“How are we to return?”
“Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'” (Malachi 3:7).
We, the Christians, are not repenting. Actually, we do not feel the need of repentance because we do not consider sin as sin. Although God is clearly saying that we are committing sins against Him, our hearts are hardened and our consciences are paralyzed. We are so used to commit sins against God that our habitual sins have paralyzed our consciences to consider our sins as sin. Thus, we do not feel the need of repenting our sins to God. That’s why we are not returning to God.
When we look at Malachi 3:7, God told the Israelites through His prophet Malachi that ever since the time of their forefathers, they had turned away from His decrees and have not kept them. For long time, the Israelites had been disobedient to God’s decrees that they were used to sinning against God. To them, God said “Return to me, and I will return to you.” But they said “How are we to return?” You see, the Israelites did not know how to return to God. They did not know how to repent their sins and return to God. Why was that? It was because they were so used to turn their back on God and to turn to this world in committing sins against God. And they did not aware of themselves that they were sinning against Him because they were so used to do so. They were so incapable in discerning whether they were sinning or not. That’s why when God said to them “A son honors his father and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? … It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name”, the Israelites said “How have we shown contempt for your name?” (1:6). You see, even the priests did not know that they are sinning against God. They did not know that they were defiling food on God’s altar (v.7). That’s why they said “How have we defiled you?” (v.7) even though they were saying the Lord ’s table is contemptible (v.7). Although the priests were bringing blind animals, crippled or diseased animals for sacrifice that they would not offer them to their governor, they offered them to God (v.8). And they said “How have we defiled you?” (v.7). Since the priests were like that, we cannot imagine what the Israelites did to God. When we look at Malachi 2:17, the Israelites said “How have we wearied him?” even though they had wearied the Lord with their words, sayings “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?”. Also, when we look at Malachi 3:8, the Israelites said “How do we rob you?” even though they were robbing God in tithes and offerings, You see, they did not know that they were robbing God. That was how much they were so used to sinning against God. Their hearts were so hardened and their consciences were paralyzed that they considered not robbing God in tithes and offering. In fact, they said “'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?” (3:14). Moreover, they called the arrogant blessed and certainly the evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape (v.15). Don’t you wonder why the Israelites became like this? I think the answer lies in Malachi 1:2: “’I have loved you,’ says the LORD. But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’”. You see, the Israelites couldn’t feel God’s love for them. They couldn’t understand God’s sovereign love in choosing Jacob and not Esau (vv.2-3). That was why their hearts were hardened and their consciences were paralyzed that they did not know they were sinning against God. Are we different from them?
Like the Israelites, we are saying to God “How have You love us?” (1:2). We do understand God’s love for us. That’s why our hearts are hardened and our consciences are paralyzed in a way that we do not aware the fact that we are sinning against God. We, the pastors, are not honoring Him and respecting Him (1:6). In fact, we are showing contempt for His name (v.6). We “place defiled food on my(God’s) altar” (v.7). We are bringing “blind animals” “crippled or diseased animals” for sacrifice (v.8) that we would never offer to our president. And we do not know that that is wrong (v.8). Thus, God wants someone to shut the church doors, “so that you (we) would not light useless fires on my(God’s) altar (v.10). God is not pleased with us (v.10). And God says “I will accept no offering from your hands” (v.10). If we the pastors are like this, I wonder how the rest of the congregations would commit sins against God. Now, we are wearing the Lord with our words (2:17). But we think that “How have we wearied him?” It is because in our own perspectives, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” (v.17). We are saying to ourselves “Where is the God of justice?” (v.17). As a result, we are even robbing God in “tithes and offerings” (3:8). Yet we say to God “How do we rob you?” (v.8). We are saying harsh things against God (v.13). But we say to God “What have we said against you?” (v.13). What must we do? We must look and hope in our unchanging God (3:6). Although we change so many times and disobedient to Him, God will never change and will keep His covenantal promises to us no matter what. So as we look upon Him, our harden hearts and paralyzed consciences must be melt by His sovereign love for us (1:2) – His sovereign love in choosing us (1:2). And when our hearts and consciences are being melted, we may be able to return to God (3:7). God will enable us to repent our sins and return to God. God will certainly make us, those who revere His name (4:2), turn to Him (v.6). The Lord will listen to those who fear Him (3:16) and will make us His treasured possession (v.17). And He will spare us as a man who spares his own son who serves him (v.17). May this blessing be upon you.
Trusting my unchanging God who loves me with His sovereign choosing love,
James Kim