Malachi’s time are anything but faithful. They are not living obedient lives and are not therefore perplexed by their suffering. They are living disobedient lives, and they do not think that matters one way or another—because God is totally absent from the scene and does nothing! When they ask, “Where is the God of justice?” they are expressing their doubt that he is anywhere, that he even cares for them, or that he has anything whatsoever to do with their lives. This is once again the expression