To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:3 NIV
Right and Just
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is an integral part of Canada’s Constitution. It outlines the following guaranteed freedoms: the right to live and seek employment anywhere in Canada; the right to life, liberty and personal security; the legal rights of people accused of crimes; the rights of Indigenous peoples; the right to equality, including gender equality; the right to use Canada’s official languages and the right of French or English minorities to an education in their language.
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Sacrifice was such a huge part of the Jewish religious system. Over and over again, animals were sacrificed so that their blood, placed on the altar at the Temple, would symbolically cover the sin of God’s people. Over and over, those sacrifices were repeated, because the people of God were guilty of sin. Sacrifice was a big deal. So, what King Solomon writes in Proverbs 21:3 must have come as a huge shock to the people of Israel: “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” The system of sacrifice was pointing to the coming of Jesus the Messiah. His death on the cross would once and forever provide the means by which sin is removed from the heart of each who has placed their faith and trust in Him. But justice and righteousness are marks of His eternal kingdom and must be the ongoing marks of those who are citizens of that kingdom. God cares deeply that we do what is right and just. This is the ongoing mark of a follower of Jesus – and citizen of His kingdom. As you live your life today, do what is right and just.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley