No More Leftovers - Part 3

Jimmy Carter • November 15, 2023

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am

a master, where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name. Yet

you ask, “How have we despised your name?” By presenting defiled food on my altar. (Malachi 1:6-7)


Yesterday we looked at the first title by which God reveals Himself in this text -- “Father.” The second

name God uses to reveal Himself is a bit more formal (dare I say, terrifying) and is used over and over

again in this section of Malachi. Any time a word or phrase is used with such repetition in the Bible, it is

similar to the modern-day use of the BOLD-UNDERLINE-ITALICS features on our keyboards. The title

used with such emphasis is “Lord of Armies.” (Some Bible translations say “Lord of Hosts.”)


If the title “Father” was meant to inspire our love and honor of God, then the title “Lord of Armies” is

meant to inspire our righteous fear of God: “where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Armies…” This

isn’t to say that God wants our primary emotion towards Him to be that of terror. Jesus did not say “be

scared of the Lord with all your heart.” Instead, our primary emotion towards God should be one of

love. The “fear” that Malachi speaks of centers on an accurate view of God’s power and our rightful

submission to His authority that should naturally follow. Malachi echoes what Solomon writes in the

opening of Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and

instruction (Proverbs 1:7).


In other words, it is wise to fear, respect and submit our lives to the “Lord of Armies” in the same way

that we instinctively pump our brakes when we notice a police car on the side of the interstate

(especially if we happen to be traveling a bit over the speed limit like our Pastor). While the title

“Father” stresses the intimacy God has with us through Christ, the title “Lord of Armies” stresses the

transcendence and power of God. What comfort that our Dad is the strongest Dad in the universe; a

truth that Jesus would eventually confront Pilate with: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he

will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53)


Question: In this season of your life, what do you need your loving Father, the One who commands the

angels, to provide for you? He is both intimate and powerful… ask Him!



By Jimmy Carter


Jimmy serves as the Ministries Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church. He is married to Carrie, his treasured

wife of 24 years, and they have one beloved daughter named Christy Ann “C.A.” who is a Senior at LCA

and will attend UK and play golf for the Wildcats next Fall.

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