Malachi
Malachi uses a question and answer format.
Chapter 1
He tells them about the blind and sick and stolen animals they are offering to the Lord, and he asks them if their governor would accept such a gift. The answer is obviously, "No!"
Yet they are disrespecting the Lord God in offering these inferior animals.
They don't seem to understand Who God really is.
Chapter 2
He says that the Levites, the teachers of Israel, were perverting the Law in showing partiality, profaning the covenant God made with Levi.
And that the men in Judah are dealing treacherously with the covenant, in marrying women who worship other gods. And divorcing their lawful wives. God hates divorce because it is cruel to them in leaving them unprotected.
These people have no understanding of God and His way, asking continually, "Why?" in "injured conscience." They are calling evil, good; and saying God doesn't care because He does not mete out instant justice.
It sounds a lot like today.
O my Father, after Malachi You were silent for over 400 years, when there was a drought of the living water of Your Word. Until John the Baptist came baptizing in the Jordan.
The way Malachi characterizes the thinking of the people of his day sounds a lot like how people are thinking today. People have not changed. Our defective human nature is still refusing to recognize Your majesty and authority over us. Even with all our technology today, we still are making our own choices and finding more ways to justify ourselves in our own minds.
I pray, Father, for Your children, that they will not get caught up in all the lies being spread today about right being wrong and good being bad, of the evil being celebrated and Your righteous being vilified.
Our justification is in Christ alone, for He is our Sacrifice to cleanse us white as snow. And Your justice will be meted out upon the wicked, who refuse to recognize the Truth that is staring them in the face. They will perish in the arrogance of their pride and self-worship.
And every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord over the whole Earth and all the Universe, to the glory of God the Father (Isaiah 45:22-23; Romans 14:11-12; Philippians 2:9-10; Revelation 5:13-14).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
