GOD’S QUESTIONS
“A son honors his Father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’” (Malachi 1:6).
Malachi tries to arouse Israel from spiritual indifference. The faith of the Israelites had grown through their difficulties. After they returned from exiles and rebuilt the temple, the greatest symbol of their faithfulness to God, they fell into progressive spiritual decadence; they grew careless and lukewarm. The problem was no longer with the struggle against idolatry, nor the sacrificing of their children as part of pagan practices, bur rather that their close relationship with God began to deteriorate. Some of the sins that the prophet fought against were mixed marriages, divorce without justification, apathy in worship, corrupt offerings of animals that were sickly or wounded. To waken them from their lethargy, the messenger presented eight dramatic questions that God was asking, to help them recognize their errors. Today’s text is the second question to a nation that denied having done anything wrong.
Can we see a parallel here with our present reality? We are not idol worshippers, but our churches are experiencing a progressive deterioration. Spiritual fervor has been lost of replaced by worship based on emotions. Some change the purpose of their tithe or give only partial tithes. The percentage of divorce within the church is equal to divorce in society in general. There is a careless attitude and a lack of commitment. The way we worship God and give offerings to Him reflects our attitude of respect.
God’s questions are not angry reproaches, but rather they are like the hurt questions of a mother to her child who doesn’t understand the depth of her love. Like rebellious adolescents, the Israelites denied the accusations and showed indifference to God’s request that they honor Him as a father and that they fear Him as their Lord. What questions do you think God asks about the condition of our church today? What questions does He ask about the way we worship?
God’s greatest reproach was against the spiritual leaders of His people.
Instead of being examples in obedience and sanctification, they were insensitive to their spiritual condition. How great is the responsibility that leaders have, to warn us of spiritual decadence, to be examples in worship and obedience, to not remain silent when they see that collective worship is being stained!
Draw close to God and praise Him with the reverence that His holiness merits.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Angelica Cuate & Esteban Cortes