That’s Not Fair!

Reading: Malachi chapter 2 verse 17 to chapter 3 verse 15.

Ill: A socialist once came to see Andrew Carnegie;

• Who was an American businessman, the founder of Carnegie Steel Company;

• Which later became U.S. Steel.

• A socialist once came to see Andrew Carnegie;

• And soon was railing against the injustice of Carnegie having so much money.

• In his view, wealth was meant to be divided equally.

• Carnegie asked his secretary for an assessment of everything he owned;

• And at the same time looked up the figures on world population.

• He did a little arithmetic on a pad;

• Then said to his secretary.

• “Give this gentleman l6 cents. That’s his share of my wealth.”

Those words ‘It’s not fair!” So easily fall from our lips;

• ill: According to Ann Landers,

• The average teenager uses the phrase “it’s not fair”, 86 times a day (ill: youth club).

• ill: This week I did a web search for this simple phrase: “when life is not fair.”

• The search yielded a staggering 97.2 million results.

THIS EVENING WE ARE LOOKING AT MALACHI CHAPTER 3:

• We are linking it up with the last verse of chapter 2.

• Where we read that God is tired of playing games with His people.

• He tells them:

• “You have wearied the Lord with your words…”

We think of the word ‘wearied’ as repetitious entreaties:

• Ill: Parents get weary when their young children are always asking for things;

• Can we have some sweets? Can we watch TV? Can we…….?

• As it turns out it is not so much the repetitiousness that bothered God;

• It was much more the nature of the complaint

• God was more offended by the content of their complaint;

• Than by their never-ending moaning.

God is offended that the people would accuse him of injustice.

• The Jewish people of Malachi's day were facing a problem;

• That many in the Old Testament wrestled with;

• Why does God allow rotten people to get away with doing evil and they even seem to prosper;

• While good people seemed to suffer most.

• They did of course think that they were ‘The good’ people;

• Despite all their faults and failings that are recorded in this short book of prophecy.

• What they are actually saying is; ‘We are good but are not getting rich, why?’

• ‘Where is the God of justice?’

Quote:

“People who are out to find fault seldom find anything else”

ill:

• The Legend of Prince Llywelyn of Gwynedd;

• Who went away on a hunting trip.

• One morning he was ready to set off but his favourite Irish wolfhound;

• Named Gelert was nowhere to be seen.

• Although he was normally the keenest of all the hounds,

• His master blew his hunting-horn but he would not answer.

• So Llywelyn and his men decided to set off from the hunting-lodge without him,

• And they did not have their usual success.

• As evening fell, Llywelyn returned to the lodge while his servants stabled the horses.

• But when he came to the door, to his surprise it had been pushed partly open,

• Thinking at once about his young son who had been left in the cradle upstairs,

• He rushed up stairs to find him.

• But the sight that met his eyes was not the peaceful scene he had left there that morning;

• None of the maidservants were there,

• Everything was overturned or smashed or most ominous of all covered in blood.

• Then he saw the wooden cradle, lying on its side, empty;

• There were the bed-clothes in a bloody heap, and there was Gelert lying on the floor,

• His jaws covered in blood and wagging his tail.

• Llywelyn did not know why his dog had so betrayed him and attacked the baby boy;

• Maybe it was hunger or perhaps jealousy.

• At this moment in time, he did not care. Only revenge mattered,

• And drawing his sword he stabbed the hound in the heart.

• Gelert gave a low moan, but did not move;

• As he walked away from the hound, he noticed another animal lying still in the room.

• It was a wild wolf that had entered the house looking for food.

• Gelert had not killed the baby after all, just the intruding wolf.

• Prince Llwelyn had made decisions without having all the facts;

• And it led to disastrous results.

• He was just like the people of God in Malachi’s day!

• Who had made statements without having all the facts;

• With their limited understanding;