My name shall be great among the Gentiles

Malachi 1:11

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Originally, God’s name was only placed in Israel. They were the people of His name. No other nation knew the Lord as they did. They were the peculiar people above all others on the face of the earth. And the Lord favored them above every other nation, tongue, tribe, and people. But the children of Israel, as He explains in Malachi, snuffed at Him. They snuffed at the holy things. They contemned the table of the Lord. They profaned His holy things. They walked over, disesteemed, disregarded the privileges they had been given. We see this same story playing out in the day of Christ’s ministry. He came for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and He came “unto His own,” but what happened? “His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” You see, the great rejection of His people opened wide the door for the heathen peoples of the world to come to know Him.

What a glorious truth this is for us! His name shall be great among the Gentiles! They are the ones who will offer up incense and a pure offering. They are, by and large, the ones who would believe in Christ. That’s why Paul went to the heathen, and even Peter spoke to the heathen, Thomas, Philip, and countless others over the climes and times of the intervening centuries. So many of the heathen have come to Christ! And now, the great majority of the church of Jesus Christ in this world today is comprised of Gentiles. It consist of people of every nation and language: those of India, of the Orient, of the Middle East, Arabia, Africa, of Europe and the Americas. Oh, what a group! What an abundance of children of God. What an army of believers! What a great tribe of saints! And we shall all be together in glory. These are the Gentiles among whom His name is great!

And now, this day, let us praise God that, albeit through the rejection of Israel, we the Gentiles have been graffed in to the Kingdom. Let us, this day, seek to take the glorious gospel of the blessed God to every people and land of this great, wide planet. So much work yet must be done! For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, His name shall be great! Let it be great among us! Let it be published in every corner of this globe. And that shall be sweet incense and a pure offering unto the Lord.

“Father, this morning we thank You and praise You and extol Your holy name for this great truth before us. We have become partakers of the gospel, although at once we had not a chance. But now in Christ Jesus, we which were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. We praise You and thank You. And may Your name be greater and greater from the east to the west to the north to the south. And may all the Gentiles hear! And we earnestly pray for the Israel of God, that among them also there would be a great number converted to the faith. For we know You shall never cast off Your people, whom You foreknew. And we praise You for these things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”