Mensa Otabil - Righteous Devotion (11/05/2025)
We’ve been looking at Proverbs chapter 15 this week, focusing on the comparison between the righteous and the wicked, especially in how they use words and how they act. Today, we’re examining verse number eight, which states, «The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.» Here, the passage contrasts the worship, devotion, and religious observances of the righteous person with those of the wicked person, and how God views what they do. Many times, we think that it’s okay to just go to church, go through the motions, pray, lift up our hands, sing, give an offering, and feel fine, believing we’ve covered our bases with God. However, God doesn’t view things the way we do; He sees them differently. This passage tells us how God perceives the actions of the righteous and the wicked.
It starts with the wicked, stating that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. What does it mean that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination? The term «sacrifice» here is broad; it encompasses everything we do in devotion to God. This includes attending church, being part of a prayer group, participating in a music group in the church, giving money, doing acts of charity, being kind, and being generous. All of these are sacrifices that we make, and the passage says that when a wicked person engages in such acts, God sees it as an abomination. That’s serious. When something is labeled an abomination, it means God detests it; He hates it.
So, why does God hate it? God expects the wicked person to repent, to turn away from their sin, and not continue sinning while hoping to put a veneer over their sin to deceive God. They think He doesn’t see their actions and can be fooled, which is why it becomes an abomination to Him. It shows disrespect for God when a person disobeys Him yet still comes to Him, playing games. When we have sinned, God doesn’t say we should run away; He says we should repent, turn away from the sin, and turn our hearts to God. After that, let our sacrifices follow, but do not walk in sin and think that merely being part of church and going through its rituals makes us right before God. Actually, we make our case worse when we live in sin and try to please God with outward observances.
But that’s not how God sees the righteous. He states that the prayer of the righteous is His delight. While the sinner’s prayer and sacrifice are abominations to God, He looks at what the righteous are doing, and it delights Him. He takes pleasure in it. So when the righteous person goes to church and engages in all the appropriate acts, God delights in it. Conversely, when the wicked person performs the same actions, it becomes an abomination.
The difference isn’t that one person is better than another; it’s that one is honest with God, while the other is not. One respects God, and the other does not. So, if you’ve done wrong, just go to God quietly and say, «Lord, I’m sorry. Forgive me,» then turn your heart from it and do the right thing. Your sacrifice will become a delight to the Lord. God blesses those whose sacrifices He receives with His presence, His peace, and His provision.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, let my thoughts, words, and actions be true to Your will and Your ways. In Jesus’s name, amen and amen.