Malachi 2:17-3:18 - Where is the God of Justice?
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Intro
Intro
[Play Video of Niel Degrass Tyson]
Review Malachi: Israel thinks that they are “okay” but God is trying to prove to them otherwise. Like a medical doctor he is raising their awareness to spiritual illnesses that they are blind to.
Israel’s False View of Why God Loves Them (1:1-5)
Israel’s False View of their Worship (1:6-14)
Israel’s False View of their Worship Leaders (2:1-9)
Israel’s False View of Their Love for Others (2:10-16)
This week, Israel’s false view of God’s Justice (2:17-3:5)
The prophets talk a TON about the topic of justice (like Batman).
Why is that?
Well the number one reason on most statistics had to do with this: evil and injustice.
People see terrible things happen to good people, and they can’t believe good God would.
Well God has not been silent on this issue. In fact, he has spoken on it more than most issues in the Bible. The very first written book of the Bible, Job, deals with this question. The book Habakkuk also deals with it. This topic is addressed in many of the psalms and epistles, it simply can’t be avoided or ignored.
In this chapter today, the Jews have been bringing up these similar accusations against their God and are blaming him for their disobedience.
“If God was just, I would actually care about honoring him!” they say…
How to Respond to “Why doesn’t God punish evil?”
How to Respond to “Why doesn’t God punish evil?”
God is Wearied By Our Impatience (2:17)
God is Wearied By Our Impatience (2:17)
“You have wearied the Lord…” “How have we wearied him?”
The word literally describes “growing tired” or becoming exhausted.
Now we must understand, God isn’t literally growing weaker in any way, He is the infinite God after all!
God feels not as a result of physical reactions like we do. We have increased heart rates, tear glands, and other physical factors that contribute.
However, God possesses a dynamic heart like he gave us and willingly lowers himself to experience. Our emotions cause us to change, but God never changes. He feels as a result of his will.
“Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of God.”
This is an accusation that God is on the side of evildoers because they aren’t punished by God.
“Where is the God of Justice?”
Compare to “Are we there yet?”
These are hypocritical commands, because they want justice from the Lord, but they haven’t really considered one fact: they might be roped into that judgement.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
God is Witholding Until the Right Time to Judge (3:1)
God is Witholding Until the Right Time to Judge (3:1)
“I will send my messenger”
The messenger comes first - John the Baptist
The New Testament talks about that when God arrives, the time will be unmistakable.
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
How do you know the judge is coming? He has an announcer.
Example: Bugs Bunny announcing himself as the King of England.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
God promised a warning, which is very merciful of him.
“He will prepare the way before me.”
When God comes to his temple, he comes as a messenger of the covenant that they will delight in.
You might say this: “I don’t like this plan! Why would God wait so long? He’s letting good people suffer and die. I wouldn’t do that.
Well first of all, you go ahead and argue with God.
God uses evil. His hand is always on evil and he promises to use it for good even if we can’t see how.
God waits until evil is most “ripe”
God is Working to Make His People Perfect (3:2-4)
God is Working to Make His People Perfect (3:2-4)
God will use his day to Purify his people.
Two images: Refining Fire and Fullers (clothing) Soap.
Like a fire perfecting a weapon and like soap cleaning clothing, he will do.
The sons of Levi, the tribe that is supposed to lead the people in worship will one day be succesfull. He turns their corrupted worship into perfected worship.
So this is something that is going to happen in the future. Most people in the nation of Israel rejects Christ, but as time goes on God will one day perfect him.
But here is the interesting thing, he is doing this same process to all his people.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
It is a painful process, but one that is good and leads to us wanting God more and worshiping him.
My eyes long for your promise;
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
How long must your servant endure?
When will you judge those who persecute me?
Why is God not judging evil? Because he is working on the hearts of people. He is allowing evil to grow but then he uses that evil to work on the hearts of people. People go through hard things, they turn to God, and what does he get? Glory.
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
God is Witness to All Evil on Earth (3:5)
God is Witness to All Evil on Earth (3:5)
“THEN I will draw near to you.”
God will judge when this purification process is over.
We are currently in the purification process, but waiting for the judgement.
God promises that he himself will deal with evil.
He says he will be a “swift witness”
In order to be a witness you have to have seen the crime.
He is both the witness, and the judge who will act swiftly.
God will use His day to purge his enemies.
All the characteristics mentioned, tend to do with a practice that brought harm upon another person.
Yet, the big issue of why people wrong each other is because they do not fear the Lord.
In verse 6, God shares that they are not destroyed because he does not change. The people wrong each other for sins against each other, but God does not respond in emotion. He responds in choice. When he judges it is in righteous choice not emotional impulse.
He says “you are alive because I am not like you.”
God is Wanting More People to Repent (3:7-14)
God is Wanting More People to Repent (3:7-14)
MAIN COMMAND: Return to me.
He then goes on to describe a main way that they are seperated from Him.
How are we robbing God?
The issue: God wanted Israel to prioritize him and the way they used their money showed that they didn’t.
They were commanded to give to the Levites back what they were given by God. Instead they kept the money and didn’t honor him with it.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God brings that they are under a curse. He shares that if they would return, then he could bless them. Why does God prolong his justice? Because he is giving each person a chance to repent.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God is pushing off judgement because he knows there are more who will repent and will be saved.
God is Winnowing True Followers from the False (3:15-16)
God is Winnowing True Followers from the False (3:15-16)
Malachi describes things from God’s perspective as God looks down at the people who fear him. He then writes the names of those people in a book.
Here’s what’s so amazing: God gave his people a chance to repent, and some did.
God is saying that Israel is currently a people made up of two kinds of people: the ethnic and the spiritual. There are those who follow God and those who do not.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God has a purpose for injustice. Hope and wait in Christ, the perfect judge.
The thing Malachi has been trying to show is that the people of Israel made one big mistake in their question of “where is the God of justice?”
Why do bad things happen to good people? The truth is, that only happened once.
Think about this: God became a man and endured all the wrath he had against the injustice on the earth. He became the answer to injustice.
In the meantime, let God purify you using the evil of this world. Submit to the flow of his plan.