Reflections on Malachi 2:17

17 You have wearied the LORD with your words;
Yet you say,

“ In what way have we wearied Him?”
In that you say,

“ Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the LORD,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?” (NKJV)

Malachi tells the priests and the Jews that they have proven troublesome to God because of their complaints about Him. At God who is holy and righteous, they fling accusations - that God favours the wicked and that He delights in them. They moan and lament: "Where is the God of justice?"

This verse again highlights the arrogance of the Jews in even complaining about God's lack of justice, when they themselves are mired in sin. And it also shows how much they have strayed away from God such that they could even question His character, and impute inequity, evil-doing and wickedness to him.

Their words stun me because sometimes this is also how I accuse God when I'm in trouble or when no help from Him seems in sight.

I would question God and ask: "Lord, how could you let this happen?" or "Lord, why haven't you come to my rescue yet?" or "Lord, why are you so slow to act in the face of evil, wickedness and injustice?"

Such thoughts still come to my mind and they betray my very little faith in a very mighty God.

Lord, forgive me for being of so little faith and discounting your character, your most wonderful attributes.

At such times, I would need to fall back to His word to again be reminded of what God is like.


References:
1. Matthew Henry's Commentary of the Bible
http://www.ccel.org/h/henry/?show=worksBy

2. John Calvin's Commentary of the Bible
http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/?show=worksBy