The doctrine of a perfect sacrifice begins with Christ who was the embodiment of the sacrificial system, which began in the days of Moses and the Hebrews, and which was climaxed at the Cross in the perfect offering of The Son of God. All of the sacrificial lambs used in the sanctuary system pointed to Christ, and as such were required to also be perfect, being representative of the perfection of Christ’s life and death. Thus the instruction on perfection in sacrifices was given to the Hebrews, with no margin of error to be tolerated for any reason, for God requires the highest and best service, and we are to bring only the choicest offerings that are indeed commensurate with His exalted state. Let’s read:
Leviticus 22:17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
22:18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever [he be] of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
22:19 [Ye shall offer] at your own will a male without blemish” ….. 22:20 [But] whatsoever hath a blemish, [that] shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
22:21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish [his] vow” …. it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22:22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
22:24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make [any offering thereof] in your land.
Now it’s important in our exegesis that we do not restrict these instructions to mere literal offerings and sacrifices, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and as such we should seek to extrapolate the principles involved in the instructions given, rather than confine them to any animal or vow. For instance, a blemished, bruised, or broken sacrifice would then represent any vow, service, or offering that is of a sub-standard or inferior quality, or any financial contribution which was derived from illegal or forbidden sources, such as gambling, prostitution, or extortion.
In other words, a person was not to return an offering to God after he or she had won the lotto, or had gambled and won big in Las Vegas. These methods of obtaining money, and subsequent offerings, are contrary to the God-ordained methods in the scriptures, and therefore the proceeds or winnings from such enterprises are never to be brought into the sanctuary as an offering or sacrifice to God, for He will signally reject it. Let’s read:
Proverbs 28:22 He that hasteth to be rich [hath] an
evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come
upon him.
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast
thou taken” ….
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth [gotten] by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Deuteronomy 23:18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both of these [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God.
The reason given for these instructions is because the greatness, majesty, and perfection of God demands the best of the very best, and all leftovers, and compromised products, animals, sacrifices, and services were to be left for inferior creatures, but definitely not for the God-Head: Let’s read:
Malachi 1:14 But cursed [be] the deceiver, which hath in
his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I [am] a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name [is] dreadful among the heathen.
Many of us may not have understood the principle involved here, and for that reason we may have given to God a lame offering in the form of financial gifts, goods, or services, or worst yet, we may have offered to Him leftovers, after we ourselves were well taken care of. The Lord would have us know that no such offering has ever been, or will ever be accepted by Him under any circumstances, for it belittles the greatness and majesty of His exalted office and Person. But in order to get a better idea of the high esteem in which we should always hold our services, sacrifices, or offerings to God, we will need to examine some statements from Christ, as it pertains to the priority, and the importance of services and sacrifices He expects from us. Let’s read:
Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he
said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
In this instance a person was called to active duty in the army of Christ, to preach the gospel, one of the most prominent and important sacrifices one can render to God, but he offered what would be considered by many a valid excuse, the burial of his father. Theological debate has raged for years over whether the man’s father was terminally ill, or whether he was actually deceased, but it matters not, because the issue at question is one of his priority. In his estimation of things, will he put intimate family concerns in front of his sacrifice of service, and if so, will his service to God be always held in subjection to other important issues that will arise from time to time.
Right here in America we have often seen on the news where soldiers are going off to war, and we watch with aching hearts as they leave their kids, their spouses, their loved ones, their in-laws and their out-laws behind, in order to serve their country with undivided attention and honor. But often when it comes to our sacrifices of
service to God in things of eternal consequence, we often bring a host of excuses which we would never even think of bringing to the armed forces. This is the reason why Christ sought to correct the man’s order of priorities so that he could offer his sacrifice of service without blemish, or “Scurvy”. Let’s read:
Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Whenever we have pledged to serve in God’s kingdom, in one capacity or another, we should always deliver the very highest quality of service possible, and this should be done on a consistent basis, without the many so-called valid excuses we are prone to offer, when we do not desire to continue fulfilling the covenant we may have pledged to perform. The very concept ingrained in the word sacrifice, speaks to us eloquently of cost in some form or another, and beyond the shadow of a doubt, serving God will cost us something; some more or some less, but no one serves God without incurring cost.
After David had sinned by numbering the children of Israel, he was instructed to go offer a sacrifice so that the plague upon the people might be stayed, and as he arrived at Aruanah’s threshing floor, he was offered oxen and sheep, and instruments for the sacrificial service free of charge, by the owner of the property. But if David had accepted Aruanah’s offer, he would have been guilty of offering a lame, blemished sacrifice that could not be accepted by God, and the plague would not have been stayed, and as a result, many more lives would have been lost. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 24:21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
24:22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what [seemeth] good unto him: behold, [here be] oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and [other] instruments of the oxen for wood.
24:23 All these [things] did Araunah”… “give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Now there are different types of sacrifices that we offer from time to time, and the very same principles which were enjoined in days of old pertaining to perfection in sacrifices, also need to be applied today in our own experiences. It is true that we ourselves are imperfect beings, but the instructions given deal with bringing our very best to the Master, whatever our best may be. The woman who offered her two mites in Christ’s day, gave more than everyone else in the eyes of God, for she gave her entire living, which was the best that she could do at the time.
But the excuses that are commonly given such as the wife, the kids, the weather, transportation, a lack of funds, hypocrites, snitching, tiredness, forgetfulness, business, homework, lack of cooperation, lack of ideas, poor attendance, and a host of other so-called valid reasons that are often given, should be avoided if our sacrifices, offerings and services to God are to be offered without blemish. For this reason we will examine some of the more common factors that cause our sacrifices to be blemished, and we will study from the word of God, how these can be corrected.
(1) Financial sacrifices: When offerings are being brought to the altar, prayer is usually made first, and there are some familiar words which most of us have heard for many years. Some of the words used go like this: “Bless those who give, and bless those who have not to give”, and for years it has probably boggled our minds what those words really mean. According to the Bible, we should always have something to give, for the very fact that we are alive means that there must be something we can offer to God.
No person was ever exempt from giving an offering to the Lord on account of poverty or financial constraints, for as far as God is concerned, we find money to do other things so therefore we must be able to find something of worth to give, be it little or much. The sacrifices of old were staggered in order of monetary value so that even the poorest of the poor could participate in bringing an unblemished, perfect offering to God, thus showing us by precept and example that there are no valid excuses in this area. Let’s read:
Exodus 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that
are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when [they] give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose” … “and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
16:17 Every man [shall give] as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
Leviticus 5:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
5:7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one
for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put [any] frankincense thereon: for it [is] a sin offering.
Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
2:22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord;
2:23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Mark 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
12:43 And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
12:44 For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.
According to the sacred record, there is no such thing as having nothing to give, for an offering may be small, but yet perfect and without blemish in the sight of God, if it is the best we can do.
(2) Oratory sacrifices: Whenever we are called upon to serve by reading, singing, praying, or preaching, our sacrifices or services must also be perfect, meaning that they should be done and executed to the best of our ability. We should not be found fumbling words and sentences, if it can be avoided, nor should we read in an incoherent manner by which the meaning of the words spoken, or those passages of scripture read, are lost upon the minds of the hearers, for this also constitutes a lame or blemished sacrifice. If there is a problem with reading or diction, the one who is to serve in that capacity should practice the material at home before entering the pulpit, so that the very best service can be rendered to God. Let’s read:
Nehemiah 8:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with [their] faces to the ground.
8:7 Also Jeshua” …. “and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people [stood] in their place.
8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.
8:12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions” ….. “because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
There is another aspect of oratory sacrifices that should be guarded against by all Christians, and that is the tendency to fall asleep whilst praying to God. Whenever we approach the throne of grace, it should be with alert minds wherever possible, but to deliberately leave our communion with God for last, after we are wearied and tired and drowsy, does a great disservice to the King of Kings, and should be avoided, for as the principle of perfection dictates, only the best of the very best should be offered.
(1) Living Sacrifices: Last but not least is the offering of our bodies as living sacrifices to God, which should be free from blemishes, disease and kept in pristine health wherever and whenever possible. Many Christians do not realize the great importance of this sacrifice, and for this reason there is a disconnect between the spiritual and the physical, a concept that is utterly refuted in both the old and new testaments. It was the will of God that all diseases be removed from amongst His people, so that they could bear witness to the world in their persons, about the benefits of serving Him. This sacred truth is written in several passages of scripture. Let’s read:
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Deuteronomy 7:14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people”… 7:15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee” ….
3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou
mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
As Christians, we cannot treat our bodies in a careless manner, whilst at the same time endeavoring to offer a perfect, living sacrifice to God, hence the reason why the principles of health that God has been pleased to give us should be adopted and implemented in collaboration with the power of the Holy Spirit. Though this may be a tall order in some cases, yet God has solemnly promised to strengthen and enable us to do His will, and if we set our minds to the task, we will soon find that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Whatever our sacrifices may be, let us always remember that God requires the best of our time, talents, and our resources, for God is honored and glorified in our lives, only when we give Him the best, because, as stated before in the scriptures, any sacrifice that is offered must be perfect, for it to be accepted. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to do so, for God never asks us to give, or to do that which He will not empower us to perform. Let’s read:
Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
God Bless!