An Offering Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the LORD, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats. Leviticus 1:2 Burnt offerings were categorized as those offerings which were voluntary but offered regularly in Jewish culture. Since only the male could offer them, it is assumed that the man represented his whole family in the offering. Heres an excerpt from Bible.org explaining its purpose: The purpose of the burnt offering was to make atonement for the sin of the offerer and thus to gain Gods acceptance. The offerer laid his hands upon the animal, identifying with it. More specifically, he identified his sins with the animal. Thus, when the animal was slain (by the hand of the offerer) it died for the sins of the offerer. It is not so much for the offerers specific sins (which are dealt with by other sacrifices), but rather for the offerers general state of sinfulness. The burnt offering was required by, and served to remind the offerer of, his depravity. The burnt offering was thus not so much to gain forgiveness for a particular sin, but to make atonement for the offerers sinfulness. It was not just a certain sin which required men to remain separated from God, but the individuals sinful state. The burnt offering seems to provide a divine solution for mans fallen condition. It is important to note that the sacrifices were required in the Old Testament but were done away with by Jesus Christ when He established a new covenant because He was the only sacrifice that could satisfy the justice of God for mans sin. For the Christian, there is no longer any need for a sacrifice. So what does this mean for us? Hebrews 13:15-16 says, Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. If there is a sacrifice that the Lord wants from us, it is the fragrant offering of a life lived to please Him and to do good to all men. Our lives, offered as sacrifices to the Lord, are more acceptable to Him than anything we can ever give Him. Therefore, what we need to consider is our walk with God and men. As you read passages pertaining to offerings and sacrifices, always remember that your life is the living sacrifice that the Lord will consider as pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1-2). When you pray, remember to include a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus for His sacrifice which has saved you from your sins. While going through your day, look for opportunities to do what is right and good in Gods eyes and say, This is for you, Lord. These are the kinds of offering that the Lord is most pleased with and one that truly comes from your heart.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 11:27:45 +0000
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