Lost Sight

Malachi appears about a hundred years after Haggai and Zecharia. Jerusalem has been occupied and is now flourishing once more.  The Temple of Soloman has been rebuilt to its former glory. All’s well that ends well, all we need is Malachi to come along, tie off a few loose ends, and we can head off to Matthew and the New Testament.

Well actually, no.

Malachi, far from tying off loose ends, shows how frayed the rope connecting Mankind and God has become.

God’s wrath later in the prophecy is laid fully, fairly, and squarely at the feet of the Priests. They have taken full advantage of the prosperity, and live a comfortable life, often at the expense of the poor, but always at the expense of what they are supposed to be doing; looking after the spiritual welfare of the people.

At the start, the people are confused and cannot understand why God has deserted them, despite God saying he loves them they ask how has he shown that love?

God picks out how he has protected them as Jacob’s descendants, but could have picked any number of ways.

Should we forget God’s goodness to us, we are surrounded by many good signs of his love, for it is we who forget him, not him forgetting us.