What Old Testament examples show devotion similar to the woman's in Matthew 26? The Woman’s Costly Devotion in Matthew 26 “...a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table… When the disciples saw this, they were indignant…” (Matthew 26:7-8). Her gift was lavish, public, and misunderstood—yet Jesus called it “a beautiful thing” (v.10). Scripture gives several Old Testament portraits of the same wholehearted, sacrificial love. Abraham: Offering the Son He Loved • Genesis 22:2—“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… offer him there as a burnt offering.” • Cost: the promised heir, every future hope. • Devotion: Abraham rose early and obeyed (v.3), withholding nothing (“Now I know that you fear God,” v.12). • Parallel: both Abraham and the woman surrender what is priceless; their worship is measured not by utility but by love and trust. Hannah: Giving Back the Child of Her Prayers • 1 Samuel 1:27-28—“I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, I now dedicate him to the LORD.” • Cost: the long-awaited firstborn. • Devotion: she fulfills her vow even after feeling the weight of years of barrenness. • Parallel: like the perfume poured out once and for all, Samuel is handed over permanently; both acts spring from thankful hearts. David: “I Will Not Offer What Costs Me Nothing” • 2 Samuel 24:24—“I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” • Cost: 50 shekels of silver for the threshing floor, then oxen and wood—real expense at a time of crisis. • Devotion: David insists on bearing the full price so his sacrifice carries genuine value. • Parallel: the woman’s alabaster jar exemplifies the same principle—true worship is costly by choice. The Widow of Zarephath: Last Bread for the Prophet • 1 Kings 17:12-15—she uses her final handful of flour and oil to feed Elijah. • Cost: her family’s remaining meal. • Devotion: trusts God’s promise of provision before seeing any evidence. • Parallel: both givers relinquish earthly security, confident the Lord is worth more than the gift. Freewill Offerings for the Tabernacle • Exodus 35:21—“Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit prompted him came and brought the LORD’s offering.” • Cost: gold earrings, scarlet yarn, acacia wood—treasures plundered from Egypt now freely surrendered. • Devotion: the people give so generously that Moses must stop them (36:6-7). • Parallel: extravagant generosity flows from hearts awakened by redemption. Shared Threads of Devotion • Voluntary—no command forces these offerings; love leads the way. • Costly—each giver parts with something irreplaceable. • Misunderstood—others question or could have questioned the wisdom (disciples in Matthew 26:8; Abraham’s servants left behind; Hannah leaves a toddler at Shiloh). • Honored by God—He intervenes, remembers, or commends every time. Invitation to Imitate Scripture never treats these accounts as exceptional relics; they are living illustrations of what wholehearted love for the Lord can look like. Whether resources, reputation, or relationships, whatever we place in His hands becomes a fragrant offering—pleasing to Him and remembered forever (Matthew 26:13). |
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