1. In Malachi 2:17, God says His people have “wearied” Him with their words by saying “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord” and asking “Where is the God of justice?” In what ways do we sometimes talk about God’s justice today that might “weary” Him in a similar way?
  2. When you look at your own life or at the world, where are you most tempted to think, “If God is just, why is this still happening?” How does this passage challenge or redirect that frustration?
  3. Malachi 3:1 speaks of a messenger who prepares the way and of the Lord coming suddenly to His temple. How does seeing this as pointing to Jesus’ first coming (with John the Baptist preparing the way) affect the way you read this promise?
  4. Verses 2–3 describe the coming Lord as “like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap” who will “purify the sons of Levi.” What do these images (fire that refines, soap that scrubs) teach us about how God works in the lives of His own people, and where have you experienced that refining in your life?
  5. The text says that after this refining, “the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old” (3:4). What might it look like for our worship and daily lives to become more “pleasing” to God as He refines us?
  6. In Malachi 3:5, God promises to be a “swift witness” against sorcerers, adulterers, liars, and those who oppress workers, widows, orphans, and sojourners. What does this list reveal about the breadth of God’s concern for both personal holiness and social justice?
  7. How does the promise that God will “draw near… for judgment” comfort those who suffer injustice, and at the same time sober those of us who might be ignoring or excusing certain sins in our own lives?
  8. If Jesus’ first coming opened a door of mercy and His second coming will bring final justice, what is one practical way you can respond now—either by submitting to His refining work in a specific area, or by trusting His justice in a situation that feels unresolved