ESOCS Devotional 23 March 2026 – Obedience – Not Hollow Sacrifical Offerings
MEMORY VERSE: “When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. This is what I told them, ‘obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well.’” Jeremiah 7:22-23 NLT
TEXT: JEREMIAH 7:21-28
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. 22 For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. 23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
27 “Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.
28 “So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
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In our text today, God rejected all the offerings of the people because they had been brought before Him with an insincere heart. They had shelved aside God’s commandment concerning the sacrifices. They rather chose to do it their own way instead. Therefore, God’s rejection of their offerings was, linked to disobedience and insincerity on their part. There was every need for them to obey God’s Law concerning the sacrifices in order to manifest their loyalty to Him. But such loyalty had long departed from Israel. Their moral spiral continued downward, and there was no sign of turning back. They were thus, now ripe for destruction.
The above brief account bothers on obedience to God’s commands, and sincerity in dealing with the Creator. In 2 Chronicles 25:1-2, King Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a sincere heart, and God rejected his offerings. On the other hand, King Asa in 1 Kings 15:14 committed some blunders in his actions, but with a sincerity of purpose. God overlooked his mistakes.
It follows therefore, that in all our dealings with God, the condition of our hearts is more important than the actions. God searches every heart, and He knows our innermost thoughts. Moreover, God emphasizes obedience to His commands more than our outward though, perverted sacrifices. King Saul was caught in this web of disobedience, and God rejected his sacrifices of fat rams, with severe sanctions (1 Samuel 15:22).
Men and brethren, at this stage of our walk with the Lord, it is important we count our teeth with our tongues. How far have we obeyed Him? Alternatively, are we still hypocritically covering up with lavish sacrifices and donations to shield our sinfulness? Beware! God is not mocked! Whatsoever a man sows, that he shall reap! No more, no less!
Reflections
- To obey is better than hollow sacrifice.
Prayer
- Lord Jesus, pardon my insincerity and disobedient behaviour.
FURTHER READING: 1 Samuel 15:12-23; Luke 17:20-37; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
ESOCS Devotional 23 March 2026
