Justice and Injustice

Please turn to Malachi 2:17 and following. Malachi 2:17 and following.

Stand for God’s Word.

and Malachi has been addressing trending topics in Israel’s day like leadership, worship, and divorce.

see if you can guess what today’s is.

Malachi 2:17–3:5 NIV

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” 1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Today’s trending topic in Malachi and in our time, too is the topic of justice. (we see that in 2:17 and 3:5)

and let me tell you why this sermon is so important:

Think globally—right now, Russia has invaded Ukraine. you may ask - Why is this happening? Why is God allowing this to happen? Won’t God intervene and bring his justice in this complicated situation? What’s taking so long? This passage applies as we think about God’s justice and the injustice of nations.

Culturally,, we hear that word justice and injustice talked about so much—or the word “social justice,” concerning current issues like racism, discrimination, equality, justice, or “wokeness” and cancel culture. In my lifetime, the topic of justice has never been promoted or discussed (and possibly confused more). a passage like this applies to that while discussing.

Personally, maybe you have asked the very same thing that 2:17 says. look at it again

Malachi 2:17 NIV

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

do you see what that is asking—we ask it in a different way—Lord—why are the wicked prospering? Why are they allowed to do this? When will you intervene? It seems like the good, myself included, don’t prosper. Where are you, God?

this verse expresses what we feel - that if God is not intervening in the wicked, if he is silent, he must be approving of the wicked.

certainly you can understand why the Israelites felt this way. They were a people used to be oppressed—by the Assyrians, and then the Babylon empire, and then the Persian empire. and after this it would continue with the Greek Empire, and then the Romans.

where are you asking God to intervene and set things right? Where are you struggling and want to see God intervene—but it just seems like he is silent. it doesn’t seem fair

but they have a problem in how they are asking - look back at 2:17

Malachi 2:17 NIV

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

God is wearied with their words…why?

Now, it’s important to know that you can pour out your heart to God; read the Psalms, you can pour out your soul to him. That is not what is going on here. in fact, Psalm 73—asks a similar question.

so what is going on here? I think it’s the heart behind the question. In Psalm 73—the psalmist comes to see that God is still in control, in his sanctuary ruling—and so his question flows from a heart and posture of sincerely asking?

but here in Malachi—this isn’t looking up at God—this is looking down at God, demanding answers. God you owe me.

It’s putting God on trial—you have to answer—it is complaining and accusing God from a heart of unbelief...

comes back to the heart—

if you are sensing that it seems like the evil prosper, the wicked prosper, and the good suffer. You feel like you are doing everything right, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

This passage is for you.

And if you are here and you are asking “When will God intervene in the world or just in my life.” This passage is for you.

What would God say to us through His Word today:

3 Responses —

Remember that God has already kept his Word. (He sent John the Baptist and Jesus to address injustice.)

What do I mean? Look at Malachi 3:1 again

Malachi 3:1 NIV

1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

who is that messenger? It’s John the Baptist, and who is the Lord—Jesus Christ.

how do I know? well John the baptist—the messenger is mentioned

Mark 1:2–4 NIV

2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

btw—my messenger—that’s the word Malachi. Malachi is my messenger—and through him—God says he will send another messenger—who is John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus. in ancient times, kings would send their messengers ahead of them as they traveled to clear the road—prepare the way of the Lord.

John the Baptist was that guy—(and when he came he was clearing the way for Jesus).

announcing that if you are going to meet the Lord—you got to repent. you got to confess your sin and brokenness to God and turn from your wicked ways to the Lord.

and he will come!

we have this advantage that Malachi and his people did not—they looked forward to this happening (had to wait 400 years), we look back—knowing that God has already fulfilled his word.

John came. and Jesus came.

this is a powerful reminder that we do have a God who has acted; who has kept His Word, and even though it may not feel like it now, we dare not forget how he has acted in the past, b/c that’s a reminder He can intervene anytime.

Jesus Christ came, the king, bringing the kingdom of God and his justice. He even visited the temple, and when he saw the temple being used more as a place of business and not a place of honor to God, overturned the tables in anger—saying my house will be a house of prayer.

and so if you are struggling with God’s justice—remember that He is a God who keeps His Word. this is good news—even if it seems delayed and it is not our time table.

but there is a warning...

2. and He will keep His Word again - (what do I mean) Remember that Jesus is going to come again in the future (the 2nd coming) (vs. 2-4)

look at verses 2-4—in some ways they describe the 1st time Jesus came, but they also describe the 2nd coming. There seems to be a double fulfillment (like 2 mountain peaks in the distance)

look at them:

Malachi 3:2–4 NIV

2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

The people wanted God’s justice in the world. We want it, too. We want God to bring justice out there—in the world, in society, to the people in our lives…

but be careful what we ask for.

One author says it like this--

Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi The Return of the King

In the movie A Few Good Men, there is a powerful interaction between Tom Cruise, who plays a Navy lawyer, and Jack Nicholson, who plays a Marine Corps colonel. Cruise is needling Nicholson, who is on the witness stand, because he wants him to admit that a Marine recruit died when a hazing activity went wrong. At the end of a lengthy cross-examination, Cruise shouts at Nicholson, “I want the truth!” and Nicholson explodes back at him, “You can’t handle the truth!”

Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi The Return of the King

That is our problem as well. On the one hand, we want justice. We say that we are eager for the world to be set straight, for the good to be rewarded and the guilty punished. Yet the reality is that we ourselves can’t possibly handle the full implications of such justice. True justice is not a safe and comfortable category for us: it means much more than a general return to traditional values of morality in society, or a broad recognition of the difference between good and evil. In fact, another name for the coming of complete justice is “judgment day.” This is the time when strong, decisive action will indeed be executed against all the wicked. When justice is truly done, it does not simply mean an old-fashioned happy ending to a movie in which the men in the black hats get punished while the men in the white hats ride happily off into the sunset. It means equal and comprehensive judgment for all, without partiality for any.

When Jesus comes back at 2nd time…who will stand—the king of kings and Lord of Lords will rule.

vs. 2 describes his coming as a refiner’s fire...

fire is very dangerous—as you know. It is hot; it can burn and completely destroy things to ash…and there is a warning—that when God comes and brings his justice—who can stand without being swallowed up.

or fire can have a refining effect. it talks about refining gold and silver. (vs. 3)

Tim Keller: Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (page 228): “Gold is a precious metal, and if you put it through fire it may soften or melt but it will not kindle and go to ashes.340 However, gold can be filled with impurities that indeed can be destroyed. If put through the fire they burn off or rise to the surface to be skimmed off by the goldsmith. In a sense, the fire “tries” to destroy the metal put into the fire but only succeeds in making it more pure and beautiful.”

when Jesus comes back, the God of justice—we will either be consumed/destroyed on the one hand…but also when He comes back—we will be refined like gold or silver—the impurities removed. (they had the opportunity the first time Jesus came, and we do now—and we have to be ready for his 2nd coming)

or washed like launderer’s soap—all the dirty stains completely removed. so that we can be people like the Levites who will worship the Lord fully.

You want justice—be careful what you ask for —God says. because when I set everything right—I will either be a fire that destroys or if we are ready a refiner…that beautifies or like soap purifies.

how do we know? how can we be ready...

Point 3—examine your own heart.

3. Examine your own heart for injustice.

This is why justice and injustice can be so deceiving. It’s easy to spot it outside ourselves, but we miss it in our own hearts. We can see it in the world…we can see it in others…but Malachi reminds us to look at your own heart. You will never be a person of true justice—until you come to grips with your injustice before God.

and look at his list of injustice:

Malachi 3:5 NIV

5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.

that’s quite a list.

Depending on where you are politically or who you listen—conservative or liberal…this list challenges both the left—liberals and the right—conservatives.

Conservatives in our society tend to value personal morality—and speak against things like adultery, perjury (lying) or murder—the first part of the list.

Liberals in our society tend to value community morals-- on the other hand may not talk about those—but they might agree with the 2nd part—not paying a fair wage, defending the widows and fatherless, helping the immgrants.

this list challenges both.

and all of us can see us in this list.

even sorcery or witchcraft, which may seem like something that we don’t struggle with. but what is sorcery—it is simply using power, manipulating the powers for your own purposes, and do we not sometimes approach God in that way?

that we want him to do what we want to do now? that if we just give enough, or sacrifice enough, or pray enough, he has to answer it? sometimes we approach God like a sorcerer or witch would their powers.

or adultery—Jesus in the sermon on the mount—said that anyone who looks at someone lustfully has already committed adultery in your heart with that person.

or lying—do ever fudge the truth? or not quite tell the whole truth.

or if you own a business—do you pay and not just pay but treat your people equitably? fairly?

and you may say I don’t oppress the widows and fatherless—but how often do we turn a blind eye to those in need or not think of them?

what is your view of foreigners and immigrants?

This is a reminder that God is the one who defines what is just and unjust.

He is the one—not us who defines it.

and when he spells it our—how do we measure up?

justice is such a rich term in the Bible and God cares deeply about it—let me define briefly…when we think of it—sometimes we think of it in terms of punishment. giving people what they deserve. while it is that—it is more than that..

One of the words for justice in the Bible—2:17—is the word misphat— “Giving People what they are due, whether punishment, protection, or care.” It’s treating people equally—not showing favoritism. (keller, Generous justice—chapter 1)

time and time again when this word shows up—it describes in the Bible taking care of widows, orphans, immigrants, and the poor. (which we see in this passage—) they are the quartet of the vulnerable as some say. justice is about punishing people who are guilty (not favoring any) and taking care of the vulnerable.

we have a God who cares for the poor and vulnerable. in fact, Scripture sometimes introduces God as the defender of the poor, fatherless and widows.

when you and I get introduced—we may say, “I am senior pastor at First Missionary Church; husband to Jamie; father of 3 kids.” but God as part of his introduction is that he the just one who identifies with the poor, needy, orphans and widows.

there’s also another word for justice—not here but another Hebrews word—and that is the idea of right relationships. this is the idea that we must be right with God and with others—that is a form of just living. it’s where you are living rightly before God vertically and with others.

and this is the side of justice that our culture doesn’t get, and is missing out on. and it’s also the side that makes justice such a rich concept. if you are here, and maybe you are not a Christian, but you love justice—did you know that your concepts for justice actually come from the Bible—the image of God—we are all equal before God—we all deserve equality—that is a biblical concept...

and did you know that Christianity is the only way to back up justice and get the power to do justice...

how?

look at 3:5

Malachi 3:5 NIV

5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.

fear god.

that’s not necessarily a quaking in your boots fear—but fear is this reverent awe of God! He is my king—and because He is my king…I am going to do what He says...

but there is a problem...

so before we go critiquing all forms of injustice and pointing it out in others—God says look at your own heart. where are you guilty?

all of us are...

and here is the good news—Jesus Christ came…and he never broke this list. Everything he did, He did for God’s glory. He never looked at a woman lustfully. He never lied.

He identified with the poor and needy---born poor.

He ministered to widows, prostitutes, and the little children—some of the most vulnerable members of society.

He cared for all kinds of people—including those who were not Jewish.

and He followed God’s will.

He lived a perfectly just life. If anyone deserved a just reward—Jesus Christ did!

the most powerful being in the world, did not take advantage of his power—but became powerless on the cross.

yet He came to die for all the sins and injustices we commit. Jesus Christ experienced massive injustice—as he was on trial and it was a sham. the justice system failed him.

On the cross Jesus took all of our sin, so that if we believe in Him—He declares us just—that is righteous in God’s sight—as if we have never sinned, and as if we did everything Jesus.

Jesus went through the worst fire, so that when we walk through the fire, we are purified, refined not consumed.

and this is good news!

step back....look at all 3....

this view of justice reminds us God has acted…so don’t doubt. He still can.

It reminds us to be patient—that not everything will be right until He comes back, so serve faithfully, patiently—live in that tension—not doubting, but not naieve.

look at your own heart.

b/c if you believe this—that you are a sinner, saved by the sheer grace of God and power of God....that will make you a person who can work for God’s justice in the world.

You will critique and confront justice—but not from “look at me. I am awesome.” but I need God’s justice just as you much as you do. You will critique and confront from grace.

You will be on the lookout for the poor and vulnerable, because Jesus was on the lookout for you and identified with them.

It will help you persevere in pursuing justice—and not give up—b/c Jesus did not give up on you.

It will make you a person massively concerned with justice, God’s definition of justice, deeply humbled by God’s grace, and thus working for that in the world.

It will make you ask “How can I glorify and magnify Christ in everything?”

so as we think about Russia and Ukraine...

as we think about our culture and justice...

as we think about our personal lives...

We have a God of justice who cares deeply…—how can you be a person who cares deeply for justice and magnify Christ in everything?