A Picture Prophecy

Monday Devotion

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”

Malachi 4:6

The Old Testament begins with a family in dysfunction. In the very first human family, Adam blames his wife, Eve, for their fall into sin and Cain kills his brother, Abel (Genesis 3–4).

The story of family dysfunction continues almost as a constant thread: Noah curses his middle son (Genesis 9:24–27); Abraham agrees to his son’s exile (16:6); Lot’s daughters commit incest with him (19:30–38); Jacob and Esau fight for the firstborn blessing (27:1–40); Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery (37:12–36); and don’t even get me started about David and his family!