THE SACRIFICE OF GRATITUDE
Verse Key 50:14
God hates those who are filled with his own righteousness. Today's words
speak volumes. Israel is like modern legalist believers who imagine themselves
to obtain salvation by their own strength.
1. God is the Judge (1-13) The appearance of God is dreadful. In the
midst of storm and fire devouring and with a thunderous sound, he will appear
and summon the earth to judge. He summoned Israel, who was the people of the
Covenant, and never ceased to offer burnt offerings. The problem was not really
sacrifice, the problem was the disposition of heart with which they brought and
offered sacrifice. What were they like? They offered many of the burnt
offerings, thinking that they would satisfy God. Nevertheless, what they did
was not what God wanted to have. God pushes people to look at heaven and earth
and all the animals that they lock up. Who owns all these animals and birds?
Doesn't it all belong to God? Does God eat animal flesh? But they acted as if
God were eating him and giving him a meal to please him. They were so
humanistic and carnal. God did not rejoice in it.
2. Sacrifice of gratitude (14-23) God says,"I'm tired of your
sacrifices." What God wanted was not such sacrifices, however abundant
they may be. What God wanted was the contrite heart and recognition in the
heart. Then, the personal relationship with God matters most. When we pray in
the name of Jesus, he listens to us. God really rejoices in having a
relationship with his people and this relationship is established when man
repents and asks for God's mercy and offers the sacrifice of gratitude. From v.
16 to 21, the Bible says what the activities of the wicked were. They were the
pseudo-believers, having fun with the word of God. But they didn't put it into
practice. They never learned and despised the truth. They ally themselves with
the guilty such adulterers and hate brothers. God keeps silence, so that the
wicked thought that God would tolerate them, but this silence will not last
that long. God will judge their life double. One thing we should not forget is
that God wants to sacrifice, not animals, but the heart. We must watch out for
our path, which so quickly risks turning away from the truth.
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