The Lord Detests Sacrifice But Delights in Prayer (Proverbs 15:8). By Dr. Chapman Chen

Per Proverbs 15:8 (NLT), “The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but He delights in the prayers of the upright.” This preference for prayer and rejection of animal sacrifice is corroborated by at least five prophets in the OT, and later echoed by Jesus in the NT.

In Isaiah 1:11, the prophet, from God’s perspective, questions the value of ritual offerings: “‘The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?’ says the Lord. I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals." Jeremiah 7:22-23 reveals that God did not command burnt offerings when He brought Israel out of Egypt, but rather obedience. Hosea 6:6 stresses that God desires “mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Amos 5:21-22 reflects a rejection of hollow sacrifices, in favour of justice and righteousness: "Even though you bring me burnt offerings…I will not accept them."  Micah 6:6-8 highlights that God is not pleased with thousands of rams or rivers of oil, but only requires people “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with… God.”

The compassionate stance of these five prophets was continued and affirmed by Jesus, who proclaimed, “I desire COMPASSION, rather than sacrifice!” (Matthew 9:13, 12:7 NASB), quoting Hosea 6:6. 

Animal sacrifice is closely linked up with animal flesh eating. That’s why Clement of Alexandria remarked, “sacrifices were invented by men to be a pretext for eating flesh” (Clement, The Stromata, Book VII, Ch. 6). Admittedly, in Leviticus 1, 3, 4, 17, God allegedly gave detailed instructions for offering animal sacrifices. But these verses are apparently interpolations added by “the lying pen of the scribes” (Jeremiah 8:8 NIV; cf. Tabor 2024).

Indeed, eating animals is animal sacrifice detested by God. For eating animal flesh means sacrificing innocent animals' lives, a sacrifice to the idol god of the belly (Philippians 3:19), and a sacrifice to gluttony (Proverbs 23:20-21) (cf. Hicks 2018). So: Cut out all meaty vice; Follow the Vegan Christ! #VeganChrist #VeganGod #VeganTheology #VeganChurch

Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/the-lord-detests-sacrifice-but-delights-in-prayer-proverbs-15-8-by-dr-chapman-chen