From the Pulpit...

These sinful priests and people had not just questioned God, violated God's covenant, disobeyed His laws, defiled His altar, and despised His name, but had openly spoken against Him. in spite of what was promised, the people complained that obedience to God's law brought no rewards. Only the proud and wicked prospered, they said. The people pretended to grieve for their sins, walking around in sackcloth or even with blackened faces to convey apparent sorrow, then complained that all that religious activity was useless. The proud and wicked, with apparent impunity, put God to the test by seeing how far they could go in doing evil. The distinction between the godly and ungodly will be evident for all when the righteous Lord is present, ruling from the throne of David in Jerusalem.