Classic KJV - Proverbs 21:27

The message of this proverb seems doubly important, since its first phrase is repeated in Proverbs 15:8, which adds three more words. That reads, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD”—an important clarification. Everyone naturally believes that their offerings are pleasing to the deity. This proverb says, sometimes it’s precisely the opposite.

Troubling Message

This can be very disturbing. It implies that, even while a worshipper doing something he believes pleasing to God, in fact, God hates it. Some acts of worship make God want to “throw up,” as the word, “abomination,” suggests. Learn more about this word in Proverbs 20:10.

So what is sacrifice all about? Why do all religions world-wide involve some sort of sacrifice? Do they do any good? A mountain of gold has been spent over thousands of years, all in the name of religion. Yet this proverb warns that a lot has been wasted. Why? This is an urgent question for a financial planner (me), who counsels people on the wise and foolish uses of their money.

History of Sacrifices

When this text was first penned, about 3,000 years ago, the Hebrew religion called for the regular ritual sacrifices of domestic animals like birds, lambs, rams, and bulls. By then, sacrifices cost money, but the practice of sacrifice goes back right to the time of Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve’s first two children. Both Cain and Abel presented offerings to the LORD, and yet the LORD “had regard” for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering, He had no regard (Genesis 4:4-5).

The Hebrew word for “sacrifice,” זבח (zě•ḇăḥ, pronounced “ze-bakh”), indicates a living being, killed and presented as an act of expiation—covering sin, or propitiation—appeasing the anger of a god. Here we get a clue as to the “why” of sacrifice. The killing of the animal was meant to remind the worshiper that it was really he who deserved to die. The suppliant’s offering is a substitute for his own punishment, because God has a penalty for rebellion: Death.

Sacrifices Cross-Cultural

We see a universal recognition of this natural expectation of divine retribution in the widespread practice of human sacrifice. Human beings have been slaughtered around the world to placate or please some false deity. When the Spaniards first arrived in Mexico in 1519, they witnessed a four-day festival in which 40,000 war captives had their hearts chopped out by knife-wielding priests. Archeologists working in the ruins of ancient Carthage, have found a furnace dedicated to their god Moloch, with the charred bones of thousands of infants. Warrior peoples like the Mongols sacrificed captives simply as a matter of course. And the unbending hatred of the faithful Israelites for the Canaanites arose partly from the Canaanite practice of child sacrifice (passed down to their Carthaginian descendants).

When Abraham first intends to obey God’s command and sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, an angel interrupts the sacrifice and provides a ram as a substitute. This was taken to prove that the LORD never really wanted child sacrifice in the first place, that this could never be a real cure for human sinfulness and guilt. The LORD of Israel would permit only animal sacrifices.

These days, some have seen the widespread abortion of the last half-century as a return to pagan child-sacrifice, driven by the suppressed guilt of sexual sin.

Loss through Sacrifice

When the Israelites offered sacrifices at the Temple of Jerusalem, some parts of the animal were eaten by the priests and worshipers, while the rest was destroyed by fire. For some sin offerings, the entire animal was burned—a “holocaust.” From a purely prudent or selfish perspective, it might have been best to keep all the animal for self and family. Why give any of it away? We see an example of goods being wasted in the book of Proverbs. The woman in Proverbs 7:20 had offered sacrifices (verse 14) and yet had extra roast lamb or beef at home, with which she intended to gratify her guest. Her sacrificial offering had nothing to do with the humble worship of God. She offered sacrifice with evil intent.

Useless Sacrifices

Israel’s King Saul provides another example of useless sacrifice, useless at least in the eyes of God. Read all about it in I Samuel 15:13-22. The prophet Samuel warned Saul always simply to obey God. Disobeying and then trying to make amends with a bribe is suicidal.

The only righteous sacrifice that God now asks of us is to turn back from our selfish ways and allow the spirit of Jesus Christ to direct our lives. That’s the obedience God wants. It’s the only religious “work” that God really wants of us (John 6:28-29).

Face it! The only sacrifice that God could really accept was the pure offering of a sinless man by a sinless man—Jesus Christ, offering himself to be tortured and executed on a Roman cross. Having no sin of his own, Jesus Christ could die for the sins of others, paying a debt he did not owe. Read about it in Romans 5:6-11. Since Jesus Christ was and is God, he could die for the sins of all.

Wealth Being Wasted

Here’s the point: If you haven’t surrendered your heart to Jesus, if you’re not trusting in his sacrifice to cover your sins, then any donation you make to a church, trying to bribe God, is a complete waste. I’ll say it again: Gifts from a heart not bowed down to the Head of the true Church, Jesus Christ, are wasted money. They may be welcomed by so-called “religious leaders,” but they are loathed by God.

Should you give money to churches? It depends on your motive. Big donations impress people, but this proverb says God cares only about the motive behind the gift. He looks at the heart, not the balance sheet. It’s utterly absurd to think the Creator of the Universe needs “gifts” from his creatures. God does not need our cash. Jesus never asked his followers for money, though they eagerly supported his ministry.

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

Jesus was once asked how to worship God.

He replied that God is a spiritual being, who seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). He never asked for money for Himself or His friends. He told them to pray for more workers, not more cash (Matthew 9:38). Jesus saw people give their wealth to God’s work, and he was more impressed by the two cents from a poor widow, than the surplus of the wealthy (Luke 21:1-4).

Jesus gave Himself as the final and ultimate sacrifice. He said He came to give His life as a ransom in order to buy freedom for others (Mark 10:45).