Introduction:
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Yesterday, Allison and I and the girls and my brother and sister in law took the boat to the lake. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. However, Allison and I cannot get on that boat without getting into an argument about Gide lines or anchors or something. Every time we get in that boat, everything ends up being a tangled mess. We can organize and store the best we can, but when it comes time to deploy an anchor or grab a rope to tie us to the dock, it’s going to be tangled or misplaced or something! Yesterday, I couldn’t find my ropes to tie us to the dock…that was yesterday’s argument. But after that, we were on our way. We ended up at the Backwater Bash at Hardridge Creek. 2 boats came loose from their anchors and almost hit us.
You know, the anchor line is only as useful as its ability to reach the bottom and hold. But if that line is tangled up with knots—whether from carelessness or storms—it can’t do its job. The boat drifts, the anchor doesn’t hold, and suddenly you’re vulnerable to the wind and waves.
In Malachi’s day, God’s people had developed some serious knots in their spiritual anchor lines—in how they thought about God Himself. And those knots were keeping them from holding firm in their faith.
This passage shows us three places where our faith gets tangled—three “knots” we have to untie:
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A knot in how we see God’s justice
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A knot in how we see God’s grace
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A knot in how we see serving God
I. A Knot in Their View of God’s Justice (Malachi 2:17–3:5)
“You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice?’” (2:17)
They were cynical. Evil people were getting ahead, so they said, “God must not care anymore.” They mistook His patience for His approval.
We don’t usually think of God getting tired. And he doesn’t, but Malachi paints us a picture here that we can all relate to. The word means to be physically spent, or exhausted.
But God replies—not with silence, but with fire.
“Behold, I send my messenger… and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple… But who can endure the day of his coming?” (3:1–2)
They wanted God to come clean up the world. But God says, “I am coming—and I’m starting with you.”
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They had the knot of projection: They thought God’s justice meant dealing with those people.
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But God’s justice always starts at the temple—with His people.
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment… against the sorcerers, adulterers, those who oppress…” (3:5)
God sees it all. His justice hasn’t failed—it’s just not on our timetable.
Application:
When you see evil go unchecked, and start to wonder if God has forgotten… untie that knot. His justice will come—not only to punish, but to purify.
II. A Knot in Their View of God’s Grace (Malachi 3:6–12)
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (3:6)
This is grace. God’s faithfulness keeps them from being destroyed.
As John records Jesus in the book of Revelation, Jesus stands at the door and knocks, he pleads, “return to me.” But we presume our innocence.
But look at their response:
“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.”
“How?”
“In your tithes and contributions…” (v. 8)
They were withholding from God. They thought, “We’re struggling—we need to keep more for ourselves.” They had confused grace with entitlement.
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Instead of responding to God’s grace with generosity, they clung to their stuff.
- We cannot give God lip service when it comes to repentance. More often than not, money serves as a litmus test of our authenticity.
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But God says, “Bring the full tithe… test me in this… I will open the windows of heaven for you.” (v.10)
The knot here is fear. They didn’t trust that God’s grace would provide if they gave faithfully. So they hoarded. They robbed God—and it was a reflection of their heart.
The knot here is pleasure.
Application:
Grace doesn’t free us from giving—it frees us to give. It unties our hands, unclenches our fists. It says, “I can trust God more than my bank account.”
God’s not saying, “Pay me and I’ll bless you.” He’s saying, “Return to me. Trust me again. I’ve always been faithful.”
III. A Knot in Their View of Serving God (Malachi 3:13–15)
“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord.”
“How?”
“You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God.’” (v.13–14)
Here’s the third knot: disillusionment.
They looked around and said, “We tried serving God. It didn’t work. The proud are blessed, evildoers prosper, so what’s the point?”
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This is the most dangerous knot—it’s the one that makes people quietly walk away from God while still going through the motions.
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It’s when faith becomes transactional: “If I don’t get what I expected, I’m out.”
They forgot the long view of God’s reward. They were measuring obedience by immediate results.
But there’s a shift in verse 16 — a quiet but powerful one:
Application:
Maybe you’ve served God faithfully and you feel like it hasn’t paid off. You’ve prayed, given, poured into others—and life’s still hard. Don’t let that knot pull you under.
Your obedience is not unnoticed. God remembers.
Conclusion: Drop the Anchor – Untie the Knots
God’s justice isn’t absent. His grace isn’t a free pass. Serving Him isn’t pointless.
But when we believe otherwise, the knots tighten. Our faith drifts.
It’s time to untangle the rope.
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Untie the knot of cynicism — and trust God’s justice.
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Untie the knot of fear — and respond to His grace.
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Untie the knot of discouragement — and keep serving faithfully.
Because one day, the anchor will hit bottom. The storm will pass. The line will hold.
- The anchor is meant to hold fast, but knots keep it from reaching the bottom or functioning correctly.
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In Malachi’s day, God’s people had developed knots in their understanding of who God is — and these knots were weakening their worship and warping their way of life.
SERMON BRIEF
I. A Knot in Their View of God’s Justice (2:17–3:5)
“Where is the God of justice?”
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They assume God has abandoned justice because evildoers prosper.
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They accuse God of delighting in evil.
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But God says justice is coming — and it will start with them.
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He will send His messenger and come like a refining fire — to purify His people and judge evil.
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Knot: They expected judgment only for others, not themselves.
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Untangle it: God’s justice is never absent — but it is patient, precise, and begins with His own people.
II. A Knot in Their View of God’s Grace (3:6–12)
“Return to me, and I will return to you…”
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God reminds them: I have not changed. His covenant love is constant.
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But they had stopped trusting Him — robbing God by withholding tithes and offerings.
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They misunderstood grace as permission to keep rather than give.
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Knot: They thought grace meant no need to respond in faithful obedience.
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Untangle it: True grace calls us back, not away. It stirs repentance and joyful generosity.
III. A Knot in Their View of Serving God (3:13–15)
“It is vain to serve God…”
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Their perspective is jaded: the arrogant seem to win, so what’s the point of devotion?
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They think obedience should result in immediate reward.
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Knot: They’ve tied their faith to visible results — not to God’s worth.
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Untangle it: Serving God is not in vain — even when results are delayed. The faithful are not forgotten (v. 16).
Conclusion: Untie the Knots, Drop the Anchor
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Misconceptions twist the rope of our faith and keep us from being anchored in God.
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When we untie the knots of:
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Justice (God will make all things right, starting with us),
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Grace (God invites us to return, not presume),
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and Service (God remembers every act done in reverence),
—then we can drop anchor and stand firm.
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Christ Connection: Jesus is the Refiner, the Judge, the Redeemer. In Him, justice and grace meet. He is the one we serve — even when the winds blow and results seem slow.