At What Cost

I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts —Psalms 66:15

I got stuck on this verse this morning.

I imagine the scene at these offerings. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t dignified.

It was messy. Loud. Probably somewhat chaotic.

Yes, there was a choir singing, and musical instruments playing. But that music was mixed with the clamor of worshipers awaiting their turn at the altar, the bleating of their animals, and the instructions from the Levites. Then there were the cries of the dying animals.

And blood. Lots of blood.

As the worshiper stepped to the altar, I imagine their attention became laser-focused on their animal. A “fat beast” was not leftovers. It represented abundance, value, wealth. Something costly. Something useful. Something that could have fed a family, strengthened a herd, increased security. Worship was not detached from life—it reached directly into the worshiper’s possessions, labor, and future.

There was a tangible cost associated with this act of worship. This was not casual. It went far deeper than merely reading or reciting words.

This is what the Psalmist is remembering when he says, I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts.

Before verse 15, he had already said:

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. —Psalms 66:1-2

Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. —Psalms 66:5

For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. —Psalms 66:10

Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. —Psalms 66:12

All of these thoughts are swirling in his head as he approaches his time of offering. There is a weight to all of this. And his description suggests an explosion of unbridled praise, confession, remembrance, and worship.

And rightly so, because later in their history, after their sacrificial routine had become mundane, common, and thoughtless, we find:

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.” —Malachi 1:10

It would seem that their approach to the sacrifice was just as important as the sacrifice itself.

These sacrifices are referred to some 30-50 times throughout the Psalms. That frequency demands that we pay attention.

I have no experience in sacrificing live animals to God. I’ve never witnessed or participated in that ritual. But the process is explained in surprising detail throughout the Old Testament. So I cannot claim ignorance of the process or the cost.

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. —Hebrews 13:15

“...The fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” links back to these sacrifices.

This passage in Hebrews, and many others throughout the New Testament, remind us that there is a cost connected to our praise and worship. Before the cross, the cost of forgiveness was a living, valuable animal from my stall. On the cross, our justification was purchased by the infinitely more valuable blood of Jesus.

Entering into praise and worship casually should seem like an affront to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He gave everything to purchase our right to approach the Father.

Maybe our response should reflect that realization.