Mar 6, 2007 - A Sacrifce

Mar 6, 2007

Malachi 1:7-8

⁷By offering polluted food upon My altar. And you ask, How have we polluted it and profaned You? By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised.

⁸When you [priests] offer blind [animals] for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Present such a thing [a blind or lame or sick animal] now to your governor [in payment of your taxes, and see what will happen]. Will he be pleased with you? Or will he receive you graciously? says the Lord of hosts.

Amplified Bible

By the time this was written, the Hebrews were not really doing as they should. God had demanded of them in Leviticus that when a sacrifice was brought to Him that it should be blemish free, no sickness, not lame, no blindness, you get the picture. They would not be accepted as a sacrifice to God because they were not the best. Only the best were to be put before God.

Can you imagine having to offer a sacrifice to God? Years ago your ancestors heard from this God and were told to follow his rules. You have read about Him in ancient texts and how He appeared as a cloud during the day to shelter the people from the sun and a fire at night to keep them warm. You work all day to raise the animals, and you have no shade. Does this God really exist? All we get are some wacko nut jobs saying 'gloom and doom' as they say they speak for the Lord. Why should I be giving this God my best. I can get top money for them at the market. Look, that one has a sore on its leg you can barely notice.

A year later he says, that one is blind, no one will notice

Once you stop giving your best in anything, you start a slippery road downhill towards just giving. This is true in marriage, ministry, work, and friendship. It is most important in your relationship with God. Remember as a new Christian that you wanted to spend all your time with Him. Now is just a devotional that someone emails to you? Do you read your Bible each day, or just pull a verse or two out of the promise box just before you go to bed? Do you listen to Christian music mostly or mostly the world's music?

Are you giving your best sacrifice to God each day.