How have we loved you?

January 18, 2023

How have we loved you?

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob;”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.1.2.NASB1995

Another aspect of Malachi is the responses to God’s statements of their behavior. In Malachi 1:7 we find the priests replying, “how have we defiled you?” Pay attention to the phrase “but you say” in the next verses.

“ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.1.6.NASB1995

“You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.1.7.NASB1995

“This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.2.13-14.NASB1995

“You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How 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 ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.2.17.NASB1995

“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.3.7.NASB1995

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.3.8.NASB1995

“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.3.13.NASB1995

I am seeing that God wants to have a conversation with His people. He is not in heaven absent from His people, but rather He is here listening to our words and observing our actions.

How have you loved us?

How have we despised Your name?

How have we defiled You?

For what reason does the Lord not regard our offerings?

How have we wearied Him?

How shall we return?

How have we robbed You?

What have we spoken against You?

We have covered most of these in our four-part series of Malachi’s “My name is honored among the nations” but not among My People”

If you missed it click here.

God is acquainted with our words. A personal story. I was telling God about a need and I said “prove me wrong”. I was in need of something and was expecting it to be the same during the next 24 hours. But God moved and within 3 hours that need was meant. I am sure many of you have had the occasional story where God was able to remind you of the words you spoke to Him.

“One of his servants said, “No, my Lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/2ki.6.12.NASB1995

“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”