Thoughts on the Meaning of Sacrifice

[TillICollapse]

You don't think people probably goes to Chik-Fil-A because their good chicken sandwich and biscuits?

Of course some do. But I also am aware of those who go out of their way to Chik Fil A while avoiding other establishments for reasons other than the taste of their food.

 

[AvgJoe]

This may be the wrong place for this, but I didn't know where else it might go.

I was thinking about how in OT times sacrificing something was their main form of worship. Whether it was grain, wine, animals, (leave out humans) the general idea was to give something to God that the person considered of value. Then I wondered if we're still doing some sort of sacrifice today for God? I think we are, but it's very different. Granted we don't burn up valuable things anymore, but we still make sacrifices for God. The main one that spurred me to make this thread was prayer. One thing most people consider of great value is their time. So when we dedicate time to praying to God there's an inherent sacrifice in it.

Thoughts or comments?

When I talk to my earthly father it certainly isn't a sacrifice. Talking to my Heavenly Father isn't a sacrifice either.

 

[Albion]

When I talk to my earthly father it certainly isn't a sacrifice. Talking to my Heavenly Father isn't a sacrifice either.

Unless you worship your earthly father, that really isn't much of an argument.

 

[AvgJoe]

Unless you worship your earthly father, that really isn't much of an argument.

While pray can be a form of worship, worship has nothing to do with my statement. Talking to God (prayer) is the same to me as talking to you through this forum or talking to someone in person, although the content will be much different, and I don't see it as a sacrifice.

 

[olderguy]

I didn't mean this to be debate. I was just sharing some thoughts with the community. I often speak to God while driving or doing other things. That wouldn't be prayer as a sacrifice, because I'm doing other things at the same time. I don't see anything wrong with this, I even think it's good because we're supposed to include God in all things we do.

But if we sit down and use our time to just say the words of a prayer, then that is a form of a sacrifice. And since that prayer is questionable in my mind, then I have concluded that I shouldn't do it. To do it, just might be as offensive to God, as the ancient Jews were when they made sacrifices to gods brought into their towns by foreigners they took in.

I think a lot of you are objecting to prayer being a sacrifice for 2 reasons. One is many of us love speaking to God. Secondly, we have bad connotations to the word sacrifice. But to the ancient Jews I don't think sacrifice was necessarily a bad thing. Their relationship to God was totally different from ours is today. For one thing, their relationship was very dependent on what the priests did. Where as many of us feel that our relationship to God is a personal thing. Which is the way it should be. We still make sacrifices for God today, it's just the nature of the sacrifice is totally different. This is fine, and it's how it should be.