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The Season of Lenten Sacrifices
By Watchman | February 26, 2009
“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6)
Yesterday was the day on the church calendar that many Christians refer to as “Ash Wednesday” which opens up the forty-day season of fasting, prayer and self-examination that we call Lent. This leads up to Holy Week during which we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ashes were used throughout Scripture as a symbol of repentence and mourning for sins committed, and so some liturgical churches adhere to the tradition called “the imposition of ashes” on this day. While a growing number of evangelical Christians will not celebrate the Lenten season as it originated in the church rather than in Scripture, I suspect that God never objects to our instituting special times of heart preparation and prayer (this is not Christian doctrine, mind, only my opinion). What I believe He may object to, however, is the “what are we going to give up for Lent” mentality that sees some sort of a fast as a form of self-congratulatory martyrdom instead of as an act of worship of the Most High God.
The most common “sacrifices” made during the Lenten season entail the giving up of some “treat”: chocolate, meat, dessert, going to the movies, whatever. Now, if these things are handed to God each time they are passed up as an offering of love and are accompanied by prayer and thanksgiving for allowing us so many blessings, then they are legitimate: they serve as a reminder of all God has done for us and how much He has given us. If, on the other hand, they are offered up only as grueling acts of self-discipline, then they have as much spiritual effect on us as going on a diet would.
What was God telling the prophet Hosea when He said “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings”? That He wanted no sacrificial behavior on the part of His chosen people? Was He countermanding His earlier instructions about offerings? Not in the least! What God was objecting to was religious form that had no substance behind it–no love, no repentent hearts, no submission to His words or His will. He was objecting to people bringing Him an offering but showing no love or mercy to their fellow man; bringing sacrifices but no desire to have Him cleanse their hearts or change their lives and spirits. He was condemning as cheats those who thought they could fool Him into salvation while they had no intention of obeying His covenant laws. Of course, we do not offer up burnt sacrifices; because God, in His infinite mercy, sent His Son to be the only perfect sacrifice that could take away the sins of mankind. The point remains the same for Christians, however. Can we please Him with eschewing dessert when we do not take the time to seek His face? Will a forty day vegetarian diet acquit us of the sins of callousness, stubbornness, idolatry and blasphemy? Is there anything we can “give up” that will please God if it is not accompanied by faith, prayer, study of the Scriptures and love for Him and the poor in body and spirit that He puts in our way? I think not. Our focus during this time before Resurrection Day should be on examining our hearts to make sure we are living in the center of God’s divine will; and weighing our lives to see where we may be coming up short in our relationship with the Father. When we show mercy to the downtrodden, when we seek to know the mind and heart of God, then and only then can we please Him. Not in sacrifice or burnt offerings for outward show, but in mercy and a desire to approach the Holy of Holies in the presence of God.
As always, I must enter a caveat here: Nothing we do is responsible for our salvation. When we go to God and ask for forgiveness of our sins and for the Lord Jesus to come into our hearts, it is God’s mercy and God’s mercy alone that saves us. No sacrifice, no “giving up”, no good works can or will ever do that which God gives us freely and without measure out of the incomparable love of His heart. What we do during Lent is not to try to buy our way into heaven, but to grow ever closer to the Author and God of all we are, all we have, and all that ever will be. Lent may be a good time to begin a daily Scripture reading program or to set aside extra time to just sit in His presence and let Him minister His healing and peace into our hearts. It should be a time when we seriously investigate our hearts and pray that God reveals to us anything within us that may be a hindrance to our relationship with Him: unresolved anger, wicked speech, unforgiveness, unhealthy obsessions, etc. I once read that what one does every day for two weeks is established as a habit. May we find that the time we spend with Him this Lenten season becomes a habit–even an addiction! Then we may truly say along with the man after God’s own heart, Israel’s great King David, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: You have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to You, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!”
Maranatha!
Melissa
Topics: Kingdom Living, Special Seasons of Worship | 1 Comment »
March 13th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Excellent! As I read this, I was reminded of Isaiah 58. Keep the manna coming. We need it. Thank you.