The Lifting Up of My Hands as the Evening Sacrifice
In part one of this study we looked at prayers from a right heart being like a sweet-smelling savor to God. God loves for His people to pray and longs to hear their prayers. In Psalm 141, David offers up a prayer unto God that he asks God to accept. He would love to go to the tabernacle at the time of the evening sacrifice, but he cannot. He has no sacrifice to bring and cannot go to the correct place to offer it, so he stands before God with uplifted hands and desires this of the Lord, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
The evening sacrifice was laid upon the alter at three p.m., or the ninth hour of the day. For the Jewish people, the day began at 6:00 a.m. and ended at 6:00 p.m. Every morning and every evening a lamb was to be sacrificed upon the altar. This is explained in the book of Exodus, “38) Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. 39) The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even… 42) This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. 43) And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” (Exodus 29:38,39 & 42,43)
When Israel brought their morning and evening sacrifices, the LORD came to meet with them and to speak with them. There He enjoyed communication with them and they experienced His glory. From the very beginning God communicated with mankind whom he had made. In Genesis 3:8 Adam and his wife “heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” God had come to talk with them. Sadly, they had sinned, and the communication was broken. Yet, this still shows that God desires a relationship with man and desires to have a time of communion with those whom He created. God made coats of skin for Adam and Eve and clothed them (See Genesis 3:21). The blood of an animal was shed for Adam and Eve. Their children also learned the importance of the shedding of blood in sacrifice. Abel brought of the firstlings of the flock and the fat thereof for his offering. “And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering.” (This story can be read in Genesis chapter four).
When David came before God, he had no offering to give and no place to sacrifice it, but he pleaded with God to accept the prayers of his heart. Psalm 51 expresses the same concept, “15) O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16) For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (verses 15-17) Psalm 51 was written after David’s sin with Bathsheba. A sacrifice had to be made to cover his sin, but no sacrifice could remove the sin and guilt of David’s heart. But David knew that God would not turn away the sacrifice of a broken spirit and a contrite heart. He knew that, with a cleansed heart, his praises would be acceptable to God.
There is something else special about the evening sacrifice. One day the Ultimate Sacrifice was offered for sin so that people would not have to sacrifice a lamb every morning and every evening. That sacrifice was made on the cross of Calvary. The Lamb that was sacrificed was without spot and without blemish. The perfect, final, and complete sacrifice was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As Jesus was hanging on the cross, darkness fell upon the earth. The darkness lasted from the sixth hour to the ninth hour. The ninth hour was 3:00 p.m., or the time of the evening sacrifice. About this time, Jesus cried out and gave up the ghost and the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom. This would have been about the time the priests went into the temple to offer the evening sacrifice. At this time, the Son of God was upon the cross, lifted up with his hands outstretched.* There He paid the ultimate price for our sin and made the way into the holy of holies so that we can come boldly before the throne of grace to pray.
*See Mark 15:33-38
The practice of lifting of the hands in prayer continued for many years. Paul told Timothy, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (I Timothy 2:8) Perhaps the lifting of the hands was symbolic of offering of oneself to God, giving of one’s life as a living sacrifice, showing that one is ready to commune with God and hear Him and be obedient to Him. Just as Jesus offered up Himself for us on the cross with hands outstretched, we can offer our prayers and the praises of our hearts. Such sacrifices from a humble and contrite heart will not be turned away.