“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire.” Sacrifices and offerings do not buy God’s acceptance. No one can be evil and unrepentant and then do an offering and be accepted. In fact, the offerings and even the prayers of the wicked are not accepted by God. Humility and obedience always come first and are what God is looking for.

[For more on God being more concerned with love and obedience than sacrifices, see commentary on Matt. 5:24. For more on God not speaking much about sacrifices when Israel came out of Egypt, see commentary on Jer. 7:22.]