They are his punishment upon them because they have kept for themselves what rightly belongs to him. Because of drought, locust plagues and plant diseases, they have had poor crops, but all these disasters have been sent by God. If God always acted according to strict justice (as they are claiming he should) they would all have been destroyed long ago (6-7). As always, God has been extremely patient with them. If the people want to escape hardship, they should be asking for mercy, not justice for their hardship, though a punishment, is a merciful punishment. The messenger who came before him was John the Baptist see Matthew 3:10-12 Matthew 11:10 John 3:27-28.) (The intervention of God spoken of here was the coming of Jesus Christ. Those who resist his cleansing and continue in their sin will be punished with swift destruction (2-5). God will intervene in human affairs and bless his people as they wish, but first he will have to cleanse them of all uncleanness, rebellion and social injustice - and this will be a very painful process. They have asked for the God of justice now he will come and do his work of justice among them (3:1). Malachi replies that if justice is what the Jews want, then justice is what they will have but they must realize that such justice will apply to them as well as to their heathen neighbours. Other nations made no effort to keep God’s law, whereas Israel was his people (17). When the Jews saw surrounding nations prosper while they suffered hardship, they complained that God was not just.
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