The 7 Questions in Malachi (Part 2)
In the book of Malachi, God’s people ask Him seven questions that show their doubting and sinful hearts and nature. In the last post, I covered the first 4 questions. We’ll examine the rest in this post.
[5] In what way shall we return?
Malachi 3:7 - Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’
God was telling them that they needed to simply repent. They had to return to God and His laws to reap their blessings. Simply turning away from their sin and turning toward God.
But Israel here has fallen so low that they don’t know how to return to God. This can be from ignorance that they really cannot understand their own sin in order to repent. Or it could be that they are choosing not to repent because they are happier living in their sin.
How does this apply to us? Believers should always return to God. When we do return, God will bless us with His presence. The key to a Christian’s life is repentance. We are all living in the flesh so sin is inevitable, but God forgives us when we repent of our sins.
[6] In what way have we robbed You?
Malachi 3:8 - “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
This verse starts off with a question of astonishment. Can you imagine someone trying to rob God? It is something too daring and ungrateful to even fathom. God is calling the Israelites out on this and their response is again a question. They are so far gone in their sin, that they don’t realize how destructive they have become.
The Israelites were robbing God in terms of tithes and offerings. The Old Testament is very clear on how tithing works (Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Leviticus 5:14-16, 22:14, 27:31,32; 14:18-20). They cannot claim not to know how to provide tithes. They just refused to do so. During this time, the main purpose of the tithe was to support the priests who were ministering before God. Because of their lack of tithing, the priests were not being properly supported.
So, not only were the Israelites robbing God and being ungrateful. They were also not supporting those who are in God’s service. This shows their unfaithfulness towards God. They owed their lives to God, yet they still tried to rob Him.
How does this apply to us? From a literal perspective, we should make sure that we are giving tithes as God has commanded, 10% of our earnings. Overall, it means that we should be a grateful and cheerful giver. We should always support God’s ministers and those in His service.
[7] What have we spoken against You?
Malachi 3:13-15 - “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ”
God is calling out another fault of the Israelites. They are speaking against God. Yet, they are still asking Him how they have done so. They are showing much pride in maintaining their innocence regarding their own sin. This is while God is telling them what they have done wrong, yet they refuse to acknowledge it.
This question is similar to question 4 from the last post. The Israelites were looking around them and seeing the wicked prosper. So, they turned against God and accused Him of being unfair. They figured that serving God was for their own personal gain, instead of the act of glorifying Him through their actions.
There is a cost to being God’s children and in His service. Yet, the Israelites didn’t feel like the cost was worth the eventual reward.
What can we learn from this? We should never forget God’s mercy towards us. It is never useless to serve the Lord or to follow His commands. Yes, Christian living is never smooth sailing. Our obedience to God shows the world how much we love Him and honor Him.
Overall Summary:
Malachi 3:16-18
Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
Even though many in Israel were sinful in their hearts, there was still a remnant who feared the Lord. They did not get disheartened or discouraged. They came together and encouraged one another in the Lord.
Through our worldly eyes, we may think that the wicked are rewarded and the righteous suffer. But that is not how God works. God will always remember those who are faithful to Him. He says that He will make the righteous His jewels. Jewels are precious, prized, and protected. God thinks of us as precious, His own prize, and protects us as such.
