“‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts… ‘Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,’ says the Lord of hosts…” (Malachi 1:6, 10).
In the passage where the above verses are found, God addressed the worship offered to Him. He asked, “Where is my honor?” This rhetorical question shows that they had dishonored God through their worship.
How did they dishonor God? They did not cease to offer worship, but they might as well have because their sacrifices had become worthless. Instead, they worshipped God in a way that did not honor Him.
It might seem incredible that God would reject the worship someone offers to Him. Yet as God – the one who created us and is worthy of worship – this is His prerogative. He has every right to refuse to accept worship that is not according to His standard. Just as He did this during the days of Malachi, He does the same today.
We need to learn from their mistakes so we can honor God in our worship. How can we offer the kind of worship that pleases God? A few points in the text help answer this question.
Offer Worship That Is Pleasing to God
“‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly? says the Lord of hosts. ‘But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 1:6-9).
They were despising God by offering defiled food on the altar. God gave the Israelites instructions regarding the offerings they were to present (Leviticus 1:2-3; 22:20-22; et al.). Rather than following these instructions, they despised the altar. To them, it was not worth the effort to do what was right according to God’s law.
God has told us how we are to worship in order to please Him. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The New Testament describes worship involving the acts of teaching, giving, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, praying, and singing (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; et al.).* All of that is doable IF we are willing to put in the effort necessary to worship in that way. Barring rare exceptions, every act of worship is something every Christian can participate in.
Treat Worship As Something Special
“‘For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘But you are profaning it, in that you say, “The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised”’” (Malachi 1:11-12).
They were profaning the name of God through their offering when His name was to be great. To profane something is to treat it as common. God warned them about profaning the Sabbath day by treating it just like every other day (Exodus 31:14). They treated God and their worship of Him as if they were nothing special.
We need to approach God “with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28), which describes our attitude in worship. Reverence is the idea of thoughtfully and humbly approaching God. Awe (godly fear, KJV) is a deep respect for God as we recognize that He is “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). We are not to treat worship as if it is no different from anything else we may do.
Recognize the Privilege It Is to Worship
“‘You also say, “My, how tiresome it is!” And you disdainfully sniff at it,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?’ says the Lord. ‘But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and My name is feared among the nations’” (Malachi 1:13-14).
They saw worship as tiresome. To them, it was a chore and not a privilege. Yet the thought of coming together to worship God should produce joy in His people. The psalmist expressed it this way: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1). However, the ones of Malachi’s day thought of worship as a hardship as if God was selfishly demanding it.
We are to exhibit joy in our worship, as well as in our anticipation of worship. The psalmist wrote, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing” (Psalm 100:1-2). Paul expressed this principle in his instructions about giving: “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). All of our worship needs to be offered because we want to worship God, not just because we have to worship. God has given us much more than we could ever offer back to Him (cf. James 1:17). Recognizing this should produce gratitude in us, which is essential if our worship is to please the Lord. The Hebrew writer said we are to “show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service” (Hebrews 12:28).
Conclusion
We need to avoid the mistakes of God’s people in Malachi’s day regarding worship. There are a few points we need to remember:
- Worship is not about pleasing US. Instead, it is about pleasing God.
- Worship is not to be treated casually as something common. Instead, we are to display reverence because it is something special.
- Worship is not a burden or a chore. Instead, it is a privilege for us to approach God in this way.
God is worthy of our worship. Therefore, let us offer worship that honors Him.
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* For more on this point, see the article: Why We Do What We Do in Worship
