The Spirit of Sacrifice
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"18 Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord. 20 While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground. 22 David said to him, "Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price." 23 Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this." 24 But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." 25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. 26 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. 29 The tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at
" 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." " (Mark 12:41-44, NIV)
Introduction
From the very beginning of time, mankind has understood that we owe everything we have to God and that we should honor Him by giving back to Him the first and best of all that He has given us. Ultimately, what God wants most from us is our lives. He wants us to live for Him, in relationship with Him, in obedience to Him, acknowledging Him, with gratitude to Him, and in a way that honors Him by furthering His purposes in the world.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at
" Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are become priests unto God who no longer offer up material sacrifices such as bulls and goats, but offer up spiritual sacrifices instead.
The Apostle Peter put it this way,
" 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5, NIV)
"9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9, NIV)
Like Pater, the writer to the Hebrews called praise, the fruit of our lips, a sacrifice to God.
"15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:15-16, NIV)
Jesus said that God desires mercy more than sacrifice,
"13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."" (Matthew 9:13, NIV)
"7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent." (Matthew 12:7, NIV)
Jesus also said that loving God and our neighbor was more important than burnt offering and sacrifice.
"33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."" (Mark 12:33, NIV)
Living a life of love is a sacrifice unto the Lord (Eph. 5:2)
Selflessly serving others for the sake of the Gospel is a sacrifice to the Lord (Phil 2:17)
Love offerings given to Christian workers are a sacrifice to the Lord (Phil 4:18)
David spoke of prayer as a sacrifice to God,
"1 A psalm of David. O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." (Psalm 141:1-2, NIV)
Even under the Old Covenant, men who truly knew God realized that any offering to the Lord had to be given with the right attitude or spirit, that external, material offerings mean nothing if they heart that brings them is not right before the Lord.
"16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:16-17, NIV)
"20 "But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal." 22 But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."" (1 Samuel 15:20-23, NIV)
The first example of this impulse to offer sacrifices to the Lord began long before God gave any direct command concerning the shedding of blood. Adam's two sons, Cain and Abel, both came before the Lord bearing their gifts. In response, God extended His favor and blessing upon Abel, but not upon Cain.
"2 … Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." (Genesis 4:2-8, NIV)
Why did God receive Abel's offering and reject Cain's? Looking back on this passage from later history, in light of events that transpired afterward and commands that God gave, it is easy to think that the difference was because Abel brought an animal and Cain brought only crops since the one offering involved the shedding of blood, i.e., the taking of life, and the other did not. Centuries later, when God established the Old Covenant with
Humanity certainly already had some budding conception of this concept which comes into full expression later under Moses. When Adam and Eve tried to remedy their sense of guilt and shame before the Lord by stitching together aprons of fig leaves, God responded by clothing them with coats of animal skins.
It is interesting to note in passing, by the way, how people's sense of modesty tends to increase over time as they walk with God, listen to His Spirit, and take on His character. Modesty is a relative term, greatly impacted by culture and context. Modesty on a city street is very different than modesty in a doctor's office or hospital room. The need for modesty is really not even so much about our direct relationship with God, after all, He sees us in the shower, as much as it is about our relationship and responsibility toward other people. Yet, our relationship with God always impacts our relationship with people and this is true even in the area of modesty. Simply put, it is important for all of us to remember that the world's sense of modesty is usually very different than God's …!
More importantly than all of that, though, is the fact that Adam and Eve's remedy for their sin was bloodless, but God's remedy required the taking of life.
It is impossible to say whether or not Cain clearly understood all of that, but this one thing is certain: Cain brought God something, but Abel brought God the first thing and the best thing. Abel's offering touched God's heart, but Cain's did not.
"3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock..." (Genesis 4:3-4, NIV)
When Cain grew jealous and angry with Abel over the favor he saw upon his brother's life, God made it clear that Cain could follow that same pathway into His presence if he only would.
"5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."" (Genesis 4:5-7, NIV)
Instead of bringing God his own first and best things, Cain killed his own brother and was driven from the ground and from God's presence forever.
"10 The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13 Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord's presence and lived in the
Throughout the rest of the book of Genesis and the rest of the Old Testament, men continued to build altars and offer sacrifices as they called upon the name of the Lord. Sometimes they did this out of gratitude for God's mercy and bounty like Noah after the flood and Abraham after his first encounter with God. Sometimes they did it in order to seek the Lord and draw near to Him, whether to know His will or to obtain His blessing.
But always, always, always, they brought something in their hands when they approached the God of heaven to commune with Him.
On at least three occasions, God said specifically to Moses, "No one is to appear before me empty-handed." (Exodus 23:15; 34:20; Deut. 16:16) As various sacrifices were prescribed for various aspects of human life under the Old Covenant, God graciously made it possible for even the poorest person to bring some acceptable offering to Him. Every person who wanted to could honor equally, regardless of their income or their social standing…!
"12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." (2 Corinthians 8:12, NIV)
For us today, this is not a matter of "buying" God's favor, but of "honoring" God's person and "reflecting" God's character. He so loved the world that He gave His very best offering as a sacrifice for our sins. In response, we bring our first gifts and our best gifts to Him for His work and in order to meet the needs of others.
The story of David and the threshing floor of Aruanah the Jebusite illustrate how every person "after God's heart" wants to give God their very best,
"24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them." (2 Samuel 24:24, NIV)
1. My offering cannot purchase my forgiveness (redemption!
Even under the Old Covenant, offerings only covered sin, they could not cleanse sin…!
" The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10:1-4, NIV)
"11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:11-14, NIV)
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow…!
"26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26, NIV)
2. My offering is the expression of my heart toward the Lord.
Those who are forgiven much, love much…!
" 36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." 40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." " (Luke 7:36-50, NIV)
"47 "I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."" (Luke 7:47, NLT)
3. My offering is an act of worship.
The first mention of "sacrifice" in the English Bible is found in the same passage as the first mention of "worship."
" Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time" (Genesis 22:1-15, NIV)
4. My offering moves God's heart when it moves my heart.
God sees my offering in the context of my resources, not in comparison to someone else's resources…!
The example of the poor widow's two coins in the Mark and Luke shows the kind of offering that catches God's eye.
From the court of the Gentiles (cf. 11:15) where He conducted His public teaching, Jesus entered the court of the women. Against the wall of this court were 13 trumpet-shaped collection receptacles for receiving worshipers' freewill offerings and contributions (Mishnah Shekalim 6. 5). From a vantage point opposite (katenanti; cf. comments on 11:2) one of these receptacles Jesus was observing how (pōs, "in what way") the Passover crowd was putting their money into the temple treasury (lit., "the receptacle").In contrast with many wealthy people who gave large amounts (lit., "many coins" of all kinds—gold, silver, copper, and bronze), one unnamed poor widow gave two lepta (Gr.). A lepton was the smallest bronze Jewish coin in circulation in
She could have kept back one coin for herself. A Rabbinic rule stating that an offering of less than two lepta was not acceptable related to charitable gifts and does not apply here. Jesus used her example to teach His disciples the value God places on wholehearted commitment. Their own commitment to Jesus would soon be severely tested (cf. 14:27-31). [1]
David refused to offer God something that cost him nothing…! And his heart touched the heart of God…! (cf. David's sin and that of Saul)
"24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them." (2 Samuel 24:24, NIV)
How could he sacrifice to the Lord what cost him nothing? That would be a denial of the very meaning of sacrifice. Araunah therefore sold him the threshing floor and oxen for 50 shekels of silver (the 600 shekels of gold in 1 Chron. 21:25 includes, however, "the site," more than just the threshing floor). Fifty shekels was about 1 1/2 pounds of silver. The silver David paid was only for the oxen and the threshing floor, and the 600 shekels (15 pounds of gold) mentioned in 1 Chronicles 21:25 was for the lot of land surrounding the threshing floor.[2]
Solomon gave sacrificially to the Lord when he became king and God appeared to him.
"4 The king went to
The people gave sacrificially to the Lord and the house was filled with a tremendous manifestation of God's presence.
" Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at
"1 When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God's temple. 2 Then Solomon summoned to
" When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "He is good; his love endures forever."" (2 Chronicles 7:1-3, NIV)
Conclusion
The reality of sacrifice as an entry into the supernatural realm is so real that Paul said that those who offer sacrifices to idols were "participating" with demons…! (koinōnia, "fellowship")
"18 Consider the people of
Sacrificial giving sets the stage for a manifestation of God's saving presence.
"23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."" (Psalm 50:23, NIV)
Invitation
1. Do you need to give your life to the Lord?
2. Do you desire to worship the Lord with your offering?
[1]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:165.
[2]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:482.
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