“A son honours his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honour due me?” (Malachi 1:6)
In this second study, Malachi shifts from God’s faithfulness to the people’s response. The question is no longer whether God has remained faithful to the covenant, but whether his people have honoured him as they should.
Here, God begins with a simple illustration that children honour their parents. Servants honour their masters meaning respect and honour are natural responses within healthy relationships.
Yet God challenges the priests and the people with a sobering question:
“Where is the honour due me?”
The issue was not that the people had abandoned worship altogether. They were still bringing sacrifices. The temple services continued. Religious activity was taking place.
The problem was that their worship had become careless. They were offering blemished sacrifices rather than their best. Outwardly they appeared committed. Inwardly they had become complacent.
Honour Reflects Value
At its heart, honour reflects value.
We honour what we value.
We make time for what we value.
We protect what we value.
We prioritise what we value.
The sacrifices being offered revealed something about the condition of the people’s hearts. Their actions suggested that God was no longer worthy of their very best.
This serves as a warning for all believers. It is possible to attend church, pray, serve, give and participate in religious activities while gradually losing the passion and devotion that once characterised our relationship with God.
The Danger of Familiarity
The people in Malachi’s day had become familiar with the things of God.
The temple was familiar.
The sacrifices were familiar.
The routines were familiar.
Familiarity can be a blessing when it produces consistency, but it becomes dangerous when it leads to complacency.
Sometimes we can become so accustomed to God’s presence, blessings and faithfulness that we stop approaching him with gratitude, reverence and wonder.
What Does Honour Look Like Today?
While believers are no longer called to offer animal sacrifices, the principle remains the same. Honouring God involves giving him our best.
Our best attention.
Our best effort.
Our best obedience.
Our best worship.
Our best response to his call.
Honour is demonstrated not merely through words but through the priorities we establish and the choices we make each day.
Malachi reminds us that covenant faithfulness is not simply about maintaining religious routines. It is about maintaining a heart posture of reverence, gratitude and devotion towards God.
The people in Malachi’s day were still worshipping, but they had lost the honour that should have accompanied their worship. The challenge for us is not merely whether we worship, but whether we honour God through our worship. His question still speaks to us today:
“If I am a father, where is the honour due me?” (Malachi 1:6)
Reflection
• In what areas your life might familiarity be impacting your your relationship with God?
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