Where Is the God of Justice

Why do thousands of God fearing Latin American Christians for instance, languish in the slums in abject poverty, while the drug cartels enjoy tequila and Cuban cigars? A few months ago there was a news report that a Missionary couple of Wycliffe Bible Translators, working the forests of Guyana had been brutally murdered. In third world countries in particular there is a marked, observable distinction between the lower, middle and upper classes. As one examines the “have’s” and the “have not’s” from a religious perspective it often seems to be the case that those who are highly religious or shall we say those who are godly often tend to find themselves at the lower end of the economic ladder while those whose lifestyles are divergent from Biblical norms seem to be flourishing. This observation is no new phenomenon however. The Psalmist David raised series questions about it in Psalm 73, Job raises a lament about it in Job 21: 7 -25 and the prophet Habakkuk contemplates it in Habakkuk 1:13. “ Habakkuk asks, how can Yahweh, whose eyes are too pure to behold evil, allow the wicked to swallow someone more righteous than he? Why do the wicked prosper?”

The question of the prosperity of the wicked is a question of theodicy (vindication of divine providence in view of the existence of evil). It is central to section of the Bible under review, Malachi 2:17 – 3:5. According to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary , unlike most other prophets Malachi mentioned no dateable person or events in his brief prophecy. Clues to the origin and time of his book must therefore come from the text and its implications. It has always been placed last in the minor prophets. The Talmud regularly classes the book among the postexilic prophets. The contents of the book suggest that it was written some time after Ezra. Some of the exiles had returned, the temple had been rebuilt and the sacrificial system had been reestablished to the point that where it was being abused- a matter which Malachi addressed at length. The city of Jerusalem had returned to a substantial degree of normalcy; and the inevitable lethargy, laxity and leniency in spiritual matters had developed. It is to this declining state of affairs that the prophet addressed himself.

Nothing is known of Malachi apart from his book. Even his name is questioned . Some take it to be a title rather than a proper name. The title is translated as “ my messenger” or “The Lord’s messenger.” This finds ancient support in the Septuagint, which reads, “his messenger.” The presence of his name in the opening verses of the book however is true to form with the other minor- prophets, making it unlikely that someone with another name wrote the book. The name itself is quite a suitable one for the contents of the book. He clearly and unmistakably indicted his people and the priests for their sins and summoned them to righteousness.

There are similar difficulties in tying down the book to a dateline. It is held by some that he preceded Nehemiah but followed Ezra. Others place him in the interim between Nehemiah’s two terms. This writer concurs fully with the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: “Actually it is of little moment whether Malachi’s book is dated twenty-five or fifty years one way or the other. Today its timeless truths with the prophet’s plea for sincerity and holiness are as relevant as they ever were.” At the time of his writing the people in general and the priests in particular had lost their sense of “chosen-ness”. The message of pointing out sin and coming doom must have been a heavy burden for Malachi. Nevertheless his message offered a glimmer of hope. Verses 10 to 12 and 16 – 17 of chapter three would have offered encouragement to the returned exiles who truly loved and served God and their fellow men. His work is ripe with common Old Testament theological themes. Central among them being the person and work of God. Verse 6 of chapter three affirms God’s Immutability. It is also noticeable that his most notable contribution to the Old Testament’s corpus of messianic prophecy was his reference to the forerunner in verse 1 of our text.

The question of the exiles regarding the presence of evil, God’s seeming indifference, God’s imminent messenger, and God’s call to responsible stewardship are not bound by Malachi’s era. His message finds many parallels in today’s society. An examination of the verses of the selected text will ensue so as to unearth valuable lessons.

Theodicy: Where is the god of justice? Malachi 2:17-3:5

17You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied Him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good