In the book of Malachi the
prophet, Malachi records several faults with the nation of Israel in
their relationship with “the LORD of hosts”. Among them was that
their “words have been stout” or brazen, bold and courageous
against the Lord. Because the people of the nation wondered where
they spoke like this, in chapter three and verse fourteen, the Lord
shares specifically the way they used their words against Him where
we read:
You
have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is
it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked
mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
The verse begins, “You
have said, It is vain to serve God:” In
answer to their question, “What have we spoken so much against
you?” the Lord answered that they said, “It is vain”
or “emptiness, vanity, falsehood, nothingness or worthless” “to
serve” which means “ work
for or labor for” “God”.
In other words, the people said their was no advantage for themselves
to serve the Lord, and the implication is “why should we serve the
Lord, there is no advantage to us for doing so”.
The
verse continues, “and what profit is it
that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully
before the LORD of hosts? The
Lord continues with their words as they questioned, “and
what profit” which means
“unjust gain or gain acquired by violence” “is it
that we have kept his ordinance”
or “guarded, taken heed to or observed” his “charge, function,
obligation, service, or watch”. They added, “and that
we have walked mournfully” which
means “in a mourning dress” as though one is going to a funeral
“before” or “in
the face of” “the LORD of hosts”. The
people of the nation of Israel knew they were operating within the
“face” or full view of the Lord, and still wondered what
advantage it was to them to do so.
When
we think about how brazen these words are before the Lord's face, we
may be inclined to wonder if it would have been safe to be around
these people. It is never “vain”
to serve the Lord, and though there may be times when it seems
“unprofitable” to keep His ways, the Lord is making an account of
everything we do and keep for Him. When there are times to “walk
mournfully” before Him, we
give the greatest “awe” and “respect” to the Lord that He
well deserves, and when we think about how the Lord Jesus came to
serve His Father, keep His ordinances, and walk through the mournful
activities of His trial, scourging, and the cross, we shall have
nothing in compare to know the profit which comes from His efforts.
May the Lord help us all to never speak “stoutly” against Him.
Next
time we see more of the things the people said against the Lord,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
It might never be vain to serve God but it can appear to be. For instance, one can pay an honest tithe and still have the devourer destroy the fruit of one's ground (like losing your job or having your car broken into, run out of food and electricity) and receive no blessing from heaven, in fact there can be no change in one's situation between paying and not paying tithes so that one rightly cries out, saying: "It is vain to serve God" because the windows of heaven are not opened. The promise is that you will not have room to receive it - this seems to indicate that the blessing will be so blatant that you will be constrained to acknowledge that it comes from God whether it be tangible or intangible. So, where is my blessing? There is no blessing, no change in circumstance, just trial upon trial, heaped and heaped like the children of Israel in Persia, walking mournfully before God but still being persecuted. I have proved the Lord and found him wanting - my situation only changed when I ceased to rely on God and put my trust in myself, then I moved forward and saved myself - I raged and raged within myself and shut the Lord out and improved my life. Whether you tithe or not it has no bearing on your life situation, it is your thoughts only that change; you start to think that everything good that happens with your finances is a blessing from God but its not so - your mentality changes and so do your choices but whether you tithed or not if you changed your mentality then you will witness the same improvements. So, is it vain to serve God, no its not vain but it is vain to expect blessings simply because one pays tithing and walks mournfully before him - nothing in this world happens by itself, everything requires work - the wicked, work hard for their riches, its not a free gift, no not even for tithe payers.
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