This is a line from a popular English tv show. Mary is comparing her deceased husband to her current husband, Henry. There is no lack of love but an understanding that some of us attack our lives with action. He is pragmatic and not a whimsical dreamer. “He must test himself (for endurance) from morning ’til night.” Show a person like this an action step and they take it. I think this is why the Old Testament sacrificial system – the law – fit people who are doers. In fact, they were so used to systems instead of worship that some even sacrificed to other gods for, just-in-case. They forgot that God created souls and put them into bodies vs only flesh and blood. After the many miracles of God’s rescue for Israel out of slavery, what remained were accounts of the miracles. They may have stopped the retelling to future generations. That was a rich history but their current habit was temple sacrifice. The people observed the feasts and sacrifices year after year. Then around the books of Joel and Amos, God says they should rend their hearts and not their garments. Their worship was external as was their repentance.
These systems are no longer in place because Jesus came as the sacrificial Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, deeming animal sacrifice unnecessary. The doers, like Henry, must learn to ponder along with the doing. What a man thinks is now measured along with what he does and there may be more talk of hearts in the New Testament than the Old. Jesus’ sacrifice only makes sense when we struggle through a read of the history, poetry, kings, judges, and many wars with captivity and rescue. We were captives of sin – doers of sin – and now we have the hope of eternal life in Heaven. All of the Bible is the inspired word of God.
