Knowing and Glorying in God

"You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them," or, "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 2:17

The LORD of hosts who keeps Israel does not slumber or sleep, yet He was wearied by the words of His people.  He pointed out two specific ways God was tired of the claims made by His priests and people.  Previously in the passage God critiqued His people for their treacherous conduct with family members, how they profaned the holiness of God by mixed marriages to idolators and how they treacherously divorced their wives.  To deal treacherously is to have broken faith, to go back on their promises and vows they had made.

God was wearied by people who justified themselves, even distorting God's word to approve of what was sinful.  As God's chosen people they imagined they were good and pleasing in the eyes of God when they chose to disobey His commands.  Today some have the same view, that because God is loving, gracious and merciful it causes Him to dismiss their sinfulness and overlook transgression.  This is a lie.  They also wondered why the wicked seemed to prosper and wrongly attributed it to God's approval.  God does not delight in those who do evil, for He is just.  As it is written in Psalm 7:11, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day."  God's love, anger and justice all compliment one another rather than contradict.  God was tired of the lies and hypocrisy of God's people, and unless they repented He would take action to judge those who did evil--regardless of their spiritual calling.

The LORD was also wearied by His people words who asked, "Where is the God of justice?"  God had not abandoned His people, but it was they who departed from Him by lack of faith and disobedience.  They wondered why He was negligent to take action against the wicked and did not comprehend their wickedness rivaled that of the heathen despite having His presence in their midst and righteous laws.  Imagine, God's unjust and treacherous people criticising the just Judge and God of all the earth!  As they had become weary of God's service, He was weary of them for their faithless, hopeless view of Him.  In due time God's judgment would come upon the wicked, and He included the hypocrites among His own people.

In Isaiah 1 God said He was also weary with feasts, fasts and prolonged prayers by people who did evil rather than repenting of and ceasing to sin, seeking judgment, relieving the oppressed and pleading for the widow.  God delights in those who delight in Him and His word, who seek God to do His will.   Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."  Those who delight in the  knowledge of the LORD will glory in Him, knowing He sovereignly executes lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth.  Instead of wearying God with words filled with doubt, let us delight in the revelation of God in His word and do what He delights in.