great and terrible
day of Yahweh. Elijah’s entire ministry would be focused upon restoring fathers and sons.
Although there is certainly an earthly application of this verse, it also stands as a parable
of the ultimate relationship between Father and sons, between Yahweh and His offspring.
For too long the hearts of Yahweh’s children have been turned away from Him.
Mankind has occupied himself with many vain pursuits. Even in his religious pursuits man
has seldom manifested a heart after God’s own. The Davids have been far outnumbered by
the Sauls.
The Old Testament opens with God creating man with the express intent of providing
God with sons in His own image and likeness. The Old Testament ends with the thought
uppermost on Yahweh’s mind. He wants His sons’ hearts to be turned toward Him.
Next we find the New Testament opening with the story of Yahshua, the firstborn Son
of God. He was the first son born of woman and born of God. He set the pattern for the sons
who would follow, for His heart was always set upon His Father. He lived to do the Father’s
pleasure. His very meat, that which sustained Him and gave Him life, was the opportunity
to do His Father’s will.

John 4:34
“My food is to do the pleasure of Him who sent Me and to accomplish
His work.”

Hebrews 10:7
“Then I said, 'Behold, I have come - in the volume of the book it is written of Me -
to do Your pleasure, O God.'”

Yahshua revealed the kind of heart that endears a son to the Father. Of this firstborn
Son, the Father declared:

Matthew 3:17
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This relationship of the Father’s heart turned to the Son, and the Son’s heart turned