WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE?

Passage: Malachi 2:17-3:5

Key verse: 3:1

NIV

Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

17 You have wearied(A) the Lord with your words.

“How have we wearied him?” you ask.(B)

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased(C) with them” or “Where is the God of justice?(D)”

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

2 But who can endure(J) the day of his coming?(K) Who can stand(L) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire(M) or a launderer’s soap.(N) 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;(O) he will purify(P) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.(Q) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,(R) 4 and the offerings(S) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.(T)

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

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Messenger of the Lord

17 (A)You have wearied the Lord with your words. (B)But you say, “How have we wearied him?” (C)By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, (D)“Where is the God of justice?”

3 (E)“Behold, I send (F)my messenger, and (G)he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord (H)whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and (I)the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But (J)who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For (K)he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit (L)as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring (M)offerings in righteousness to the Lord.[a] 4 (N)Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be (O)a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those (P)who oppress the hired worker in his wages, (Q)the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Footnotes
  1. Malachi 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Where is the Lord? (2:17-3:1)

Corruption and injustice were rampant; people called evil good and good, evil. They said, 'Where is the God of justice?' They thought that there would be no day of judgment. But the prophet promised that the Lord would surely come. God would send his messenger first, to prepare the way. (John the Baptist) Suddenly God whom they had wearied with their words would appear.

2. Who can endure the day of his coming? (2-5)

When God comes among sinful men, he is like a refiner's fire. We can prepare for his coming only by repenting. He purges sin and unrighteousness from his servant people, and restores them to worship and serve him. When Jesus comes again, he will come as Judge. Sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, those who defraud and oppress the weak, and those who have no fear of God will be burned up in the refiner's fire. Those who repent and accept God's way of forgiveness are refined and purified by the fire.

Prayer: Lord, purify me so that I may welcome Jesus when he comes again.

One Word: He is like a refiner's fire