Thursday, December 30, 2021

There will be a day of justice--it's just not today!

Malachi is a brief but sobering book. In 4 chapters we are given the immediate state of God's people with a foreboding message for all future generations who follow the same courses of rebellion as the people of Malachi's day. 

""Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?' "You have said, 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 'So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.'" 

A quick tally of all the indictments against "God's people" ought to be a wake up call to people of faith today.

1.  Pride causes the "clay" to dare push back against the "Potter." "Thus saith the Lord" is routinely dismissed out of hand today is it not? 

2.  God's people argue with HIS assessment of their sin. 

3.  God's people contend it is pointless to live by the Word of the Lord. 

4.  God's people's rebellion empowered the wicked to continue and increase in their wickedness.

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name."

The truly faithful Jews, not merely the "religious Jews" caught the Lord's attention by their fidelity to their Lord.  The Lord is obviously pleased.

"They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him."   (Malachi 3:13-18)

THE day of fairness, of justice, of equity, is not yet upon us. This is frustrating to us to say the least. But the promise of that Day is assured by the very character of the Creator. You can stake your life on it!