Thought for the Week:

Does God need the sacrifices? Psalm 50 He declares that He is the owner of every beast and the cattle on a thousand hills. He says, "If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of male goats?" (Psalm 50:12-13). He does not need sacrifices any more than He needs our prayers or our praise, but all three are things that He has enabled human beings to offer to Him so that they can enjoy relationship with Him.

Commentary:

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. (Leviticus 1:4)

In Romans 12:1, Paul urges us to present our bodies as "living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God." What does this mean in practical terms? Is Paul asking us to build altars and literally sacrifice ourselves upon them? Of course not. Paul is using the sacrificial language as an illustration for obedience. He is urging us to set aside our stubborn wills, our wayward flesh and our self-centered egos and force them to submit to t…