51. The Problem of Sacrifice

Psalm 51:16 – 17

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

This post is out of sequence – for those of you are following along – the chain of thought was interrupted by two posts.  This should follow the problem of sin, and the illusion of separation. 

Early in our relationship, Wanna would send me off on tours in Northern Thailand.  She worked as a tour guide, so she knew the good ones, and it kept me out of her hair.  Thus, one time I was sent trekking in the country side of Thailand to a Hill Tribe Village.  It was rather funny as we hiked through the Jungle to a village that was accessible by road – but it had the illusion of exploring the wilds and was good fun.

As we came to the village we found a chicken – dead – laying at a cross roads.  The guide explained that this was an offering of by the village medicine man.  I have since come to know that the term medicine man was co-opted for the tour.  But the dead chicken laying on the side of the road was to ward off evilness or some way or other protect the village.  It was probably one of the elders of the village that had done this offering.  I have seen my in-laws make the same kind of offering as a means of thanks. 

It seems to me that sacrifice is a human impulse.

There is an odd contradiction in the bible. Okay, not just one, but one that I want to write about.  It may be that this contradiction is a mystery, something that simply needs to exist without resolution.  God is God, and I am, well, limited in my understanding, so just because something does not make sense to me does not mean that there is anything wrong other than my own limited understanding.

Yet, me being me, contradictions are the source obsessive fixations.  There is this nasty business of sacrifice.  Personally, I find it reprehensible.  And there are verses that support me in this sentiment.  In Hosea we are told that God desires mercy not sacrifice.  This verse is later uttered by Jesus. 

What is clear is that God is more interested in our forgiveness of others, our display of mercy, and being our being sorry for what we have done than in sacrifices offered to him.  Psalm 51 clearly says, that God does not delight in sacrifice, so David comes with a broken spirit and a contrite heart.  Yet, Psalm 51 goes onto say that when our heart is right our sacrifices delight him. 

Psalm 51:18 & 19

May it please you to prosper Zion,
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
    in burnt offerings offered whole;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Could it be that the contradiction lays within my understanding?  To understand the offering and sacrifices within the bible, or anywhere else, the idea of restorative versus retaliatory justice needs to be understood.  The idea of an eye for an eye, is retaliatory – punitive.  So is the idea of sending a person to prison for years. 

So the question comes down to, were the offerings and sacrifices made done to appease an angry God?  Or, were they offered from as a means of making up for, or repairing the relationship?

I think of “An eye for an eye.”  was this a recipe for justice, or was it a limitation on vengeance?  Similarly, were the laws regarding sacrifices, the menu of offerings that an angry god was wanting?  Or were they the directions to a people wanting to worship and honour their god?

Through the Old Testament I see God telling us that he is not interested in sacrifice.  He is much more interested in a contrite heart, a humble disposition, in mercy and forgiveness.  That God is not demanding of sacrifice.

When I have been a doofus, either said something, or done something, that has been rude or insulting to Wanna, I get flowers for her.  If it has been over the top, I get Beef Jerky.  It is not that she is in need of flowers, or wants Beef Jerky.  If she was she could go get them.  If I was not truly sorry, if I handed her the flowers or jerky as my idiocy tax that would not work either.  But the offering of the flowers or jerky is a tangible symbol of my sorrow, repentance and effort to restore our relationship.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Sharon Baker who so eloquently articulated the concepts of reparative versus retaliatory justice.  For further reading I would suggest, “Razing Hell: Rethinking Everything You’ve Been Taught About God’s Wrath and Judgement”

 

Create in me a clean heart O God,

And renew a right Spirit within me.

Caste me not away from thy presence,

And take not thy Holy Spirit from me,

Restore unto me the joy of the salvation

and uphold me with thy free spirit.