332. OFFERINGS THAT GOD WILL NOT ACCEPT

(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 12)

In the Bible, there are accounts of people who offered things to the Lord but their oblation was rejected by him. Cain’s offering was rejected and so was that which Ananias and Sapphira sought to give to God.

Nadab and Abihu thought it a good thing to offer something new to God, which he had not directed them to do but he was not pleased. Saul, the king of Israel, also displeased God with his offering, when he chose not to wait on the man of God Samuel as he had been instructed to do but took it upon himself to offer burnt and peace offerings to God when he was not ordained as priest but Samuel was. Similarly, Uzziah’s offering was rejected of God, when, in his pride, he deluded himself into thinking that God was bound to accept it of him.

When God rejects what we offer, there is usually a price to pay as was seen in all of the examples above. Cain in his pride and envy over his brother, whose offering God had accepted while his was rejected, took God’s non-acceptance badly and this led him to plummet down the path of sin, for which God punished him severely. For, instead of engaging in introspection as to why what he had offered had not been accepted by the Lord and where he was to blame, he took it out on his brother, by killing him. When God pronounced judgment against him, the Bible states “And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:13)

Ananias and Sapphira paid with their lives for the sin which had led them to offer what God considered completely unacceptable and utterly rejected. So did Nadab and Abihu.

Although Saul had been anointed of God to be king, what he offered, which was indicative of the rebellious and disobedient life that he was living, led to him losing his kingship, his legacy and eventually his life and that of his family.

Uzziah lost his health, God afflicting him instantly with leprosy for the offering that he sought to make in his pride, defying and flouting the set rule of God.

There are lessons to be learned from these accounts, in term of the kind of offerings that God will not accept. Let us therefore take a look at each of these stories, what the Bible had to say about these people and what they sought to offer God:

CAIN

Genesis 4:1-7 reads:

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

SAUL

In 1 Samuel 10:8, after Samuel the priest had anointed Saul to be the king of Israel according to God’s instructions, Samuel gave Saul some instructions and insight as to what would occur on his journey. Among the instructions he gave him, he told him:

“And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.”

Samuel therefore clearly told him that on his journey, he would arrive at a place called Gilgal before him, where he was to wait for his arrival, after which, he Samuel would offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings unto the Lord. He told Saul specifically that, once he had arrived at Gilgal, that the wait would last for seven (7) days from that point, after which, he would come and show him what he should do next.

However, in 1 Samuel 13:8-14, after Saul had reigned as king for two (2) years and eventually reached Gilgal, he waited for the seven (7) days that Samuel had instructed him to wait but when this expired and Samuel had not yet arrived, he took matters into his own hands due to anxiety over the situation he faced and did what he was not supposed to do. He disobeyed the instruction of God’s servant, by offering the burnt and peace offerings unto God himself.

The Bible states:

“And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”

Later on, in 1 Samuel 15, Saul was again given an instruction, which he only partly obeyed. Samuel conveyed that the Lord had instructed that Saul and his people were to go and smite the people of Amalek, so as to utterly destroy them. He instructed him that he was not to spare anyone, not even the animals, yet, Saul being self-willed, he carried out the command partially, keeping the king of Amalek alive and the best of the animals, claiming when confronted, that he had kept the animals alive to make a sacrifice or an offering with them unto the Lord.

Yet, this was not at all acceptable unto God.

The Bible states:

“And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.” (1 Samuel 15:17-11)

In verses 18-19, Samuel stated of Saul’s disobedience:

“And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?”

In response, Saul gave an excuse that was not acceptable. Verses 20-23 read:

^“And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

In Acts 4:32-37, it says of a multitude of people that believed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ when they heard it, that they shared what they had with each other, so that there was no lack among them. The Bible states:

“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

Out of love for God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ their Lord therefore, they wanted to please him, to lay up treasures for themselves in heaven, to be generous, caring and loving to their brothers and sisters in the faith and to ensure that all members of God’s family among the multitude were provided for. They therefore willingly offered unto God their lands and houses, selling them and bringing the money they received for them, to the apostles for distribution purposes.

Based on how the scripture reads, it seems that all of the persons who believed among this multitude that owned land and houses were engaged in the selling of same and then submitting the funds received to the apostles. However, at no point did the scripture say that they were compelled to do so. If one hundred people were selling therefore and one or two of the people who owned land did not really want to do so, they did not have to, even if it meant that they may have stood out as taking a different path and making a different decision to the masses. At the end of the day, God wanted the heart to be engaged and so he only wanted voluntary and willing offerings from cheerful givers.

Yet, in Acts 5, it speaks of a husband and wife who, perhaps feeling that there was an expectation to conform or not wanting to stand out like a sore thumb but wanting to fit in and perhaps gain the admiration of others, decided to sell their land like the others and to give the impression that they were submitting all of the proceeds, like everyone else with lands had done and were doing. Their heart was clearly not fully in it, as they did not want to give the entire sum to the apostles. Yet, although not under compulsion, they sold the land for one price, secretly held back some of the money for themselves and presented the rest dishonestly as the full sum they had received, to God.

In return, God exposed their deception by revealing the truth to Peter, rejected what they had offered and took their lives for the lies they had told.

The scripture reads:

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”

UZZIAH

Uzziah, a king of Judah, had a beautiful relationship with the Lord. The Word of God states in 2 Chronicles 26:4-8:

“And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims. And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.”

Due to God’s favour on his life therefore, he grew strong and became established. However, this made his heart grow proud and this led him to seek to make an offering to the Lord that he had no business doing, him not being a priest. What he sought to do was therefore rejected by the Lord as his actions, even if well-meaning were disobedient, his pride having deluded him into thinking that it would be okay to take upon him, privileges that he did not have.

Verses 15-21 states of Uzziah:

“And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.”

NADAB AND ABIHU

In the book of Leviticus, God gave specific rules as to what kinds of offerings were to be presented by the Israelites and how they were to be offered. They were given instructions on offerings such as the sin offering, the trespass offering, the meat offering, the burnt offering and the peace offering and unless they offered what God wanted them to offer and how he wanted them to offer it, he would not accept it. If they offered anything outside of what he had said to offer and/or in a manner that he did not prescribe, it would be rejected and with consequences.

Even two (2) of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, who were ordained as priests, learned this the had way. They sought to offer something new to God that he had not instructed but he did not accept it. As a consequence, he immediately removed them from the land of the living.

Leviticus 10:1-2 states:

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.”

LESSONS LEARNED

From the accounts given above and throughout scripture, it is clear that God does not accept any and every type of offering.

This is important to note and very sobering. For, in this Church-age where we operate under the New Covenant, God has not changed. His character remains the same. Not every time that we claim to offer prayers, praise through song, preaching, ministry or other acts of well-doing, does it mean that God accepts it. For the record, God will not accept proud offerings, disobedient offerings, hypocritical offerings, disengaged offerings, second-rate offerings or after-thought offerings. He will also not accept offerings with blemishes, offerings that are made with the wrong motives or unwilling offerings.

That being said, let us briefly examine these eight (8) types of offerings which are unacceptable to God:

1. PROUD OFFERINGS

God hates pride, as is evident in Proverbs 6:17, 16:5, 1 Peter 5:5 and other scriptures.

What Uzziah sought to offer in his pride to God, which caused him to transgress, was rejected of God therefore and so was the prayer offered up proudly by the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. In this scripture, it says of Jesus:

“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

The mere fact that Jesus stated that the Pharisee “prayed thus with himself”, I take to mean that his prayers never registered in heaven. God refused to hear them or accept them. For, in his pride, he could not see how miserable and wretched and sinful he was and in need of a Saviour. He clearly thought in his pride, that through his own efforts, he was good enough and had earned a place in heaven, commending himself with his list of “achievements” or “good works” to God, while loftily comparing himself to the man next to him and casting his nose down at him. He condescendingly condemned him as deserving of hell and without hope of redemption, as if he had the right and the standing to judge, as one that was perfect or at least better than this man. Ironically, the man who he scorned, humbly and repentantly acknowledged that he was a sinner before God and his prayer was accepted, while the proud Pharisee went away as he came, full of himself and full of sin.

2. DISOBEDIENT OFFERINGS

As was clearly seen with Saul, Uzziah, Nadab and Abihu, God does not accept the by-products of our disobedience. To obey is better than sacrifice.

Where a professing believer who claims to have received God’s mercy, forgiveness and grace, then refuses due to stubbornness of heart to forgive others who have wronged him or who he thinks has wronged him, God will not forgive him when he sins and offers prayers to ask for pardon. This is because he is being disobedient to the Word of God which says that he must forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). Matthew 6:14-15 clearly states, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

God’s Word commands married men to fervently love their wives, it stating:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.”

Where a man ill-treats his wife in disobedience to God’s Word therefore but yet claims to be offering prayers to God or any other act of “ministry”, be it preaching, witnessing to others or otherwise, he stands in jeopardy of all that he offers, being rejected by God. As a matter of fact, the scriptures make it clear that his prayers will be hindered or blocked by his refusing to submit to the Word of God. Matthew 6:14-15 states, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

On the issue of disobedience and coming to God to offer him anything in that condition, the scriptures state:

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9)

“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” (John 9:31);

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2);

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” (Psalm 66:18-20).

Of Israel’s disobedience and how God rejected them and whatever they had to offer as a result, the Bible states:

“For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.” (2 Kings 17:7-20)

In Amos 5:12-15 and 21-24, God told the people of Israel through his prophet:

“For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph… I HATE, I DESPISE your feast days, and I will NOT smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will NOT accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the NOISE of thy songs; for I will NOT hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”

In Jeremiah 6:19-20, God stated through another prophet of the people of Judah:

“Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are NOT acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.”

In Isaiah 66:3-4, God told the people of Judah who were steeped in their own ways and would not obey but yet were still bringing offerings to him to accept, of how he felt about this. Their offerings which they thought was something good were a disgust to him because of their sin. Through the Prophet Isaiah, he said:

“He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.”

3. HYPOCRITICAL OFFERINGS

Annanias and Sapphira did their good act for show, to fit in and to seemingly gain the admiration of men, when they did not really want to give all that they received for the sale of their land. They pretended to want to do what they did not want to do therefore and to have done it, when in truth and in fact, they had not. They were therefore hypocrites.

In Matthew 6:1-8, Jesus also spoke at length at what he regarded as hypocritical offerings from certain people, which was displeasing to God, not accepted by him and would therefore be sure to attract due reward, meaning judgement. These people who were hypocrites, loved to be seen of men and to be recognized by them and therefore, they did things like giving to the poor after they had announced they were going to do so or ensuring a public audience when they did or praying in public places and with long prayers, not to please God but to be esteemed and highly regarded by other people.

Jesus told his disciples:

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

In Matthew 23:5-7 and 13-14, Jesus specifically spoke of the Scribes and the Pharisees and of their hypocrisy, in pretending to be what they were not, so as to be held in emulation by people. Given that all that they did was in vain in God’s sight, he pronounced calamity upon them for their wickedness.

Jesus stated:

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi…But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

In summary, some people make offerings for recognition, for others to see them, think highly of them and to obtain certain privileges. They are after the glory of men and not God. Yet, the scriptures state, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

4. DISENGAGED OFFERINGS

It is possible to be busy offering God prayers, praise and other acts that we claim are worship, when our hearts are not in it and are far from him. These offerings are therefore disengaged, as we do so through dead routine and not in the fervour of love that comes through relationship and a close walk with God. Anything that we offer to God where our hearts are not in it, is disrespectful and displeasing to him. It is an offering that he will reject.

Think about it: No right-thinking person that is in a marriage covenant with someone of the opposite sex and therefore legitimately expects to be loved and given quality time and attention, would happily accept gifts from a spouse that otherwise abuses her, ignores her, clearly no longer cares for her and even cheats on her. The gifts mean nothing; they are worthless, no matter how expensive because they are offered without sincere love and devotion. The God of heaven and of earth is no different. He is wholly deserving of our adoration and will not accept what we claim to offer to him, if we are not doing it from the heart.

The Word of God clearly tells us that God seeks worshippers whose hearts are truly engaged in sincerity towards him. John 4:23-24 states “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

In Matthew 15:7-9, Jesus stated:

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

In Revelation 2:1-5, the church at Ephesus to who the glorified Jesus had cause to send a message was busy doing work for the Lord. It had a good record of what it did in the past and the principles it had held to. However, although it was still offering ministry as unto the Lord, he was not entirely pleased with this church. For, somewhere along the line, genuine worship had changed to empty acts of routine. Their hearts were no longer fervently in the process and therefore, they were no longer doing what they were doing out of relationship and love but religion and duty.

Jesus stated:

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

5. OFFERINGS MADE WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES

The Pharisees, Scribes, Annanias and Sapphira and all other persons who were offering things as unto God but in hypocrisy were all doing so with wrong, selfish, self-centred and impure motives. Anything that we offer to God that is tainted with self is wicked and is not acceptable to him.

God will also not accept offerings made with the wrong motives like envy, competition, boastfulness, malice and strife. Paul said some people were preaching Christ to add to his wounds, to spite him. In 1 Philippians 1:15-16 he commented, “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds”. God’s Word, once released, would not return to him again void (Isaiah 55:11), meaning without having impact or effect because it is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). However,the persons who were using the Word deceitfully (2 Corinthians 4:1-2) to settle scores or for any other ulterior motive, would be dealt with by God. The Word would go forth but their “ministry” would not be accepted as pleasing unto him.

When we offer anything to God with the wrong motives, our offering or oblation is in vain because he will not accept it. All of our effort will therefore be for nought until we examine ourselves, our hearts and repent of our wicked ways.

God sought to emphasize the need for this to his people in the Old Testament, who were busy offering animals as they did over the years, when their hearts were not right in the sight of God. They were making offerings while being disobedient to his Word, engaging in hypocrisy, conducting themselves wickedly, having selfish motives and hearts that were not interested in truly serving God and were therefore, disengaged.

In Isaiah 1:2-20, God told them through his prophet:

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? BRING NO MORE VAIN OBLATIONS; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

6. UNWILLING OFFERINGS

The scriptures are consistently clear, that God does not want nor does he accept unwilling, reluctant or resentful offerings. If we are giving begrudgingly, God would much prefer that we do not give at all. He wants and loves those who are cheerful givers, who voluntarily and sacrificially give from the heart and willingly so, without compulsion.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul and Timothy wrote to the Church at Corinth, telling them “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: FOR GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER.“

In Exodus 25, God instructed Moses on what he wanted the Israelites to build and make for him and how he wanted them to do it. This required resources, skill and material but God desired only those people who would willingly give to the work, to do so. In verse 2, God told Moses:

“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: OF EVERY MAN THAT GIVETH IT WILLINGLY WITH HIS HEART ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.”

The work to be done was so varied, that it required various materials to be completed. It was highly possible therefore, that all of the Israelite men and women would have had something that they could give to the Lord’s work. A person may not have had gold or silver but he may have had oil or wood. A person may not have had oil or wood but he may have had a ram or a goat from whom the skin and the hair could be offered to the Lord respectively. Irrespective of what a person had or how much he had though, God only wanted those who were happy to give what they had to his work, to give it. For, this was the only kind of giving that he would accept.

In Chapter 35:5, Moses therefore told the people, “Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: WHOSOEVER IS OF A WILLING HEART, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord…” He did not coerce anyone or guilt or threaten them or tell them that they must give. He simply left it open to those who wanted genuinely to make the sacrifice, to give up what they had unto God and there were people who were pleased to do so. In verses 21-35, it reads:

“And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom HIS SPIRIT MADE WILLING, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, AS MANY AS WERE WILLING HEARTED, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them. Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.

And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair. And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BROUGHT A WILLING OFFERING unto the Lord, EVERY MAN AND WOMAN, WHOSE HEART MADE THEM WILLING TO BRING FOR ALL MANNER OF WORK, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.“

Similarly, many years later when David desired to build a house for God but God told him that his son Solomon would do it instead, David still went ahead voluntarily and made preparation for it by gathering the material that would be needed for this great work that his son would one day build. After he made Solomon King in his stead, he also invited the people to give unto the Lord willingly as he had done and enquired who among them wanted to do so.

The call did not go unanswered. For, the people were happy to have the opportunity to give sacrificially to the Lord’s work and did so joyously! 1 Chronicles 29: 1-9 reads:

“Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house. Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. AND WHO THEN IS WILLING TO CONSECRATE HIS SERVICE THIS DAY UNTO THE LORD?”

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, OFFERED WILLINGLY, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced, for that THEY OFFERED WILLINGLY, because WITH PERFECT HEART THEY OFFERED WILLINGLY TO THE LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.”

King David and the people rightly counted it a privilege as mere people formed from the dust of the earth, to have been given the opportunity to give to the most high God, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who created all things and therefore, from whom the very items they had possessed and had given up, had come from. They therefore rejoiced in humble gratitude at this privilege, as those who give to the Lord willingly tend to do. What they had given up was not reason to lament or be resentful but to celebrate because God had allowed them to give to him and had accepted their offering.

In verses 13-16, David praised God, stating:

“Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to OFFER SO WILLINGLY after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I HAVE WILLINGLY OFFERED all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, TO OFFER WILLINGLY unto thee.“

This kind of giving was in great contrast to the giving that Annanias and Sapphira gave. They clearly did not want to give all of the money they had received for the land they had sold, to the Lord, hence the reason why they secretly held back some of it and pretended to give all of it to the Lord’s apostles. They may not have even wanted to sell their land but seemingly wanted to fit in with the others who were doing it and to be held in admiration by people. They therefore did what they did and gave what they gave unwillingly and this was completely rejected by God, him ending their lives as a result.

The lesson from these scriptures are clear. God is pleased when we give to him cheerfully, joyously from the heart, us realizing that he is a great God, is worthy of our sacrifice and that it is indeed a privilege to be able to give of what we have, be it time, resources, skill, gifts or otherwise to him and to his work. He is displeased and insulted when we give but not from our hearts and therefore unwillingly, us feeling compelled to do so or so as to meet people’s expectations or due to routine or for show or for some other self-serving reason, us bearing a grudge or lamenting secretly in our hearts at what we have given up because deep down, we would have much preferred to have kept it to ourselves.

Such an offering will be rejected by God and while we can fool people, we cannot fool him. He knows each and every one of us better than we know ourselves and knows exactly what is in our hearts. No matter how much we say with our lips that we are happy to give to the Lord, no matter how much we pretend for the eyes of men that we are pleased to have done it, if in our hearts we are not, he knows and the offering will be rejected accordingly.

7. OFFERINGS WITH BLEMISHES

In Leviticus 22:21-24, God made it clear that he would not accept offerings from his people that contained blemishes, him detailing the imperfections in the animals being offered, that he meant.

He commanded them:

“But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord. Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.”

Yet, later on in Malachi 1:6-14, the Lord had reason to reject what his people were offering him as they were offering that which he had clearly identified as blemished or imperfect and therefore, not the best of what they had. He therefore pronounced a curse on the person that withheld the best of his flock, while offering him something that was corrupt.

He stated:

“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.”

8. SECOND-RATE OFFERINGS

Flowing from the preceding thought is that God will not accept second-rate offerings or that which is given as an after-thought. He wants the first of whatever we have and the best, which, if we love him as we ought, above all else, we will willingly give.

In Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus stated, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

Putting God first and giving him our very best, requires prioritization and sacrifice, us esteeming God to be not just better than ourselves (which he is) but the best. He deserves the highest place of elevation and the very best of whatever it is that we have, him being the source of everything, including life itself.

God therefore wants us to have fervent love for him. He will not accept after-thought offerings or second-rate offerings, where we keep the best for ourselves and others and give him the remnant. He wants the first fruits. The Bible clearly states that Abel brought the first of his flock but no such thing is said of the fruits that Cain offered, which, to my mind, suggests that he didn’t. If so, this would most likely have been one of the reasons, in addition to the fact that Cain was not living a righteous life before God and therefore was seeking to make an offering although his heart was wicked (1 John 3:11-12), why God rejected his offering and had no respect unto it.

(Written on 19^th October, 2025)

Dear Reader, if you found the above Article to be interesting, informative, beneficial or edifying, you may also be interested in reading the following:

Note 190 – ‘Offering Strange Fire Unto The Lord’
Note 331 – ‘A Letter To A Hypocrite’
Note 306 – ‘God Is Honoured When We Give Him Our First’
Note 154 – ‘Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamos – My Humble View On The Letters Of The Glorified Jesus To The Seven Churches – Part I‘