Friday, October 2, 2015

Burnt offering: an aroma pleasing to the Lord

Leviticus 1:10-17
Offer flock, either the sheep or the goats, slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the Lord.
Bull, sheep and goat, the fat and head  and inner part are burn on the altar.
Offer a dove or young pigeon, it is to remove the crop with it contents and throw it to the east side of the altar.
Burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
The only one in which the whole animal was burnt; a token of dedication.
Leviticus is not much read by Christians today. A rule-book for the priests of ancient Israel would seem to have little more than curiosity value.
Yet God is holy still, and requires his people to be holy. Jesus' famous 'love your neighbour' saying comes from this book. Leviticus has much to say about proper care for the poor, the foreigner, the land.
And more important, the New Testament understanding of the death of Christ - dealing with our sins, standing in our place - draws deeply on concepts set out in Leviticus.
Why?
Offering animal must be cleaned by water, all need sprinkle blood against the altar on all sides. Atonement need blood replace our sin.
How?
Christian living in this world to show our life like aroma pleasing to the Lord.



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