On the surface, much of the Old Testament seems distant from us. The cultural practices and religious duties are far different than our everyday experience of walking with Jesus. But that is only true on the surface of things. Dig just a bit, and God reminds us of eternal truths that apply to us just like they should have in those ancient times.
Consider this from the Prophet Malachi. “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.” Yet you ask, “How have we despised your name?” “By presenting defiled food on my altar.” “How have we defiled you?” you ask. When you say, “The Lord’s table is contemptible.” “When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong? Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the Lord of Armies. “And now plead for God’s favor. Will he be gracious to us? Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?” asks the Lord of Armies. “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.” (Malachi 1:6–10, CSB)
From a historical perspective, the priest had grown contemptible and lazy concerning the duties of temple sacrifices. They defiled the altar by offering blemished, broken, and diseased animals that folks had brought as a freewill offering. Perhaps they thought that God wouldn’t mind. Or, what difference does it really make? Based on the verses above, God did mind. But why?
The answer to the why question breaks through the surface issue and challenges us today. Why was God upset with their offering? There was no honor with it; the worshipers were just going through the motions. Why was this a dishonor? Because it violated the directions God had given in explicit detail in the Torah. For example, see Leviticus 22:18-25. It seems the priests shrugged their shoulders and said, “God didn’t really mean it,” or perhaps, “that was for back then.” But God did mean it.
I see two powerful applications in these verses for us today. The first application invites us to consider our sacrifices of time, resources, reputation, and self. Do we give God our best or our leftovers? If we give God our leftovers, are we really fully honoring Him? Is He really our “all in all” or just an add-on to our life?
The second application is the growing disdain over some of God’s Word in the church. Anytime we excuse behavior or sin due to “cultural differences,” we are offering a blind lamb. Anytime we assume that “God didn’t really mean it,” we are presenting a defiled offering. In that era, they offered cattle, sheep, and goats as freewill offerings. While we no longer need to provide an animal sacrifice because of the crucifixion of Christ, the perfect, spotless lamb, we do, in obedience and praise, offer ourselves to God.
Here’s how we determine if we are offering to God something less than our best. What in our lives do we withhold from His will? What sin do we refuse to give up? Word of warning here – this message must only be used to examine ourselves and not others. Here’s the big question, if Jesus asked you to give up….would you? If you say no, then you are giving that thing (be it person, position, possession, behavior, or sin) more honor and worship than Jesus Christ. That is a defiled offering.
For some, this may seem impossible since that “thing” is a besetting sin or a habit that seems impossible to overcome or perhaps even intimately entwined with our self-image. Remember, God looks at the heart. We may stumble in this, but as long as our heart longs to be free of that sin, habit, or image, then God’s grace abounds.
In praise for all that God has done for us and honor for who He is, let’s give Him our best instead of our leftovers.
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