Is it possible for the people of the earth to weary their Creator? Many may be quickly to answer the question with a resounding, “No!” They may pull from passages such as, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?…” (Is. 40:28). This seems to be pretty conclusive, and in one sense, it is. God is an all-powerful God Who is said to never grow weary, nor does He faint. His ongoing existence, that consists of God’s never sleeping, would attest to this fact. It does not take long before people can grow tired and weak. Each day, this is actually something that takes place.
A person goes to work and works for eight hours or so, he then comes home, he tends to household activities, and it is not too long before he is ready to call it a day. The reason for this is that his body starts to grow weak, and by the end of each day, he is tired. But God exists outside of this reality. He is truly unique in His person. It should be a humbling reality to ponder the way in which God never sleeps. At the core of the matter is the truth that God does not become weak in any way, shape, or form.
But there are times in the Scriptures in which there would almost appear to be a contradiction in what is being said about God. For example, God is declared to be a God Who does not change His mind (Num. 23:19), but is also seen as repenting (changing His mind) in other portions of Scriptures. There is the famous portion of Scripture that is located in the Proverbs which tells the reader both to withhold from answering a fool according to his folly and, immediately afterward, to answer a fool according to his folly (Prov. 26:4-5).
So what is it? Does God change His mind, or doesn’t He? Should the Christian answer a fool according to his folly or not? In the case of the latter question, we should know that the Proverbs are general truths. This means that they are not absolute truths. For instance, just because someone speaks gently to someone who is angry does not mean the other person’s wrath will definitely turn away. But generally speaking, this should do the trick. Since the Proverbs are general truths and not absolute truths, this means that there will be times for both answering a fool according to his folly and abstaining from doing so. It will take discernment, and not every situation will be exactly the same.
But then there is the question concerning God’s changing His mind. How on earth could a God Who knows all things change His mind? Would He not know the end from the beginning and see all of the events coming down the pipeline? The answer is that the Bible will sometimes speak in what is known as anthropomorphic language. This means that there are times when human characteristics are placed upon God in an attempt to explain God. Language will, at times, not allow for perfect representations of Who God is. In actuality, there could be no way that any word could encapsulate the greatness of God. To say that God loves His children simply does not measure up to what is really bursting forth from the heart of God – or at the very least, man does not have the capacity to understand this word in the fullness of what it means. But God’s finite creation does what they can to talk about God, and God is pleased with man’s efforts to glorify Him.
This brings us back full circle to the question, “Does God grow weary?” While Isaiah may have been pretty adamant about God’s not growing weary if someone were to ask him the question, Malachi would have given that same person some food for thought. Malachi says, “Ye have wearied the Lord with your words…” (Mal. 2:17). It would appear as though Malachi here is using anthropomorphic language to describe what was taking place between the people of God and God Himself. Nevertheless, the strong language that Malachi uses demands our attention and our response. How were the people wearying their Creator? Did they even know the ways in which they were grieving the heart of God?
Malachi 2:17 gives us a look into the heart of God and words that weary out our Creator.
Wearisome words
Malachi starts this portion of Scripture with a claim that the people of God have been wearying their Creator. Malachi is not interested in being broad in his accusation but cutting to the chase. So often when people speak about God, there can be a broadness to what they are saying. Therefore, when this happens, the words that they say have a tendency to miss the mark. For instance, if someone needs to repent of his sin, he needs to hear specifically what he is doing wrong. If Malachi had simply said that the people had been wearying their Creator, each individual would have most likely thought that Malachi was talking about someone else in the group. So often, this is what takes place during the Sunday sermon. People hear a message, and if it is not pointed enough, the personal application is deflected off of the heart and onto someone else.
Malachi said that it was the people’s words that were wearying their Creator. This would have boiled things down to a fine point for the people to see more clearly and for the Holy Spirit to do His work.
A wearisome response
However, the people were still on the defensive. They did not want to accept correction. The first line of defense is to deflect. It is not my problem but someone else’s. The preacher is not talking about me but about so and so. Despite the pointed message of Malachi, he needed to be even more pointed yet. The people responded with the following: “…Wherein have we wearied Him?…” (Mal. 2:17). Malachi had just told them, but they were still wanting to deny their actions. What a wearisome response!
In confronting others, it can be easy to be general and speak to the surface rather than to the heart. But this is actually a non-confrontational approach masked with a false desire to confront the problem. It is rooted in the fear of man and not love. Malachi had to call the people to repentance. In doing so, he probably lost a lot of friends.
Wearisome words revealed – #1
Malachi tells the people two areas in which they were wearing their Creator that must be laid hold of in this present culture. The people were saying, “Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them…” (Mal. 2:17). The people had been making false claims concerning God. When people wallow in unrepentant sin, God is not pleased. People must not be deceived, for God is not mocked. A common misconception is that God will one day welcome all people with open arms. God is wearied with this type of discussion, and He will not allow His glorious name to be tarnished.
There is grace along the way for the saint who pursues Christ and yet stumbles. But for those who pursue evil, God will whet His sword.
Wearisome words revealed – #2
Finally, Malachi finishes by recording the following words of the people: “…Where is the God of judgment?” (Mal. 2:17). Out of one side of their mouths, they were promoting wickedness, and out of the other, they were wanting God to bring judgment on evildoers of their choice. They did not know what they were asking for. They were calling down judgment on their own heads. What they were doing was not virtuous. They should have been taking the log out of their own eye.
At the end of the day, they thought they knew better than God, and they spoke in this manner. They promoted evil with their mouths and called into question God’s perfect timing in His judgments.
Application
God deserves to be praised with the mouths of man. His wonderful works are on display for all to see. The Christian must not call evil good and good evil. He must trust in the Lord. He must not question God’s timing concerning His judgments. The Christian must find his place of rest and submission in all that God is.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the ways in which You have been patient with me. Teach me Your Word, and help me to know where I fall short. In Jesus’ name, Amen.