HONORING
This is from the story of Eli and his sons... 1 Samuel 2
30Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
Kabad(03513 strong's #) - Honor- to be heavy, be weighty
Bazah(0959 strong's #) - Despise- to despise, hold in contempt, disdain
a. (Qal) to despise, regard with contempt
(Niphal) to be despised , to be despicable, to be vile, worthless
(Hiphil) to cause to despise
This also means to honor what and who God honors...value and esteem the things and people God values and esteems...The things the world honors, values, and esteems is not the same as what God does. Get God's perspective of what is honorable, valuable, and worthy to esteem. Ask yourself what and who you have honored, valued, esteemed.... What or who have you despised or failed to appreciate and value that God considers valuable. Do we want God to honor us or lightly esteem us...Do we want to value the things God values and is important to him... or would we rather despise and dishonor what is important in His eyes in our own justification. What is valuable and worthy of honor? God said he would honor us when we honor him, God will lightly esteem us if we despise Him.
Do we belong to God? Would we as his children be valuable to Him? If God was willing to send His Son and pour out his precious life blood for all of man kind, would not we (humanity/people) be then considered as valuable to Him at that expense? Shouldn't we then value one another, honor one another, esteem one another just as if we would Honor Jesus Himself. Should we despise, lightly esteem, consider not valuable and worthless each other as a human beings and children of God? Should we slander and speak evil of each other? Would not this be considered as DESPISING or LIGHTLY ESTEEMING what is considered of worth to God Almighty? What does despising mean? It means to show contempt, fail to appreciate or see the value of, to veiw as worthless. Should we treat each other with contempt and disrespect in our heart and with our mouth what God considers as precious to the point of Jesus shedding His life blood for? Or should we speak honorably and show respect of the very ones God loves so dearly? Are we children of light or of the darkness? Should we not walk in the light because He is in the light and have fellowship with Him and one another in the light? Did not Jesus give us one command?
John 13:34,35
I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.
By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].
Should we honor God's word by doing what He has asked us?
Or do we despise, not value, show contempt, and fail to appreciate His guidance from His word of Truth. Do we want to be a disciple of Christ? Do we take for granted what we have been freely given? Should we freely give to others as He has freely given to us? Again we must each examine our own hearts before God truthfully and openly if we have honored God and the things he considers as honorable or of value....examine to see if we have failed to appreciate Him and what he appreciates...examine to see if we have despised Him and lightly esteemed the things he considers as precious. If we want to be honored by God then we must not take lightly and despise Him or things he considers valuable.
The blood of Jesus is said to be precious...the saints His people are considered precious and valuable, Jesus is worthy, the Word of God is valuable, precious souls of men are valuable...our health in our bodies is important to God...having a sound mind is important...being an example of Jesus to one another and to all the world is VERY important. What do we consider as worthy of honor, respect, value, important, worth giving attention to, worthy of our love, worthy of our friendship, worthy of our prayers, monitarily giving and honoring with our support what God wants to honor with what we have worked to receive...We may not always like some of the things men do or how they act or even how we are wrongly treated by men. We do not have to like these things....but we must not hold it against them to the point we say that no man is worthy of showing them the love of God, respect, honor, appreciation, worth and value that Jesus so freely from His heart with all joy was willing to die for because He loved us all so much.
Not one of us is really deserving of such things to be frank, but it is not our place to decide who is or is not worthy only God has that right. We are to give up deceitful ways, hardened hearts, pride, hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness, living our life for ourselves and trade it in for what is pleasing to God by preferring our brother over ourselves so we can remain free from from things that were meant for our destruction and hurt. We cannot control people but we can control what we say and do to others whether it contributes to their life or their destruction...whether we choose bless them from our hearts to theirs or we curse them from our hearts out of resentment...whether we decide to make peace with each other and remain in harmony with God is our choice. We can choose His way or our own way...to produce good fruit from our obedience to God or produce bad fruit from our disobedience in going our own way.
Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
Romans 13:8 Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one's fellowmen, meeting all its requirements].
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell (rejoice)! Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace, and [then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.
Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.
Ephesians 4:2 Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.
Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
1 Peter 1:22
Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy ] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].
1 Peter 4:9
Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him).
1 Peter 5:14
Salute one another with a kiss of love [the symbol of mutual affection]. To all of you that are in Christ Jesus (the Messiah), may there be peace (every kind of peace and blessing, especially peace with God, and freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts). Amen (so be it).
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].
1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.
