Where Is My Honor?
SCRIPTURE Malachi 1:6-14 (ESV)
1:6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
1:8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.
Devotional Reading
This was written at a time when the leaders who were called priests were doing corrupt things. They had watered down God’s laws and requirements. Worship had become routine, divorce was widespread, and social justice and tithing were being ignored. Honestly, when you read this list and compare it to today’s church leaders you might think, “How are things any different today?”
In Malachi’s day the priests, who were a select group of people had become corrupt. In our day every one of us is a priest! 1 Peter 2:9 states that every person who is in Christ is part of a royal priesthood. That means we need to pay attention to how we live. The standard for priests/leaders was always higher. People are watching how we live. But God doesn’t call us to a higher standard without giving us the power to do it. He empowers us to live at a higher level by His Spirit. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I watering down God’s standards? When I do, I dishonor his name like the priests in the days of Malachi.
The question “Where is my honor?” cuts right to the point. One of the dishonoring things that was happening in that day was allowing people to bring lame sacrifices to the altar. God clearly commanded them to bring their best, not the lame or weak. Fathers were telling their children to select a lame animal, one that was blind or close to death, one with little value, to bring to God. The priests were allowing this and blessing the people in their disobedience. The priest should have stopped them and sent them away. They should have rebuked them and called them to a higher standard, but they didn’t.
God told them to offer their lame sacrifices to their governor, knowing that the people would never think of insulting their governor in this way. But yet they were okay with doing it to God. God then says, “I have loved you, I have remained faithful to you but Where is MY Honor?” You have dishonored my name by your actions.
God wants us to bring him our best! That’s what honors Him, because it comes from a heart of gratitude and expresses true worship to God. God’s standard, and therefore His honor needs to be upheld in our hearts. When we pay attention to what God has commanded us to do and then do it, we honor our Father and glorify his name. As priests we need to evaluate our current lifestyle and make sure that it is God honoring.
Action Steps
Am I watering down the standards of the gospel
How can I improve in that area to bring God my best?
