The Lord says, “I will sort out extraordinary issues and perform extraordinary miracles among you. I will give you the horn of authority over nations as you obey me and follow my instructions carefully.”
This month, this is how the Lord displays the one He desires to honour!
- You must all come together and honour the one I have instructed you to with all sincerity.
- This month, what has eluded you will suddenly become attainable for you will receive the grace of one who has walked on that same path before you. As Melchizedek brought all the grace and blessings of his sojourns to Abraham, so that with very little effort Abraham was able to achieve so much in one lifetime, that is the path that honour has prepared for you as I progress with you on the journey I have set before you.
- Remember, I am with you, ahead of you and right behind you.
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm (Psalm 105:14-15).
1 Peter 2 v 17: “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”
There are certain principles given to us from the Word of God, which are determinant factors for our progress in life: these principles give us the advantage and help us win in life. It is therefore important for us to know what they are so that we can apply them to our lives and walk in the blessings that they bring.
One of such principles is Giving Honour, and today, we’re examining what the Bible says on this all-important subject. We’ll be looking at the following:
Primarily, honour means showing respect towards another. It means to give recognition to, to esteem. It also means to give preference. Our opening verse admonishes children to honour their parents. When you honour your parents, God says you’ll have a long and happy life. That means God’s going to specially preserve you in the earth and see to it that you have a prosperous and glorious life.
There are lots of people who are looking for jobs, and not getting any, neither do they have the right ideas to start up their own business; things aren’t well with them. It’s possible they haven’t been honouring their parents or those whom God has placed over them.
You’re indebted to your parents and those who nurtured and brought you up in life. You owe them; and it’s a debt you’ll have to pay. 1 Timothy 5:4 AMP says, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, see to it that these are first made to understand that it is their religious duty [to defray their natural obligation to those] at home, and make return to their parents or grandparents [for all their care by contributing to their maintenance], for this is acceptable in the sight of God.” The way to pay that debt is by honouring them and giving back to them.
There’s, however, one more inclusion to this truth. In the New Testament, when God said for us to honour our parents, He wasn’t only referring to our physical parents, but also our spiritual parents. Your spiritual father or mother is the one who brings you up in the faith. The Bible says, “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15).
There’re those who start out well in Church and later become unruly in the house of God. They come to church whenever they wish, speak against the leadership in the most derogatory manner. Such people aren’t giving honour to whom honour is due. Honour those who have the rulership and authority over you. This is of utmost importance in the Kingdom of God, because your success and wellbeing are connected to this: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).
In Numbers 12:1-16, the Bible tells us how Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses because of his Cushite wife. They questioned Moses’ authority and claimed that God could also speak through them. God heard their words and called them, along with Moses, to the Tabernacle.
There, He appeared to them in a pillar of cloud and rebuked Aaron and Miriam, affirming Moses’ unique position as His servant. He declared that, unlike the other prophets that He spoke to through visions and dreams, He spoke to Moses face to face, revealing His glory, and He queried Aaron and Miriam who’d dared to speak against His chosen servant.
Here’s what I want you to notice as a consequence of their error; the Bible says, “…the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; AND HE DEPARTED” (Numbers 12:9). He gets angry and what does He do? He “walks away!” But here’s the thing: when the presence of God leaves like that, trouble comes.
There are many people who don’t realize this is what happens to them when they get unruly, create insurrection, become disobedient and dishonour authority in the house of God. They don’t even know when the presence of God leaves.
It also brings to mind the story of Samson. The Lord was always with him until he disobeyed. When the enemy came, Samson woke up thinking, “…I’ll get loose and go free, as always.” He did not know that the LORD had left him” (Judges 16:20 GNT). The Spirit of God didn’t come on him as He used to, and the enemies got a hold of him and took out his eyes.
It’s important to honour the Lord always, follow His Word and His ways, and never dishonour spiritual authority as Aaron and Miriam did. Don’t speak against God’s ministers; don’t judge them. Remember what the Bible says: “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4). Hallelujah!
The Christian life is a call to glory and virtue; that means a call to a life of honour, dignity and excellence. You’ve been honoured, dignified and glorified; and the one who did it is God Almighty. Nothing can bring shame to you. Jesus took away every shame from your life. The Bible says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
You are the joy that was set before Him that made Him endure the Cross, despising the shame. Today, you’re without reproach. Hallelujah! Colossians 1:21- 22 says, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.” Think about that!
2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” In his previous epistle in 1 Peter 1:11, he talked about the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Give yourself no option but to live a life of glory, honour and dignity, irrespective of hardships, injustice or persecutions; Christ in you, the hope of glory! Hallelujah!
The word Honour means to show respect to or towards, to give recognition to, to esteem another, to give preference. Therefore, to give honour means to show respect to or towards another, to give recognition to and esteem another; and, to give preference.
Who should you honour?
1st Peter 2 v 17: Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
The above Scripture gives us God’s clear direction on who we should honour, classifying those to whom honour should be given into 4 groups namely:
- All Men: This refers to everybody in the world. Christians and non-Christians.
- The brotherhood: This refers to all of us in the Lord; that is, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Walking in love towards them really means that we’re honouring them.
- God: Having reverential fear towards God is honouring Him.
- The king: The king here refers to those who have authority over us, as authority is passed over from the highest levels to the lowest levels.
Why should we give honour?
Prov. 4:7-8 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing … exalt her and she shall promote thee: love her and she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her”. The Word of God, which is the wisdom of God, gives us instruction to live by and instructs us to give honour. So, we give honour because:
– God instructs us through His Word to give honour. We honour God by doing what He has asked us to do. Not to do God’s Word is dishonouring Him, and those that dishonour God will always be at the bottom in life.
– Every child of God is a man or woman of honor; God has made us kings and priests (Rev. 1 v 6), and we were made to be honoured. However, you can’t receive honour until you give it. So, God wants us to honour others because of what honour does for us; if you don’t give honour, you can’t receive a harvest of it. You can only receive what you give; the Bible is clear on this (Galatian 6:7). Not walking in honour means not walking in the light to which you have been called.
1 Sam 2 v 30: “Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”.
From the above Scripture, we understand the importance of honouring the Lord by doing his Word. He has said those who treat the Word with lightness shall be lightly esteemed. It is obvious that many people are lightly esteemed or disregarded in life, everywhere they go, because they have no regard for the Word: they don’t honour others as the Word instructs.
Honouring All Men
All Men in our study scripture refers to everybody in the world; that is, Christians and non-Christians. God expects us to honour all men by giving recognition to them, by respecting them and by esteeming them (holding them in high regard).
1 Thess. 5 v 15 says,” See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men”.
In 2 Sam. 9 v 1 – 13, we see how David still sought opportunities to honour his covenant friend, Jonathan, by honouring his son, Mephibosheth: “And David said, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). David showed Mephibosheth the kindness of God. That’s the type of kindness and honour God expects of us; where we give honour to people even when we think they don’t deserve it. Many people wonder why David’s life was full of splendor and victories! Obviously, it’s because he was a man of honour.
Learn to show honour to everyone. For example, if you board a taxi, honouring the taxi driver as the Word says, is to offer a kind greeting to recognize him, because recognition is a way of honour.
You give honour to the elderly by rising up to recognize them according to Lev 19:32, which says, “Thou shall rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear God: I am the Lord”. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV) the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy said, “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. The elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity”.
Honouring the Brotherhood:
1 Peter 2:17 says “…Love the brotherhood…” This refers to all believers in the Lord; that is, our brothers and sisters in Christ. In addition to giving recognition, respect and esteem, you honour your brothers and sisters in Christ by walking in love towards them.
Romans 12: 9 & 10 says, “Let Love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another”. Your love must be sincere; it must be from your heart, without hypocrisy. You are to cleave to that which is good and learn to consider your brothers and sisters before yourself.
1 John 3:18 says “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth” God wants us to love in deed and in truth, from a sincere heart.
In addition, in honouring the brethren you must also learn to speak well of them; refuse to participate in destroying the character of your fellow brothers and sisters; always love and esteem them, for in esteeming your brothers and sisters in Christ, you are honouring God.
Conclusion
Everyone is important to God and therefore deserves to be honored. Giving honour is a kingdom principle for living a life of greatness, so you must learn to walk in Honour. If you dishonour other people, you are dishonouring God, and it will corrupt your harvest and affect your life of prosperity. Therefore, make up your mind today, to honour all men and love the brotherhood.
–GSW–