A Meditation on Proverbs 21:3

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3).

When David sinned with Bathsheba (I Samuel 11), he compiled his sins – murder, adultery, deceit, encouraging drunkenness, coveting, etc. Some have said that David broke most, if not all, of the Ten Commandments when he decided to hide his adulterous sin with Bathsheba.

And like his compiling of sins, when it came time for him to repent, he really poured it on. Psalm 51, which is one of two psalms that he wrote confessing and repenting of the above-mentioned sins (The other is Psalm 32), contains every Hebrew word for “sin.” This is thorough repentance.

One of the requests David makes of God is echoed in this proverb from his Solomon (vs. 16-17). Guess son learned it from Dad.

So did David and Solomon seem to downplay sacrificing? Especially under the O.T. sacrificial system? The problem is that God is not impressed with rituals or traditions that have no meaning. The heart is what matters.

A heart confessing sin that does not feel real sorrow for sin is simply hypocrisy.

To make a sacrifice on an altar but then to return home to abuse your wife or provoke your kids to wrath is hypocritical worship.

Christianity is not a legalistic collection of of do’s and don’ts but a heart-posture of wanting to reflect God in all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37).