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Acceptable (favorable) (1184) (dektos from dechomai - to accept or receive favorably) means accepted (see Webster below), acceptable, welcome (willing permitted or admitted), pleasing (giving pleasure, agreeable, gratifying). Dektos describes one of whom there is or has been a favorable decision of the will. It conveys the picture of a "open" reception, much like when one puts the "welcome mat" on their front door step, something Jesus did not experience even in His own hometown! (Lk 4:24 - He was not "dektos" - not welcome) Thankfully, God puts out the "welcome (home) mat" for all who fear and obey Him. (Acts 10:35). As note below, the adjective is very common in the LXX in a sacrificial sense. BDAG summarized - 1. Pertaining to being met with approval in someone’s company, acceptable, welcome, (Lk 4:24); only here of human recognition; in all other references in this entry always of acceptance by God. (Acts 10:24). 2. Pertaining to being pleasing because of being approved, pleasing, acceptable, of things: Sabbaths B 15:8; sacrifices (Php 4:18), fasting (Isa 58:5), prayer (Pr 15:8); 3. Pertaining to being appropriate to circumstances, favorable, of time (2Cor 6:2, Isa 49:8, year , Lk 4:19. In these passages the concrete temporal element points to the abstract feature of God’s favorable attitude finding climactic expression. Dektos was particularly used of the sacrifice in Lev 1:3-4 to describe one that met with divine approval. In Pr 11:1 we see that a just weight is God's "delight" (Hebrew - ratson/rason; Lxx - dektos) and in Pr 14:35 it describes the "king's favor (Hebrew - ratson/rason; Lxx - dektos)...toward a servant who acts wisely." In Malachi 2:13 those who offered the sacrifices were not right with the Lord (they were seeking divorces - Mal 2:14) which is why He no longer was accepting their offerings with "favor (Hebrew - ratson/rason; Lxx = dektos)" from their hand. In Jeremiah 6:20 because of their breaking covenant with Jehovah, He says " Your burnt offerings are not acceptable (Hebrew - ratson/rason; Lxx = dektos), and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.” In a prophecy to be fulfilled during the Millennium, God promises that those who have joined with Him in covenant, will once again be able to offer "acceptable (Hebrew - ratson/rason; Lxx = dektos)" burnt offerings on His altar (NB: Yes, there will be "burnt offerings" during the Millennium - Ezek 40:38-39, etc) The use of dektos in the Lxx of Job 33:26 is very interesting to ponder as it reads "Then he will pray to God, and He will accept (Lxx = dektos; ratsah/rasah) him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man." This use is very instructive as many of the prior uses discussed in the previous paragraph are in a context of sacrifices that were accepted by God. Here we see prayer is acceptable to Him. It follows that there does seem to be something about our prayers that parallel the literal OT sacrifices. We know that many times those sacrifices are described as being associated with a "soothing aroma to the Lord." (9" class="scriptRef">Lev 1:9, 13, 17, Lev 2:2, 9, 12, Lev 3:5, 16, etc) This reminds us of Cornelius' prayers to God of which Peter said "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God." (Acts 10:4). Henry Morris comments "Even though Cornelius had not known about Christ, nor was he a practitioner of the Jewish system of sacrifice and worship, he nevertheless was a "devout man, and one that feared God...which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway" (Acts 10:2), and God was pleased with this. While these actions were not capable of earning salvation, his sincere acceptance and practice of the limited spiritual light that he had received resulted in God sending more light to him. It may be that this is a model of how God may deal with those men and women of any time and nation who do accept and follow such light as they have." Baker adds that dektos was "Used with elements of time such as kairos (2540), season (Lk 4:19), and eniautós (1763), year (2Cor. 6:2), meaning a time in which God has pleasure, and which He Himself has chosen. TDNT - The verbal adjective dektos has the basic meaning “what one can accept.” In the LXX it is linked with dechomai in transl. of ????? (ratsah/rasah) “to find pleasure,” and means “acceptable” or “pleasing” on the basis of a divine act of will. Dektos - 5x - translated acceptable(2), favorable(1), welcome(2). Luke 4:19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." Comment: Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 61:2 explaining why the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him - "To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD (fulfilled at His first coming), and the day of vengeance of our God (to be fulfilled in the future at His second coming); To comfort all who mourn. Thayer says here dektos denotes "that most blessed time when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound." Luke 4:24 And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. Acts 10:35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (Paul quotes Isa 49:8) for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION "-- Philippians 4:18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. Dektos - 34 uses in the Septuagint - see discussion above for use of dektos in the description of the sacrificial offerings. Exodus 28:38 "It shall be on Aaron's forehead (Engraved with "Holy to the LORD" - Ex 28:36), and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted (ratson/rason derived from ratsah/rasah) before the LORD. Leviticus 1:3 'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted (ratson/rason) before the LORD. 4 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted (ratsah/rasah) for him to make atonement on his behalf. Leviticus 17:4 and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man. He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people. Leviticus 19:5 'Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted (ratson/rason). Leviticus 22:19 for you to be accepted-- it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. 20 'Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you. 21 'When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. 29 "When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. Leviticus 23:11 'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted (ratson/rason); on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Deuteronomy 33:16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor (ratson/rason) of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. 23 Of Naphtali he said, "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor (ratson/rason), And full of the blessing of the LORD, Take possession of the sea and the south." 24 Of Asher he said, "More blessed than sons is Asher; May he be favored (ratson/rason) by his brothers, And may he dip his foot in oil. Job 33:26 Then he will pray to God, and He will accept (ratsah/rasah) him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man. Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted (Lxx = is acceptable). Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight (ratson/rason). Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight. Proverbs 14:9 Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will. 35 The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully. Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight (ratson/rason). 28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer (Lxx = are acceptable with the Lord), But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways are pleasing (ratsah/rasah) to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 13 Righteous lips are the delight (ratson/rason)of kings, And he who speaks right is loved. Proverbs 22:11 He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. Isaiah 49:8 Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable (ratson/rason) time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; Isaiah 56:7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable (ratson/rason) on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." Isaiah 58:5 "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable (ratson/rason) day to the LORD? Isaiah 60:7 "All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance (ratson/rason) on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house. Isaiah 61:2 To proclaim the favorable (ratson/rason) year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, Jeremiah 6:20 "For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable (ratson/rason) And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me." Malachi 2:13 "This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor (ratson/rason) from your hand. The important principle for saints to remember is that whether or not an offering is really acceptable and well-pleasing to God depends on the motive of the one who brings it. Lowell phrases it poetically as... “Not what we give but what we share, For the gift without the giver is bare.”

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