The Sacrifice of...Fools!

"Guard your steps as you go to the house
of God, and draw near to listen rather
than to offer the sacrifice of fools;
for they do not know they are doing evil."
Ecclesiastes 5:1

The sacrifice of fools...hmmm. What initially strikes me is that these "evil sacrifices" are being made by fools unaware of their folly (see above). 1 Samuel 15:22 tells us that, "to obey is better than sacrifice." God Himself reiterates this concept in Hosea 6:6 by saying, "I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice."

God further states in Isaiah 1:15-16, "Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen...remove the evil of your deeds from My sight...Learn to do good." And again, God continues to express His passionate hatred of hypocrisy in Amos 5:23 by warning, "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps" (see also Matthew, chapter 23).

Jesus insightfully defined, "the sacrifice of fools" by quoting Isaiah 29:13 in Mark 7:6-7, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites...This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me." Vain Worship? Wow!

Empty, futile, worthless worship...Hmmm.

Some things feel good and seem right...but aren't (see Proverbs 16:25).

Such is the religious spirit (see again Matthew, chapter 23)...

Such is "The Sacrifice of Fools."

Source: Godthoughts Wired

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