WHAT…? Pastor John Schuurman Malachi 2:17-3:16 Living near by Chicago provides one with a lot of entertainment possibilities. Not the least of which is Chicago-style politics. When those aldermen start one of those hubba, hubba yelling matches it is just wonderful. You know, the ‘dis, ‘dese, and ‘dose folk. I live for that! I remember one shouting match that made it to TV a couple of years ago. It went, “What jew talkin’ about?” “No, what jew talkin’’bout?” It was just like out in the neighborhood. I think the notion is that if you play dumb and don’t know what people are ‘talking about’ and if you say it with enough bluster and Chicago moxie you’re not guilty or you don’t have to deal with the issue at hand. Marvelous. But I was reminded of that entertaining exchange when I was looking at this passage of scripture from the prophecy of Malachi. Here we have the same kind of thing going on. Except now it isn't funny. It is deadly serious. Seven times in the book, God through his prophet makes accusations against the people Israel, and the people always say, 'what jew talkin’ ‘bout?' 'who me?' 'What?' 'Show me some law.' 1:2; 1:6; 1:7; 2:17; 3:7; 3:8; & 3:13. They say, 'What do you mean? How have we wearied you? We've been good. "How have we despised your name? We keep the commandments. How have we polluted your alter? We bring our sacrifices." "How have we robbed God? We give." “How are we supposed to return to you?” You see, their religion their relationship to God had become? Their heart had gone out of it. Like some self-righteous alderman, they knew all the rules, had all the right forms, had all the bluster and self-righteous indignation, but it didn't reflect a real relationship anymore. Kind of like a skeleton with no flesh on it. Dry bones no heart. They sacrificed sure, but their sacrifices were the lame and blind and the blemished of the flock, sacrifices that didn't cost them anything. But God says, this is a thing of evil. I am not pleased with this. These shabby animals are your disposable income. They are what you didn't need in the first place. And it is a thing of evil, it is a sacrilege. The Israelites offered sacrifices sure, but not really. It was only a shabby way of trying to keep up appearances. "And when confronted with it they say, "What" "How?" We are bringing our lambs, what are you talking about? why are you getting down on us?" this isn’t people saying "Well, if you can't show any more gratitude than that, we will just stop sacrificing all together." They aren't saying we will not be loyal any more. It is the language of a orthodox people, but a people whose orthodoxy is all form, all law, all surface show. All bluster and no heart. Its about looking good, but goodness. All the life poured out of it. Sacrifice wasn't thrilling any more. Just wooden empty exercise. They are trying to get by with the least possible cost to themselves and still keep up appearances. And then they are all full of wounded indignation when confronted with this truth. How did this unhappy situation of accusation and indignant defense come about? For one thing the times were difficult and the people were discouraged. They were about a 100 years back from the captivity. That 100 years had been a time of fits and starts but mostly failures. A general atmosphere of depression. Nothing was going like it was supposed to. Isaiah the prophet had written that when they came back from the captivity, it would be a time of glory and blessedness. But it wasn't like that. Not at all. They endured a major reduction in life style. they were supposed to be free but they weren't. It was a time of famine. And so the people were discouraged, but their discouragement didn't lead them to greater dependence on their God. It had the opposite effect. They grew cynical. Isn't that the way it can be with economic hard times? Such times can be used by God to bring us closer to him, to help us see even more clearly that we are dependent on him. When the Great depression came in our country, it was a great time of spiritual renewal in most of the churches in America. But it was also a time of hardness and harshness. In Chicago the power of the mobs were at its height. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Or such times can make us hard and bitter and cynical to God and the things of God. The children became cynical. In vs. 14 of ch. 3 they complain that the heathen seem to be doing alright and they say "It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners be for the Lord Almighty. But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape." So when they say 'What jew talkin bout?' in answer to God's accusation, it is loaded up with all of that negative stuff. "Look at all the pagans out there doing all their riotous living, they are the ones who are well off. They challenge God and get away with it. Our only conclusion is that it obviously doesn't pay to bring good sacrifices or to tithe." It does us no good. We know all about the things you have done for our fathers, but What have you done for us lately? It is a pretty sad picture. But God isn't ready to hear their self-pity and attempts at self-justification. He calls their withholding of sacrifices and tithes sacrilege and robbery. Very strong words. When they say, "How are we robbing you?" In your tithes. You see, God says, lets not talk about giving. If you hold back in your giving, that would be OK. I have no right to your gifts. Holding back gifts is not robbery. Gifts are things that are freely given. No one is obligated to give a gift. When I use the word 'robbery' We are in another category of things altogether. How do you rob me? By keeping back from me what isn't yours in the first place. Never was yours. That's that first 10%. The tithe, 10%, is a minimum. The minimum amount of earnings that one hands back to God. In vs. 9 God says because of this robbery the whole nation of you is under a curse. Strong language again. How was it a curse? Was it the famine? More than that. Deeper than that. The land of Israel of this time was a place of bitterness, indifference and even animosity. People were hunkering down and guarding their stuff. Furtively looking this way and that. The greatest casualty of all? their faith. They had come to have contempt for the hope of their fathers and their fathers before them. They had economic hardship and famine it is true, but the much deeper, much more deadening famine was the drought going on in their hearts. Relate to us? Surely in some ways. Not in others. We are experiencing modest hard times as a country. We are in a costly and unpopular war. Only parts of the economy seem to be coming. The huge national debt and spending deficit cause us worry. We continue to experience unemploy­ment. And certainly cynicism and a bitterness seems to be prevalent in many quarters. In the nineties we had a great surge of economic hope as the tech bubble grew and stretched. Employment was up and the stock market roared to dizzying heights day after day. Now, we seem burnt out and not a little bitter. Contributions to churches and charitable organizations is down across the country. The tone of desperation in the letters asking for money that we receive in the mail is stronger. Surely we in our church are not unaffected by this situation. Our denomination is experiencing great distress. Quota giving has fallen off drastically in recent years. A wide variety of reasons. Just like to the Israelites, God does not come and say, forget about the difficulties you face. He doesn't promise quick fixes. Nor does he promise prosperity. But God in his incredible heart of mercy again saves his people from themselves. He says, (10) try me. Just see what happens. "See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." there is a wonderful irony here? God flat out says if you are not tithing, you are robbing me. But then in a wonderful twist that only God can do, he turns around and says 'do you know what I will do for you to simply stop doin’ that?' You don't have to give me anything. but if simply just stop your stealing I will pour down upon you such a rich blessing that you will not be able to contain it.' Simply bring in from the total of that which I have given you, that % which is mine. Simply stop keeping for yourself what does not belong to you and never did belong to you. Do that and you will not be able to hold what will come showering down on you. Certainly the Lord meant tangible earthly blessings. In vs. 11 he speaks of the blessing in terms of hearty agricultural success. And it is the testimony that one hears time and time again where ever you find godly people that render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. The Lord blesses materially those who are generous materially. Generosity breeds itself. When we give, it comes back, increased. Test me, God says. See if that wont happen. But a greater truth becomes evident (12) "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts." God the Lord of hosts, says if you simply do this, if you simply stop keeping that which doesn't belong to you, "then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight." 'For you will be a land of delight'. What were they like before? Suspicious, grasping, defensive, cynical, stingy, hunkered down and very unhappy. Do this the Lord of hosts says, and what a change you will see. You will be a land of delight. And you may not be able to spend delight, but delight will make you rich beyond the standards of the world. The Hebrew word for delight is not unlike ours. It means to have pleasure in. Delight will turn your burdensome suspicious life into a life of pleasure. Delight will soften your faces, it will make them crinkle and twinkle with joy.