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Psalms 40:6-8
You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t require burnt offerings and sin offerings. You opened my ears so that I could hear you and obey you.Then I said,“ Here I am. It is written about me in the book.My God, I have come to do what you want. Your law is in my heart.”
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Hosea 6:6
I want mercy and not sacrifice. I want you to recognize me as God instead of bringing me burnt offerings.
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Psalms 51:16
You don’t take delight in sacrifice. If you did, I would bring it. You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.
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Isaiah 1:11-31
“ Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?” asks the Lord.“ I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.Who asked you to bring all these animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards?Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can’t stand your worthless gatherings. I can’t stand the way you celebrate your New Moon feasts, Sabbath days and special services.Your New Moon feasts and your other appointed feasts I hate with my whole being. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it.You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I do not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I am not listening to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.So wash and make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong!Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Help those who are treated badly. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows.“ Come. Let us settle this matter,” says the Lord.“ Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool.But you have to be willing to change and obey me. If you are, you will eat the good things that grow on the land.But if you are not willing to obey me, you will be killed by swords.” The Lord has spoken.See how the faithful city of Jerusalem has become like a prostitute! Once it was full of people who treated others fairly. Those who did what was right used to live in it. But now murderers live there!Jerusalem, your silver isn’t pure anymore. Your best wine has been made weak with water.Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord. They join forces with robbers. All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors. They are always looking for gifts from other people. They don’t stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. They don’t do it for widows either.The Lord is the Mighty One of Israel. The Lord who rules over all announces,“ Israel, you have become my enemies. I will act against you in my anger. I will pay you back for what you have done.I will turn my power against you. I will make you completely‘ clean.’ I will remove everything that is not pure.I will give you leaders like the ones you had long ago. I will give you rulers like those you had at the beginning. Then you will be called the City That Does What Is Right. You will also be called the Faithful City.”Zion will be saved when justice is done. Those who are sorry for their sins will be saved when what is right is done.But sinners and those who refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed. And those who desert the Lord will die.“ Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees. You will be full of shame for doing that. You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens. You will be dishonored for doing that.You will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying. You will be like a garden that doesn’t have any water.Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood. Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire. Everything will be burned up. No one will be there to put the fire out.”
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Hebrews 10:4-10
It isn’t possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.So when Christ came into the world, he said,“ You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. Instead, you prepared a body for me.You weren’t pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings.Then I said,‘ Here I am. It is written about me in the book. I have come to do what you want, my God.’ ”( Psalm 40:6–8)First Christ said,“ You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t want burnt offerings and sin offerings. You weren’t pleased with them.” He said this even though they were offered in keeping with the law.Then he said,“ Here I am. I have come to do what you want.” He did away with the shadow of the good things that were coming. He did it to put in place the good things themselves.We have been made holy by what God wanted. We have been made holy because Jesus Christ offered his body once and for all time.
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Jeremiah 7:21-23
The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ Go ahead! Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices. Eat the meat yourselves!When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.I also gave them another command. I said,‘ Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’
