What Is the Sacrifice?

The Holy Bible is full of sacrifice. So many in the Scriptures sacrificed their time, money, home, family and even their very own lives for their faith in Jehovah. It seems impossible for me to believe that the idea of sacrifice began and ended with them. God often asks from us the things we hold most dear. He demanded, in the law of Moses, that the Israelites offer up to him the first-born of their lambs, goats, bulls, etc. He required the men of Israel to all be circumcised on the eighth day. God always seems to want that thing that is closest to us.

God often asks from us the things we hold most dear. He demanded, in the law of Moses, that the Israelites offer up to him the first-born of their lambs, goats, bulls, etc. He required the men of Israel to all be circumcised on the eighth day. God always seems to want that thing that is closest to us.

 

 

Many in the Old Scriptures were asked to make sacrifices. Some sacrifices seem to be demanded by inference, for example: the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. Some were overtly commanded: the Laws of Moses. Some individuals were commanded to give special sacrifices that were required of no other: Abraham for his son, Isaac.

 

Genesis 22.2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

 

I remember the movie, “The Bible,” starring George C. Scott. Although the Holy Bible is quite silent on the subject, I personally love the way Scott portrayed Abraham's consternation, his downright anger at God for demanding the sacrifice of Isaac, his favorite son and the child of the promise. I find it impossible to believe, as many seem to do, that Father Abraham would placidly resign himself to slicing the throat of his baby boy. Incidentally, Isaac is consistently portrayed as a little boy in movies, story books and sermons, but, it seems, Scripturally speaking, he likely was closer to manhood at this time. He, I think it fair to say, could have even fought off any attack by the old man should he have chosen to do so. Yes, Isaac had a sacrifice to make too.


 

It is well worth noting, that the offering of the youth would not have been anything like the nearly tranquil event that we see pictured in by Hollywood or even some of the more famous paintings concerning the subject. While there is not real detail given about ante-Mosaic sacrifice, we can feel sure that it would have been an especially sanguinary event. It would not have included swift death with a knife to the heart for Isaac. No, he would be bound, then his throat slit deeply, to allow for a thorough blood purging of the body. Next, things would get worse, if possible, for the bloody-handed father. He would have most likely gutted and quartered his son before actually placing him on the wood that would slowly, ever so slowly have consumed the, now mostly unrecognizable, young man's flesh. All the while, Abraham would've been expected to stand by offering up prayers and hymns of praise to the Almighty while the loathsome aroma of his only son's burning flesh would fill the air around him.


 

In a related matter, I once watched a television program about cremation in India. It is still a common thing for the family to build a wooden bier and burn the bodies of their loved ones upon it. In actuality, it is a process that easily can take days.

I don't mean to wax morbid here, but our lives today are so bereft of the nitty-gritty of the every day life and death of the ancient world that all we can do is imagine how things were for them. To empathize is all but impossible. We must do what we can to sympathize. That begins, in my opinion, by examining the events, especially one such as this, that are spread throughout the Scriptures. It seems to me that is assumed the reader will not only understand, but will readily recognize the events recorded therein.
 

Hebrews 11.17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

 

Yes, the book of Hebrews makes it apparent that Abraham believed God could raise the child from the dead. Does that lessen the sacrifice of the old man? Does that lessen his unparallelled dedication to God? If you think so, your heartlessness is only surpassed by your heartlessness!
 

 

Judges 11.30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

 

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.


 

Now, this is a completely different scenario altogether. Jephthah made a foolish, unrequested sacrifice and then acted upon it. He sacrificed his only daughter, Mizpeh. Again, the Bible gives little or no detail about the matter, except to say that Jephthah kept his vow and Mizpeh went along willingly. (I have heard some Biblical scholars say that Jephthah did not literally take the wife of his daughter, but that she was dedicated to God and never married or bore children. Sounds better than the alternative, but I don't know.) Frankly, the Bible doesn't make it clear how the Lord God felt about the entire event.


 

Now, before I get to far off the subject here, the question must be asked: what might God want us to sacrifice? He has always, always required something from us. What might that be? Is it the same for you as for me? Does our God want one thing from me and another from you?


 

Hebrews 10.4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.


 

God always wanted the first-born, spotless, healthiest of all the animals to be sacrificed at different times for different reasons. He always wanted the most valuable thing the Israelites owned. Now, he obviously doesn't want our sheep or our children on an alter. So, what does he want?

Does he want our tithes? Our money? Our time? Our effort? Well, certainly that, but more!


 

When we look at our lives, trying to relate, in some small way, to Father Abraham, we must bear in mind that God asked the very thing of him that God had promised to him. Strangely enough, God wanted Abraham to give up the very thing that God had told him would bless all the nations of the earth. It's almost like God was asking Abraham to sacrifice what God had said was His very own plan.

 

Where am I going here? Stick with me, now!

 

We all have dreams and hopes and desires and goals for our life. Yes, some more than others. If we love the Lord, we want desperately to find God's will for us. We want to be part of His plan.


 

Many of us work hard, we, perhaps, go to school, we study, we pray, we sacrifice our time, energy and even families as we travel a path where we ernestly believe God has called us to go. Perhaps, we preach, lead singing, teach Sunday School, drive the church bus, lead the youth, sing in the choir or any number of things, good things, that we do, most often with a devout heart, in effort to spread the Gospel and save souls. Then, seemingly out of the blue, God comes along, throws a monkey wrench in our crankcase, and says, “I want that!” To which we reply,” What? No, I can't give up that! It's my calling! It's what you want me to do! You called me to serve you this way and now you want me to give that up? But it's part of your plan. You wouldn't destroy your own plan, would you? No, God! You must be mistaken!”

It's an understandable response. We believe we have followed God's pathway and that He has led us to where we are. We have seen the fruits of our labors and enjoyed the blessing of living in His Light. Even more so, we may actually be exactly where it is that God wants to be. Yet, we don't realize we are really holding firmly to the things that are the things of God, never realizing that sometimes we are not holding onto God Himself. (As one author put it, with a “death-grip.)


 

We have a lot of plans! I have a lot of plans! God always gets a good laugh when I tell Him about them.


 

We may be right; we may be wrong. We rarely, ever so rarely consider the possibility of the latter. God may not want exactly what we are convinced He wants. Maybe He does. Who really knows? Most of the problem is, we never consider the question. Even worse, we never consider that there is a question!


 

What if the Lord God asked the most precious thing from us? Would the pastor give up pastoring? Would the preacher give up preaching? The singer singing? The teacher, teaching? The witness, witnessing? The church you attend? The things you really wanted to do for God? School? A job? A potential mate? What plans, really actually good plans, would God desire us to tender as a burnt offering to Him because He wants it to be done?


 

All those “things” that we hold so dear. Think about them. Those things that are good and holy, but are still just things. No, I don't mean houses and land. Every Christian recognizes those might be sacrificed. I mean the things that are truly of God, but are not God!

Are we better than Abraham? Would God want less from us?

 

Why would God trifle with Abraham as He did? Did He tell him to sacrifice his only son to only say, at the last minute, “I was just kidding!” What did He want from the Father of the Faithful?


 

As is typical of me, Isuppose, I don't mean to deliver an answer as much as I mean to raise the question. Knowing the mind of our Eternal Father is further beyond us than the stars are in the heavens. We try too often, too easily to attach motivations and reason to Him that will not stand the test of His Holy Character.
 

Still, as I've written this soliloquy, this thesis, this little blog, a thought jumped into my head that, to me at least, made tremendous sense. It's the “thing” that our Heavenly Father seems to want firs and foremost from us. I could almost hear Him say,

“I want your praise first!”
 

Now, don't be like too many who assume that “praise” means sitting in or jumping out of a pew and making loads of noise. No, any sinner can do that. (Remember, sitting in a garage and making engine noises does not make you a car.) Not that there certainly isn't a certain, if not inherent value, in the sincere tears and raised hands of the saints. Praise, the real thing, is, oh, so much more!


 

I Samuel 15.22 And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams.


 

True praise, the kind that God wants from us is in what we do. Mostly, of course, what we do with a sincere heart for Him. It's not so much in what we say, how we say it or even how we say it. It's in being obedient...even when we can't think of a reason to be so.

Screwtape said it best: "Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys." (Thank you, C.S. Lewis!)


 

Luke 22.42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.


 

Our Lord obeyed and worshiped and was perfected even though he was bereft and abandoned by all. His “sacrifice of praise” was in giving His all, even when there seemed no reason to do so and every reason to not do so.


 

Hebrews 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.


 

Back to Isaac's father. Lest we forget about him.


 

Had Abraham become too dependent on that greatest and most wonderful thing in his life. Had he placed all of his hopes and dreams in the young man that God had given him? Had he taken his eyes off God and placed them on another. Even though that other was from God?

Who am I to judge the progenitor of our faith? I have neither walked in his shoes nor faced the trials that he did. Furthermore, I ask myself, am I oversimplifying a truly complex matter? I've been guilty of that before. No doubt that the near sacrifice of Issac was a type and shadow of the complete sacrifice of God through His only Son. That is the sermon I've heard preached again and again. I'm not trying to make a new wrinkle just for the wrinkle's sake her. Yet, I don't feel that I am wrong in my assertation here. It's not about the promise; it's about the One who made the promise.
 

John 21.15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.


 

“Lovest thou me more than these?” That's what our Lord asked of Peter. Not what do you love, but Whom do you love?


 

Peter was a fisherman. He understood fish. Fish are not bad; fish are good; fish are a thing. I think the Lord wanted Peter to realize that it wasn't the pan of fish in front of him or the job or even the calling that he should love, if he truly wanted to be a disciple.


 

I read a book some years back in which the entire thesis was that we should seek the face of God as opposed to the Hands of God. Regrettably and sadly, the author spent the entire book writing about miracles and supernatural events he had witnessed or heard tell of vainly overlooking the fact that his entire tome was nothing more than a recording of alleged acts of God. He was completely and utterly contradicting himself and never even noticed.


 

He's not alone in this failure. We Christians claim we seek God's face then, all the while, gaze lustfully and longingly at the “blessings” of life never realizing we are merely talking about the things of God.


 

It's not unlike men who experience “love at first sight” thinking that it is genuine, but all they are seeing is the outer beauty of a woman. They know nothing of her wants, needs, desires or character. Sadly, for most men, that's enough.

We are so distracted by the blessings of God, we often forget to look to the Blesser Himself. Sheesh! Even my daughter's stupid cat has sense enough to look up and see who's feeding her. Well, most of the time.

 

So, what do we hold onto and cherish most of all? Is it a thing, an idea or even our “calling”? We own none of it! They are all things that God might require to be sacrificed at any moment should He perceive that we are transferring our affections from the One we should love most to these lesser things.

 

In conclusion, we must prayerfully consider our motivations and where our love truly lies. We must examine what it is that holds our hearts. Is it the things of God or is it God Himself. We must be circumspect and aware and always be guarded against loving “these” more than He!