I wondered when I decided to start this 3:16 journey how many random verses may appear that by themselves may not mean a whole lot. Here is an example whereby itself this verse alone does not make a much sense on its own but that is why when you read your bible we should not just read a verse alone but dig into the surrounding story. I may cherry pick out scriptures in my blogging, but there is the hope that it will lead the reader back to where the verse is and explore what is happening around it.
the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.
Leviticus 3:16
During the time Moses was leading the people in the wilderness he was helping establish a way for the people to worship God. God gave him wisdom and knowledge on how to sacrifice animals to atone for the people sins. To us looking at the practice we see it as barbaric and messy. Sacrifices were done in such a way that they provided for those who made the sacrifice and generated a sin penance to God. Not any animal could be sacrificed, certain ones were to be avoided. Eve in the list of the acceptable there were those with blemishes or injured that would be unacceptable. Only perfection would be accepted.
All this was created to show man that if they tried on their own it was nearly impossible to keep up. Some picture that the sacrificial altar of God at some points was being used 24/7. They tried to keep up with the sacrifices but the people kept sinning against God. They forgot the God they served and would chase after other gods who brought them farther away from God’s plan for them. The sin offering was a mandatory offering that was expected for all the people. This offering was called a peace offering and it was offered in worship. Just as the tithe is expected this offering was a gift to God thanking him for his peace.
Our worship to God is important. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice so that we would not have to work to get to heaven. He removed the need to provide animal sacrifices to cleanse our sins. Our worship needs to reflect our thankfulness for this. Daily we must give time to Him in worship thanking Him for what He has done for us. Just as the priest could only sacrifice the best animals, I wonder are we giving God the best time when we worship or are we working to squeeze Him into our busy lives?
Father, thank you for sending your Son the perfect sacrifice. You showed us what it would take to do this on our own and we just cannot do it. Forgive us for not giving you the best of us, we want to live all in. Hep us to give you our time and use it wisely. Show us Your will for our lives, speak to us. We want to reach the lost and show them that You love them and want to have a relationship with them. Amen.
50 Days of Pray 