You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17)
In the very beginning of time we are told of two men, both raised in the same household, but who had two different perspectives of how a person is supposed to approach God. The first man was Abel, the one Messiah called righteous (Matthew 23:35), whose offering to the Lord was regarded as acceptable. On the other hand, his brother Cain’s offering was rejected, thus prompting many Bible students to wonder what made the difference between the two. Actually, and this may surprise some, both Cain and Abel brought an offering of the fruit of the ground, which in Hebrew is called מנחה minchah — typically a grain offering. In fact, the Bible says that God accepted Abel’s minchah but rejected Cain’s minchah. So why is one accepted and the other rejected?
The difference seems to be this: “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.” Notice that it says also and not instead, meaning that, along with the minchah, Abel presented a sacrifice that acknowledged the need for forgiveness. It is written, “According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Righteous Abel understood the need for humility and contrition when approaching God, as represented by the offering of a first born lamb. In other words, coming to God in the right spirit and respectful of protocol identifies Abel as someone who wished to honor God with his heart, and not just for the sake of religious rite. Cain represents the opposite, which is why his offering was not deemed acceptable.
David said that God accepts the sacrifice of a broken spirit, and a broken and a contrite heart. These offerings, David says, God will not despise or reject. That leads me to conclude that, in the days of the Sanctuary, God despised the animal sacrifices not accompanied with a broken heart. On the other hand, it seems that He would not have despised those who approached Him with a broken heart even if it was unaccompanied with an animal sacrifice. How does that translate into our world? God isn’t impressed with our offerings of gold or our sacrifices of time and skill if our hearts aren’t broken and humble. He doesn’t need our treasure or our talent (seeing He is one who gave them to us in the first place). His greatest treasure is the hearts of those who honor Him willingly, completely and without reluctance. As it is written:
“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.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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