The Fragrance of Sacrifice

Leviticus 1: 3 – 9 (NIV): If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

Leviticus was written by Moses about fourteen-hundred years before Christ. It was a hand-book for the priest on how to conduct worship, sacrifices and celebrations. It uses the word holy 152 times, more than any other book of the Bible. God was very specific about how he wanted sacrifices to be done.

What we see in this passage is that true sacrifice is always costly. David said, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” God said the worshiper must sacrifice a “male without defect”. This is important for two reasons: one, it meant that they were to give their best to God. Ranchers need their best males to insure the best stock. God said give it to him. This insured that the sacrifice was costly. Secondly, it is symbolic of Jesus, who was without blemish (sin) and was thus worthy to be a sacrifice.

Why would God demand innocent blood? Why does Hebrews 9:22 say “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”? Because bloodshed is the ultimate sacrifice. God is holy and we are not, so only an ultimate price is sufficient. Freedom is so precious because it is paid for by that ultimate sacrifice. More than a million Americans have died for our freedom. But as unbelievable as that is, it is even more amazing that the creator of the universe shed his blood for my salvation.

Blood shows how serious sin is. It is not a joke to God, or something he is going to let slide. My sin and your sin cost his son's life and he doesn't think that is funny anymore than you would. (The mystery of the Trinity is that Jesus was God's son, but also God incarnate – in the flesh.)

The sacrificial system in Leviticus is no longer in effect. Jesus became the offering for us once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). But it is important to study it so that we realize that sacrifice must be costly. It was costly to God and true sacrifice is costly to us as well.

Delight Yourself in the Lord

Psalm 37: 1 – 9 (NIV): Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

King David was not a perfect man; far from it, he committed terrible sins. But this passage shows us why he was “a man after God's own heart.” David desired more than anything to have a relationship with God. That is the key. We find it in the Old Testament and new: God wants to have a relationship with us (see Hosea 6:6) and will forgive our sins when we repent.

David saw wicked people succeed in this life, just like we do today. But he knew that this life is not our true home. We are only here for a short time, then we face our maker and move into our eternal existence. So we should not envy people when they succeed, wicked or not, because living in envy is no life at all. We can take solace in the fact that everyone will stand before God.

Instead of being envious of others, we should trust in God to take care of us, and we should live a life that is worthy of God's goodness to us. Psalm 37:4 is a great memory verse and one of my favorites: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. God knows better than we do what the desires of our hearts are. When we put him first, trust in him, seek his Kingdom, and delight in him, he will respond by blessing us more than we can imagine. To delight in someone means to take great joy in his presence. This is the key to everything.

I fear that often our relationship with God is up or down based on how things are going in our lives, but this shouldn't be so. We should trust in God and wait patiently for him to act on our behalf. To David, the most wonderful place to be was in God's promised land. That land is still sought-after and fought-over to this day, as we see in the news. But being in God's land is also symbolic of being in his will and in his presence. That's where David wanted to be – and that's where I want to be too.

God's Promise to His People

2 Chronicles 7: 11 – 14 (NIV): When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Solomon had just completed the Temple. It was the first permanent structure the Israelites built as a place of sacrifice and worship. And, of course, it was a magnificent building, worthy to be the place to worship the true God. Solomon had dedicated the temple and the glory of the Lord was so powerful that the people could not even enter the building. When you dedicate something, you are setting it aside for an exclusive purpose. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:16 that our bodies are temples today, set aside for God's exclusive purposes.

Now we come to one of the most well-known passages of scripture, 2 Chronicles 7:14. God is telling Solomon how to receive relief from the trials he and his people would face. The drought would come. The plague of locusts; the plague of sickness. Drought and locusts directly affected the people's income. The plague made them sick and took their lives.

Notice that God said he would shut up the heavens so it would not rain; God would command the locusts to devour the crops, and God himself would send the plague. We must never forget that God is in control of all things. But he told us what to do when these things happen: to humble ourselves, pray, seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways.

It's important to note that this passage is referring to a nation of people. We can see through history how true these words are. The people would begin to forget God and his decrees during times of prosperity and would suffer for it. Does God send plagues and locusts and drought to individuals? What I do know is that he uses all things for our own good, namely to get us to pray to him and to desire to get to know him.

God assured Solomon that he would allow trials and difficulties to come to the nation so they would repent and turn to him. Is America facing financial difficulties today? Is America facing a health crisis today? The answer is for God's people to repent and pray, to turn from our sinful lifestyles, and to seek God's face. Then God will hear from heaven and heal our great land.

Doubting Thomas Believes

John 20: 21 – 29 (NIV): Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

You can't really blame Thomas for not believing the report that Jesus had risen from the dead. That is not something you encounter every day. His reaction was normal; he simply said he would believe it when he saw it for himself.

Here's a little human nature fact check: a lot of people still refuse to believe even when they see something for themselves. At least Thomas quit doubting and acknowledged Jesus as the risen Christ when he saw and touched him. History says Thomas took the gospel to India, giving the rest of his life to spreading what he saw. Whether we see Jesus with our own eyes or hear the report of someone else who did, we still must choose to believe that he is the Christ. It's amazing to think about how many people saw Jesus perform miracles and heard him preach, but refused to believe that he was the Christ.

Our only question to ask ourselves is, “are the scriptures reliable?” Can we trust that what Thomas said and did in this passage is true? Did he really see a risen Jesus? The good news is that, yes, we can trust the scriptures. Yes the scriptures are reliable. When we consider the internal prophecies that were fulfilled, the changed lives, the change to the whole course of History because of the disciples' testimony, the conversion of the skeptics, the amount of ancient manuscripts, the consistency among the books of the Bible and the innumerable changed lives today, we can easily conclude that the scriptures are reliable and true.

Jesus knew his physical ministry on earth was coming to an end. He knew that subsequent generations would have to rely on the word of the witnesses. He knew we had to believe in him based on what the disciples said. That's why he said we are blessed if we choose to believe in him, even though we don't get to see his scars upon his risen body. When we realize that the scripture is true and we do believe, we will make the same exclamation Thomas made. We will cry out to Jesus as our Lord and God.

The Vine and the Branches

John 15: 1 – 5 (NIV): "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

These are among the last words Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said this the night before he was crucified. He was giving them some of their final instructions before he completed his ministry on earth. He knew how important it was that the disciples did not split into eleven churches with eleven ideas about salvation. He knew how important it was that the disciples continue to receive their strength and authority from him and him alone.

In his illustration, Jesus is using a common agriculture picture that his hearers readily understood. They knew that branches of a grape vine, or any other type of vine, could not survive on their own. Branches must be connected to the vine to receive nutrients. If you cut away a branch from the vine, the branch will wither and die without exception. If you try to create a church or ministry that is not connected to the words and power of Jesus, you are doomed to failure. Jesus is and will remain the central figure in the true church of God.

Further, branches that bear no fruit will be cut off by the gardener, God. This is the pruning process of God's church in History. Churches that remain in Christ will bear fruit for him, while those that do not will die off. The same applies to individuals – we cannot bear fruit in ministry apart from the gospel of Jesus. It was critical that the disciples understood this as the church was beginning, but it's important for us to remember today too.

One last thing: Jesus said successful branches will be pruned. God will lop away parts of our lives that hinder us. This is unpleasant at the time, but makes us better, more mature, and more effective as Christians.

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

John 13: 1 – 5 (NIV): It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

The disciples knew something big was about to happen. They had watched the crowds lay down palm fronds and chant “Hosanna!” as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey. They had seen Jesus raise people from the dead. They figured he was about to be crowned King.

So it surprised them when Jesus stripped off his outer clothing and began to perform the job of the lowest house servant – he began to wash their feet. Disgusting! We all watched Prince William ride through London with his beautiful bride in that beautiful carriage recently. What if William had stopped the carriage, stripped off that red coat, and began to polish the boots of the horsemen following behind him?

But Jesus' Kingdom is not like any in this world. In Jesus' Kingdom, the least are the greatest and the humble are exalted. In Jesus' Kingdom, those who are the greatest are the servants of others. Believe me, Jesus is the King; he's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but his Kingdom is not of this earth. It horrified the disciples when, hours later, Jesus was not crowned King, but crucified as a common criminal. But when he rose again they began, slowly, to understand.

God's Kingdom is the only one where the King dies for his people. We are used to seeing people die for their king or country, but not the other way around. If we are to be the greatest in God's Kingdom, then we, too, will be like Christ. We will be servants to others, humble and full of love. We will be concerned about the needs of others, and not just ourselves. We will have the humility to give help to others and to accept help from others. We will not be selfish or full of pride.

And there is something else Jesus taught us that night. He knew he was about to be abandoned and betrayed by these men, yet he washed their feet. He taught us to forgive. In the Kingdom of God, there is forgiveness. In God's Kingdom, there is grace.

Choose Life!

Deuteronomy 30: 11 – 18 (NIV): Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Deuteronomy is a big ole' word that simply means “the second law”. The book is basically three sermons from Moses, just before the Israelites left the desert and entered the promised land. He is not giving a second set of laws, but reminding them of the laws God had already given, including the Ten Commandments. Today's passage is part of Moses' farewell speech.

He says it's not hard to obey God. We already know what God wants from us. We don't have to wait for someone to go up to heaven and find out, or cross the sea to get God's instructions. It's in our hearts, because God placed a desire for him in each of us, and its in our “mouth”. This may mean that Moses had given the law to the people in their own language and in a way that they could discuss it and understand it. It's not some foreign law that is across the sea and too hard for us to understand, it is simple: love God, love each other, obey God's Commands.

Moses said the people had two choices: Obey God and live, or disobey God and die. Life can really be boiled down to these two choices. As a people, the Israelites would fail or succeed based on which decision they made. We can see in History that this was true.

We, as individuals, face the same two choices today. If we run after other gods, we can expect God's punishment; if we love God with all of our hearts, we can expect his blessings. God's Laws are not too difficult for us to understand and obey; we can do it. Remember, the Law was divided into three parts: Ceremonial, Civil and Moral. We Gentile Christians today are not bound to the Ceremonial or Civil Laws – Jesus fulfilled and completed them (Paul discusses this in Galatians 3 – 5). Choose life! Love God.