Proverbs 1:8
The Book of Proverbs. Is there any better way to start your day? Ok, maybe the Book of Proverbs with coffee. This book contains over 1,000 nuggets of wisdom written by the wisest man ever to live, second only to Jesus (who, even though He was fully man, was also fully God - He's in a category of His own). Some are catchy, some are clever and others are down right confusing. This morning, after nursing my newborn at 4am, I could not lull myself back to sleep. So...Proverbs. Proverbs and coffee. I picked up in chapter 17 and never made it past verse one. What I learned blew my mind...
Proverbs 17:1 "Better a dry crust with peace, than a house full of feasting with strife."
At first glance, this verse seems pretty straight forward, right? It's better to have poverty with peace than luxuries with strife. Can you recall being a googly-eyed newly wed? As long as you were with your love, a dollar box of spaghetti and cheap bottle of wine was bliss! On the other hand, have you ever said something that triggered an explosion of emotions right as you were sitting down to a steak dinner? Chances are that filet ended up in Fido's bowl and you went to bed hungry and miserable. It seems like King Solomon is encouraging us to value a simple spaghetti dinner with harmony in our hearts and homes over all the delicacies your tongue could taste, but so much discord that you can't stomach them. That is what Proverbs 17:1 seems to say...but there’s more to it than meets the eye. To more fully understand this verse let’s step out of 21st Century America culture and back into ancient Jewish culture.
Focus on the word feasting. The Hebrew word is "zebah." It is used 162 times in the Old Testament and in 161 of them it is NOT translated as"feasting." “Zebah” technically means “slaughter,” and is most commonly translated as “sacrifice.” WHAT?!? How did the translators get “feasting” from “sacrifice”?!? Author Nancy Guthrie captures the essence of this word, "For us, sacrifice means giving something up or taking something on that costs us a little money or comfort or convenience. Sacrifice in the Bible, however, is the bloody reality of a bellowing animal being butchered on an altar."
As far back as history is recorded, people groups have practiced sacrificial rituals. The ancient Egyptians and Chinese, the Mayans, Incas and Aztecs, even the city of Ur from where God called Abraham offered sacrifices in order to establish, maintain and restore a good standing before their gods. What did they sacrifice? Humans. Israels God, YHWH, also requires sacrifices. However, YHWH actually set Himself apart from other deities by not requiring human sacrifice but rather animal sacrifice (see Genesis 22).
YHWH demanded a very specific process when offering sacrifices. In fact, it took the author of Leviticus the first seven chapters to detail YHWH’s sacrificial system. Who could prepare the sacrifice, what type of animal was to be slaughtered, where was the animal to be burned, why the offering would be given… Why so tedious? Because each was purposefully symbolic so as to illuminate humanity’s need for a savior while simultaneously foreshadowing that eventual rescue in and through Jesus Christ.
There were five main types of sacrifices. Two were mandatory. Every Israelite took part in these two sacrifices yearly: the Sin Offering and the Trespass Offering. These were made for both the unintentional and the intentional sins of the community, respectively. Other sacrifices were voluntary. Members of the Israelite community were welcome to offer additional sacrifices if or as they felt led. These included the Burnt Offering, which was wholly burnt, right down to ashes, showing whole dedication to God; the Grain Offering, which, as the name implies was an offering of flour, given to procure the favor of a superior. Because this was the only bloodless sacrifice, it was always given in coordination with the Burnt Offering, an acknowledgment that no favor could be won by human effort alone, apart from bloodshed. Once the Grain offering was baked, it was given to the High Priest for ministry. Lastly, the Peace offering. The Peace offering embraced the ideas of peace, thanksgiving and fellowship with God. This was the only sacrifice that could be eaten by the offeror. The offeror could even invite family and friends to feast on the BBQ after the sacrifice.( for a user-friendly summary of the Sacrifices, click here: https://seedbed.com/5-offerings-old-testament/).
Let’s look at our verse again with new understanding… "Better a dry crust of bread with peace, than a house full of sacrifices with strife." Do you know which of the five sacrifices this worshipper just made? The Peace offering. A voluntary one. One she didn’t have to make, and given the state of her heart, probably shouldn’t have. A public one. Outwardly proclaiming her desire for oneness with God, yet concealing division with someone she invited to the after-party. When we dig deeper into the text we realize this verse has much less to do with what is being eaten, stale bread or steak, but about how it is being eaten: with a heart of humility vs. a heart of hypocrisy.
It doesn’t matter where in the Bible you turn, OT, Gospels or NT, it is clear that God doesn’t want your scarifies apart from your sanctification! God says, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6). He wants real peace more than religious routine. Jesus used this verse not once but twice to defend his disciples against the criticisms of the religious elite. As if the first two times weren’t enough, Jesus warned of religious hypocrisy a third time in His famous Sermon on the Mount. He said if your brother has something against you, leave your gift (your sacrifice!) on the altar and go make things right with your brother, then come and offer your zebah. (Matthew 5:23). If you don’t heed this warning? Jesus himself actually says you’re in danger of the fire of hell.
So what’s the take away? Don’t go through all the lofty motions of offering up a sacrificial lamb when you still have beef with your brother. Ok, cheesy pun, sorry. I couldn’t resist. Maybe its not your Christian brother, but your soul sister who said something you cant forget. Maybe its your husband who did something he cant undo. Or maybe even with God Himself.
INNER GLOW: Fast your typical lunch and have a dry crust of bread as a reminder to read…
Hosea 6:6
Matthew 9:9-13
Matthew 12:1-8
Matthew 5:21-24
Then, search your heart. Is there anyone you don’t have peace with? If so, make a sacrifice of your time or money and offer them a Peace Offering, maybe dinner or something to show your heart of repentance. Go and make things right with them, as far as it depends on you. Even if they don’t receive it, YHWH will. Lift up a prayer asking for true peace, with them and with Him. Let that be your zebah to God. Then, whether you have a dry crust of bread for dinner or a feast, you can enjoy it with peace in your heart and peace with God. And, from the inside out, you will Glo4God.
