God Asks, Where Is My Honor?

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Malachi 1:6-14
Psalters: 188, 290, 291, 81
  1. The sin.
    1. Judah?s apathy and indifference toward God and His worship consists of their not giving God the due ?honor.?
      1. ?Honor? is the abundant and loving reverence for God, the zeal for Him, the living service of a life dedicated to Him.
      2. Instead they had a grievously poor attitude toward God: but cold, pathetic indifference (7, 8, 13).
    2. The ugliness and seriousness of their attitude is seen in the example of children to fathers and of slaves to masters (6).
      1. Children are to honor their parents (Ex. 20:12) and servants are to fear their masters (I Peter 2:18).
      2. God is a Father and a Master ? honor and godly gratitude is rightly owed to Him.
  2. The seriousness of this sin.
    1. The seriousness is found in the names God gives to Himself: Father and Jehovah of hosts (6).
      1. Our text implies that God is our Father and He is ?Jehovah of hosts.?
      2. As Father and as Jehovah of hosts, God is to be honored.
    2. Instead Judah ?profaned,? i.e., violated the honor by polluting it, treating God?s name as if it were common.
      1. They did the activity of worship but without their hearts being involved (7,12-14).
      2. Their indifference to the proper way of sacrifices indicated indifference to God?s promised salvation in His Lamb.
    3. Public worship and living a life as God?s friend was a weariness to them, so they cynically asked how they despised God?s name (6b) and snuffed at it (13).
  3. The application.
    1. Have you ever thought worship to be wearying?
    2. Do you find it a burden to do what God commands you to do and may not do what you want to do?
      1. The living, true God reigns with majesty and He is worthy of all honor and glory.
      2. Is the truth of God?s grace in Christ so earth-shaking that it demands your all? Do you give Him honor?