NO GREATER SACRIFICE

 2 Chronicles 15:7-12 NIV  (7)  But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."  (8)  When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple.  (9)  Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.  (10)  They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.  (11)  At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back.  (12)  They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

 Israel was living in rebellion against God.  Even the kings did evil in the sight of God.  But once in a while the Lord would raise up a godly king who would restore worship and righteousness unto Him.  One of these kings was Asa.

He removed detestable idols, he repaired the altar, and he assembled the people for worship.  This was a time of restoration and of worship.

 I cannot help being in awe at the number of cattle and sheep and goats that Asa, king of Israel, offered to the Lord - 700 head of cattle, 7,000 sheep and goats!  Imagine all of these sacrifices, all the blood that was shed, all of them expressions of repentance and worship of their God.

What a way to come back to God.  For sure this was an expression of worship that was acceptable.

 But I also cannot help but compare it to how we Christians were given access to God today, and what expression of worship and sacrifice is acceptable to God, and makes us acceptable to Him today.

Hebrews 9:26-28 NIV  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  (27)  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,  (28)  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:10 NIV  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:14 NIV  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

One sacrifice.  Our Lord Jesus Christ’s  sacrifice on the cross, His suffering and death, is worth so much more than 700 heads of cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats.  So much more than any sacrifice that many still think we need to do to make us acceptable to God and to express our worship.

The Messiah has come, the Lamb of God has been sacrificed for our sins.  There is no other sacrifice today that is acceptable to God except Jesus Christ's death on the cross.  And there is no other sacrifice that can be offered that makes us acceptable to God, except Jesus' sacrifice that is offered through our faith in Him.  It is our faith in who He is, and what He has done for us, that reconciles us to God, and what makes our worship and life today acceptable.  It's not our singing, not our good works, not our ministry - only Christ and what He has done for us.

Through Christ's sacrifice, and our faith in Him, we now enjoy this life of worship and righteousness.

All Glory to Him Alone.