Sacrifices Don’t Work

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.  Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:16-17

Evil Of Your Deeds – “The mistaken notion that ritual worship could atone for criminality or intentional religious desecration was persistently attacked by the prophets of Israel, who considered it a major threat to the entire covenantal relationship between Israel and God.”[1] In other words, sacrifices don’t work for everything.  Religious rituals, even if specifically given by God, don’t erase deliberate sins.  Deliberate sins are punished.  That’s how they are handled.

Steal something.  Pay it back, with interest.  Lie.  Make amends, publicly.  Harm someone.  Be prepared to be equally injured.  Murder someone.  Give up your life.  The list goes on.  When sacrifices are not efficacious, punishment is.  There are two ways to deal with sins.  Sins done unintentionally are dealt with by sacrifices (when they become known).  Sins done deliberately are dealt with by measure for measure justice.  Any attempt to excuse or erase deliberate sin through religious ritual is abhorrent to God.  Sin must be paid for!

Take a look at Isaiah’s declaration (actually, these are God’s words by way of Isaiah).  Do you notice something quite unusual – by our standards?  God calls for human transformation as the way of dealing with sin.  Stop doing these things!  Go after the actions that honor the Lord.  There is absolutely no suggestion here of coming to the altar and asking forgiveness.  There is no allowance for living under grace but continuing to act without righteousness.  “Remove the evil of your deeds” does not mean confess your sins in your heart.  It means changing your behavior.

Ha·si·roo roa ma’ale·lei·chem is the Hebrew phrase.  The verb is sur (to wash away, to go away, to quit, to keep far away, to stop, to take away, to remove).  It could hardly be any clearer.   What needs to be removed?  Not attitudes.  Not feelings.  Not the “carnal man.”  What must be removed are the actions of evil.  Clean up the behavior.  Then seek the Lord.  Forgiveness awaits the man or woman who stops doing evil.  Don’t tell me you’re under grace if you haven’t been through God’s car wash.

Topical Index:  evil, acts, forgiveness, sur, ma’alal, measure for measure, Isaiah 1:16-17

[1] Baruch Levine, The JPS Torah Commentary on Leviticus, p. 3.

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Fred

It’s no wonder that the “narrow road” is called “narrow.” In this present day, that word needs to be broadcast from the hilltops.

Rodney

And lest we think this is only an “Old Testament” concept, what does the 2nd half of The Book have to say?

[17] And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” – Mat 19:17 ESV

[15] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. … [21] “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” – Jhn 14:15, 21 ESV

[10] “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. – Jhn 15:10 ESV

[19] For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. – 1Cr 7:19 ESV

[3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, – 1Jo 2:3-4 ESV

[22] and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. … [24] Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. – 1Jo 3:22, 24 ESV

[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. – 1Jo 5:2-3 ESV

[6] And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. – 2Jo 1:6 ESV

[12] Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. – Rev 14:12 ESV

[14] Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. – Rev 22:14 KJV

I do believe that we have another 3 witnesses all testifying to the same thing as Isaiah: Yeshua, Sha’ul and John. “In the mouths of 2 or 3 witnesses let all truth be established”.

That last verse is particularly interesting. I wonder if John had in mind the Hebrew ‘ashar (“state of bliss”) when he wrote that? I suspect so. The “tree of life” is a Hebrew idiom for the Torah. The “axles” on which the scrolls are wound are called the branches, and the pages of the scroll are the leaves.

[2] …also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. – Rev 22:2 ESV

You’re right, Fred. It needs to be broadcast from the hilltops, as well as shouted out clearly in every street, town, city and nation. But first, it has to become real in the lives of those who already know the truth (mine included). It is pointless shouting it out with our voices if we aren’t walking it with our feet and doing it with our hands…may God have mercy on me, a sinner, and continue to lead me day by day into obedience, so that I may show the way, not just tell it.

Shalom.

Michael

[14] Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. – Rev 22:14 KJV

Hi Rodney,

When you preface Rev 22:14 by positioning it as the last of your 10 selections, together with your bold print, it is very powerful to me and I can see it very clearly.

Thanks,
Mike

Gayle Johnson

Rodney,

How strange to see your post, as it amost perfectly mirrored my list of Scriptures for our weekly study of the book Boundary Stones, by Aaron Eby, from First Fruits of Zion. I was most surprised that you listed Rev. 22:14, as I was amazed last week when I ‘saw’ this verse and wondered why I had not ‘seen’ it before. However, I have not yet brought that verse in to the study, because I must first tie the Torah to the Tree of Life, and wanted to do it at the end.

This site is so wonderful. I get all kinds of help and understanding here, and I am so very grateful to everyone who contributes. I am doubly grateful for the light He shines on our path.

Rodney

Thanks, Gayle and Michael, for your encouragement. I must admit I hesitated before posting this, but I’m glad now that I did.

Regarding Rev 22:14, it is interesting to remember what the 12 gates are into the city; they are named after the 12 tribes of Israel (with Joseph restored in the place of Ephraim and Manasseh). There is no “Baptist” gate, nor “Catholic” gate, nor “Presbyterian” gate. The only way into the city is to enter via one of the tribes; to be grafted into Israel, as Sha’ul writes in Ephesians:

[12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. … [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. – Eph 2:12-13, 19-21 ESV

And in Romans:

[17] But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, [18] do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. … [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. [25] Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. – Rom 11:17-18, 24-25 ESV

Jew or Gentile, it doesn’t matter; we all enter in exactly the same way, being grafted in through Messiah Yeshua, adopted as sons and receiving the inheritance of the firstborn, being brought near and made partakers of the covenants of promise, as part of the commonwealth of Israel.

The deeper one digs into this, the more treasure one finds! It is there from the very first chapters of Genesis right through to Revelation. God’s plan has been the same since the fall – to restore His creation to the order in which it was originally created to be, including our relationship with Him. He wants to take us back to the garden! We have a part to play in that process too.

[16] Thus says the Lord : “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”… – Jer 6:16 ESV

Blessings to you all.

carl roberts

Sin must be paid for! Yes, I agree, it must! This is the “good news” or “gospel”. It has been “paid for” and in full by the atoning blood of our LORD Jesus (who is) the Christ. Christ “paid for” our sins in full on that awful cross. This sins of the entire world and the full wrath of YHWH toward sin were directed toward the sinless Lamb on that day. The “Red Heifer” received and suffered “the just for the unjust”, and took my “hell” -upon Himself. He became obedient (yes, His obedience resulted in my blessing) unto death. This my friends is the “gospel” of Jesus (who is) the Christ. “Behold, the Lamb” is the theme of the entire Bible. (Fast forward to the book of “the Revelation” to see the exciting conclusion of this story!)
Now, dear brothers, what about the day called today? Now, that I am washed in the blood, now that I belong to YHWH (having been purchased/redeemed by His blood), now that I have been adopted (by His grace) into His wonderful family, now that I have been occupied and indwelt by His Ruach Hakodesh, (His enabling breath) – I am now ready to return to the Torah which once condemned me and revealed to me my sinful state and my need of a Savior and live according to G-d’s will, G-d’s ways and G-d’s wisdom.
Let all things be done decently and in order. 1,2,3. By grace, through faith, unto good works. (not to worry- the “good works” are not left out!) An apple tree will produce apples but the “fruit” comes from the root. Our problem in the church today- (besides the obvious division) is “distraction”. We have lost our focus. We do not give unto the LORD the glory due His name. We do not “know” His name! “Who is the LORD, that I should obey Him” is still very relevant for today. And so are the words of our Master/Teacher- “you do err, not knowing the scripture nor the power of G-d.” I am so convicted by the words of YHWH. Today there is a famine for the word of G-d. 181 channels of HD- “horrendous distraction”. Let us provoke one another unto love and good works. Our Abba’s full blessings to all today- “He is risen!!” Hallelujah!

JAN CARVER

Beautiful Carl – the WORD/JESUS CHRIST became flesh – it is all about HIM…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD-ZdMOx_HY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH-snsXw1as&feature=related

jan carver