Where is my honour?

Love and Honour

2500 years ago in Malachi’s day, Israel thought their hardship was due to a lack of love from God.  ‘How have you loved us,’ they cried (1:2).  Malachi opened their eyes to the abundance of God’s undeserved love.  A love so generous Malachi says ‘...and you shall say ‘Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel’ (1:5).  God’s love in Christ extends beyond national boundaries to every peoples, countries, tribes and languages.  God’s love is available and accessible to all, not just Israel, through Christ.    The deficiency is not in God’s love for them, but in their lack of honour for God.  They had received grace but were not giving glory. 

Father, Master, King

Three times in 1:6-14 God is described in a way that deserves honour.  He is a loving father, a good master (6) and a great king (14).  This is a marvellous description of who God is (father, master, king) and who we are (children, servants, subjects). 

But instead of honour they despise (6); pollute (7) and do evil (8).  Yet they are blind to their mistreatment of God and say how have we despised your name (6) and how have we polluted your altar (7)?  God’s answer: ‘When you offer blind animals, is that not evil?  And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil?’  (1:8)

In such a way that suggests he does not deserve honour

They despise God by honouring him in such a way that hides his love, goodness and greatness instead of displaying it.  They bring blind, lame, sick, and even stolen animals to sacrifice to God.  They honour him in a way that suggests he doesn’t deserve honour; that God is a fickle not loving father; a corrupt not good master; and a complacent not great king.  It is all duty and no delight or devotion.  The very act meant to show God as great is used to illustrate how little they actually value God. 

Living Sacrifices

What has the killing of animals in a temple thousands of years ago got to do with us?  The Apostle Paul uses the same language of sacrifice but in a new and all-encompassing way. ‘...I urge you, in view of God’s mercies, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.  This is your reasonable act of worship.’  (Romans 12:1)  All of everything we are in worship of God, honouring him as father, master and king. 

The question is do we hide or reveal God’s love, goodness and greatness in the way we honour him?  What kind of father, master and king do we suggest God is?

What is true worship as a living sacrifice?  

How do we offer all that we are in worship of God, placing him above all things at all times? 

It is not cool professionalism that focuses on excellence in technique, constantly assessing ourselves, and therefore is driven by my performance not God’s majesty. 

It is not warm emotionalism that short-cuts our understanding and employs manipulative means to create phoney emotions. 

It is not laid back spirituality that neglects a whole-hearted response to God in exchange for ‘let go & let God’ complacency. 

Maybe though it is a heart, mind, soul and strength so saturated with the essence of God; his love, goodness and greatness that we delight to display him as he truly is in all things at all times (cf Mark 12:30).  

That means we need to see God fully to honour him fully.  If we have never seen the blazing sun, then a flickering street light will impress us.  If we have never had our teeth rattled in a raging thunderstorm, a causally thrown fire-cracker will leave us in awe.  If we have never seen a roaring lion in all its fury, a mangy cat’s pounce will terrify us.  If we have never truly seen God’s true love, goodness and greatness; God as father, master and king, then the world will get our honour and not him. 

What does the way you honour God reveal about how fully you have seen his love?