Psalms 51:16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken spirit and contrite heart, O God you will not despise.

Psalms 40: 6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart".

Let me give you several ways to think about where we may be offering sacrifices to the Lord rather than the obedience he requires. In Matthew 9: 12-13. the Pharisees question to the disciples was "why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus said "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous but sinners”. The problem with the Pharisees was that they were did not have a heart to obey the commandments of God. The law required them to show mercy. Jesus was not telling them that he wanted them to show mercy in opposition to what God's law taught. He was rebuking them for not understanding and keeping the law in its true meaning and intention. Instead of obedience the Pharisees were offering sacrifices by staying away from sinners so they would appear holy in the eyes of men. Paul rebuked Peter openly in Galatians 2: 11 - 17 for having this same heart. Peter feared men and would not eat with the Gentiles.

When we are seeking the approval and honor of men we will set up false boundaries for our lives that keep us seperate from sinners. God’s will and intention has always been that his people be a light to the nations so that sinners living among the nations would turn from their idolatry receive his mercy and worship the true God. If we are offering this sacrifice to the Lord instead of obedience may he give us broken and contrite hearts that delight to obey rather than seek the approval of men by offering sacrifices.

Another incident is found in Matthew 12:1-7. The Pharisees saw the disciples walking through the grain fields plucking and eating heads of grain on the sabbath. When the Pharisees saw it they said to him Jesus look your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath. Jesus first referred them to a story of David when he and his men were hungry and ate the bread of the Presence on the sabbath I Samuel 21:1-6. Secondly he referred them to the law concerning the priests work in the temple on the Sabbath. And then he said to them if you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. If you had known does not mean they did not have knowledge it means they did not have a heart to obey and therefore did not discern the true meaning of the will of God. They should have known it was clear there is no excuse but when our hearts are not seeking the glory of God we distort the clear instructions of His word and refuse to understand and obey His will. To understand we must be willing to obey God and not fear men. God only reveals his will and himself to those that are willing to obey to those seeking His glory and honor rather than honor from men. Those that are not willing to obey will create and walk in sacrificial systems all their days never truly knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. God is seeking men after His heart that desire the honor of His name and delight to do His will.

If we think God's word is about setting boundaries of ritualistic worship rather than showing mercy our hearts are far from God. We are especially susceptible in this area because it seems so right to order our lives around worship services, prayer meetings, bible studies and church activities. It seems so right and it feels so good to have the approval and esteem of men. But if our hearts and life’s are not seeking the glory and honor of God and His name by walking in daily obedience to his word then these religious activities can be places of self righteous pride where we are seeking the approval and honor of man. These activities can become a sacrificial system that feed our pride and allow us to ignore the voice of the Lord speaking to us through His word about areas of disobedience. They can leave us condemning others that are not involved in the same activities that we are. Will we obey the voice of the Lord seeking His glory and honor alone or continue to offer sacrifices desiring the appoval and honor of man?

A final incident is found in I Samuel 15 Samuel the prophet tells Saul king of Israel to go and destroy the city of Amalek. The reason Saul is instructed to do this is because the Amalekites opposed the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt under Moses. Deuteronomy 25: 17-19 says Amalek attacked the children of Israel led by Moses and Joshua when they were faint and weary. Amalek did not fear God and opposed the Lords will and purpose.

In I Samuel 15: 2 - 3 Saul was given a specific command and mission from God to go and strike the Amalekites 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. So Saul obeyed the voice of the Lord and the commandment of God to him and the Lord blessed and established the Kindom under the rule and reign of Saul.

It would be nice if that was the way the story unfolds. Unfortunately that is not the way this story unfolds and not the way most of our stories have unfolded. Verse 9 says Saul and the people spared Agag the king of the Amalekites and the best of the animals and all that was good of the spoils But all that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. When confronted by Samuel Saul says they spared the best of the animals to sacrifice to the Lord. Saul feared the people and wanted to make a name for himself. Only those seeking the honor and glory of God will obey His voice and continue to keep His commandments. I Samuel 15: 22 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.

Saul was seeking to make a name for himself he desired the approval and honor of man he feared men not God. Saul was rejected as King and replaced by David. David understood the heart of God. God delights and is pleased with us when our delight is to do his will. Only a heart that delights to do the will of God will obey and continue in obedience. At the bottom of every heart that is offering sacrifices to God rather than obeying His will is a desire to be esteemed in the eyes of men. If you and I are finding our delight somewhere else pray with me for a broken and contrite heart that delights to obey and do the will of God.

If we do not delight to obey and do the will of God we will offer the Lord our religious sacrifices instead of obedience? Have we created an idolatrous religious sacrificial system to appease our conscience and keep us from giving the obedience the word of God requires of us? We create a sacrificial system when our hearts are seeking the approval and honor of men instead of delighting to do the will of God.