Our Sacrifice

In Isaiah 1:11 The Lord says "to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me. I have had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle.I do not delight in the blood of bulls or lambs or goat." He continues on in verse 13 to say "bring no more futile sacrifices."

The last statement is the real heart of what the Lord is talking about. The people were bringing their sacrifices because they were required to. There was no love for Him in them. Their hearts were far from God. The laws of man were what was being followed. God goes on to say in verse 15 that He would hide His eyes from them.

God was not telling the people not to sacrifice, but to change their heart. They must make their sacrifice with a sincere devotion. The sacrifice was required, but God wanted a right relationship with Him. David shows his understanding of this in Ps. 51 when he says "God's delight is not in animal sacrifice but rather a broken and contrite spirit."

Today we do not have to make animal sacrifices. Jesus was our sacrifice and He fulfilled all that the many sacrifices were for. Just as when Isaiah wrote many today worship only with their mouth, not their hearts. If we do not come before Him with a broken and contrite spirit we will not be accept, and God will turn His eyes from us. Mere ceremony will not do, just as it did not in Isaiah's day. We need to examine our hearts. We must accept with our heart the work that Jesus did on the Cross, with a sincere devotion to Him. This is the only way to be accepted by God. Only through the Blood of Christ is he satisfied.