Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More
Text: Malachi
One nation under God truly was the nation of Israel in the old testament. Malachi is a unique prophet in that he asks the same seven questions to a nation that claims God that every preacher deals with every Sunday in church. It’s some aspect of one of these questions.
Wherein is like asking “how”.
Wherein hast thou loved us? (1:2)
- How dare you accuse us of not loving God!
- Jacob was blessed by God, Esau wasn’t.
- How has God loved you? For God so loved the world… How about that love?
Wherein have we despised thee? (1:6)
- How dare you accuse us of not honoring God!
- You call me Father, but give me no honor.
- You call me Lord, but don’t fear me.
Wherein have we polluted thee? (1:7)
- How dare you accuse us of offering garbage to God!
- You bring filth and waste as a sacrifice. Your offerings are worthless. In fact, you make offerings you would never make to someone you love or respect.
- Then complain that serving God is too burdensome.
Wherein have we wearied him? (2:17)
- How dare you accuse us of wearying God!
- Call good evil and evil good.
- You ask, where is God.
Wherein shall we return? (3:7)
- How dare you accuse us of leaving God!
- They ask how will we return when we never left? The LORD asks, when were you ever obedient to me.
- Discouragement; it’ll never be like it was.
Where have we robbed God? (3:8)
- How dare you accuse us of robbing God!
- In the basics – tithes and offerings.
- In everything you could rob God, you did – tithes and offerings.
- Better question, is there a way you haven’t robbed God?
- Weightier matters like judgment, mercy, and faith.
What have we spoken so much against thee? (3:13)
- How dare you accuse us of speaking against God!
- That’s the system of the world. It yields temporary pleasure to sinners.
- But consider the end, consider their spirit, consider their vanity.
- When you don’t know, you don’t have a clear answer, give God the benefit of the doubt.
