Mercy and Not Sacrifice
The Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice, and tells us as Pharisees, who focus on our outward works of righteousness, to go and learn what this means.
Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance
The righteous in God’s eyes are those who are doing righteousness, which means obeying the Father’s Commandments. Seeing and obeying the Commandments is the desire of the Lord, as they work the work of salvation for which the Father sent Christ to perform. Mercy opens our eyes to see the Commandments, the Gospel, which then shines a light upon our earth and our walk. The Lord’s mercy is also called the goodness of God that leads us to take the first step and repent of our sins, which begins the process of being delivered from those sins. By mercy, we come to see our need for Christ to save us from our sinful nature. We praise the Lord for His wonderful works, which show us mercy and lead us away from sin into righteousness.
Tit 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Psa 107:7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Psa 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness [Mercy], and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
The Commandments wake us up by shining a bright light into our earth, brightening all the dark places. This is how we are raised from a state of spiritual death and, in time, bring forth the obedience that is salvation and the glory of the Lord. Christ is come, the day star has arisen.
Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
The Lord’s will for His people is our sanctification, which begins with open eyes to the true knowledge of God, the Commandments. Our outward sacrifices mean nothing to the Lord and are vanity that occupy us until the Gospel is heard, and faith is given. With open eyes and ears to the Commandments, we are drawn to the Lord by the Gospel in Spirit and in Truth. Our sacrifices to the Lord now come from our heart and a desire to please our maker and love God by obeying Him.
Hos 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Joh 4:23 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.
Knowledge of the Commandments [mercy] is far more important than our outward forms of righteousness, which are the sacrifices of carnal men to justify themselves before the Lord. The first great Commandment teaches us that the Lord wants obedience from our whole heart. The Lord despises us when we honor Him in the letter, meaning with our lips and in outward forms, but remain disobedient to the Commandments.
Through mercy, when we see and hear the Commandments, then judgment has come to our earth, that is, the Temple of the Living God. The fire of the Commandments, the Word of God, the Living Christ, is now kindled in our hearts and minds.
Luk 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Christ commands us to go and learn what having mercy, and not sacrifice, means. Only those chosen for salvation hear the Commandment and are being taught of the Lord and learning the new song. The grace of God, the Living Commandments, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, guides us into all Truth and teaches us about mercy and the only sacrifice that pleases the Lord.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
The Lord despises the sacrifices of carnal men who claim His name but are far from Him, meaning the Commandments. Spiritual Jerusalem, which is Sodom and Egypt, also known as Spiritual Babylon, is where we hear the everlasting Gospel of the Lord and the call to come out and be the set-apart peculiar and holy people of God. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is not enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. To whom much is given, hearing the Gospel, a much higher attainment of righteousness is required.
Isa 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
Isa 1:11 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.
Isa 1:13 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.
The only sacrifice the Lord desires and demands is a life submitted to His Commandments.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
When David sinned, he confessed his sin, acknowledging that the only sacrifice the Lord desires is a life laid down to Him in service. It is a broken spirit, a contrite heart, where we lose the old life, submit ourselves to the Commandments, who is Christ, and thereby arise to newness of life.
Psa 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Pharisees back then and today observe Christ and His disciples doing what is forbidden under their law for the carnally minded. This is a parable, speaking to always doing the Father’s work and ceasing from our carnal reasonings. Pharisees do not recognize Christ nor understand the Commandments, which place the showing of mercy, the [opening eyes to the Commandments], far above the outward sacrifices that are for the pride of man and the esteem of men. We do not condemn those whom the Lord has blinded. We show all men mercy by doing and speaking the Commandments in everything. At the appointed time, the Lord opens eyes and ears who receive our witness. The coming of Jesus Christ, the Living God of the universe, is the end of the law of Moses/Gentiles to all given to believe.
Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
The Lord looks to the heart to see who loves Him with all their heart, mind, and soul. Most who claim the name Christ do many great works, but do not bring the offerings or sacrifice the Lord desires. They are cast out and the door shut in this age, being saved and coming to Christ in the age to come.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In Matthew 9, Christ speaks words previously spoken in a pivotal Old Testament story about the fall of King Saul and his rejection and being cut off by the Lord. Saul was commanded by the Lord through the Prophet Samuel to utterly slay all the Amalekites and all their possessions, leaving nothing. There was no room for ambiguity in the Commandments. We obey all the Lord’s Commandments and do not add to them nor take away from them. We just do them. The natural man in all of us is led by their carnal mind, the father of lies, and cannot help but corrupt the Lord’s Commandments. Saul, the rejected king of Israel, is the example of that, and a shadow of the Lord rejecting those who have heard the Gospel, but do not obey the Gospel.
1Sa 15:1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
1Sa 15:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
1Sa 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
1Sa 15:5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
Yet Saul did not obey and failed to slay the King of Amalek and kept back the best sheep and oxen so Israel could sacrifice them to the Lord. Saul placed sacrifice above showing mercy and obedience to the Lord, thus corrupting the Commandments by adding to and taking away from them. In his corruption, which is called rebellion and witchcraft, Saul falsely believed he had obeyed the Commandment when Samuel came.
1Sa 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
Samuel rebuked King Saul and pronounced the judgment of God upon him for the witchcraft. It is better to obey than sacrifice to the Lord, as obedience is the Commandments is the only sacrifice the Lord desires.
1Sa 15:14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
1Sa 15:22 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.
1Sa 15:23 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.
Spiritually, the Amalekites are descendants of Esau, the rejected son of Isaac, and are not the seed of Jesus Christ. Israel is to remain separated from them and always destroy such a spirit in their midst. Despite confessing his sin, King Saul was cut off from Israel and soon died. David, a type of Christ, began to reign in his stead.
1Sa 15:26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
The Lord wants our obedience in all ways and not feigned works of righteousness that we offer unto the Lord. Corrupting the Commandments, we are robbers and spiritual whores, and Israel within and any who hear us is defiled. The true disciples of Christ seek to do good at every turn, meaning obeying all the Commandments, which is the sacrifice of praise in which the Lord is well pleased.
Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
The Lord is our helper who now lives in our hearts and minds, quickening us to do righteousness. We freely sacrifice to Him, meaning we are dead and our life belongs to the Lord. We desire mercy and are merciful to all, showing them the Gospel, knowing that those who show mercy are given mercy.
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Return the Commandment Shorts main page HERE
