Introduction
We were created and redeemed for the glory and the honor of God. To love, honor and serve Him in all that we are, what we have, and in all what we do is a solemn responsibly of mankind, especially to believers. The honor we give to the Lord, our God, has to be both in private, and in public, before the few and before many, in good times and in bad. When we do that, we become the beneficiaries of His goodness and great blessings. Therefore, in the following passages I will share briefly with you, From God’s word, what it means to honor God and how.
1 Sam 2:28-30, Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?' Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the LORD says: 'Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. (NKJV)
The word honor in Hebrew means, “to be heavy, weighty, to esteem, to respect, to honor, and honorable,” In Greek, it is similar, it means “to value, to honor, to respect, or marks of respect”
How can we honor God?
Now to respect and honor the Lord God, we have to have knowledge of the Lord God frist. It is very important. The problem with the sons of Eli, in the above passage, was the lack of the knowledge of the Lord God. The scripture says, “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:12 says NKJV). Because they did not know Him, therefore they could not honor. As priests of the Lord they were called to know Him and make Him known. Instead, they acted differently by dishonoring Him (God), His house, the services He entrusted to them, also by dishonoring their fellow priests, as well as God’s people.
Their father Eli was the high priest and in charge of God’s house and services. He did not care that much in what they were doing before God, to God’s house and to God’s people. He left them alone with just a verbal rebuke. We know that from reading those passages of scriptures that a verbal rebuke did not help them to stop their wicked ways and repent. (See I Sam 2:12-25)
The Prophet Moses exhorted the children of Israel in the following way, "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Deut 7:9-10)
The Lord God Himself says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (NKJV)
The Blessed Lord Jesus says, “Learn of Me” (Matthew 11:29). Ignorance is the enemy of life, especially ignorance in the knowledge of God. The Apostle Paul told Corinthian believers, “Brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” If you read the first eleven chapters of Corinthians, you will know why the Lord did not want them to be ignorant of them. They were in a great mess and the reason was ignorance. In many ways, the Corinthian believers were not different from the sons of Eli. The only difference was that the Corinthian’s were under grace and the Lord sent them His servant, Paul, to deliver them from their ignorance and the mess they were in, through the teaching and instruction of God’s Word.
Prophet Hosea says, “Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth,” (Hosea 6:3, AMP).
When we know and honor the Lord we are the great beneficiary of His goodness and blessings. Therefore let us know and honor Him. He deserves the highest honor and praise in everything we do.
I explained earlier the meaning of the word honor in both biblical languages, which is to esteem, to value, to respect. The Lord God wants us to honor, esteem, value, and respect him in the following ways.
1) Honoring the Lord God Himself
We must learn to Honor God in who He is as God. From eternity to eternity He is God by Himself. He did not need anyone to make Him God. The psalmist says, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God,” (Ps.92: NIV). Not only that, He is the all powerful, all knowing God, the God who sees everything, who is able to be everywhere at the same time; the holy and eternal God, the creator and sustainer of everything. This Great God who is called the great “I AM” deserves honor and glory from His people.
Psalm 96:7-9 says, “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth,” (NKJV).
The living creatures and the twenty-four elders gave thanks and honor to the Lord. They still do. “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being," (Rev 4:9-11, NIV).
2) Honor the Lord God in our lives
Since we belong to the Lord we need and must honor him in our lives. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you are bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's,” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV).
Rom 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, (NKJV).
3) Honoring him in our possessions:
“Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine,” (Proverbs 3:9, NKJV).
Malachi 1:6-9, “‘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. (If we are not careful we will rob God instead of honoring Him in our resources,” (see also Malachi 3:10-11, NASU). Let us honor the Lord our God in all that we are and what we have. Blessings.