在昔日以色列的时代，祭司有责任带领百姓与神建立一个密切的关系。可是，在玛拉基的年代，他们却是导致百姓藐视神的名的罪魁祸首，百姓对神的尊敬每况愈下，是因为他们看见祭司也是对神很不尊敬的。
神的名字是非常重要的，因为它代表神的名声，也代表我们怎样看神。有时，神的子民以忿怒和刻薄来描绘神，有时又以软弱、不公，或无情来形容祂。当神的子民不能让世人看到神的真面目时，人们便感到困惑，而他们也因此不容易接受神了。
感谢神，圣经中描绘的神就是神的真面目：祂是有恩典，不轻易发怒，且有丰盛的慈爱。神虽然有时会动怒，但祂的怒气不会长久，衪很快便再次施行祂的慈爱； “东离西有多远”，在衪的爱里，祂也叫我们的罪孽过犯离我们有多远。
当我们接受整本书都是神的启示，在阅读圣经时，我们便晓得神是谁，晓得祂如何行事，并晓得祂的旨意。那么，假以时日，我们便更深认识祂，知道衪是那位独一、真实、圣洁，和赐与我们赦罪恩典的神。当我们如此认识衪时，我们也有责任要在世界各地尊崇祂的名字，让世人看到祂是一位何等慈爱的神。
主耶稣，祢是仁厚和良善的神，祢没有闭眼不看我们的罪或世上的困难，反而舍弃祢的性命来医治我们。求祢帮助我们一天比一天更深认识祢。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
诗篇 103:1-12；玛拉基书 1:6
1我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华！ 凡在我里面的，也要称颂他的圣名！
2我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华！ 不可忘记他的一切恩惠！
3他赦免你的一切罪孽， 医治你的一切疾病。
4他救赎你的命脱离死亡， 以仁爱和慈悲为你的冠冕。
5他用美物使你所愿的得以知足， 以致你如鹰返老还童。
6耶和华施行公义， 为一切受屈的人伸冤。
7他使摩西知道他的法则， 叫以色列人晓得他的作为。
8耶和华有怜悯，有恩典， 不轻易发怒，且有丰盛的慈爱。
9他不长久责备， 也不永远怀怒。
10他没有按我们的罪过待我们， 也没有照我们的罪孽报应我们。
11天离地何等的高， 他的慈爱向敬畏他的人也是何等的大！
12东离西有多远， 他叫我们的过犯离我们也有多远！
6“藐视我名的祭司啊，万军之耶和华对你们说：儿子尊敬父亲，仆人敬畏主人；我既为父亲，尊敬我的在哪里呢？我既为主人，敬畏我的在哪里呢？你们却说：‘我们在何事上藐视你的名呢？’
"It is you priests who show contempt for my name. But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'" — Malachi 1:6
In Israel's day, the priests were supposed to lead the people to have a good relationship with God. But at the time of Malachi they were actually influencing the people to despise God's name. People respected God less because of the way the priests treated God.
God's name is God's reputation, and it's very important. It's how we think about him. Sometimes God's people portray him as angry and mean. Other times we portray him as being weak, or unfair, or uncaring. When God's people don't show the world what God is really like, it confuses people and makes them less likely to accept him.
Thankfully the Bible portrays God as he truly is—compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love. Though God may become angry, his anger doesn't last, and his love returns. And in his love the Lord removes our transgressions and sins from us—"as far as the east is from the west."
When we read the Bible and accept the whole book as the revelation of who God is, how God acts, and what his purposes are, then, over time, we can grow to know him better. He is the one, true, holy God who offers us salvation from sin. And as we grow to know him, we have a responsibility to honor God's name all over the world, showing people the loving God that he truly is.
Lord Jesus, you are gracious and kind. You haven't ignored our sin or the difficulties in this world. You gave your life to heal us. Help us to get to know you better each day. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
