As one reads the book of Malachi it is readily scene that the people of God have strayed away from following the commandments given to them by God. Hailey stated that, “indifference to both the moral and ceremonial aspects of the divine law now characterized the people of God” (Hailey p. 403). The responsibilities of the Israelites in the ceremonial aspects of worship were extremely detailed and Jehovah expected the instructions to be followed (Lev. 22:17 – 33; 21:6). The priests and people failed to give Jehovah what He asked for in their sacrifices. Their offerings were said to be “polluted”. Failing to follow God’s instructions was to profane the name of Jehovah. The priests were leading the people in this corrupt worship, they had failed in their responsibility to follow God’s law and to lead the people in following that law. Jehovah expects worship to be on His terms not man’s.

Not only had they corrupted the ceremonial aspects of the law they also failed to maintain the moral standard of the law. Judah had joined herself to “the daughter of a foreign God”. This violated Jehovah’s law regarding marriage. Intermarriage was forbidden (Ex. 34:16). Not only had this trespass been committed but they were also putting away their Hebrew wives, the wives of their youth. This led Jehovah to make the statement, “He hateth putting away”. Sin was rampant in the nation.

“Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, And that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; Yea, they that work wickedness are set up; Yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: And the Lord hearkened, and heard it, And a book of remembrance was written before him For them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, In that day when I make up my jewels; And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, Between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not” (Malachi 3:13 – 18).

This passage serves notice to all who would speak or even think evil thoughts about Jehovah. God let’s His people know that the wicked things they had thought, the things they had said in their conversations together were open in the sight of the Almighty.  The word “stout” used by God is from a Hebrew word that means, “harsh, hard, or violent. The people had concluded that there was no reason to serve God. They had drawn some false conclusions. They had thought God should have blessed them because they had kept His commands. To them it looked to be a vain thing to serve God, He did not bless them as they thought He should. Notice should be taken here to realize it was what THEY thought, and what THEY wanted, and how THEY thought things should be was how they based their thoughts.