Verse 6

The Sacrilege of Priestly Service“A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The LORD of Heaven’s Armies asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply,‘How have we made light of your name?’

Referenced Verses

  • Luke 6:46 : 46 “Why do you call me‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?
  • Exod 20:12 : 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that you may live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving to you.
  • Isa 1:2 : 2 Obedience, not Sacrifice Listen, O heavens, pay attention, O earth! For the LORD speaks:“I raised children, I brought them up, but they have rebelled against me!
  • Mal 2:8 : 8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
  • Titus 2:9-9 : 9 Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything, to do what is wanted and not talk back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, in order to bring credit to the teaching of God our Savior in everything.
  • 1 Pet 1:17 : 17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.
  • 1 Pet 2:17-19 : 17 Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king. 18 Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse. 19 For this finds God’s favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.
  • Prov 30:11 : 11 There is a generation who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
  • Prov 30:17 : 17 The eye that mocks at a father and despises obeying a mother– the ravens of the valley will peck it out and the young vultures will eat it.
  • Hos 4:6 : 6 You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests. Because you reject the law of your God, I will reject your descendants.
  • Hos 5:1 : 1 Announcement of Sin and Judgment Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen closely, O king! For judgment is about to overtake you! For you were like a trap to Mizpah, like a net spread out to catch Tabor.
  • Hos 12:8 : 8 Ephraim boasts,“I am very rich! I have become wealthy! In all that I have done to gain my wealth, no one can accuse me of any offense that is actually sinful.”
  • Matt 19:19 : 19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
  • Mark 7:10 : 10 For Moses said,‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and,‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’
  • Mark 10:19 : 19 You know the commandments:‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
  • Luke 6:36 : 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
  • Luke 18:20 : 20 You know the commandments:‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
  • John 13:13-17 : 13 You call me‘Teacher’ and‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example– you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
  • Eph 6:2 : 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely,
  • 1 Tim 6:1-2 : 1 Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited. 2 But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Summary of Timothy’s DutiesTeach them and exhort them about these things.
  • Mal 2:14-17 : 14 Yet you ask,“Why?” The LORD is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young, to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law. 15 No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this. What did our ancestor do when seeking a child from God? Be attentive, then, to your own spirit, for one should not be disloyal to the wife he took in his youth. 16 “I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel,“and the one who is guilty of violence,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.“Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful.” 17 Resistance to the Lord through Self-deceit You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say,“How have we wearied him?” Because you say,“Everyone who does evil is good in the LORD’s opinion, and he delights in them,” or“Where is the God of justice?”
  • Mal 3:7-8 : 7 From the days of your ancestors you have ignored my commandments and have not kept them! Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.“But you say,‘How should we return?’ 8 Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say,‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and contributions!
  • Mal 3:13-14 : 13 Resistance to the Lord through Self-sufficiency“You have criticized me sharply,” says the LORD,“but you ask,‘How have we criticized you?’ 14 You have said,‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD of Heaven’s Armies?
  • Matt 6:9 : 9 So pray this way: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,
  • Matt 6:14-15 : 14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
  • Matt 7:21 : 21 Judgment of Pretenders“Not everyone who says to me,‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven– only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
  • Matt 15:4 : 4 For God said,‘Honor your father and mother’ and‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’
  • Matt 15:6 : 6 he does not need to honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition.
  • Isa 64:8 : 8 Yet, LORD, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the product of your labor.
  • Jer 2:21-22 : 21 I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes? 22 You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,” says the Sovereign LORD.
  • Jer 5:30-31 : 30 “Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah: 31 The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
  • Jer 23:11 : 11 Moreover, the LORD says,“Both the prophets and priests are godless. I have even found them doing evil in my temple!
  • Jer 31:9 : 9 They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. I will lead them besides streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble. I will do this because I am Israel’s father; Ephraim is my firstborn son.’”
  • Ezek 22:26 : 26 Her priests abuse my law and have desecrated my holy things. They do not distinguish between the holy and the profane, or recognize any distinction between the unclean and the clean. They ignore my Sabbaths and I am profaned in their midst.
  • Lev 19:3 : 3 Each of you must respect his mother and his father, and you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
  • 1 Sam 2:28-30 : 28 I chose your ancestor from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 29 Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’ 30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says,‘I really did say that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever.’ But now the LORD says,‘May it never be! For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!
  • Luke 10:29 : 29 But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus,“And who is my neighbor?”
  • Exod 4:22-23 : 22 You must say to Pharaoh,‘This is what the LORD has said,“Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I said to you,‘Let my son go that he may serve me,’ but since you have refused to let him go, I will surely kill your son, your firstborn!”’”
  • Deut 5:16 : 16 Honor your father and your mother just as the LORD your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he is about to give you.