Evilness is running wild all across the nation, and it appears that very few people are concerned, or even paying attention. More and more people are saying and doing despicable things in public – things that a few years ago would have caused public outrage. But in today’s world, nobody seems to care.
This is not the first time this has happened. In Malachi 3:7 NIV God told Malachi to tell the Israelites:
“Ever since the time of your ancestors 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.
God spoke those words to Malachi sometime around 433 BC, after Cyrus, the Persian King had allowed the Israelites to return to their land, and to rebuilt the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem, and rebuild the wall surrounding the city.
The Israelites were expecting God to immediately establish his earthly kingdom, and when that did not happen, a general religious malaise set in and the people began to doubt God’s word to be true. They did not understand that God operates on his own timetable – not the timetable established by man.
We are behaving in the same manner in today’s world. We are an impatient people – we want instant results – we want instant gratification. We have an attention span of about 20 seconds; and if our expectations are not met, our mind, thoughts and our attention moves on to other things.
That’s why “Tweets” and “Texting” and “Facebook” are so popular today. You can quickly dispatch your thoughts and comments, and then move on to other things without having to waste your “valuable” time listening to other people, as is the requirement in a normal conversation.
Back in Malachi’s day God warned the people, the religious leaders, and the priests: “If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I sill curse your blessings [the Aaronic blessings conferred by the priests]. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me. Because of you, I will rebuke your descendants.”
God also reminded the people that “We are all one race . . . the human race”. God said, “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another? . . . Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring . . . So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. You have wearied the Lord with your words [professing that evil is good in the eyes of the Lord].” (see Malachi 2:2-17 NIV).
These warnings to Malachi apply to us today. If we keep ignoring the Lord and keep pursuing the evil agenda of the Biden/Harris administration, the Lord may decide to “hide his face” from us! The Holy Bible is full of examples where the Lord was so disgusted with the people, he “hid his face”. In other words, people prayed and prayed, but the Lord refused to listen.
Why is the Lord still being patient with us today? Perhaps he is waiting for more people to come to salvation. Isaiah 48:9 NIV says: “For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely.”
Pay attention people! We must get off of this evil path we are on. We must stop provoking the Lord – come to our senses – turn from our wicked ways – and seek the Lord while he is still willing to listen.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6 NIV).