An Offering

He offered what!? 

(Righteous Lot - Genesis 19)

God sent two angels to warn Lot and his family of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was evening when the angels arrived at the city of Sodom and found Lot at the city gate. Upon their arrival Lot, not knowing that they were angels from God, invited the strangers to his home.

Before going to sleep that night men from all over the city of Sodom came and surrounded Lot’s house. They called to Lot instructing him to release his guests to them so they could commit terrible sexual sins with the strangers. Lot refused and advised them against their wickedness.

Then something happened that absolutely stings the mind to even think about. As a parent it is unbelievable and shocking.

Lot called back to the men of the city and...
Offered them his own daughters for their sexual desires...

Was he out of his mind!?!

He offered what!? 

(Jephthah, Judge of Israel - Judges 11)

Jephthah was an outcast among the Israelites; his mother, a prostitute. So he had been driven away.

However, when Israel found herself facing a war against the nation of Ammon, she needed a strong warrior to lead her. The elders of Israel called on Jephthah to lead them in battle.

Jephthah, still bitter over the way he had been treated, agreed to lead Israel in battle with one condition: He would become their head leader. The elders agreed and Jephthah became the general of their armies and the leader of Israel.

The Bible says that the Spirit of God came upon Jephthah as he led Israel. He then made a vow to God. Jephthah vowed that if he was victorious, he would offer as a burnt offering whatever came out of his house upon his return.

It is doubtful that Jephthah could have imagined what would happen upon his return. Most likely he imagined that an animal would exit his house and that he would joyfully sacrifice the animal to God as thanks.

God gave Jephthah success in battle, however, upon his return home it was not an animal that exited the doors of his house. Jephthah was devastated as he saw his daughter rush out of his house to greet him. He knew that he had made a vow to God that could not be taken back.

The scene is mind-numbing. How could a man be so foolish? How could he have overlooked this possibility? How could he possibly keep this vow? How could he not keep a vow to God!?

One’s mind races with thoughts of horror, but the broken hearted warrior kept his promise and… offered his own daughter as a sacrifice...

Was he out of his mind!?!

An Offering
Years after the days of Lot and Jephthah, yet many years in our past, the world was in turmoil. The power of sin reigned and there was no hope for mankind. But Deity looked down with compassion, hearing our cry, and….

Many agree that it is the most well-known verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world….” You see it on homemade signs held up at football and basketball games. Our children recite it and we are proud of them, maybe even entertained. It rolls off our lips so easily: “For God so loved the world….”

Does it sting our minds more to think of Lot’s offering or Jephthah’s sacrifice than the offering and sacrifice of Jesus?

God offered as a sacrifice his only begotten Son…

Was He . . . !?!

Mark Stinnett

August 25, 2024

Refuse and Rubbish

Did you know that God wants you to offer yourself as a sacrifice? In the Bible a sacrifice was not always burned up. For example, precious metals that were devoted to God were kept and used in the treasury and, from that time forward, used in service to God. They were no longer available for common use. (That caused trouble for King Belshazzar. —Daniel 5.)

The Apostle Paul reminded us that we are to offer our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) What that means is that God desires for you to devote your life to Jesus, and that you are no longer suitable for common use.

To punctuate this idea consider the Old Testament animal sacrifices. I want to draw your attention to one of the ugly tasks involved. When a bull was killed and offered for the consecration of the priests not all of the animal was burned on the altar.

But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. 

 —Exodus 29:13

Similar instruction applied to other offerings.

So, not all of the animal was suitable for the sacrifice. Some parts of the animal simply had to be taken outside the Israelite encampment and destroyed.

When we think about God’s expectation for us, we understand that He wants our whole life. Yet, when you think about it, there are some things in our lives that are simply not suitable as a sacrifice to God. These are what you might call the refuse of our lives.

As an example, God has no use for man’s pride. We cannot offer pride to God and ask him to use it for his glory. Pride elevates man by supposing that man is wiser than God and His word. So, pride is something that could be called refuse. It simply needs to be eliminated.

A person might have bad habits. I’m not thinking about belching in public, rather, bad habits that interfere with one’s spiritual well being. For example, sleeping in on Sunday or staying home when relatives visit instead of making fellowship with Christians a priority is a bad habit.

Other refuse might include ungodly attitudes, prejudices and any other kind of sin. In our day people sometimes make light of sin. They laugh about sinful pleasures, as if sin will bring joy into one’s life. Others would never admit to sin, but protect it by hiding it (secret sin). In whatever way it is worded, sin in one’s life cannot possibly be offered to God as a sacrifice. Sin of all kinds is refuse that must be eliminated.

We also need to have the right attitude toward the things of this life that are not refuse. A person can offer his education, job, house, money, etc. as a sacrifice to God by using these things for God’s glory and in advancing the kingdom of God. And yet, love of these things can stand in the way of following Jesus.

The rich young ruler had wealth in property. It stood in the way of following Jesus (Matthew 19). To deal with the things of this world the Apostle Paul adopted a life-changing attitude. In comparison to the surpassing value of knowing Christ, he considered the achievements and things of value in this life as rubbish, that is, suitable only to be flushed. (Philippians 3:1-8)

We must adopt a proper attitude toward the things of this life. Let’s resolve to eliminate the refuse, and to view the rubbish for what it’s worth. Then our sacrificial offering of ourselves to God will be accepted. 

Be cleansed. 

Be pure.

Mark Stinnett
January 15, 2023

What is an Acceptable Offering of Worship?

God was quite specific when He told ancient Israel how He should be worshiped. He said:

You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. 
—Exodus 20:23

God did not accept any kind of man-made representation of Himself. He is not from this world, so there is nothing around here that properly represents Him...not even a silver cross worn ‘round the neck. Today, the only acceptable physical symbol to be found in the worship assembly are the bread and the cup which represent the body and blood of Jesus.

God also told Israel:

You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.
—Exodus 20:24-25

The word ‘profane’ means, to make common or vulgar. God is holy and insists that His created beings treat Him as holy. So, an altar made of rocks that God had created was acceptable. Yet, an altar made of ‘cut’ stones was unacceptable. Cut stones bore the markings of man’s tools and God did not accept an altar that bore the imprint of man.

And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.' 
—Exodus 20:26

This instruction is related to the previous. Not only did God restrict the people from putting their own handiwork on an altar, He insured that the worshiper would not be distracted through accidental indecency. In short, God did not want anything pertaining specifically to man to crowd in and distract the pure devotion and worship that belonged to Him.

The Israelites had received very specific instructions regarding the construction of the original tabernacle. Special craftsmen were set apart by God to perform the actual work on the tabernacle and its furnishings. They were filled with the Holy Spirit in order to do the work exactly as God desired. Their work was not their own. It was acceptable to God because the Holy Spirit performed through these men. (Exodus 31:1-11)

When people see the artistry and craftsmanship of the things produced by man, they admire the artist; the craftsman. In great contrast, any man who laid eyes on the craftsmanship of the tabernacle and its furnishings must have seen an ‘other-worldly’ level of craftsmanship. It must have inspired a sense of awe toward God.

I believe there is a simple principle at work:
When we come together as the body of Christ to worship God, He does not want worship that bears the imprint of man, but worship that bears the imprint of God.

It is God’s desire that we worship with our minds and our hearts. He desires worship that emerges from man's inner being with genuine intent.

If our songs are so cleverly written that we are distracted from God, man has become the attraction. When our teaching is ‘coffee shop’ and preaching dissolves into clever oratory, storytelling and humor man is the attraction. If we bring in objects of remembrance other than the bread and the cup, will we not profane the worship?

We must simply worship in spirit and in truth.

Mark Stinnett

February 9, 2020