Scripture has many passages that reveal when humans have engaged in unacceptable worship. The following compilation presents some of the key passages that teach us about various aspects of worship that God does not accept.1
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
God rejected what Cain offered to Him even though he offered something that was the fruit of the ground. Just because something is the product of working with the ground that God made does not mean that God must accept its use in worship.
Exodus 8:26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?
The ancient Egyptians regarded what the Israelites offered to Yahweh as abominations. We know, therefore, that what the ancient Egyptians themselves offered in their worship to their gods was not acceptable to God for any use in worship that was acceptable to Him because they regarded what was acceptable to offer to Him as abominations.
Exodus 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Any altars made by anyone that had any hewn stones in the altars were altars that were unacceptable to God for any use in worship.
Leviticus 2:11 No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.
God made the bees who make honey. God commends honey as good for people to eat. Nevertheless, God has rejected any use of honey in any offerings offered to Him. Just because something is good, is made by God, and even commended by Him for certain uses does not mean that He accepts any use of it in worship.
Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Nadab and Abihu knowingly offered some manmade combination of aromatic substances that they knew was not acceptable to God. Sinful humans are fully capable of creating things for use in worship that are not acceptable to God for any use in worship.
1 Kings 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. . . . 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
God has never ordained or accepted any leaping on any altars in worship that He accepted. He also has never accepted any worshipers cutting themselves in any manner as part of their worship.
2 Kings 17:15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. 16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
The people of God were so sinful at this time that they totally and comprehensively rejected what He had ordained was acceptable to Him in worship. In addition, they chose to make things for worship and worship in ways that were never acceptable to Him.
Photo by Tatiana Mokhova on Unsplash
- I plan to add to this compilation as I continue to study this subject. ↩︎
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