More than our sacrifices, God wants us to love Him. If we love Him, we will obey His voice, and obey His words. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." [John 14:15]
The prophet Samuel came upon King Saul after Saul had won a great military victory. However, Saul had not obeyed the voice of the Lord through His prophet and followed the prophet's instructions which were to not take anything alive. The king had taken the goats and sheep and cattle alive and was offering from them as a sacrifice to the Lord. The king had also not killed the king of the his enemies, but had kept him alive, contrary to the command of God through His prophet.
"And Samuel (the prophet) said, Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry." [1 Samuel 15:22-23a]
God says our refusal to obey His still small voice is equivalent to witchcraft and idolatry. In the Old Testament those were sins punishable by death. As God's people were getting ready to enter into the Promised Land, God told them:
"If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul...the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goes to possess it."[Deuteronomy 30:10,16b]
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou may love the Lord thy God, and that thou may obey His voice, and that thou may cleave unto Him: for He is life, and the length of thy days..." [Deuteronomy 30:19,20a]
God wants us to love Him and to obey His voice more than any sacrifice that we could offer to Him. In fact in the psalms we read:
"O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou desires not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delights not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise." [Psalm 51:15-17]
God wants us to have a humble and broken heart in which He can live and use us to love others.
In the book of Hebrews we read that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. It is ours to believe and accept it. And yet God has a sacrifice we can offer.
"By Him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." [Hebrews 13:15-16]
We need to use the sacrifice of praise because God lives in the praise of His people. We enter into His presence with praise and thanksgiving. He also wants us to do good and communicate with others, talk to others, share His love and words of encouragement to others: communicate the Gospel. And finally He says,
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." [Roman 12:1]
Out of our love for God, He wants our whole life to be a sacrifice in service to Him and others. Let us love Him. Let us listen to and obey His voice that calls us to give thanks unto the Lord for His mercy towards us. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Let us continue to overcome evil with good by walking with a broken and contrite heart. Then our life will be a living sacrifice unto the Lord.
"To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." [Proverbs 21:3]
If you would like to read my online book Where is America in Bible Prophecy? click on the title.
If you would like to read other Bible related articles click here to see the index of Bits and Pieces
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