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64 Bible Verses about Bad Offering
When you choose to live without God, it's easy to lose that awareness of Him and start making choices that aren't aligned with His ways. Maybe you haven't truly encountered Him yet. Our hearts can be so deceitful, always looking for ways to satisfy our own twisted desires, driven by that inner restlessness.
The only way to live a righteous life is to keep God's word close to your heart and follow His will. That's how genuine goodness grows from deep within.
God isn't pleased when offerings are misused. They should be used to grow His work and spread the Gospel to everyone, fulfilling the command He gave us. Prayer is key to making sure your offerings are used the right way and that you're following God's leading.
You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar.
Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
The nations I am chasing out did these disgusting things, and I hated them for it, so don't follow their example.
I am the LORD your God, and I have promised you their land that is rich with milk and honey. I have chosen you to be different from other people.
That's why you must make a difference between animals and birds that I have said are clean and unclean --this will keep you from becoming disgusting to me.
If an ox or a sheep has something wrong with it, don't offer it as a sacrifice to the LORD your God--he will be disgusted!
Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:
Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there.
I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn."
The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, "God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner."
Then Jesus said, "When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored."
Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.
You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?" You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me.
So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.
Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had."
and Abel also gave an offering to the LORD. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the LORD the best parts of it. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,
but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
I, the LORD All-Powerful, have something to say to you priests. Children respect their fathers, and servants respect their masters. I am your father and your master, so why don't you respect me? You priests have insulted me, and now you ask, "How did we insult you?"
You embarrass me by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, "How have we embarrassed you?" You have done it by saying, "What's so great about the LORD's altar?"
But isn't it wrong to offer animals that are blind, crippled, or sick? Just try giving those animals to your governor. That certainly wouldn't please him or make him want to help you.
must have nothing wrong with them, or else I won't accept them. Bulls or rams or goats are the animals to be used for these sacrifices.
(SEE 22:19)
One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the LORD,
and Abel also gave an offering to the LORD. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the LORD the best parts of it. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,
but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
But if the animal is lame or blind or has something else wrong with it, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
(SEE 22:19)
When you offer a sacrifice to ask my blessing, there must be nothing wrong with the animal. This is true, whether the sacrifice is part of a promise or something you do voluntarily.
Don't offer an animal that is blind or injured or that has an infection or a skin disease.
But isn't it wrong to offer animals that are blind, crippled, or sick? Just try giving those animals to your governor. That certainly wouldn't please him or make him want to help you.
You embarrass me by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, "How have we embarrassed you?" You have done it by saying, "What's so great about the LORD's altar?"
You get so disgusted that you even make vulgar signs at me. And for an offering, you bring stolen animals or those that are crippled or sick. Should I accept these?
Instead of offering the acceptable animals you have promised, you bring me those that are unhealthy. I will punish you for this, because I am the great King, the LORD All-Powerful, and I am worshiped by nations everywhere.
"Tell me," Samuel said. "Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.
The animals must have nothing wrong with them and are to be sacrificed along with the regular daily sacrifices.
"Your sacrifices mean nothing to me. I am sick of your offerings of rams and choice cattle; I don't like the blood of bulls or lambs or goats.
"Who asked you to bring all this when you come to worship me? Stay out of my temple!
Your sacrifices are worthless, and incense is disgusting. I can't stand the evil you do on your New Moon Festivals or on your Sabbaths and other times of worship.
The LORD God said: You leaders of Israel have robbed and cheated my people long enough! I want you to stop sinning and start doing what is right and fair. You must never again force my people off their own land. I, the LORD, have spoken.
So from now on, you must use honest weights and measures.
Jesus looked up and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box.
He also saw a poor widow putting in two pennies.
And he said, "I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the others.
Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had."
The Lord has said: "These people praise me with their words, but they never really think about me. They worship me by repeating rules made up by humans.
People of Judah, you bring me incense from Sheba and spices from distant lands. You offer sacrifices of all kinds. But why bother? I hate these gifts of yours!
"All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me.
It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans."
But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.
I, the LORD, hate and despise your religious celebrations and your times of worship.
I won't accept your offerings or animal sacrifices-- not even your very best.
No more of your noisy songs! I won't listen when you play your harps.
The LORD is disgusted by gifts from the wicked, but it makes him happy when his people pray.
What offering should I bring when I bow down to worship the LORD God Most High? Should I try to please him by sacrificing calves a year old?
Will thousands of sheep or rivers of olive oil make God satisfied with me? Should I sacrifice to the LORD my first-born child as payment for my terrible sins?
The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God."
When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven.
When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.
When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it.
Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
Offerings and sacrifices are not what you want.
The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won't refuse.
You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either.
I would welcome an offering from anyone who wants to give something. You may bring gold, silver, or bronze;
Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money.
Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies.
Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.
If you are that kind of person, you can't make up your mind, and you surely can't be trusted. So don't expect the Lord to give you anything at all.
And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God.
(By David.) Show that I am right, LORD! I stay true to myself, and I have trusted you without doubting.
Test my thoughts and find out what I am like.
What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others.
Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.
Instead of offering the acceptable animals you have promised, you bring me those that are unhealthy. I will punish you for this, because I am the great King, the LORD All-Powerful, and I am worshiped by nations everywhere.
You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant.
If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life.
Yet even when you do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for selfish reasons.
The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much that they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.
Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Some fools go there to offer sacrifices, even though they haven't sinned. But it's best just to listen when you go to worship.
Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much.
Who may climb the LORD's hill or stand in his holy temple?
Only those who do right for the right reasons, and don't worship idols or tell lies under oath.
You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?" You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me.
That's why your whole nation is under a curse.
I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.
If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
I am not trying to make life easier for others by making life harder for you. But it is only fair
for you to share with them when you have so much, and they have so little. Later, when they have more than enough, and you are in need, they can share with you. Then everyone will have a fair share,
just as the Scriptures say, "Those who gathered too much had nothing left. Those who gathered only a little had all they needed."
Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property.
But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves. So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles,
Peter said, "Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?
The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"
Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in.
Then he said to the crowd, "Don't be greedy! Owning a lot of things won't make your life safe."
Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.
That is, each Sunday each of you must put aside part of what you have earned. If you do this, you won't have to take up a collection when I come.
Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, "Everyone who doesn't obey everything in the Law is under a curse."
Make me want to obey you, rather than to be rich.
Take away my foolish desires, and let me find life by walking with you.
Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower."
Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life.
Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.
This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.