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Pleasing aroma


Num:28:2
The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me. They are my food.

Whereas in Psalm:40:6 It says you take no delight in sacrifice or offerings
Same thing David says in Psalm:51:16 -
You do not desire a sacrifice. You do not want a burnt offering.

Hence we conclude that it's not the sacrifice perse that God desires.

In Psalm 40 we continue to read about taking joy in doing your will. It describes about a heart on which His instructions are written.
Similarly in Psalm 51 we continue to read of the sacrifice that God actually desires, that is a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart God will not reject.

1Sam:15:22 To obey is better than sacrifice

So what we understand is that God is not focussing on the sacrifice as such. But the heart behind it. If it's ritualistic or superficial, it doesn't please Him. But if it's a genuine act of worship from the depth of my heart, it's a pleasing aroma to Him.
A genuine heart that's inclined to Him and acts of worship and words of praise which comes out of that, satisfies Him.

Jesus said, if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice at the altar, go and reconcile to him. 
Such is the intensity He desires 

The teacher of the law who came to ask Jesus what the greatest commandment was - acknowledges the same thing.
Mk:12:33 And I know it is important to love Him with all my heart, with all my understanding and all my strength and to to love my neighbour as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.
And in v:34 we read, Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, you are not far from the kingdom.

Rom:12:1-3 says to give your bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice which is acceptable to God.
Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you which is good and pleasing and perfect.

When we look at Jesus as an example Eph:5:2 says He loved us and offered Himself for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

So what do we infer?
Loving God with all what we are and based on that love to obey Him, and because of that love again, even when we falter to rush back to Him with a repentant heart and out of that love again, to love others - This is the essence of offering a pleasing sacrifice to God.
May God enable us to live as a pleasing aroma to God this new year.

Happy New Year to all of you.

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