Good Heavens! The Sun of Righteousness
Good Heavens! The Sun of Righteousness.
“For those who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.” (Malachi 4:2)
Malachi’s picturesque prophecy has been embraced as messianic by both Jewish and Christian interpreters. Jesus Christ has clearly fulfilled this prophecy, and those who follow and revere Him will experience Jesus as a just and righteous healer of mind, body and spirit.
Minor? The twelve “minor prophets” were so named because Augustine, about 17 centuries ago, thought that would be a suitable term for them. His thought was that since these twelve books were generally shorter in length than the “major prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel), then they should be called “minor.” The problem with that train of thought is that readers are misled into thinking that the minor prophets are less important, have nothing especially meaningful to say. So, compared to the majors, some might think, these minors can rightfully be ignored. That’s too bad, of course, because the minor prophets are still Scripture, and they have a lot to say about ancient Israel and God’s character. And they have important insights for us in the 21st century. In this case, it’s entirely okay to major in the minors.
Malachi. The book of Malachi is the bridge between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. He was a prophet in Jerusalem almost a century after the 2nd Temple was completed in 516 BC. Unfortunately, God’s chosen people had slipped into many of the same sins that had caused God to punish them with exile into Babylon a century previous: carelessly following the Law; arrogance; apathy in worship; a casual and mostly empty faith life; men were divorcing their faithful wives at a whim and marrying pagan women, and so their home life was a mess. Besides all that cultural and spiritual disintegration, the priests were lazy and unfaithful when it came to leading sacrifices and worshiping Yahweh. The people needed solid spiritual examples, and the priest were not up to the job. There was still a small remnant of genuine believers, so there was a note of hopefulness in Malachi’s prophecies. But God’s judgment was definitely just around the corner.
“For those who fear My name…” Holy fear (“yara”) involves the raised hands of adoration; the knocking knees of apprehension; the bare feet of awe; the dry mouth of uncertainty; the quickened heartbeat of anticipation; the bowed head of reverence; the humbled spirit of devotion; the straight posture of respect; the closed mouth of deference; the open mind of discovery; the tender heart of gratitude; the open ears of undivided attention; the willing heart of obedience. To adore and revere the name of God, to fear His holy name in the biblical sense, means that the believer’s identity is associated with that of God; that the follower of the Lord lives in a way that represents His character and upholds His sacred reputation in the world; that the servant of God truly submits to His authority and is fully aware of His almighty power.
“… the sun of righteousness…” The literal sun (“shemesh”) is also accepted in Scripture as a symbol of brightness, renewal, God’s glory, and new life. So the sun was understood by Jewish believers to be associated with the Messiah in many passages in the Hebrew Bible, and the coming of the Anointed One, the Christ, is pictured as a bright, shining sunrise. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord has risen over you.” (Isaiah 60:1). The term translated “righteousness” (“tsadaqah”) can also mean “saving justice” in Hebrew, and implies triumph and power. The Jewish translation, the Tanakh, displays these words as the “sun of victory,” implying a powerful triumph over brokenness and suffering. The Messiah’s righteousness confirms that Jesus is in an eternal union with the Father, maintains a perfect relationship with Him, and clearly reflects the Father’s character and will.
“… will arise with healing…” The Hebrew word used here is “zarach,” which means to shine brightly, to rise up, to appear to come forth with radiant brilliance and perfect clarity. Zarach also suggests new beginnings through divine intervention. The sunrise represented God’s faithfulness and order in creation, His sovereignty over the works of his hands. The term for healing, “marpe,” was not limited to physical healing in the Hebrew Bible, but also to emotional, relational, mental, and spiritual restoration to wholeness.
“… in his wings.” The Hebrew term for wings, “kanaph,” can be used in a number of ways. The sun’s rays are often poetically referred to as wings, and the Tanakh says that “wings” can be literally translated as “the folds or corners of garments.” This isn’t as far-fetched as it might look, for certainly Jesus’ garments played a major role in His healing ministry. ‘They sent out into all the surrounding region, and brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.” (Matt. 14:36). The particular garment referred to by Matthew is Jesus’ prayer shawl called the tallit, and when His arms are outstretched, the shawl is said by the rabbis to have “wings.” Rabbinic authorities claim that this verse in Malachi confirms that the coming messiah would have special healing powers in the fringes or corners of his tallit, and Jesus certainly proved that to be true. Kanaph is also used in Scripture as the wings of God that are for our protection and covering, our shelter and refuge.
Malachi’s messianic prophecy articulates the beautiful image of the rising sun, the righteous Messiah, radiating healing to the wounded and the afflicted through the touching of His sacred robe. Jesus, the light of the world, the sun assigned to us on Earth by Creator God, the glorious sun who victoriously radiates healing wherever He goes. It appears that those who revere Him in awe, honor and obedience are first in line to receive His healing graces. I imagine, though, noting the eternal mercies of Jesus, that He doesn’t stop with those who believe.