In the last book of the Old Testament....God listed some condemnations directly to Israel and Judah.....and in each one God gave what the response would be...."How have you loved us?"...."How have we despised your name?"...."How have we polluted you?"....Why does he not (accept their offerings)?"...."How have we wearied him?"...."How shall we return?"....and....."How have we spoken against you?."
This could also be a summation of America today....for whether we politically be on the left or the right....Israel or Judah if you will....we just cannot fathom how God could be displeased with us. Yet He is.
God told them...."If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart," God is speaking to the priests here....."But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction." He told them that they do evil but then they say that God looks at it as good.....and then they challenge Him in...."Where is the God of justice?"
We are in this mess....and I'm sure that you agree that it is a mess....because as our generations went on we got worse and worse....until we could not even see that we ourselves went wrong.....let alone where we went wrong. We would answer God in the same way....."What's wrong with our worship services and our teachings....and what's wrong with saying God Bless America all the time?" We question that if this that we do does not please God....how then are we to return.....after all we tried our best to put the Republican Party in power? We thus question where the God of justice is in America....not realizing that it is justice we are experiencing.
This also is a short book....as Jonah and Nahum from the posts below....that's why the minor prophets are labeled as such....but they speak 'volumes' to us today if we would only read them and take heed of what they say to us....for it is the same message as it was to the Israelites of old. At the beginning of Malachi....God mentions Edom's plan and responds to it...."We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins....(Make America great again)....the LORD of Hosts says, 'They may build but I will tear down' "....and that is what He has done.
There is hope in the third chapter...."Return to Me, and I will return to you"....but the book concludes with this...."For behold the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble....says the LORD of hosts.....but for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousmess will rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall."
God is gracious in that He always extends His mercy....if mercy is what our heart really desires. We should see by now that princes and governments are not our answer. There will be a winnowing....and that will make even that which we are experiencing right now seem tame....but there will also continue to be a remnant. We are somewhat beaten up right now....but we are also in....the valley of vision....upon which a Puritan once penned....
"Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin, I behold
Thy glory.
Note: You can read this beautiful prayer by Googling....Valley of Vision....the Gospel Coalition. It's the first prayer in a book of that name published by Banner of Truth....and has provided a dinner prayer for us every evening for over two decades now.
