Hosea 6:6”for I desire steadfast Love
and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings”
What
is it that the Lord desires, steadfast love or sacrifice? The children of Israel lived in
a dispensation of priesthood. This involved the priest offering ministration on
behalf of the people. The priest was a mediator between God and his people and
whenever the children of Israel
sinned, there were provisions stating how they could be released from their
sins through a system of offerings to appease and to atone for their sins.
It’s
apparent that this system was not to work for long for it was a type and shadow
of a once and for all sacrifice that would come through Christ to put away all
sin.
The
people got it wrong though, what was a type and shadow of the things to come
was perceived as the real thing and so no matter how sinful and depraved the Israelite s were, they had a system of the Law and the priesthood to take care
of it.
The
system of the Law had its major fair of flaws in that it was performed only on
the outside. This is the reason God proclaims that he desires steadfast love and not sacrifices.
1.
The law is a system of do it yourself to get- it’s a system based on what you
can do for God to be forgiven, to be blessed, to earn God’s favor and anything
you think you can get from God.
2.
There is no sacrifice that man has ever given that has pleased God
Psalm 40:8 Sacrifice and offering you
have not desired but you have given me an open ear, Burnt offering and sin
offering you have not required
“Don’t you get the point?” that’s the plea of God,
it’s not about the intensity of mans sacrifice towards God. That is not what
God had desired for man in the first place.
Probably we have to understand that the issue with
the Levitical administration was not about the offering of a lamb without blemish
alone, it’s about a whole administration that was based on what man can do to
attain Godliness. So long as it is based on what man can do, then there is
fault.
Heb7:18-19” For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and
uselessness 19 (for the law made
nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to
God.”
Heb 8:6-7But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the
old as the covenant he mediates is better,
since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been
faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
Heb 7:12 for when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a
change in the law as well.
its about steadfast love not sacrifice.
What’s
the point in all these? Its to show that God is not impressed with man can do
to scalp himself out of sin and become faultless. God desires steadfast love
not sacrifice. God does not desire the oath man can give to attain godliness;
that’s what the Israelites said when they were about to be given the law, that
they would do everything that God commands them to do, the reality although is
that we see failure after failure in the dispensation of the law, why, not
because it was bad, but because it was its purpose to bring man to the end of
himself, it was to display the uttermost state of sin of man in anticipation of
the savior.
So
God desires steadfast love for love took care of the greatest need of man.
For
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,
So
Gods love met the greatest need of man. God desires steadfast love and not
sacrifice. God had prepared a body for himself. God has prepared a sacrifice
for himself and Jesus did a perfect Job.
Check out for part 2
