Sacrifice – Living the Word

Proverbs 15:8-9 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loves him that follows after righteousness.

‘The sacrifice of the wicked.’ Three examples of wicked sacrificing: Cain (Gen. 4:5); Saul (1Sam. 15:1-35); and the Jews (Isa. 1:11-15; 66:3)

Psalms 40:6 states that God didn’t desire sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and sin offerings, did He not require and Hebrews 10:6 states that He had no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Obedience to His Word (Jas. 1:22-26) is required of anyone claiming to be a Christian (follower of Christ – 1Pet. 2:21-23).

‘The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loves him that follows after righteousness.’ God hates the way of the wicked, but He loves that of the godly.

1Corinthians 10:18-22 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

‘The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.’ The fact that sacrifices to idols are really sacrifices to devils is sufficient to condemn all traffic with idols even though they are nothing in themselves (10:18-20). Those who partake of idol worship have fellowship with devils, and those who partake of Christ cannot have fellowship with idols or devils (10:21).

‘Idols’ – the Greek word eidololatreia means image-worship which is also idolatry (10:14; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5; 1Pet. 4:3). Idolatry includes anything on which affections are passionately set; extravagant admiration of the heart (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). Any

‘Cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.’ We cannot partake of the table of devils or anything of the worldly people that serves sin and satan.

‘Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?’ God is provoked to jealousy by our sins. Provoking God to jealousy is referred to 6 times (Deut. 32:16; 1Kin. 14:22; Rom. 10:19; 11:11; 1Cor. 10:22). When His people, whom He commands to have no other gods, insist on mixing idolatry and demon worship with true worship, as some of the Corinthians did and most so-called-Christians today, then God is under obligation to judge them (8:4-13; 10:1-22).

In Exodus 20:5 we read for the first of 10 time of God’s jealousy (Ex. 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Jos. 24:19; Ezek. 39:25; Joel 2:18; Zech. 1:14; 8:2). There is godly jealousy (2Cor. 11:2), and ungodly (Pro. 6:34; Son. 8:6).