Have you ever used the phrase "Famous Last Words"? I've become more aware since choosing this title how often I use it. My son might say, "I'm going to clean my room this weekend. For real this time"; and I might reply (out loud or in my head...depending on how bold or snarky I feel that day 😁) "Famous last words". Or if I hear a "promise" made by the media (news or weather) that seems debatable, I might think "Famous last words".
Last week, I posted several examples of last words recorded by reasonably famous people. I also researched some famous last wills and testaments. I'll share a few...
- Jack Benny's will instructed that his wife receive a single red rose every day for the rest of her life.
- Harry Houdini left a code for his wife to conduct a seance every year on the anniversary of his death.
- William Shakespeare left most everything to his daughters; however, he did leave his wife--Anne Hathaway--his second-best bed.
- Benjamin Franklin had a clause in his will that instructed his daughter to never wear jewels.
I wonder, if these people could come back to life, would they find regret at what they chose to say at the end? Did the last hearers and readers receive or resent the sentiments, advice, and treasures their loved ones left behind? Did they follow it to the letter or did the words fade over time? (Did Harry Houdini's wife conduct a seance every year, or just the first few years? Did Jack Benny's wife actually receive a single red rose every day of her life, or just for a while? Enquiring minds want to know...)
The book of Malachi is full of "Famous Last Words". Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. While Ezra and Nehemiah record the last "acts" of the Old Testament time period, Malachi provides the last Old Testament conversation between God and His people, Israel. During the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel--who has been in exile for the prophesied 70 years Jeremiah 25:11-12 --has received permission from the king to return to their homeland. They rebuild the temple to the sounds of much joy and weeping. Joy because they are finally home and in God's presence yet again; but weeping because the new temple lacked the majesty of the first temple built by Solomon.
100 years later, Malachi "arrives" on the scene. I put arrives in quotation marks because there is debate whether Malachi was a real person or, because little is known about him other than his name means "my messenger", he is used as a poetic liason between God and Israel. (I'm going to be referring to him as a real person who is speaking "a message from the LORD", because it's easier. 😇) The joy Israel had found in being home has been replaced by sin, rebellion, complaining.
God's first last words to them? "I have loved you." Their first last words back to Him? "How have you loved us?" They are confused--in some respect, justifiably--because Esau is their relative. Esau's descendants are the Edomites, and the Israelites are descendants of Jacob, Esau's twin brother! God makes a promise to Abraham--his descendants will be as the stars in the sky, as the sand on the shore. These promises come true in the Israelites and the Edomites. So many people.
But Esau despised his birthright, and that was passed down as a curse on his people. Jacob wrestled with God for a blessing, and that was passed down as a blessing on his people. Although both brothers have been sneaky, tricky, promise-almost-always-breakers, God is a promise maker and promise-always-keeper. Those He curses are cursed; Those He blesses are blessed. God is sovereign over all.
If we can find any defense in the Israelites' questioning the Love of God, it's that they are being led by terrible priests. God's second last words is directly to the priests--"You have despised my name." They reply (You guessed it..) "How have we despised your name?" The priests, Levites, have been given very specific rules to follow for sacrifice and prayer. The day of atonement is the day the High Priest makes sacrifice for sin, first for himself then for everyone. For the every day sacrifices, Malachi tells us as God's messenger that the priests are bringing blind, crippled, sick animals as sacrifice. The priests know its wrong--they wouldn't even bold enough to present such unacceptable animals to their governors. Yet they bring them before the Holy God. The priests are bored of their rules, considering them chores to mark off of a list instead of sacred tasks.
Famous last words. The Israelites said they would do the things, but didn't. The Israelites promised they were able to worship God the way He instructed, but proved over and over that they weren't. Joshua 24:14-21 In a reversal of the sentiment of Joseph to his brothers, what God means for their good, they see as evil. Or at least useless. They question His love. They debate and despise His commands. They are bored with Him. They see nothing but lack.
But God has loved them. Over the course of the next 3 chapters, and then the next 400 YEARS, God will turn what they see as lack into longing. He has been drawing up a new will and testament--new to us but authored from the foundation of the world. All things will be made new. O come, O come, Emmanuel.
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