WHAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING?

Psalm 40:6-8: “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yes, thy law is within my heart.”

2 Corinthians 9:7: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

It seems a paradox that on one hand God has no desire in sacrificial offering, burnt offerings, and sin offerings, and yet on the other hand, Jesus Christ the Messiah is prophesied as coming into this world to be the ultimate fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrifices. The understanding of this seemingly conflicting passage is that man’s sacrificial offerings were often tainted with selfish ambitions, religious pride, and coupled with ritualistic religion without heart affection.

Many offered their sacrifices out of duty. Malachi 1:7-9 says: “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and ask, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by our means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.”

Throughout the entire chapters of Malachi, he speaks about the sacrifices and offerings with which God is not pleased. Malachi 3:4 states: “Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” This refers to the second coming of Christ as stated in verses 2, 3: “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers soup: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”

Men, we must teach our children to “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this word: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1, 2). We must do this wh

We as husbands and fathers must set this standard in our own lives so they will be an encouragement to our families. As they see us offering ourselves as a living sacrifice each day to the Lord, they in turn will offer up their lives as living sacrifices, wholeheartedly and cheerfully, without any reservation. It is only this type of giving that is acceptable to God.

We must expose and submit ourselves to the refining fires of the Holy Spirit so that all of our giving will be acceptable to God. Let us not forget the offerings of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3-5). God had no respect for Cain’s offering. His offering represented the work of his own hands which showed no repentance or humility for his own shortcomings and sinfulness. God hearkened to Abel’s offering for the lamb that he offered as a substitution for his own sins pointed to the coming of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1 John 1:29).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell