My name is feared among the nations but not among my people.

​“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 ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.1.14.NASB1995

“For I am a great King and My name is feared among the nations” except within my own people. 

I know I know we should not be adding words to what God has said but in Malachi, there are four places where the people of God treat God wrongly and at least once where God is lifted up. So over the next 4 chapters, we will be looking at Malachi 1:6, 2:8 and 3:7, 3:8, and finally 4:2. So that we may be the people who also fear God’s name.

“ ‘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?’”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.1.6.NASB1995

Here we find God declaring that His priests have despised His name. But how have they despised His 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.’”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mal.1.7.NASB1995

They made what God desires to be used as nourishment as a place of ridicule. Their job was to present blameless sacrifices to God. And they continually offered blind, lame, and sick offerings to God on His table. 

So how do we turn this around and learn from the mistakes of the nation of Israel? Where is our sacrifice today? We do not offer the blood of goats and rams to God but we do offer our praise and lives to God. When we sin we must come back to God and re-offer lives as holy sacrifices to Him. And we must turn our mournings into praise!

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/rom.12.1-2.NASB1995

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.13.15.NASB1995

How does your church view the altar that is positioned in the front of the church? Is it a place of shame and only “sinners” go there? Or is it a place of renewal for the sinner and saint alike? Is it a good table or a bad table? My church does a good job of presenting it as a good table for the saints and sinners to find the nourishment of God!

Can we today live for God so that his name is honored among His people and then honored among our nation?

“Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭81‬:‭13‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.81.13.NASB1995

“and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/2ch.7.14.NASB1995