The accusations in Malachi against God have a similar sound to the complaints against God today. The book of Malachi allows us into an argument Israel attempted to have with God. The last part of their argument sounded like this. "... 'It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept his ordinance?'" The people of God complained that the wicked were being treated better than they. They could not see that their own house was not in order. They assumed their rituals were their talisman for success before God. From their perspective, the "proud were blessed, wicked are raised; those who tempt God go free." Yet, they did not see those wayward attributes in themselves. These very things that judged them as wanting were God's side of the argument.
It is so easy to become complacent, lackadaisical, and apathetic in our relationship with God. We presume upon his grace, thinking some distant prayer of faith is our fire policy to keep us out of hell while we live any kind of way. Israel over and again treated God with the same disdain. They had gone through so much. They were given so much grace. They were the Nation promised the line leading to the Messiah. They abandoned their responsibility toward God and brought in idol worship, married into foreign Nations, allowed Priest into the temple that were not of the linage of Aaron.
God brought discipline, 70 years of captivity. He kept his word that he would bring discipline, Deuteronomy 28. After 70 years, the people were free again. Unfortunately, only a small portion went back to the land of Israel. The temple they were promised through Ezekiel was not built due to their lack of obedience to return. The people were thwarted from building and went on with their lives. God sent the prophets Zachariah and Haggai, and the people repented and began building again. While they never again brought the idols of other nations into their land, they became overwrought with legalism. They moved from freely worshiping God out of love to ridged practices of the appearance of worship that God hated. Their feigned worship brought consequences, and here in Malachi, we land. The nerve they had to argue with God, but they did. Malachi allows us into this dispute.
We can look at others and, with self-righteous ignorance, wonder why they are receiving what we assume are blessings from God while we struggle? We might ask, like Israel, "what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance?" There is nothing different from that question than, "why does God bless those people with so much?" If we had the right attitude, we would be praying for others. We might even consider our own sin and walk in fear of God. Maybe we'd consider that God is calling us to repentance in some area of our life.
Choosing to look at others and not ourselves is one of the most immature acts we can practice. My preschool kids do that all day. I'm continually correcting them, "Sweetheart, you keep telling me what so and so did, but I saw what you did. Are you examining yourself?" Three and four-year-olds take years to get this right. Obviously, it may never change. Instead of humility, or self-examination, like Israel, we argue with God. This is like my preschool student arguing with me, "but Mrs. Cookie,..." with fingers pointing at another student, while not choosing to hear my correction, that they the one that needs to change their behavior. They also need to mind their business.
Israel may not have gone the way of idolatry again, but they were not walking in the ways of The Lord anymore. They minded the business of others while their own worship was stinky. They abandoned offering God their best. God was calling Israel to repentance again. They were his children. He allowed them to lack, to suffer. This, only to bring them to repentance. Instead, it turned their attention to what he was doing for others. They just refused to listen. They chose only to argue with Him, really? God brought in Malachi to give them another opportunity.
He desired to "Open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings." He wanted to "rebuke the devourer for their sake." They chose not to examine their own hearts, neither to listen nor repent. They chose rather arguing with God and questioning his integrity. If we find ourselves in this place, we will not come out ahead. What he does in other's lives is his business. Maybe you think because you are his child, your life should look better than others. The question is, are you living up to his kingdom standards?
Sadly I cannot say if you live up to kingdom standards that your life will be flowing over with finances and health. His word does not promise that, but he does promise to give you peace that is beyond understanding. He promises full joy. If you have those, no matter the circumstance, you don't need to mind the business of others. You are in the right place of his blessing. Those are not always tangible. Outward living/blessings are not always a rod of examination for God's favor in our or others' lives. We have been hornswoggled into believing that.
The warning I will finish with is if we compare our lives to others, that is a clear indicator that we are looking for something to complain about. That is a sign of lacking gratitude. That is a scary place to be with God. God was silent for 400 years after this argument we read in Malachi. God is looking to commune with his children as we abide in Him. We always lose in an argument with him. He left us this book so we can see how this turned out for them. Now we can learn to listen and walk humbly before our God and not be argumentative.
Commenti