Prayer: A sacrifice to God
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Prayer a sacrifice to God
Prayer a sacrifice to God
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.
15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.
17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.
22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
“Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.”
This morning we are looking at the second affect of prayer according to John Bunyan.
Prayer is a Sacrifice to God.
Listen to how the psalmist describes it in Psalm 141
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
We are going to begin by looking at the Biblical idea of sacrifice, which is different than our modern idea of sacrifice. Today when I say, I have really sacrificed for my family. No one here is wondering how many bulls or goats I have slaughtered and burnt on the altar or how much grain have I given up for my family. You realize I have given up time or money. I wanted to give time or money to my wife or children. But before Jesus, sacrifices Biblically speaking were very different.
Do you know what the first sacrifice was in the Bible and who preformed it?
Look with me at Genesis 3:21 At this point God has just finished telling Adam and Eve there punishments remember when their eyes were open, Adam and eve realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together to hide there nakedness. But in verse 21 of chapter 3 we read...
21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
I have heard other pastors point out that God was the first one to sacrifice animals to cover our sins. When He made Adam and Eve clothes from animal skins. Now scripture doesn’t tell us that God command Cain and Abel to bring sacrifices but we read in chapter 4 about the offerings they bring look at verses 1-7 with me.
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,
4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
I have hear people say that Cain’s offering was rejected because it was not a blood sacrifice, I do not see that in the text. What we read, look at verse 4
4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
Which animals did Abel pick? The firstborn and their fat portions, that is Abel brought the best of his flock. Now some Jewish sages say that Cain brought the worst of his crop.
Let me ask you a question, why did Cain bring his offering? Was it to please God? Did He bring God’s his best looking to please his heavenly Father? Of course not , that is why he got angry with his brother right? He was jealous. God went on to warn Cain that sin was crouching at Cain’s door. Why was God warning Cain? What did God desire from Cain? Repentance right? God wants your heart and mine. How mind blowing is that? The God of all creation wants a relationship with you , with me, with all of His children. I have witnessed many grieving parents with estranged children that will not talk to them. It is so hard because as a parent you desire relationship and our heavenly Father is no different He desires relationship. That is why prayer is a sacrifice to God. God’s greatest desire is for you to know Him and glorify Him and be satisfied in Him. I do believe that we can see by the reaction of Cain when his offering is rejected that his heart wasn’t right. Cain was not giving His best to God to please God, it appears to me that Cain was giving out of obligation. If Cain was giving with the right motive, he would have realized that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because Abel had given God the best off his flock. Cain had the opportunity to analyze his own heart and repent. God didn’t desire sacrifice for the sake of the sacrifice. He wants relationship restored with His children. God does not want you to read your Bible and pray everyday to check a box, I did my duty today as a “good Christian” He wants us to read our Bibles and pray because we want Him. You must desire to know Him and serve Him and obey Him. Let’s look at this concept a little closer. If you remember back to our Old Testament reading this morning. Do you remember what God had instructed Saul about the Amalekites?
1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord.
2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt.
3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
God’s command to Saul is very clear, kill all the Amalekites and all their animals. This is a difficult passage, people question God and say what kind of God would do this, He is not a loving God. This is hard to understand, but let’s try to understand it this morning. First God is absolutely loving but He is also Just. Sin has a penalty right? What is the penalty for your sin for my sin? Death either ours or the perfect spotless lamb of God right?
Now A.W. Tozer points out that God’s attributes are not at war. It is not like God’s justice is fighting with God’s love and during the tug o war some of us our saved. He is always loving and always just at the same time. They work together. Because God is always just our sin had to be paid for, so either you pay for your sins with your own life or you repent and believe in Jesus and his sacrifice pays for your sin. But the justice of God will be satisfied and it is Gods will that we all would be saved.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God gave the Amorites 400 years to repent. Listen to Genesis 15 God is speaking to Abraham
15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
God gave the Amorites 400 years to repent. Just like Cain, God desired the Amorites to repent. Remember God doesn’t want any one to perish but for everyone to repent. We reject God. So when we see God order the entire destruction of the Amalekites, it is because of their own refusal to repent.
If you want to know the heart of God in the Old Testament, study the life of Jesus, because Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father, in John chapter 14 and how would describe Jesus?
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
or
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
So why did a loving compassionate God command the Saul to kill all the Amalekites? Look at Deuteronomy 25 with me.
17 “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt,
18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.
19 Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
We see our answer in verse 18, God was punishing them for their own sin. What did they do? First they did not fear God. They attack the people of God when they were tired and weary. Not only that but who did they attack? Those who lagged behind and who would have been lagging behind? Women and children and probably the elderly. These people were wicked. They had no regard for God or life. They attacked and killed women and children and the weakest among God’s people and God was punishing them. So we see God’s command is clear to Saul, God is using Saul and the Israelites to punish the Amalekites, but what happened in the text I read earlier?
7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
Did Saul obey The Lord?
13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”
Saul thinks so or is lying to himself and attempting to cover it up with Samuel. Does it work?
14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”
Have you ever done this? Have you lied to yourself or the Lord about obeying Him. Our hearts can be deceitful. It can be tough, I think I have lied to myself about my motives and it’s heard to discern that. That is why Psalm 139 is so important
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
Does that make sense? God commanded the Israelites to destroy all the animals. So why did they keep them? Saul said they kept the best to sacrifice them to God. Does that make sense? Why? Do we read numerous times where God says the sacrifices of Israel were a pleasing aroma? It wasn’t because burning animals smelled good. The sacrifices that pleased God were a symbol of repentance. A sign that God’s people wanted to turn from their sin and obey. They wanted relationship with God. They wanted to please God through obedience. Listen to 1 Samuel 15 verses 21 -23
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22 And 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 listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
God desires our obedience and our repentance. He doesn’t want our prayers and Bible reading because as “good Christians” we should always remember what discipline without direction is?
Drudgery! Prayer and reading the Word is the same if we do it without the goal of knowing God and pleasing Him it will be drudgery.
Beware in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by trying to figure out what He will do.
Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear the Christian pray, of your place in Christ; and expect great things.