LEV1103 Obedience to God in the view of Malachi (1:6) is prompted by man's relationship to Him as servant, on the one hand and as son on the other. The first conveys the idea of subordination to God. In the words of the Torah, "Unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt" (this verse). While servitude to man is degrading, service of God is the highest honor. All worship constitute service of God. The idea of Divine sonship derives from the sense of identity with a higher order. To be a son of God is not the prerogative of one favored individual--as is claimed by Christianity for its founder--but of every God-conscious being. (Continued at [[GEN705]] Genesis 9:6 image COHON 132)