The Italian Prophet

You know the Italian prophet. He wrote the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi. Okay, not Italian, but ... I bet you not too many of us know what's in that little, 4-chapter book. Take a look sometime. It's quite interesting. The book is full of a dialog between God and His people. The repeated motif is "... says YHWH, but you say how ..?" It's the ultimate "he said, she said," except in this case "He" is God and "she" is the people, so we know who is right. Still, it's a fascinating study in how God thinks as opposed to how we think. In the first chapter alone, we find God saying, "I have loved you" (Mal 1:2-5), "You have disrespected Me" (Mal 1:6), and "You are presenting defiled food" (Mal 1:7-12). Each time they ask, "How? How do you love us? How are we doing what You say we are?" And each answer is ... a surprise.

The one that caught my attention, however, was this one.

"You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says YHWH of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says YHWH. (Mal 1:13)

Isn't that us? "It's so tiring trying to do what God wants. He has so many rules. Silly rules ... beneath our better sensibilities. We'll give Him what we feel like, and He'll like it." We don't actually say that (I would hope), but we feel it. And our actions show it. We hold back on full obedience because "that command seems a bit too much" or, honestly, we want what we're forbidden rather than what He wants. We give Him "worship" and "His due," but ... second, not first. With our leftovers, either in resources like money or time, or in effort. The things we love we really work hard at, but obeying? Not as much.

The prophet Malachi, quoting God, suggested (is that too mild of a word?) that God was not pleased. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Notice it's a cause-and-effect: if this, then that. When we complain about God's demands on us, if we consider them tiresome or with disdain, we aren't simply being disobedient. We are failing to love the God we say we love. As believers, that should cause an alarm bell to ring in our heads. "These things should not be."