Sacrifice of Joy

God's command concerning sacrifices and offerings were given to people who were already in relationships with Him, who were already part of the covenant community, and who were already His people. Sacrifices and offerings to God were never to be understood as a means of salvation. Instead, God designed the sacrificial system in order to cultivate a consciousness of Himself among His people. First of all, the sacrifices provided a catalyst, an occasion for dealing with a person's sin and for restoring a person before God. Furthermore, these sacrifices cultivated the person's sense of perspective. The cleansing ritual of the priests who sacrificed the offerings pointed to God's holiness. God was infinitely greater than any one person and He certainly deserved everyone's gratitude and praise. A worshipper could physically express that praise to God through a fellowship offering. Of course, this sacrificial system was by no means cheap, all of the offerings were costly. But this fact impressed on the worshipper that only one's best could be given to God.

Sacrifices were not ends in themselves. God was primarily interested in the person. The mandatory sacrifices served to remind a worshiper of his or her relationship to God. A person who brought the right sacrifices, but who heart was far from God, would never please Him. The Old Testament writers stated again and again that God is more concerned with a person's heart [Gen 4:1-8, Ps 40:6-8; Isa 1:10-18; Mic 6:6-8]. Hosea recorded God's statement, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" [Hoe 6:6; see Matt. 9:13, 12:7]. The animals and the grain, the oil and the wine and the incense and the ash - all were ultimately accompaniments to the presentation of oneself as a living sacrifice to God [Rom 12:2].

The sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament pointed forward to the death of the Saviour, Jesus [Heb 9:26]. The blood of bulls and goats, the outpouring of wine, and the burning of oil had no power to overcome sin. Yet because Jesus is perfect and is God's only Son, His death atones for sins [Heb 10:1-10]. Because of His death, we can approach the holy God. The complex sacrificial system shows how all of life, with its different sphere and rhythms, belongs to God and can be lived with a sense of restoration and gratitude towards Him.

1 Samuel 15:22 - So Samuel 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 heed than the fat of rams.