SUMMARY
God pushes back, and asks why the people and priests are conspiring to offer unfit offerings.
ANALYSIS
God responds to the people asking about a lack of love from God by asking about a lack of love from the people. The people present offerings of sick or maimed animals that would not be fit for a human ruler’s table, let alone for the divine table. The people thus show contempt for God, by going through the motions of presenting offerings to God, but low-quality offerings that would be embarrassing to anyone who could see them. This is ritual without intentionality or intimacy. Such “worship” teaches terrible theology – we do this ritual for the ritual’s sake alone, because God cannot tell the difference between obedience and disobedience, or simply doesn’t care.
God, however, wishes that the priests would have the integrity to refuse the injured or sick animals that the people bring. God longs for a priestA priest is a person who has the authority to perform religious rites. In New Testament times priests were responsible for daily offerings and sacrifices in the temple. More or LeviteA Levite was a member of the tribe of Levi. This tribe had priestly and political responsibilities for the Israelites. Levites appear prominently in Old Testament accounts, and they accompany priests to question John the Baptizer's identity early in John's Gospel. More to just shut the gates of the TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... More and close down worship so that the fire is not kindled for nothing. Better to have no sacrificeSacrifice is commonly understood as the practice of offering or giving up something as a sign of worship, commitment, or obedience. In the Old Testament grain, wine, or animals are used as sacrifice. In some New Testament writings Jesus' death on the cross as the... More or temple worship than to have the LORD treated contemptuously. Because of the lack of leadership from the priests, they will be treated contemptuously, as they have treated God.
