The Everlasting Covenant
The Covenant of God to redeem mankind, as presented throughout history.
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11.8 Sacrifices a token of the Changed Life
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, March 2009
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, March 2009
Topics:
God Has No Pleasure in Sacrifices
The Sacrifice of Righteousness
Sacrifices an illustration
References
The Sacrifice of Righteousness
Sacrifices an illustration
References
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God has No Pleasure in Sacrifices
Psalm 50:13-14 Will I eat the flesh of bulls,.. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows
Hebrews 10:5-6 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, .. in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Amos 5:21-22 I hate, I despise your feast days, .. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them:
Jeremiah 7:22-23 I spake not unto your fathers,.. concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: this I thing commanded .. Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people:
Hosea 6:6 I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
1 Samuel 15:22 Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;
Isaiah 1:11-16 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? .. who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? .. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;
2 Chronicles 7:5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
These verses show that God is not pleased with sacrifices, except as they are a symbol of the changed life. Of interest is the last verse, speaking of the dedication of the temple built by Solomon. To sacrifice thousands and thousands of animals shows a serious misunderstanding of the people at that time. God is not a God who must be appeased; rather He is a God who desires a people who have faith in Him.
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The Sacrifice of Righteousness
Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
Psalm 51:16-19 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering ... the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: ... then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
Psalm 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Deuteronomy 33:19 there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness:
Psalm 107:22 let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
Hebrews 13:15 therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
Hebrews 13:16 to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
The sacrifices of animals are of no avail unless it is a symbol of righteousness in the life of the individual. This is discussed at length in Psalm 50. In the following verse God shows His love for those who have covenanted with Him for His righteousness, and confirmed this with a sacrifice – the kind of sacrifice that is meaningful to Him.
God has No Pleasure in Sacrifices
Psalm 50:13-14 Will I eat the flesh of bulls,.. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows
Hebrews 10:5-6 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, .. in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Amos 5:21-22 I hate, I despise your feast days, .. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them:
Jeremiah 7:22-23 I spake not unto your fathers,.. concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: this I thing commanded .. Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people:
Hosea 6:6 I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
1 Samuel 15:22 Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;
Isaiah 1:11-16 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? .. who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? .. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;
2 Chronicles 7:5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
These verses show that God is not pleased with sacrifices, except as they are a symbol of the changed life. Of interest is the last verse, speaking of the dedication of the temple built by Solomon. To sacrifice thousands and thousands of animals shows a serious misunderstanding of the people at that time. God is not a God who must be appeased; rather He is a God who desires a people who have faith in Him.
^ Return to Top
The Sacrifice of Righteousness
Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
Psalm 51:16-19 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering ... the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: ... then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
Psalm 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Deuteronomy 33:19 there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness:
Psalm 107:22 let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
Hebrews 13:15 therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
Hebrews 13:16 to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
The sacrifices of animals are of no avail unless it is a symbol of righteousness in the life of the individual. This is discussed at length in Psalm 50. In the following verse God shows His love for those who have covenanted with Him for His righteousness, and confirmed this with a sacrifice – the kind of sacrifice that is meaningful to Him.
Psalm 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
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Sacrifices an illustration, not a part of the covenant
The sacrifices, ceremonies and feasts were definitely given to Israel by God. But were they a part of the old covenant? No! To hold this belief reinforces “Adventist Dispensationalism.” The sacrifices and ceremonies were definitely fulfilled at Calvary, and had no more significance (See article #17.9). To look on them as illustrations of the covenant is useful, and I believe, Biblical.
“My covenant” the everlasting or “new” covenant presented by God in Exodus 19:4-6 had a preamble of grace in verse four. There was a very similar preamble of grace for the ten commandment law in Exodus 20:2 (2). The ten commandment law, the tables of stone were called “the covenant” (1) and kept inside the ark of the covenant (3). By contrast the book of the law, civil and ceremonial, was kept in the side of the ark (4).
The sacrifices and ceremonies were given to be an illustration of how the Plan of Salvation worked. As such they were accessory to the Covenant, but never a part of it. The only place where it seems that a ceremony was part of the covenant is in Genesis 17:10-13. Circumcision was a token of the covenant, but NOT the covenant. (See section #7, Circumcision.)
Of further note is that God has never spoken of sacrifices and ceremonies as “my covenant.” There are a number of passages that indicate that God is weary of sacrifices and ceremonies, unless they represent a changed life. See the lists above for annotated references.
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References:
1. The ten commandment law, the tables of stone called “the covenant.” Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13, 23; 9:9, 11, 15
2. The preamble of grace for the covenant and for the law: Exodus 19:4; 20:2.
3. Tables of stone kept inside the ark of the covenant: Exodus 25:21; Deuteronomy 10:2, 5; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10; 6:11
4. The book of the law (civil and ceremonial) kept in the side of the ark: Deuteronomy 31:26
5. The ark of the covenant: Numbers 10:33, 44; Deuteronomy 10:8; 31:9, 25, 26; Joshua 3:3,6,8,11.
^ Return to Top
Sacrifices an illustration, not a part of the covenant
The sacrifices, ceremonies and feasts were definitely given to Israel by God. But were they a part of the old covenant? No! To hold this belief reinforces “Adventist Dispensationalism.” The sacrifices and ceremonies were definitely fulfilled at Calvary, and had no more significance (See article #17.9). To look on them as illustrations of the covenant is useful, and I believe, Biblical.
“My covenant” the everlasting or “new” covenant presented by God in Exodus 19:4-6 had a preamble of grace in verse four. There was a very similar preamble of grace for the ten commandment law in Exodus 20:2 (2). The ten commandment law, the tables of stone were called “the covenant” (1) and kept inside the ark of the covenant (3). By contrast the book of the law, civil and ceremonial, was kept in the side of the ark (4).
The sacrifices and ceremonies were given to be an illustration of how the Plan of Salvation worked. As such they were accessory to the Covenant, but never a part of it. The only place where it seems that a ceremony was part of the covenant is in Genesis 17:10-13. Circumcision was a token of the covenant, but NOT the covenant. (See section #7, Circumcision.)
Of further note is that God has never spoken of sacrifices and ceremonies as “my covenant.” There are a number of passages that indicate that God is weary of sacrifices and ceremonies, unless they represent a changed life. See the lists above for annotated references.
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^ Return to Top
References:
1. The ten commandment law, the tables of stone called “the covenant.” Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13, 23; 9:9, 11, 15
2. The preamble of grace for the covenant and for the law: Exodus 19:4; 20:2.
3. Tables of stone kept inside the ark of the covenant: Exodus 25:21; Deuteronomy 10:2, 5; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10; 6:11
4. The book of the law (civil and ceremonial) kept in the side of the ark: Deuteronomy 31:26
5. The ark of the covenant: Numbers 10:33, 44; Deuteronomy 10:8; 31:9, 25, 26; Joshua 3:3,6,8,11.
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Articles In this section
10.0 The Old Covenant
10.1 Old Covenant Refer.
10.3 People Meet God
10.5 Covenant is Broken
10.6 Covenant is Restored
10.7 Step by Step at Sinai
10.8 Old Covenant Forms
10.9 Renewed at Jordan
11.0 The New Covenant
11.1 New Covenant. Refer.
11.2 New Covenant Refer 2
11.7 A Changed Life
11.8 Empty Sacrifices?
12.0 Covenants Thru History
12.5 David and Solomon
12.6 The Kings of Judah
13.0 Covenant Mandate
13.1 New Covenant Refer.
13.3 God's Purpose: Israel