“Wherein have we wearied him?”
The full verse · Malachi 2:17 · KJV
Ye have the with your . Yet ye , Wherein have we him? When ye , Every one that is in the of the , and he in them; or, is the of ?
Asked by
Asked to
Yahweh, though the question functions more as rhetorical complaint than genuine inquiry, implying either His absence or His failure to execute justice.
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionIsrael uses this question to mock God’s justice, implying either His absence or His moral indifference. By asking rather than affirming, they cast doubt on divine governance while maintaining deniability about outright blasphemy.
The Response
What Scripture recordsGod’s immediate answer comes through Malachi’s continuing prophecy: He will send His messenger to prepare the way, then suddenly come to His temple as refiner and purifier (Malachi 3:1-3). This demonstrates that the God of justice is both present and coming, working on His own timeline rather than Israel’s impatient demands.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyIsrael’s question drips with cynical doubt, challenging God’s very existence as moral governor of the universe. The phrase ‘God of justice’ (Elohei hammishpat) invokes covenant promises that the righteous would be vindicated and the wicked punished. By asking ‘where’ rather than ‘why,’ Israel implies divine absence or impotence. The question functions rhetorically to mock God’s apparent failure to fulfill His judicial role. Gill observes that such skepticism arose from observing the wicked prosper while the ostensibly faithful suffered, leading to the perverse conclusion that God either didn’t exist or didn’t care. The question form allows Israel to maintain plausible deniability about outright atheism while effectively denying God’s active governance. This wearied the Lord because it inverted the covenant relationship, treating divine patience as evidence of divine absence.
When the wicked prosper and justice seems absent, we’re tempted toward Israel’s cynicism. The question ‘Where is God?’ often masks our demand that He operate on our schedule. Psalm 73 records Asaph’s similar struggle, resolved only when he entered God’s sanctuary and understood the final destiny of the wicked. The God of justice hasn’t vanished. He’s patient, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Trust His timing. The same patience that frustrates you when others seem to escape consequences is the patience that gave you time to repent.
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