The Significance of the Offering (Lev. 1:1-17 & 6:8-13)

8/16/2008 9:30 AM

My Worship Time           Focus:  The significance of the offering

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Leviticus 1:1-17; 6:8-13

            Message of the verses:  The significance of the offering is that it is between the offerer and the Lord, for the phrase “unto the Lord” is seen seven times in the first chapter of Leviticus.  The phrase “a fragrant aroma” is used three times in this chapter and it refers to the aroma from the sacrifice that goes up to the Lord.  Now I realize that God is Spirit and does not actually smell things but it is written this way so the reader can understand the significance of what is going on.  The fragrant aroma was also spoken of about the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  (Eph. 5:2)  In Philippians 4:18 it reads as follows, “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.”  This of course speaks of the believers offerings that were given to the Lord on behalf of Paul’s ministry.

            In Leviticus 6:9-13 the law of the burnt offering is seen:  “9  "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it.  10  ‘The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar.

11  ‘Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.  12  ‘The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it.  13  ‘Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.”  First it can be seen that the offering is to remain on the altar all night and the fire is to be kept burning.  Next the ashes were to be put in a clean place as opposed to an unclean place for they are ashes of a sacrifice and therefore should not be put into the garbage.  This shows me that this whole process is very important to the Lord and it must be done right.  Dr. Wiersbe points out that the first fire was probably started by the Lord on the altar.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I see a lot of details in the instructions of how to offer a sacrifice, and there are different kinds of sacrifices which the detail is given to and not just once but different times in this book along with Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  The point is that there was a reason as to why there was such details given by God for these sacrifices and I think one of these reasons is that the are a picture or maybe even a type of Jesus Christ and what He would later do when He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and God was pleased with that sacrifice.  I cannot look at these sacrifices without looking at what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for me.  In this particular sacrifice, the whole burnt offering, Jesus Christ gave it all for me and it pleased the Father that He did this.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe.
2. Put on my spiritual armor.
3. Give myself to the Lord as described in Romans 12:1-2.
4. Trust that the Lord will guide my path today.

Memory verses for the week:                                  Exodus 20:1-17

1. Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3. You shall have no other gods before Me.
4. You shall not make for yourself and idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and forth generation of those who hate me,
6. but showing loving kindness to thousands, of those who love me and keep my commandments.

8/16/2008 10:07 AM