DEFECTIVE OFFERING

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Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. (Leviticus 22:20-21).

This injunction from the Lord to His people caught my attention again, and a compulsion fell on me to share it to us, His present people. The compulsion is borne out of the weight of the prescribed consequence God places on disobedience to this injunction, for not only is a defect. I've offering unacceptable to God, the bible describes it as evil: “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ ‘...when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:7-8)

What then is a defective offering? The offering you bring to God's altar must be: 1) Clean - not dirty, smeared, stained or torn; in fact, I recommend crisp notes neatly tucked in new envelopes. 2) From the heart - not grudgingly, with joy. Some even query what has been done with their past givings! 3) Generous - not smaller than what you are able to offer. Many go home with their pockets still loaded! 4) From a clean source - not money stolen, swindled, from cheating, nor unlawfully, wickedly or fetishly earned. 5) Not less than 10% tithe - I know men of God who tithe 20% and more of their income.

You ask, 'What do I gain by keeping this injunction from God? Again, let's see what the Bible says on that: 'He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years.' (Malachi 3:3-4) 

Cain and Abel brought their offerings to God. Cain brought a mean and defective offering to God and God rejected him and his offering. But Abel brought took time to offer the choicest from the best that God had given him and God accepted him and his offering. Only our best offered from a clean heart is acceptable to God. God will not accept a defective offering or offering from a defective heart.

What then can we say on our offering to the Lord? As I wrote in one of my books, 'A clean dime offered to God from a clean heart is worth more to Him than a million dollars from loot'!


Links to my EBooks:
Renewed Blood
Deeper Worship
MIRIAM



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