Psalm 141

In the Old Testament, God instituted an elaborate system of sacrifices and offerings for the Israelites to bring to Him at the temple. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll remember that we went over those sacrifices and offerings in detail in the book of Leviticus. There are a variety of opinions about what that sanctuary system meant and how the life and death of Jesus impacted it. Obviously, we no longer sacrifice animals as a way of worshiping God. But was that what God ever really wanted in the first place? Burnt offerings? Sacrifices? Blood?

I’m sure I’ve probably suggested this in the past on this blog, but let me suggest again that what God really wanted from the Israelites—what He has always wanted from worship is simply us. He wants a relationship with us. And while we live in this sinful world, bringing and surrendering our sin problem to Him is a very big part of that relationship.

I think David understood that when he wrote this: “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (vs 2) In this verse, David compares the daily incense offered at the temple altar with his prayer life before God; he compares the daily sacrifice by the priest to lifting his hands toward heaven.

I remember going through a phase with my oldest daughter when there was a lot of hand-lifting going on in our home! She had gotten to place where she associated lifting her arms with being picked up. So, whenever Mommy would be passing by her play area and she was ready to move on to something else, the arms went up. Or when she had made a deposit in her diaper and needed a change, the arms would go up. Whenever she wanted something that was beyond what she could do for herself, the arms would go up. Mommy, help me! Even if she couldn’t yet speak the words, she totally understood the gesture.

At the heart of it all, God has never desired the animals people brought to Him as sacrifices. He has always wanted the people: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Rom 12:1) You are the sacrifice God wants! Giving ourselves to the Lord, surrendering fully to Him is the highest form of worship. Anything less than that might as well be a dead animal and some air freshener.

To worship God is to recognize that everything we want and everything we need are beyond what we can do for ourselves. This leaves us in the position, then, of a six-month-old—to lift our hands, to surrender, to trust that God will provide.

That is the sacrifice and that is the incense God really wants. Because what He really wants is you!