Take Away the Offal

Take Away the Offal

Today the Lord said to me that His people need to take the stink, or the “offal” away from their offering of thanksgiving.  In the Old Testament, the offal was the entrails of the animal that was to be sacrificed.  It was not part of the offering and therefore was burned, along with the animal’s skin, outside the camp (Ex 29:14).  Under the New Testament covenant we no longer offer sacrifices of animals.  Our spiritual sacrifices, including the lives we live, should have the sweet savor of Christ on them, identical to the fragrance of incense that was offered on the altar during animal sacrifices.

The Lord considers our sacrifice of thanksgiving stinky when we praise Him for what He has provided but fail to thank our brethren who have made the provision.  He also condemns the practice of having people work for us gratis when we fail to bless them in return (see Jms 5:4).  People who do not recognize the labors and sacrifices of others on their behalf are ungrateful.  They develop a sense of entitlement, which they hide in the belief that those who give to them and who labor for them are only obeying the Lord, and it is only from the Lord they will receive their reward.  Because of this “offal” brethren do not develop affection for one another.

How do we look at the subject of gratitude between brethren?  First, Paul quotes Jesus as saying that our desire to give should exceed our desire to receive (Acts 20:35).  Giving is the greater blessing and it is a privilege when God provides these opportunities in our lives.  Secondly, if we cannot give monetary payment to those who labor on our behalf, we should seek the Lord for the opportunity to be a blessing to them.

When Dave and I were putting “sweat equity” into the new house we were building, many good friends helped us. We could never have afforded to finish our house on time without their willing, capable and skilled hands.  Each day the Lord impressed me with what I should cook for our friend’s lunch.  He wanted me to serve the best cuts of meat, make homemade potato salad, buy watermelon, and serve dessert also.  Our BBQs were a fun way to break up the work of the day and for Dave and I, a way to honor our laborers.  In cooking for those who helped us on our house I caught God’s heart for them; He treasured them.  

God had me give more than a cup of cold water to give to our righteous friends, though they had been willing to do the work with no return.  The fact remains that, if we fail to give a cup of cold water to our brethren then we are not receiving them as we would receive Jesus (Mt 10:42).  God’s reward waits on our giving, and He is honored when we honor each other. Today when we give thanks to the Lord for all His goodness let us offer our praises with the incense of gratitude and blessings given to those who blessed us.  Amen.