Bullets From The Bible 12-23-17

dddoo7

Malachi 1:6-8 says, “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts”

The children of Israel were the people of God...yet many times they turned their back on Him. This is one of those times and God chose to send Malachi to convince them of their sin. While Israel had turned away from God, they still thought they were somewhat right. They still worshipped Him in pretense and claimed to be faithful to Him, yet they did not obey the simplest of commands.

The people were offering unacceptable animals for sacrifice and yet still wondering why God was not happy. They offered the blind and lame animals instead of the best of the flock. They offered animals to God that they wouldn’t even offer to their governor.

It is easy today to call God our God. It is easy to claim to be faithful to Him. Yet it is much more difficult to put the best of who we are into being faithful to Him. It is easy to give God whatever is left of our time when everything else is done, but it takes faithfulness to truly put Him first in our lives.

Is God your father? Is God your master? Do you honor Him as such by obeying Him...or do you in pretense claim to be a Christian...yet only give God the leftovers?

orkan

What is the biblical significance of animal sacrifice?

... I've always found this part strange, likely because I simply don't know the facts. Were they allowed to eat it, or were they just to kill it? Why does god want them to sacrifice animals?

dddoo7

Sin has always demanded death as the punishment. When Adam and Eve sinned and ate of the tree they were cast out of the garden “lest they live forever” (Genesis 3:22). Animal sacrifice was what God commanded under the old law to atone for their sins. Basically the animal took the punishment that they deserved so that they didn’t have to be put to death. Yet while theses animal sacrifices were necessary to atone for their sins, they still did not forgive them of their sins (Hebrews 10:4) which required them to offer another sacrifice every year to continually atone for that sin. The problem that Israel was facing here in Malachi was that they had started taking the lame and blind animals and using them as sacrifice to God. God had always demanded their best animals for sacrifice. A lame animal that would otherwise be put to death anyway was not really a sacrifice.

So we come to the time of Christ. We still have sin and all have sinned. (Romans 3:23). The punishment for sin is the same as it was under the old law. The punishment
of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore there must be an atoning sacrifice for our sins even today. Yet the blood of animals (while necessary under the old law) still can’t completely remove sin. So today Christ is our sacrifice. He offered Himself as the atoning blood for our sins. His sacrifice is much better than that of animals in that He is the perfect sacrifice and His blood removes our sins only being offered once and for all times.

Hebrews 10:4-18 goes into detail comparing Old Testament sacrifice to Christ as the New Testament sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:4-18
[4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Christ's Death Fulfills God's Will. [5] Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. [6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. [7] Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come In the volume of the book it is written of Me To do Your will, O God.’” [8] Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), [9] then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. [10] By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Christ's Death Perfects the Sanctified [11] And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, [13] from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.[14] For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. [15] But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, [16] “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” [17] then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” [18] Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

It describes how God had no pleasure in offerings for sin. Sounds somewhat contradictory, but is not when we really think about it. We want our kids to do what they are told. I can’t count the number of times I have told my kids, “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to do what is right the first time”. God also does not desire sacrifice...he desires obedience so that there is no need for sacrifice. Yet perfection is not a reality...so sacrifice is necessary. Enter Jesus...the perfect sacrifice offered for our sins. He is without spot or blemish just as God required of the animal sacrifices under the old law.

Did they eat the sacrifices? There were some provisions for priests under the old law. They were allowed to keep part of some of the sacrifices for food for themselves, but for the most part animal sacrifices were not meant to be eaten. They were given to God as atonement for sins.

If I am not clear on this or you would like further explanation or verses let me know.