Mal 3:15 | KingComments | STEP | In we are back in the topicality of the days of Malachi. The LORD has a new indictment against them. He brings to the attention of His people the words they have spoken against Him. These words have shown that they are audacious, hard and rebellious, even aggressive. There is an increase in the resistance against God. And again they react with an insolent objection as to whether the LORD wants to show what they have spoken among themselves against Him. They feel absolutely nothing of what God accuses them of. They lack all Godliness. Nothing in them is attuned to God. And let’s not forget: we are dealing here with members of God’s people. The LORD says to them what their talk among themselves consists of ( ). Their arrogance is clear from what they say: “It is vain to serve God.” And that is precisely the life of man. Serving God is the privilege and duty of the creature and gives him the true meaning and purpose of his life. But they do not agree with that. Serving God, according to them, yields nothing, because they do not get what they want, namely material prosperity. Well, if so, you’d better stop serving Him. Why will they do their duty for Him if He will not reward them for it? That is how they talk among themselves. Instead of encouraging each other to faithfully fulfill their task for the LORD, they encourage each other to give up their faithfulness to Him. They complain that they have gained nothing with their religion. On the contrary, they suffer from poverty and sorrow. Walking “in mourning” doesn’t help either, they conclude. Keeping fasts, refraining from food, does not bring any profit either. And for that you do your religious obligations, don’t you? Quid pro quo. They do what God asks, so God must be very happy with that and give them prosperity. But look at the state they are in… only misery. What they are blind to is that the problem lies with them and not with God. They don’t realize that they only serve God outwardly and that they are depraved inwardly. God sees the heart and that does not beat for Him. What He seeks are torn, repentant hearts and not torn or black clothes ( ). They have completely finished with God. “So”, it is better to be arrogant and proud ( ). Such people make it in the world. They are prosperous, and even if they test God – here in the sense of proudly challenging – they are not punished, but escape. Life in the world is much better than doing your best to please God as a Christian. If you want to live for God, all you get is trouble. Many so-called Christians have already talked like that.

‏ Malachi 3:15

Serving God Is Useless

In Mal 3:13 we are back in the topicality of the days of Malachi. The LORD has a new indictment against them. He brings to the attention of His people the words they have spoken against Him. These words have shown that they are audacious, hard and rebellious, even aggressive. There is an increase in the resistance against God.

And again they react with an insolent objection as to whether the LORD wants to show what they have spoken among themselves against Him. They feel absolutely nothing of what God accuses them of. They lack all Godliness. Nothing in them is attuned to God. And let’s not forget: we are dealing here with members of God’s people.

The LORD says to them what their talk among themselves consists of (Mal 3:14). Their arrogance is clear from what they say: “It is vain to serve God.” And that is precisely the life of man. Serving God is the privilege and duty of the creature and gives him the true meaning and purpose of his life. But they do not agree with that. Serving God, according to them, yields nothing, because they do not get what they want, namely material prosperity.

Well, if so, you’d better stop serving Him. Why will they do their duty for Him if He will not reward them for it? That is how they talk among themselves. Instead of encouraging each other to faithfully fulfill their task for the LORD, they encourage each other to give up their faithfulness to Him. They complain that they have gained nothing with their religion. On the contrary, they suffer from poverty and sorrow.

Walking “in mourning” doesn’t help either, they conclude. Keeping fasts, refraining from food, does not bring any profit either. And for that you do your religious obligations, don’t you? Quid pro quo. They do what God asks, so God must be very happy with that and give them prosperity. But look at the state they are in… only misery.

What they are blind to is that the problem lies with them and not with God. They don’t realize that they only serve God outwardly and that they are depraved inwardly. God sees the heart and that does not beat for Him. What He seeks are torn, repentant hearts and not torn or black clothes (Joel 2:13).

They have completely finished with God. “So”, it is better to be arrogant and proud (Mal 3:15). Such people make it in the world. They are prosperous, and even if they test God – here in the sense of proudly challenging – they are not punished, but escape. Life in the world is much better than doing your best to please God as a Christian. If you want to live for God, all you get is trouble. Many so-called Christians have already talked like that.