Lifestyle of A Child in God

Make Acceptable Sacrifices

Sacrifices were made in the physical tabernacle. During the time when the tabernacle was set up, the Israelites sacrificed animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the LORD.” (Leviticus 4:1–4)

A sacrifice is something I have that I give up or give away. It can be a physical thing, such as clothes, food, and toys, or it can be something not physical, such as time.

When I sacrifice or give up a physical thing such as food, I give some or all away to someone else instead of eating it all myself.

When I sacrifice something that is not physical, such as time, I take the time I have to do what I want, such as playing or watching a movie, and instead use that time to help someone else.

The Lord said that whatever the sacrifice or offering is, it has to be something that is acceptable to Him. Acceptable means that something is pleasing to the Lord.

How can I make my sacrifices acceptable or pleasing to the Lord?

• Do or give willingly. I do not grumble and complain when I do or give something.

• Do or give my best. When the Israelites tried to sacrifice animals that were sick or injured, the Lord did not like that they wanted to keep the best for themselves and cared more about their possessions than about God.

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. (Malachi 1:8)

• Do or give in obedience. To be obedient is to listen and do the good that I am told to do.

And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag, king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” So Samuel said: “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 15:20–22)

I have learnt that I should be careful to do what the Lord asks without making up excuses for doing the opposite and being disobedient, because God always knows the real reason for what I say and do.