Fourth, Psalm 51[:17]: “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit.”
Fourth, Psalm 51[:17]: “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit.”
§ 89. “ ‘A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit’ (Ps. 51:17). But a sacrifice to God normally appeases God and gains His grace.”
We respond. Some sacrifices are propitiatory [ἱλαστικά], and some are of thanksgiving [εὐχαριστικά]. The only propitiatory sacrifice of the New Testament is the suffering and death of the Son of God. The contrition of the devout pertains to sacrifices of thanksgiving, for it does not appease God but pleases God. The royal prophet is speaking about the salutary contrition of the devout which is joined with faith in Christ, through which they become partakers of divine mercy. They receive “joy of spirit” (v. 12), and they “offer right sacrifices to God” (v. 19). Therefore he is proceeding from nondistributed to distributed in this argument:13 “A sacrifice pleasing to God is an afflicted spirit. Therefore it is propitiatory.” If we can appease God with our contrition, why did the Son of God have to offer Himself to God on the altar of the cross for an odor of sweetness (Eph. 5:2)?