Leviticus – Idaville Church

Scorpion’s Sting

Scorpion’s Sting

Do you know how to avoid common colds? The only way to ensure that you don't pick up one of the many cold and flu viruses is to be dead. On average preschool children get nine colds a year and adults get seven. Cold viruses, of which there are many kinds, are contracted through hand-to-hand contact with an infected person or touching the surface of an object that has been touched by an infected person, such as the handle of a grocery cart or the coffee cup extended to you by a fast-food server. In other words, catching a cold is inevitable regardless of the care you take to avoid encountering the annoying cold virus. There are preventative steps you can take, including regularly washing your hands but watch out for the bathroom door handle, or staying fit through good nutrition and exercise, but beware the germs lurking on the treadmill's grip at the gym. We can't see cold viruses, but they are unavoidably enveloping us. And as we might be victims of a cold virus, we are just as likely to be the spreader of it as well.

What can be said about the common cold virus and the human condition is true of the spiritual condition of each one of us. By virtue of our human condition as sinners we are all, every one of us, inevitably committing sinful thoughts and making sinful choices daily. Even if our sin is not premeditated and even if we are most attentive to avoid sin, we cannot escape the inevitability of committing it. The Bible clearly tells us that the human soul stands in need of cleansing from sin and guilt. And the sacrificial system that is detailed in the book of Leviticus made an accommodation for the unavoidable human condition of sin. The sin offering was God's gracious provision for the guilty person by which his or her sin was removed and by which he or she received divine forgiveness. The corruption of human sin also polluted the tent of meeting and required cleansing which is why this offering is also called the purification offering. But the sacrifice of an animal only purged the corruption of the outer person, the body. What was needed was to purge the malignancy of the inner person, the soul. The Lord made a sure means of forgiveness for every one of us through the atoning sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ whose sinless life made it possible for our iniquities to be purged from our souls.

Two weeks ago, we discovered that God desired those who call Him Lord and Savior to live in an awareness of their sin and their need for repentance and forgiveness. Last week we discovered that God desired to forgive all who would come to Him in repentance of their sin. Today we will see that God desires His people to come before Him confessing their sin daily, which is required because of our sin nature. And through the atoning sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ, God graciously gives forgiveness and restoration to us. That brings us to our big idea that God desires His people to come before Him in daily confession of their sin.

Let’s pray: "Heavenly Father, as we gather to hear your Word proclaimed this morning, we ask that you open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit. Lord, let these words be your words, not ours, pointing us always to your Son, Jesus Christ. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and Redeemer, that we might hear your truth, be transformed by it, and give you all the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Before we get into this morning’s scripture, let me recap our study of God’s chosen people so far. In Exodus, Yahweh (the Lord) rescues His chosen people, the Israelites, from slavery to Pharaoh, saves them from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, and guides them to Mt. Sinai to give them His Ten Commandments. Because they were His people and He was their God, He commanded them to build a “tent” so He could dwell among them as they traveled to the Promised Land and where they could worship Him. After Moses finished the “tent of meeting” the Lord came down in all His holiness and took up residence in the Holy of Holies, between the cherubim that were on the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant. God then began to instruct Moses and the Israelites on how they were to approach Him with proper worship and because they were sinful human beings this included offerings and sacrifices. Some of these offerings and sacrifices were voluntary signifying the worshipper’s complete love and devotion for God, for His atonement for their sins and their access to His presence. They also signified the joy and celebration of the worshipper for God’s faithful provision and covenant saving relationship and the reconciliation and peace the worshipper could now have with God because of His grace and covenant.

Then God mandated the sin offering. The sin offering was mandatory because of the people’s sin nature and their sinful lives. It signified cleansing and purification for the sin that polluted both people and the Holy Place and that it required blood to fully remove sin’s penalty and pollution, allowing renewed access to God’s presence. As we have studied the sin offering, we have noticed and descending order of importance in who has sinned and the sacrifice they were to bring for their atonement. The first offerings were for the high priest and the whole Israelite community when they sinned unintentionally and then became aware of their sin. They were to bring the most expensive offering of a bull without defect. This was because their sin was the most serious and could cause the entire community to become estranged from God and His presence. The next offering was for the leaders of the community and was to be male goat without defect. And today we will study what the final group of people were to bring as an offering when they sinned unintentionally, realized their guilt and the sin they committed became known to them. We will also look at four specific unintentional sins committed by this final group and what they were to do to make atonement and be forgiven.

Now let’s turn to Leviticus 4:27-35. Follow along as I read these verses. This is what God’s Word says, “If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect. They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. “‘If someone brings a lamb as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect. They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.”

The fourth and final group that God instructed on what they were to bring as a sin offering was any member of the Israelite community. The word used is speaking of an individual, not of the high priest or a leader in the community, but of the common Israelite. Again, their sin was unintentional, they had done what was forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, they realized their guilt and the sin they committed had come to their knowledge. The sin could have come to their knowledge because another person informed them of a sin they committed or a law they unwittingly violated. Also, the individual may have become aware of their sin because they suffered consequences of their guilt and were prompted to discover whether sin was the cause. In some cases, they might simply have thought back over the past several days or weeks to see how they might have sinned. In others they might have sought an answer directly from the Lord.

But no matter how the knowledge of their sin came to light, when it did, they had to bring an offering of a female hairy goat without defect. The female goat would have been of less value than the male goat and so more affordable for the common Israelite. Of course, it had to be perfect, without defect, symbolizing Jesus Christ as the perfect and unblemished sacrifice for our sins. The goat’s rough, hairy nature symbolized an awareness of sin and was visibly linked to human guilt and rebellion against God, contrasting with the innocence of lambs in other offerings. The worshipper then was to lay their hand on the head of the female goat which identified them as the guilty party and it as their sin offering and substitute. The worshipper slaughtered the goat at the place of the burnt offering or on the north side of the altar. The priest then took over taking some of the blood with his finger and putting it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The horns of the altar represented power and strength and when covered with blood symbolized complete atonement from sin, purification from defilement and reconciliation with God. The penalty for sin was paid, the sacred altar was purified, and one life was exchanged for another bringing God’s forgiveness, foreshadowing Christ ultimate sacrifice. Then all the remaining blood was to be poured out at the base of the altar signifying that God was the giver of life and the life of the sacrifice was being returned to Him. The worshipper was to then remove the fat, just like that of the fellowship offering, and the priest was to burn the fat on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. The fat was the choicest and best part of the animal and again, as such, was reserved for God alone.

One difference between the fat offering of the common Israelite and the offerings for the high priest, whole community and leader was that this time the priest was to burn the fat on the altar “for a sweet aroma to the Lord.” These words showed extra favor to the common Israelite. The fact that this same ritual is stated almost exactly word-for-word as the rituals performed on behalf of the high priest, the whole community and the leader showed that the sin of the common Israelite was as completely atoned for, forgiven and just as important to the Lord. Garrett says, “In fact, the forgiveness of the lowly person is actually exalted in the use of the terminology.” After each ritual has been performed, the priest is said to have made atonement for the person, or group and their sin had been forgiven. This was stated so the sinning party or parties knew beyond a shadow of the doubt that their sin was cleansed, forgiven, forgotten and they were put back into a right relationship and close fellowship with their covenant king.

Next, we see an alternative option of a lamb for the sin offering of the common Israelite. Again, it was to be a female without defect which made it less valuable than a bull and more affordable for the common person. The Hebrew word used here for “lamb” means “to dominate” and was used to symbolize that Christ would dominate over sin with His death, burial and resurrection. This made an offering of a lamb a suitable sin offering reminding us of the words of John 1:29: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The ritual presented in verses 33 to 35a are almost exactly word-for-word from the common Israelites’ sin offering of the female goat. It all points us to remember Christ’s pure and perfect atoning death on the cross at Calvary which was foreshadowed for 1500 years by the sin offerings the Israelites brought to the “tent of meeting.” Each offering they brought with the right heart and motives, that they laid their hands on and slaughtered, restored their communion with Almighty God repeatedly. Both the goat and the lamb are a picture of Jesus Christ and were to foreshadow that there was a perfect sacrificial offering coming who would once and for all not only cover the sins of humanity but take them completely away.

God spent an extravagant amount of time in human history to point humanity to His Son Jesus for salvation. I’ve mentioned many times before that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. There is no relationship or peace with the Father except through believing Jesus for our salvation. All of history is all about Jesus. We need to be careful not to worship anyone or anything else. Instead, as Hebrews 12:2 says, we need to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let’s fix our attention on God’s Word and His love for us shown at the cross. Let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus and stop making excuses for not coming to Him for salvation and not accepting His gracious sacrifice on our behalf. God loves us so much that as Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” For those who have been ignoring God’s call to surrender your life to Him, it is time for you to echo Paul in Galatians 2:20, which says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” That brings us to our first next step which is I will stop making excuses for not surrendering my life to Jesus, be crucified with Him and invite Jesus to live in me.

That brings us to Leviticus 5:1-5 and three specific unintentional sins that the common Israelite may have committed requiring them to bring a sin offering before the Lord. This is what God’s Word says, “If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible. “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt; or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned.”

These specific sins are of less magnitude than what was discussed for much of chapter four and this section is a continuation of the sins of the common Israelite. The word for “anyone” is again “soul” meaning a person with a will or desire. Three specific sins are highlighted. The first has to do with an individual who hears a public charge to testify about something, and they do not speak up. They have specific knowledge in a judicial matter and are being asked on oath to divulge what they know. Or they are being asked on oath about a matter, and they are being deceitful about their answer for some reason. In the Israelite community it was an individual’s duty and responsibility to tell the truth but especially in judicial matters. This was the proper behavior that God required of all Israelites to maintain the integrity of the society ultimately ruled by God’s divine law. If someone was aware of an offense committed by someone else, they were required to tell the truth, or they would be held responsible and bear guilt. In fact, that individual would be considered in God’s eyes to have participated in what had occurred. This was a willful concealing of something that undermined the Lord’s control of His people through His law. In Matthew 26, Jesus was put under oath by the high priest to answer whether He was the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus was now bound by the law of Moses to answer and tell the truth. Of course, he did and remained without guilt in the matter.

The second type of sin was about becoming unclean, either through touching something or someone who was unclean. This is the first time the word “unclean” has been used in the Bible and is a verb meaning “the act of becoming defiled.” If someone came in contact which something or someone unclean, they also became unclean until they were “purified.” This was another reason why the sin offering was also called the purification offering. There were many things that could make a person ceremonially unclean. Three dead things are mentioned: the carcass of an unclean wild or domestic animal such as a pig or donkey and the carcass of an unclean creature that moved along the ground such as a reptile. These general categories were given to symbolize all unclean animals that would later be designated by God’s dietary laws. There were four likely reasons that an individual would be unaware of becoming unclean. One, they didn’t know they touched something unclean. Two, they were unaware of the law that would tell them they had touched something unclean. Three, they had forgotten they had become unclean by touching something unclean. And four, they had willingly ignored the fact they had touched something unclean. Also, someone would be considered unclean if they were to touch a person who was unclean. The mitigating factors here were the touching of someone who was bleeding, the touching of bodily fluids or touching someone to do with death. No matter whether it was something or someone unclean, the individual would be considered guilty even if they were unaware of becoming unclean. This was an exhortation for them to be aware of their surroundings and not to go about life like they didn’t have a care in the world. This was not considered a moral failure but a ceremonial one and as such they were still considered guilty and had to bring an offering.

The third type of sin was like the first. Someone had thoughtlessly made an oath or swore carelessly about something, and it didn’t matter if it was for good or evil. The word for “speaking thoughtlessly” means “to babble.” It comes from the idea of speaking rashly or unadvisedly. They spoke rashly in the heat of the moment and when the situation had died down, they didn’t consider the oath they had spoken. The phrase “whether good or evil” means every conceivable situation is covered and guilt has been incurred. Once the matter is brought to the attention of the offender, they were guilty under the law and would have to bring the appropriate sacrifice. In verse five we again see a word used for the first time in scripture. When a person was guilty of any of these three offenses, remaining silent under oath, touching something or someone unclean or making a rash oath, and it was brought to their attention, they became guilty and had to “confess” their sin. Even though it is not mentioned, we can surmise that the sin offerings that were to be brought in chapter four also included confession and so the necessity to confess shows that the offer itself was not enough to bring atonement, forgiveness and restoration. This again points us to the gospel and Jesus Christ as our sin-offering. There is no such thing as universal salvation. Without confessing that we are sinners, without confessing that we need a Savior and without confessing Jesus as Lord we will not be saved. Also, our sin is not cleansed without confessing as seen in 1 John 1:9, which says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” (Big Idea) Garrett says, “Confession, whether of sin or for salvation, is necessary for things to happen.”

In conclusion of today’s message, I want you to consider this illustration. Imagine that you have a scorpion on your brow, and you don’t know it and it is prepared to thrust its deadly sting into you. Now imagine a timely friend who sees the deadly scorpion and alerts you to the danger so you can sweep it off just in the nick of time. The scorpion is our unintentional sins and the God “of all knowledge” is our gracious friend. God’s Son, His Word, and His gracious provision of confession, forgiveness and restoration is offered to us so that we will purpose to live holy lives. And when we inevitably sin, we are to come before Him in confession lest we die in our sins and are separated from God for all eternity. So, let’s purpose to live holy lives, in awareness of the scorpion sting of unintentional sin that sits on our brow. Let me finish with I John 2:1-2 and our last next step: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Let’s purpose to listen to the Holy Spirit, to help keep us from sin or to remember God’s gracious provision of confession, forgiveness and restoration. That brings us to our second and last next step which is I will daily confess my sins finding forgiveness and restoration through God’s provision of the sin offering of Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to be in your presence and to learn from your Word. As we live our lives in this sin saturated world, help us by your Spirit to be attentive to the scorpion’s sting of sin. Help us to listen to your Holy Spirit’s prompting to daily confess our sins before you. Thank you for your forgiveness and restoration through your provision of our sin offering, Jesus Christ. And Lord pricks the hearts of those who don’t know you so that they would stop making excuses, surrender their lives to your son, be crucified with Him and invite Him to live within them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

January 4, 2026/by Office

Gospel Megaphone

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb God's Word, Reconciliation, Repentance, Salvation

Gospel Megaphone

For as long as 3000 years, there has been a caste system in India. The word is derived from the Portuguese word “casta” which means “race, breed, or lineage.” That was derived from an earlier concept meaning “pure” or “unmixed.” The actual words used to describe the caste system are Varna and Jati (Jaytee). Varna means “color” and is used as a framework for grouping people into classes. Jati means “birth” which is considered to have its basis in religion. In the end, this is not uncommon in the world. Religion often finds ways of oppressing people. In the case of the Indian castes, there are five major groups. At the top are the Brahmins, and at the bottom are the Dalits. None of the castes are to intermarry, but the poor Dalits, or untouchables, aren’t even to be spoken to or looked at for the most part. As a caste, they are considered so low that they aren’t even considered a caste. Although there are high-ranking and low-ranking people within Hebrew society, there is the underlying truth that all humans are created in God’s image and are of equal worth. But this may not always be the reality. Some of the Jewish religious sects look at the Gentile world as “far below them.” They are the righteous and favored and the Gentiles are the dogs. Such is life for those who reject the truths of the Bible, or who selectively pick and choose certain verses to merge with a presupposition about others. Even in Christianity, there have been those who have used the Scriptures to justify the notion that one group of people is less valuable than another. Slavery, subjugation of other people groups, and a diminishing of the value of life grow naturally out of a liberal view on humanity.

However, the more biblically fundamental a person is, the more a true sense of value for human life is realized. The notion of abortion becomes abhorrent, the concept of euthanasia is seen for the evil that it truly is, and the equality of all men is brought into its highest place. Why is this? It is because the ground is level at the foot of the cross. There is but one offering by which all must come to God the Father. The richest person can offer no more, and the poorest person can come with no less. The cross is, above all, the great equalizer. The Old Testament focuses almost solely on the Hebrew people and their relationship with God, with but a few exceptions. The outside nations did their own thing, and they were, for the most part, regarded in a negative light, but the value of the individual – whether Hebrew or Gentile – is actually quite prominently on display. If we were to just look at the dealings within the Hebrew society, and nowhere else, we would note that there is no such thing as a caste system. There were Hebrew slaves, but they became that way for a reason, and they were to be given their freedom after certain intervals of time, or if certain other occasions required it by law. There were also nobles within society, but they were bound under the exact same laws as everyone else. In the end, one cannot find a system where the poor, or certain other groups, were intentionally kept subjugated by the framework for society, which is the Law of Moses. In fact, just the opposite is true.

The sin offerings of Israel highlight the fact that all were bound under the law, all had to come to God for forgiveness when they transgressed the law, and all were given equal forgiveness when they came forward for it. But within the sin offerings, there are clues that God actually exalted the lowly. The terminology used in the verses today highlights the offerings of the poor people in a way that is not highlighted for the high priest or the ruler who sinned. These things need to be highlighted, because they show that God looks on the poor and lowly and regards them. He doesn’t look more favorably on some and less on others just because of their looks, the size of their pocketbook, or the type of car they drive. Instead, he looks on the heart and determines the value of the person. Again, at the foot of the cross, the ground is level and our wonderful God allows all who will come, to come. If you have called on Christ, you are well-loved and highly favored. Acts 10:34-35 says, Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” God desires to forgive all people, no matter their race, status or background. All they need to do is come in true confession and repentance and he will forgive them. This is what we will see as we study the rest of chapter four. That brings us to our big idea that God desires to forgive all people who come to Him in repentance.

Let’s pray: Lord, as we study Your Word, grant us discernment and to understand its power. Help us apply these truths to our lives and grow in knowledge of You. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us so we can grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is for us. Reveal your wisdom to us through your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point, Remedy, is found in Leviticus 4:13-26. I am not going to read every single verse because there will be a lot of repetition, but I will read what is new in each section and refer to what is repeated. Today’s study is a continuation of the sin offering started last week. The sin or the purification offering is the fourth offering that God commanded Moses to teach to the Israelites. This was the first mandatory offering after instructing the people on three free-will offerings, the burnt, the grain and the peace or fellowship offerings. The burnt offering signified the complete love and devotion of the worshipper for God for their atonement and access to His presence. The grain offering signified the joy and celebration of the worshipper for God’s faithful provision and covenant saving relationship. The fellowship offering signified the reconciliation and peace meaning the wholeness, harmony, and well-being that the worshipper could now have with God in celebration of His grace and covenant. The sin offering signified cleansing and purification for the sin that polluted both people and the Holy Place. It also signified that it required blood to fully remove sin's penalty and pollution, allowing renewed access to God's presence. As God continues to instruct the people on the sin offering, we notice a descending order of importance in who has sinned and the sacrifice they were to bring for their atonement. Last week, we started with the sin of the High Priest, and the ritual God instructed Him to perform to deal with his sin. This morning, we pick up in Leviticus 4:13 talking about the next category, the whole Israelite community, and what had to be done when their unintentional sins came to light.

Follow along as I read verses 13-21. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting. The elders of the community lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting. He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the Lord seven times in front of the curtain. He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the community, and they will be forgiven. Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.”

First, this does not mean that one hundred percent of the congregation was guilty of sin but that at least one or more persons had sinned against the Lord’s covenant and brought guilt upon the whole community. The community as a whole had to be atoned for before they could have a proper relationship with the Lord again. The sin has an unintentional meaning, either the sinfulness was called out, the sinful act was not known to be sinful until the law that was violated was explained, or the people became aware of their sin because they suffered consequences of their guilt and were prompted to discover whether sin was the cause. In some cases, they might simply have thought back over the past several days or weeks to see how they might have sinned. In others they might have sought an answer directly from the Lord. Either way, when the sin became known, the congregation needed to present a bull as a purification offering. We may wonder why, if the sin is unintentional, does God bring discipline? You’ve probably heard the phrase “ignorance is no excuse.” Well, that is played out in the sin offering. Today, we may break the speed limit or commit some other traffic violation unknowingly, but if stopped we could still get ticketed. Demanding a penalty to be paid even for unintentional violations is not unjust or harsh. Also, this type of discipline from the Lord was actually an act of mercy. The goal of discipline is to alert us to our sin so we can properly repent and not incur other consequences.

When the entire community sinned unintentionally and or in ignorance, they bore the guilt and atonement had to be made. What is interesting is that on the Day of Atonement, the one day the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, he was to make atonement before God for the unintentional sins of the people throughout the previous year. But if a congregation’s sin became known it could not wait till the Day of Atonement to be dealt with. As soon as it was known the offering had to be brought or the sin became intentional. If they were to refuse to bring the sin offering it became a high-handed sin. I mentioned last week there was no offering that could be brought to atone for a high-handed sin; immediate repentance and sacrifice was the only way.

One example of the entire Israelite community experiencing the consequences of their guilt is found in Joshua 7. Before conquering Jericho, God commanded that everything in the city be "devoted to destruction", meaning it had to be destroyed or given to the tabernacle, as a sign of total dependance on God and prohibiting any personal profit. Achan sinned by stealing some of the "devoted things", including a beautiful Babylonian robe, silver, and gold, and hid them in his tent. By taking these items, Achan wasn't just stealing from the spoils; he was stealing from God, robbing Him of what was dedicated to Him. This hidden sin brought God's anger, and the consequences were that Israel lost their battle at Ai, resulting in death and national shame. Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the Lord asking God why they were defeated. And the Lord revealed that someone had stolen some of the devoted things. When identified by lot, Achan confessed, and he, his family, livestock, and possessions were taken to the Valley of Achor and destroyed by stoning and burning, removing the sin from Israel.

This can be a lesson for us today as well. If we are dealing with unique or severe suffering in our lives, we may want to examine ourselves to see whether God is warning us about sin or disciplining us for sin. Sklar says, “If loving earthly parents bring discipline, even strong discipline, into our lives in the face of sin, we should expect our loving heavenly father to do the same.” Hebrews 12:5-6 says, “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” So how can we keep from suffering the consequences of our guilt? First, we need to realize that God will discipline us to warn us from sinning or discipline us for our sin. Second, by confessing and repenting daily, we can hopefully keep from suffering the consequences of guilt because our unintentional sins have been confessed and repented of. That brings us to our first next step which is I will take responsibility for my sin daily by confessing and repenting of it.

The offering for the sin of the whole community was the same as the High Priest, a young bull without defect. This is because if the entire community was guilty the high priest was also guilty. The ritual was also similar. The young bull was to be brought before the Lord at the tent of meeting and this time the elders of the community were to lay their hands on the bull’s head and slaughter it. The elders would have been respected, mature men—heads of families, tribes, and communities—chosen for their wisdom, integrity, and fear of God. God specifically instructed Moses to appoint seventy elders to share the burden of spiritual and judicial leadership and who were empowered by the Holy Spirit. The seventy elders were the ones who accompanied Moses and Joshua up the mountain to seal the covenant with God in Exodus 24. As the elders put their hands on the unblemished bull’s head, the high priest or possibly someone else from the tribe of Levi would have confessed the sin of the community before God.

The bull without defects reminds us of Jesus and the slaughtering of the bull reminds us again that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. The high priest would then bring some of the bull’s blood into the tabernacle, liberally dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain or veil. He would then put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar which was in the Holy Place before the Holy of Holies. These actions symbolized that atonement and purification of the tabernacle had taken place, the tabernacle was holy and set apart as God’s dwelling place, and that the blood sacrifice was accepted by God for the sins of the entire community. This needed to be done inside the tabernacle since the high priest would have been unqualified to mediate for the people before God and his prayers and repentance on behalf of the people would have been ineffective. Sprinkling the blood in front of the veil symbolized it was done before the Lord whose throne was behind the veil where the Ark of the Covenant resided. And sprinkling the blood seven times meant that there was complete atonement for the sins of the community. This foreshadowed that Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection would bring complete atonement for the sins of humanity.

Then the remaining blood was returned to God by pouring it out at the base of the altar of burnt offering. We continue to see similarities to the previous ritual as all the fat was to be taken from the bull and burnt on the burnt altar. We saw a lot of detail in the previous offering, but here the ritual is simplified as they have already been fully instructed in how to perform it. If the high priest performed the ritual properly before the Lord, the sin debt would be removed by the shedding of the bull’s blood, atonement would be made for the people, and they would be forgiven by God. Just like before the bull’s hide, flesh, head, legs, internal organs and intestines were to be taken outside the camp to the ceremonially clean place and burned just like the bull sacrifice for the high priest. Taking the rest of the bull outside the camp symbolized removing the people’s sin not only from their sight but from God’s sight as well. Psalms 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” This symbolizes God's complete and endless removal of our sins, our guilt and our condemnation, emphasizing that there's no limit or return. This sin offering is then confirmed to be for the community.

That brings us to the third specific category of people in the Israelite community who were to bring a sin offering when their sin became known, the ruler or leader. We see this in verses 22-26. The word translated “ruler” is a common word for “prince,” “chief,” or “leader” and is derived from the word meaning “to raise” or “to lift.” It denoted someone that was lifted up above others in honor, power, and authority, or that bore the weight of government. It was associated with the tribal organization of early Israel and was probably the leader of a family or tribe. We see the term, “of the Lord his God,” in verse 22 that we did not see in verses 2 or 13. This may be speaking about a ruler who was specifically appointed by God as the seventy elders were. Matthew Henry says, “Those who have power to call others to account, are themselves accountable to the Ruler of rulers; high as they are, there is a higher than they.”

Again, like the other people or groups, when a ruler or leader realized his guilt and his unintentional sin became known, he had to make atonement. His offering differed from the high priest and the entire congregation as verse 23 says, “He must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.” The male goat, which was less costly, contrasted with the bull, showed his lower rank below the high priest and the entire congregation. His sin, though worse than the common Israelite, was not as heinous, nor did it have the same harmful consequences, as the high priest or the community. This offering showed that God's law applied to everyone, even those who were "lifted up in honor." The ruler or leader was to lay his hand on the head of the goat signifying he was the guilty party, and this was his sin offering. The ruler or leader was requesting mercy from the Lord and was asking Him to accept this innocent substitute in his place. Again, this points us to Jesus Christ as our perfect substitute, who was to die in our place. The goat was to be killed at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord, referring to the north side of the altar. The blood of the goat was not to be sprinkled inside the tent of the meeting or the Holy Place but rather put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The blood symbolically washed away the "uncleanness" and defilement of the people's sins that had permeated the sacrificial altar and consecrated or made it holy again. It transformed it into a suitable place for continued mediation between God and the people. It covered or removed the sin from God’s sight, bridging the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God, allowing for atonement, reconciliation and forgiveness.

In the New Testament the apostle Paul identified Jesus Christ as the sin offering who brought reconciliation between God and man. 2 Corinthians 5:20–21 says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” While this passage is the most concentrated discussion of sin, it is also the most concentrated discussion of forgiveness in the Old Testament. Again, we see more similarities with the previous offerings in that the rest of the blood was poured out at the base of the Burnt Altar, returning the life blood to God the Creator. And the fat of the goat was burned on the altar as the fat of the fellowship offering had been done. Lastly, the carcass of the goat was not to be burned outside the camp, as was the case in the sin offerings for the high priest and the entire congregation. All the differences indicated that the sin of the leader, while certainly grievous, was not as serious as that of the high priest or the Israelite community at large.

I want to conclude today with our second point, Redeemer. The sacrificial system that God commanded the Israelites to follow was an act of perfect grace on God’s part to prepare the way for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. It pointed them to the sinfulness of their sin and the salvation promised through the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15. The slaying of the sacrificial animal should have made the Israelites deeply contemplate the pervasiveness of sin in their lives and that only an unblemished substitute could atone for them. Our perfect sin-offering, Jesus Christ, is our Redeemer and He alone is the remedy for all our sin. We must also purposefully contemplate our sin, even daily as I mentioned earlier, and realize that only the perfect substitute of Jesus Christ is sufficient for our atonement and forgiveness. We must be aware of the desperate condition of our soul. God says in Romans 1:20 that we are without excuse, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

God expected the Israelites to hear His voice and to hear His remedy for the pervasiveness of their sin and obey with the proper heart and ritual. The cross declares the same message today, only with a lot more decibels if we are willing to hear. God, through the cross, reveals that His love through His son, Jesus, is for all peoples on earth. God desires to forgive all people no matter their race, status or background (Big Idea). Van Meter says, “God used a microphone when He declared His offer of forgiveness through the sin offering, but at Calvary He used a megaphone to declare forgiveness through the Sin Offering,” Jesus Christ. God even now continues to use the megaphone of gospel proclamation to draw all people to Himself for atonement and forgiveness, through the sin sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He will forgive and save all who declare that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

If you are not saved this morning, your unbelief is not unintentional anymore because salvation through Jesus has now been declared to you. If you are to be saved you must confess your ignorance and by God’s grace move from intentional or unintentional unbelief to intentional belief. The question is, will you continue to commit the sin that leads to death or will you repent and call upon the name of the Sin Offering, the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you “lean” on Jesus and “embrace” God’s remedy for your salvation and trust that your sins are transferred to Him on your behalf? If you will, then your Redeemer will pronounce that your sins are forgiven. Vasholz says, “Christ as the sin offering imputes His righteousness to the worshipper who leans on Him.” That brings us to our second and last next step in which I will embrace God’s remedy for my salvation by trusting in my Redeemer, Jesus Christ. If you are interested in accepting Jesus Christ for salvation and want to know more, please mark this next step on the back of your communication card.

As Gene & Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word and for the truths found in it. We thank you that you desire to forgive all people who come to Him in repentance. Help us by the power of your Holy Spirit to take responsibility for our sin daily by confessing and repenting of it. If there is someone here this morning who needs to know more about your salvation, help them to embrace your remedy for their salvation by trusting in our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

December 28, 2025/by Office

Dethroned But Not Destroyed

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb

Dethroned But Not Destroyed

Dostoevsky in the Brothers Karamazov tells a fable about a wicked woman who died and was taken to hell by devils and tossed into the lake of fire. Her guardian angel was very puzzled as to how he might help her. So, he thought through her whole life to see if he could find at least one good thing she had done which he might present before God. Finally, the guardian angel went to God and said, “Once a beggar came by when she was weeding her garden and she pulled an onion out and gave it to him to eat.” God said to the angel, “Alright go down and get an onion and hold it out to her in the lake of fire. Tell her to take hold of it and if you could pull her out with that onion she can come to paradise.” So the angel got the onion, went down to the lake of fire, and held it out to the woman. She grabbed hold and he began to pull. He pulled and pulled and sure enough he began to pull her right up out of the lake. She was almost completely free when some other sinners around her, seeing that she was about to escape, grabbed hold of her ankles to be pulled out with her. At first the onion held, and they too began to be pulled out. But the woman became very angry and cried, “This is my onion and you're not going to go out with me.” As she kicked them loose, the onion broke, and she fell back in and is burning there to this day.

This is a graphic illustration of the kind of evil addressed in the sin offering. Even in moments of triumph the taint of evil infects every human heart. We, as human beings, are rotten to the core, we are bad to the bone. Our sin nature is pervasive, meaning it is widespread and deep reaching inside of us. It infects our minds, our hearts and our wills. If we are going to overcome this pervasive sin, we must take for ourselves the counsel that Cain rejected when the Lord said in Genesis 4:7, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. How were they to rule over it? That was what the sin offering was to deal with. God desired the Israelites to first be aware of the pervasiveness or the magnitude of their sin and then realize their need for repentance and forgiveness. With the sin offering their sin nature had been dethroned, but it had not been destroyed, and so they were to live their lives with an awareness of their sin, being willing to repent and accept God’s all-encompassing forgiveness. It is the same for us today. Our sin nature is just as pervasive, but in Christ it had been dethroned, once for all. But we must not forget that it hasn’t been destroyed. That brings us to our big idea this morning which is God desires His people to be aware of the magnitude of their sin and their need for repentance and forgiveness.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, we approach your throne this morning, humbly asking for your Holy Spirit to fill us as we investigate your Word. Let your Word be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths. Help us to put all other thoughts away in this moment and focus our hearts and minds on you. May all we think, say and do here be honoring and glorifying to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This morning, we are in Leviticus 4, and our first point is, Realization, found in verses 1-2. Follow along as I read those verses. This is what God’s Word says, “The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands— . . .”

So far in our study of Leviticus, we have seen three voluntary offerings, the burnt offering, the grain offering and the peace offering, which God used to address three basic needs of every human being. The burnt offering addressed the need for love, the grain offering addressed the need for joy and the peace or fellowship offering addressed the need for peace. We as human beings cannot function properly if these needs are not met. Now only after addressing those three basic needs does God introduce the next two offerings, the sin and guilt offerings, in which He will deal with what separates Himself from His creation. It will also address another basic human need which is the need to live as responsible individuals toward God and our fellow human beings. In each of these offerings, God is foreshadowing the coming of a better sacrifice, the person of Jesus Christ, who would fulfill them all with his death and resurrection. Both the sin and guilt offerings were mandatory, and so it wasn’t a matter of “if” they would sin, but “when” they sinned God commanded them to realize their need for repentance and forgiveness and bring their offerings before Him. In fact, these offerings had to be brought before any of the previous offerings, that have already been addressed could be brought. Before the people could continue in their relationship with God, their sin had to be dealt with, and these next two offerings were intended to take care of that.

The fact that these were mandated shows that the previous sacrifices could not bring full atonement. In this way, the sin offering points us forward to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. He is the one who atones for sin, appeases wrath and restores propitiation. Every sacrifice points us to Christ but there is a logical order to them. In the sin and guilt offerings, we will see the blessings of forgiveness and reconciliation. And once our sin is cleansed then the blessings of the other sacrifices, love, joy and peace, can be manifested in our lives. God from the very beginning of time ordained that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross would fulfill all these sacrifices at once. We may wonder why God instructed the Israelites on five separate offerings instead of one. It was because each one could only deal with one of humanity’s problems. For instance, the burnt offering solved the problem of the Lord’s wrath against sin, but it did not purify or cleanse the sinner. There still needs to be expiation or the removal of sin’s pollution in their lives. The blood of the sin offering would symbolically accomplish that cleansing or purification.

As we now look at the first two verses, we notice a similar phrase from Leviticus 1:1, “The Lord called to Moses.” The first three chapters have been one continuous instruction from God to Moses. And now, God is going to introduce a new instruction, one that would separate the following offerings from the former ones. The instructions of the first three offerings focused on the procedure that needed to be followed to bring them in the appropriate way, the instructions for the next two offerings will focus on the people and the occasions that would require them. Also, notice again that Moses is to “speak” or “say” to the Israelites. These instructions were not only for the priests but for all the people. It was Moses, as the covenant mediator, and the priests, who were to explain these instructions to the people and guide them in obeying them. God starts this instruction with “when anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands.” The root word for sin occurs 595 times in the OT with 116 of those in Leviticus. Leviticus has the highest concentration of the word “sin” in the Bible. “If a person sins” is literally translated as “if a soul wanders away.” The meaning suggests sin is a violation of the covenant or missing the mark of God’s standard for behavior or conduct. And when a person violated the covenant, they were to bring a sin offering.

For all intents and purposes, there were two types of sin in Israel – unintentional or inadvertent and high-handed sins. The root word for “inadvertent” means “going astray”, “to commit sin or error” or “sinning by accident, mistake or in ignorance.” Eichrodt says, “It refers to sins that are the consequence of human frailty.” Again, focusing on our sinful nature, the sin offering was to be offered for their unintentional or inadvertent sins. Now high-handed sins were sins that were done boldly and in defiance of God. These sins were haughty, arrogant and prideful. It was like shaking your fist in the air at God and not caring about the consequences or feeling any guilt for your sin. High-handed sins could not be expiated. There was no offering or sacrifice that could be given for high-handed sins. The offender was to be “cut off” which could mean a premature death. All high-handed sins were intentional, but not all intentional sins were high-handed. Van Meter says, “sinlessness does not characterize the believer, but humility in failure does.” Believers still miss the mark, and they are painfully aware of this. While they do sin, they nevertheless are broken by it and bring their sacrifice in repentance before the Lord.” In fact, such a humble display and realization of their sin points to their sin being unintentional. (Big Idea).

One biblical example is King David. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband, Uriah, killed. If David had been unrepentant, refusing to bring a sin offering or brought it just for show and not from the heart, it would have been an intentional sin. But because he was repentant before the Lord, the Lord counted it as unintentional. David talking about keeping the decrees of the Lord says this in Psalms 19:11-13, “By them your servant is warned (talking about God’s decrees); in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful (or intentional) sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” It’s all about our heart toward the Lord. If when we sin, we come to the throne room of God through the blood of Jesus, we are counted as righteous, blameless and innocent but if we do not come through the blood of Jesus there is no sacrifice that will atone for us. Finally, doing what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands included not doing what God commanded and doing something that God commanded not to do.

That brings us to our second point, Remedy, found in Leviticus 4:3-12. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys—just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines— that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it there in a wood fire on the ash heap.”

The rest of chapter five will consist of four classes of people who were to bring a sin offering when they sinned. We will see a hierarchy of sinners’ kind of like the hierarchy of sacrifices for the burnt offering. The Lord starts with the person who had the most important position in the Israelite community and so had the greatest responsibility to do what was right. The “anointed priest” is Aaron, the high priest. He was the only priest anointed on the head with oil. The other priests were only sprinkled with it. Instructing Aaron what to do when he sinned proved that he and every high priest after him was a sinful human being and their sin nature was as pervasive as anyone else and needed to bring a sin offering before the Lord. The great responsibility of the high priest is seen in that when he sinned, he not only brought guilt on himself but on all the people. This is because he was the representative of the people before God. Since he was the one who atoned for the nation, no one could be atoned until his sin was taken care of. We see this played out in scripture in Romans 15:12 which says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people, because all sinned.” Sin and death entered the world through Adam, and so our sin nature was handed down to every human being. So, if the high priest was guilty of sin, then all the people became guilty as well. Now the vice versa is true as well. Romans 5:19b goes on to say that “so also through the obedience of the one man (meaning Jesus) the many will be made righteous.” God counts Christians as righteous because of the righteousness of Christ. Another way the high priest could bring guilt upon himself, and the people was if he performed a ritual wrong causing everyone to become unclean.

The sin offering the high priest was to bring was a young bull without defect, which of course, points us to Jesus Christ, who is our perfect sin-offering. Not only does great position bring great responsibility it also demanded the most expensive sacrifice. Then what we see next is familiar to us. The high priest was to bring the bull to the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord, meaning the burnt altar. The burnt altar was directly in front of the door to the Holy Place and symbolized that the worshipper had access to God. He was to then lean with his hand and all his weight on the head of the bull. This would identify that he is the sinner and this is his sacrifice. He was asking the Lord, who he has offended, to accept this sacrifice for his sin. This was the way that God ordained the sin offering to be brought and so the high priests’ sin was imputed or transferred to the bull and the bull’s innocence was transferred to the high priest. Again, Jesus and his sacrifice for us on the cross is clearly shown in the sin offering. Then the high priest was to kill the bull before the Lord, reminding the entire congregation that without the shedding of blood there is no atonement or forgiveness of sins. We are reminded that without the shed blood of Jesus on the cross our sins could not be forgiven as well. Now, the ritual offering deviates from what we have seen before. The high priest was to take some of the bull’s blood and go into the Holy Place. Normally, the blood was splashed around the burnt altar which signified that a life had been given to cover their sin and that it was being given back to God, the creator and owner of all life. But here the high priest was required to bring some of the blood into the place he served the Lord. He was to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in front of the veil. The word for “dip” means to immerse and so he probably completely immersed his finger in the blood and sprinkled it there.

He sprinkled the blood directly in front of the veil opposite the mercy seat where God dwelled. This was the veil that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This had to be done because all access to God would have been cut off and the high priest would have been disqualified from serving in the tabernacle because of his sin. He would have been ineffective in performing his duties, which for one, would have meant there would be no forgiveness for the people until he was cleansed or purified of his sins. He sprinkled the blood seven times which is the number of perfections in the Bible. This signified that his sin was completely and perfectly atoned for and that the tabernacle was completely cleansed and purified. He also was to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense. Putting blood on the horns would have cleansed the Holy Place making it holy again for God's presence. The incense altar was also where the prayers of the people were lifted to the Lord. The smoke of the incense would go through the veil into the presence of God symbolizing that their prayers were heard by Him. So not only was the high priest rendered ineffective to bring forgiveness to the people, but he was also rendered ineffective to bring their prayers before God. The incense would not have been acceptable, and the prayers of the people would not have been heard until the high priest’s sin was atoned for. The sins of the high priest would have not only polluted himself but polluted the place he served, the place God dwelled as well. Then the high priest was to pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. Since atonement had already taken place inside the Holy Place, the blood just needed to be returned to the Lord.

Once the blood had been dealt with according to the Lord’s instructions, we see something familiar again as all the fat of the sin offering was to be removed from the bull. The fat symbolized the best part of the animal, signifying abundance and health, and so was symbolic of the worshipper’s best. Burning the kidneys and the liver on the altar symbolized worshipping God with all their emotions and surrendering their entire inner being, including their hidden intentions and motivations, to God for divine scrutiny and purification. The procedure for the removal of the fat is almost identical to that of the burnt offering in chapter one and the peace offering in chapter three. But there was one major difference. In 3:5, God instructed that the peace offering was to be burnt on the altar on top of the burnt offering that laid on the burning wood. This was talking about the morning sacrifice offered on the burnt altar. But once the sin of the high priest was discovered his sin offering took precedence even over the morning burnt offering. This makes sense in that God would not have accepted the mediator’s burnt offering until his sin offering was given and his sin atoned for. We see a truth for us here as well. Any offering we bring before the Lord, an offering of praise, thanksgiving, acts of love/service and obedience, will not be accepted unless we have first repented of and confessed our sin before the Lord. That brings us to our first next step which is I will search my heart for any unconfessed sin before I bring my offerings before the Lord.

In verses 11-12, we again see something we haven’t seen before as the high priest presents his ritual sin offering. The rest of the bull, its hide, all its flesh, its head, its legs, its internal organs and intestines were to be taken outside the camp to a ritually clean place and burned. This place is identified as the place where the ashes from the burnt altar were poured out. This clean place was set apart by God because He is concerned with purity and holiness even with items considered unclean. We have seen before that the skin of the burnt offering was given to the officiating priest, and we will see later that the flesh of some offerings was able to be eaten by the priests but not in this instance. Leviticus 6:30 says, “But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned up.” The sinfulness of the high priest’s sin is seen in bringing the blood into the Holy Place to atone for it and by taking the remainder of the bull outside the camp to be burned. Garrett says, “The extreme treatment of both shows us the most severe nature of the offense, and so an even greater immensity of the atonement which was provided is also seen.”

God’s acceptance of the bull and its blood for the atonement of the high priest shows the extremely merciful act of forgiveness given to him. In cleansing the high priest of his sin, his sin was now transferred to the bull and because of his role as mediator the bull needed to be purged from the camp. Again, this is a perfect picture of Jesus Christ. God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice just as he accepted the high priest’s sacrifice of the bull. The bull’s blood was sprinkled before the veil and Jesus’ shed blood tore the veil in two. The bull’s body was taken outside the camp and burned, and Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem. We this in Hebrews 13:11-12 which says, “The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so, Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.”

We see the truth of the remission or removal of our sins here as the bull is removed from the camp and burned. Its sacrifice and removal teach us a couple of things. One, sin is costly and is always a detriment to us. Sin will never improve our life. It promises fulfillment but delivers deception, leading to spiritual separation from God. It distorts our vision, hardens our hearts, and disconnects us from God’s power meant to sustain us, making us feel empty even as it promises satisfaction. Two, when God forgives us, he removes our sin from his sight and from our sight. But we must never forget the cost of our sin and that our sin nature is crouching at our door desiring to have us. We must rule over it. We rule over our sin by relying on the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” We also rule over our sin by replacing sin with righteousness, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, and by cultivating a deep relationship with Jesus. We must remember that our sin nature has been dethroned but not destroyed and we must be diligent in ruling over our sin. And we can by the grace and mercy of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of all Christ-followers. That brings us to our second next step which is I will rule over my sin nature by the grace and mercy of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit.

In conclusion I want to read this illustration: Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth understood that sin is not an abstract concept but rather pollutes everything it touches. Having successfully murdered Duncan, she thought her deed would go unpunished. Yet she did not account for the lingering filth of her evil. Despite her best attempts to clean herself, she had to confess: “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” Our sin pollutes everything it touches. It is pervasive within us. The only blood that can take away the lingering filth of sin is the blood of Jesus Christ. Only the sinless Son of God suffices for our atonement and therefore our forgiveness. Let us be people who search our hearts for unconfessed sin before we bring our sacrifices before the Lord. Let us be people who rule over our sin nature. Let us be people who confess our need for a Savior and appropriate His sacrifice on the cross for ourselves. Let us be people who are aware of the magnitude of our sin and our need for repentance and forgiveness (Big Idea).

Let’s pray: Thank you Heavenly Father for the privilege of being in your house and studying your Word. Lord, as we come before you in personal and corporate worship teach us to search our heart for unconfessed sin before we bring our offerings before you. We ask for your grace and mercy and for your Holy Spirit to help us to rule over our sin nature. And give us an awareness of the magnitude of our sin and our need for repentance and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening: Ray Stedman, The Way to Wholeness, Lessons from Leviticus, p. 65

Closing: Scott Redd, https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/sin-offering

December 21, 2025/by Office

Give Peace a Chance

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Acceptance, Salvation, Strength, Trust

Give Peace a Chance

Some years ago, several artists were commissioned to paint a picture of peace. One artist depicted peace as a calm and tranquil sea under the moonlight. Another depicted peace as a mother and child reading a book together in a sunlit garden. But the picture that won the prize pictured a turbulent mountain waterfall with its noisily plunging waters. Yet half hidden behind the waterfall, not far from the thundering waters, was a bird's nest with a mother bird sitting quietly and serenely on her eggs. That was true peace, a safe and quiet little space during a noisy and raucous world.

This morning in Leviticus 3 we come to the third of five sacrifices that God ordained His people to bring to Him in worship. Through these five offerings, God was teaching the Israelites that he loved them so much that He, their one and only true God, was going to come down to earth, live a sinless life without blemish, sacrifice Himself for them as a burnt offering so that all who would believe in Him would live forever with Him. God wanted the Israelites and us to know that He wanted a relationship with His creation, and these offerings were to foreshadow a time when He would make that a reality. For us all five offerings are a picture of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.

In the burnt offering God offered a way for His people to be atoned for and be reconciled to Him and so begin a personal relationship with Him. It foreshadowed us coming to salvation through Jesus Christ. In the grain offering God gave them a way to respond to His love and salvation by offering a gift of thanksgiving that acknowledged God's provision of their physical and spiritual needs, and a remembrance of the covenant promises made to each other. This foreshadowed our pursuit of holiness and sanctification in that our works for the Lord are acceptable in Jesus.

The third sacrifice is called by many names. It is called the fellowship offering, the well-being offering or the peace offering. Once we have accepted God’s offer of salvation and responded with thankfulness and dedication, we are able to have peace. We can be in fellowship with God in an intimate way. The peace we will study today is the supernatural peace we can have through God’s presence in our lives and knowing that He is in control of all things no matter how chaotic, troubled or out of control our lives seem to be. The fellowship or peace offer will teach us that we can have peace amid trouble and conflict and in a noisy and raucous world. We have the surety that God will ultimately work all things for the good to those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. We see that is Romans 8:28. It is impossible to have a fulfilled and satisfied life without the peace that comes from being in a close, personal relationship with God. This is the peace that is pictured by the painting of the mother bird sitting on her eggs behind the turbulent waterfall. This is the kind of peace we can have, and the kind God wants to give us. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to live at peace with Him.

Let’s pray, Heavenly Father, we come into your presence this morning with surrendered hearts and minds. Open our eyes and ears to what your Holy Spirit wants to say to each one of us. Teach us your holy Word and help us to obey all your commands. Give us your truth so that we can share with those who don’t know you. Help us to apply those truths to our own lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point, The Herd, is found in Leviticus 3:1-5. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If your offering is a fellowship offering, and you offer an animal from the herd, whether male or female, you are to present before the Lord an animal without defect. You are to lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash the blood against the sides of the altar. From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.”

The Hebrew word used for “fellowship” indicates a voluntary offering of thanksgiving much like the grain offering but with the added idea of alliance and friendship with God. This alliance would bring peace between two parties. The Hebrew word for “peace” is “shalom” which is a state of harmony, prosperity, happiness, friendship and unity. It is a state of wholeness and contentment. The burnt offering brought a state of atonement, the grain offering brought acceptance and satisfaction and the peace offering brings fellowship, communion and interaction between God and man. As with the burnt offering, we see the same sequence of events taking place with the peace offering. First, the proper animal had to be selected. The Israelites were able to choose from three types of animals. The first was an animal from their herd. But there were differences between this offering and the burnt offering. One difference was that the worshipper could present either a male or female animal as a sacrifice. Whereas the burnt offering was all about God and so required male animal, the peace offering was more about His people. He wanted to live in peace with all people and so a male or a female was acceptable. This was also to be a celebratory offering to God and with God from His people.

Second, like the burnt offering, the animal had to be perfect, without blemish or stain. This was to remind the worshippers that they were not perfect but sinful human beings and that the only way to approach God was by His grace. Do we honestly dwell on our sinfulness and how blemished we are. Do we take our repentance seriously? Do we contemplate our salvation and how Jesus suffered and died on the cross for pour sins? Van Meter says, “As we loathe our condition, we will increasingly love God’s salvation.” If we are to have peace with God, we must recognize that we are sinful human beings, that we fall short of the glory of God and must be reconciled to Him. We must be broken because of our sin but at the same time rejoice exceedingly for what Jesus has done on the cross for us. Third, like the burnt offering, the worshipper had to lean with all their strength on the head of the sacrifice signifying that the perfect animal was their substitute and was taking their place on the altar. This symbolized that their sins were transferred onto the sacrificial animal. But this offering was not given for atonement; it implies that the worshipper is already atoned for. Joseph Benson, citing Conradus, gives a description of the meaning of this gesture –“This laying on of hands signifies devotion and faith, with an acknowledgment of the benefits, for which we can offer nothing of our own, but only return to God what we have received; that we may understand gratitude and thanksgiving to be the greatest sacrifices.”

Fourth, the worshipper had to slaughter the animal by their own hand at the entrance of the tent of meeting. This symbolized that their sacrifice gave the worshipper access to the Lord. As they were doing this, they would have been praising and thanking God for His gift of salvation which brought them fellowship, well-being and peace with Him. Fifth, Aaron’s sons, the priests, were to collect the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. This publicly demonstrated that a life had been taken for their atonement and reconciliation with God to take place. It points us to Jesus Christ who poured out His blood for us so we could have peace with God through Him. We may wonder why God ordained all this blood. It’s because there can be no atonement and reconciliation without the blood of a sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” It’s because our sin is so heinous and repulsive to God that the means of our salvation is bloody and gruesome. When we contemplate the bloody sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it is supposed to give us pause when we are tempted to sin and purpose to live holy lives aided by the Holy Spirit.

Sixth, the worshipper was to bring a “food” offering from the peace offering to the Lord. This food offer consisted of the internal organs or the entrails and all the fat that was connected to them. It also consisted of both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. Once removed from the animal, Aaron’s sons were to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that was lying on the wood. Why did God demand all the fat to be offered as a food offering to Him? Fat was symbolic of the best part of the animal and so symbolic of the worshipper’s best. The worshipper, thankful and appreciative of God’s blessing of salvation, responded by offering to Him their very best. God expects to receive the best the worshipper has to give. Colossians 3:17 and 23 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” God desires His people to give Him their very best in response to His salvation and peace. Giving God our best should be a time of celebration and joy for what He has done for us. But how many of us stop celebrating and rejoice in the fact that we have been saved from our sins? When was the last time you praised, thanked and glorified God for your salvation? Let us be people who purpose to give the Lord our very best in appreciation of our salvation through Jesus Christ. That brings is to our first next step which is I will give the Lord my very best in appreciation of His salvation given freely to me through Jesus Christ.

We also notice that God demanded the liver and kidneys to be burned to Him on the altar along with the fat. In the Bible, the kidneys were considered the seat of their emotions. They symbolized giving God the hidden, internal part of oneself, a complete and sincere devotion beyond outward actions. They represented heartfelt gratitude and the emotional response of the worshipper toward God. Today, we say that our hearts ache or are overflowing with love for someone. In ancient cultures, a romantic husband may have said to his wife, “I love you with all my kidneys!” To offer God the kidneys was symbolic of worshipping Him with their emotions. Wenham writes, “It is possible that offering the kidneys and internal fat symbolizes the dedication of the worshipper’s best and deepest emotions to God. For the peace offering was often tendered in intrinsically emotional situations, when a person made vows or found themselves seeking God’s deliverance or praising him for his mercy.” This brings a question before us: Are we moved in our spirit and body when we contemplate what Jesus did for us on the cross? God is an emotional God and He desires His people to worship Him with their whole being and that includes their emotions.

Aaron’s sons were to burn these offerings on the altar. The word for burn means incense, or a fragrant offering meaning that these sacrifices were being offered to please God. When we worship the Lord the way He commands and we do it with the right heart and attitude, He is pleased with us and delights in us. Notice where this offering was burned. The peace offering was placed directly on the morning’s burnt offering which was already on the wood on the fire. The burnt offering symbolized the worshipper’s complete surrender and that Jesus Christ would be their atonement. Placing the peace offering on the burnt offering signified that their peace was based on the foundation of their atonement and reconciliation with God. Since the peace offering was always resting on atonement there was always the opportunity to have fellowship and peace with Him. Lastly, the very best of their lives including their emotions, were to be returned to the Lord by fire as a food offering to Him so they could have true shalom or peace with God.

So how do we have peace with God? God gives us peace from within. When we trust his promises to be true, when we turn over the task of running our lives to him and leave all our circumstances in his hands, then we will have peace. As Philippians 4:6-7 says, we are not to be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. And when we do this the peace of God, which we can’t fathom or understand, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Paul goes on to say if we are thinking on the things of God; things that are true, noble, righteous, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy and we put these into practice, the God of peace will be with us. That brings is to our second next step which is I will live in peace with God by trusting in Him, allowing Him to run my life and thinking on the things of God daily. Seventh, we see what God’s response to the peace offering was. When the Israelites came before the Lord, bringing the proper sacrifice in complete obedience to His commands, it was a pleasing aroma for Him. When we studied the burnt offering, we looked at Ephesians 5:1-2, which said that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the sweetest aroma to His Father. The only way we can have peace with God is through our “peace” offering, Jesus Christ, and that causes us to be a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Our second point, The Flock: Sheep, is found in Leviticus 3:6-11. This is what God’s Word says, “If you offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the Lord, you are to offer a male or female without defect. If you offer a lamb, you are to present it before the Lord, lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord.”

The second animal the Israelites could bring as a peace offering was one from the flock and two different flock animals were acceptable. The first was a sheep. The Hebrew word for lamb here signifies a full-grown sheep in its prime. Again, like the herd animal, it could be a male or female and had to be without blemish pointing us to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Like with the herd animal, the worshipper was to lean his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it before the tent of meeting where God resided. With the sheep we see an additional command about the fate of the animal. There was a species of sheep in the ANE called the broad-tailed sheep that were very numerous and had a very long and fat tail. Their tail could be up to four feet long and weigh fifteen pounds or more. It consisted of a combination of fat and marrow and was considered a delicacy. When a broad-tailed sheep was sacrificed, they were to take care to cut the tail off close to the backbone. This along with the rest of the fat, kidneys and liver, were reserved for God alone. The Hebrew word for “backbone” means to “shut one’s eyes firmly” or resolutely. Isaiah 14:26-27 says, “This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purpose, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” The fat of the broad-tailed sheep is being compared to the firm and fixed purposes of the Lord. The fixed purposes of Jesus completing His work and giving us His salvation allows us to be accepted and to have peace with God. We see the fixed purposes of God lived out in Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and going to His death in Jerusalem. The instructions for burning the fat parts, the kidneys and the liver were reiterated to ensure that God’s commands were obeyed to the fullest. Nothing was left to chance or questioned because it all foreshadowed Jesus Christ.

The priest again was to burn all the fat, the fat tail, the kidneys and the liver on the altar. Again, the word for burn signifies incense, or a fragrant offering meaning that when these offerings were brought just as commanded and with the proper heart, it would be a pleasing aroma to God and He would be pleased with His people. In verse 11, we see that the priest shall burn them on the altar as “food.” The word for “food” here is “bread.” This means that just as this offering would be food or “bread” for God, it would also be “bread” for the worshipper. The ultimate purpose behind the peace offering was fellowship and communion with God. One way that we fellowship with others is by sharing a meal together. It promotes friendship and getting to know one another better. This chapter focuses on our friendship and fellowship with God which anticipates two things. One, the perfect table that is set before us because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Our Lord and Savior want to have intimate fellowship with us and when we are at peace with Him, that is possible. We will have this peace when He returns and takes us to be with Him for all eternity. Two, it anticipates Holy Communion that we as His followers are to participate in to remember His sacrifice on cross. Holy Communion is a sacred meal ordained by Jesus for Hs followers to partake in until He comes again.

That brings us to our third point, The Flock: Goats, found in Leviticus 3:12-17. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If your offering is a goat, you are to present it before the Lord, lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. From what you offer you are to present this food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the Lord’s. “‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’”

The third type of peace offering that would be accepted was a goat. The reason for including the goat was because of the difference in the tails of the two offerings. The instructions for this offer were pretty much the same as the other two. The goat was brought before the Lord; the worshipper leaned on the sacrifice and killed it. The sons of Aaron splashed its blood around the altar. The fat covering the entrails, the two kidneys and the liver were removed and the priests burned them on the altar as a sweet aroma to the Lord. Verse 16b and 17, wraps the chapter up with the most important information that God wanted the Israelites to know. First, “All the fat is the Lord’s.” This symbolized that the very best was to be dedicated solely to the Lord. This law about fat only applies to these specific animals. In Deuteronomy 12, we see non-sacrificial animals mentioned. They are commanded not to eat the blood, but nothing is said about not eating the fat. The lesson is that anything that symbolized Jesus Christ was forbidden and reserved for God alone. The law of fat was to be a lasting ordinance for generations to come no matter where they lived. It was to last if the Law of Moses lasted and that ended when Jesus ushered in the new covenant. Garrett says, “The law of the fat portion is fulfilled in Christ; it is set aside in Christ; and it is annulled in Christ.” Second, they were also commanded to not eat blood because the blood of the sacrifice belonged to God. The blood that brought atonement was not to be used for common purposes. Hebrews 10:29 says, “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

In conclusion, these offerings not only foreshadowed Jesus, but they were also the way God wanted the Israelites to come before Him in proper worship. The same is true for us today. Through these offerings we can understand how God wants us to properly worship Him. Gail shared a devotional with me this week about worship. William Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said “Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, Nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, Opening of the heart to His love, And submission of will to his purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.” It is the surrender of our will and our self that makes true worship possible. Using William Temple’s definition, we see that worship in this sense produces an intimate, intentional relationship with God daily — the process of sanctification.

“Henri Nouwen once asked Mother Teresa for spiritual direction. Spending one hour each day in adoration of your Lord,' she said. Such simple yet profound advice. Worship is the act of the abandoned heart adoring its God. It is the union that we crave. Few of us experience anything like this on a regular basis, let alone for an hour each day. But it is what we desperately need. “Simply showing up on Sunday is not even close to worship. Neither does singing songs with religious content pass for worship. What counts is the posture of the soul involved, the open heart pouring forth its love toward God and communing with him. It is a question of desire. Augustine said, ‘Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.’ Our only hope for rest from the incessant craving of our desire is in God, and us united to him. When we are truly desiring God with our whole being, heart, mind, soul and strength, we will be at peace with Him. Do you truly desire to be at peace with God? Do you truly desire to worship the Lord the way He has commanded? Do you truly desire a closer and more intimate relationship with him? Do you truly desire God with your whole being this morning? That brings us to our last next step which is I will desire my Lord and Savior with my whole being: heart, mind, soul and strength.

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we truly want to desire you this morning, but we fall short. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us so that we can desire you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Lord, give us your true peace that only comes from accepting your salvation for ourselves. Help us to trust in you, allow you to run our lives and think about your things daily. Help us to give you our very best in appreciation of your salvation given freely to us through your sacrifice for on the cross. May our lives be a pleasing aroma to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening: “The Way of Wholeness” by Ray Stedman

Conclusion: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/life/2016/09/02/devotional-daily-worship-means-opening-oneself-god/89594972/

December 14, 2025/by Office

A Side of Fries

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Beliefs, Blessed, Focus, Forgiveness, Offering

A Side of Fries

I want to start this morning by giving you some words and I want you to say the word that goes with each one. Such as peanut butter and ________. (jelly). Salt and __________. (pepper). Batman and __________. (Robin). Romeo and __________. (Juliet). Hamburger and __________. (fries). For those who go to fast food restaurants which restaurant’s fries do you like the best? I am going to say the name of some restaurants and if they are your favorite, I want you to clap. Burger King. Wendy’s. Chick-Fila-A. McDonalds. Five Guys. I would say that most of you like _______________ fries the best. I went on Google and found three people who ranked the fries at these five restaurants. Then I took the average to come up with the following rankings. At #5 is Burger King. At #4 is Five Guys. At #3 is Chick-Fil-A. At #2 is McDonalds. And at #1 is Wendys. Now if you are the least bit interested, here are my own personal fry rankings: At #5 is Burger King. At #4 is Wendys. At #3 is Chick-Fil-A. At #2 is Five Guys and my favorite French fry is McDonalds. Alright now that that is out of the way. What do fries have to do with Leviticus 2?

Last week we finished with God instructing Moses on the first of five offerings the Israelites were to bring before Him in worship. The first offering or sacrifice was the burnt offering and God spelled out the rules and regulations the people and the priests needed to follow when they brought it before Him. Let me recap the major points of the burnt offering. The burnt offering came first in Leviticus because it was the most prevalent. A perfect male lamb was sacrificed on the altar first every morning and last every night. For the offeror, it symbolized total surrender and devotion to God. It was completely consumed by the fire and there was nothing left over for the worshipper, which made it very costly. The acceptable sacrifices were bulls, sheep, goats, doves and pigeons. The burnt offering atoned for sin, turned away God’s wrath, and brought reconciliation between God and man. When it was done according to God’s standard it was “a pleasing aroma” to Him. “A pleasing aroma” describes the rising smoke from the burnt offerings symbolizing that the sacrifice and the worshiper's heart was wholly pleasing to God. The burnt offering points us to Jesus Christ as He was the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God, who voluntarily sacrificed Himself on the cross so our sins could be forgiven. Just as the burnt offering was completely consumed on the altar, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross completely consumed our sins, once and for all. Jesus’ sacrifice was a “pleasing aroma” rising before God showing His pleasure in Christ’s perfect obedience and the reconciliation it achieved.

This morning, we are going to look at the second offering that God ordained to be offered in the worship lives of His people, called the “grain” offering. Now, not 100% of the time, but most of the time, the grain offering accompanied the burnt offering with the burnt offering almost always being offered first. This is because whenever you came before God in worship, your sins needed to be atoned for first. According to one person, the burnt offering was like a “hamburger”, and the grain offering was like a “side of fries.” While the burnt offering brought reconciliation between God and man, the grain offering was a gift of thanksgiving that acknowledged God's provision of their physical and spiritual needs. God had saved them from slavery in Egypt and had chosen them as His people, His royal priesthood, His holy nation and His special possession. And so, in thanksgiving and remembrance of that salvation, provision and covenant promises they were to bring an offering from the fruits of their labor, meaning their fields. It was to be the best that they had and was to be a token of their renewed dedication to keep the covenant the Lord made with them at Mt. Sinai. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to offer themselves and the best they have to Him in dedication and thanksgiving.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, we desire to sit at your feet and hear with joy what you have to say to us today. Prepare and open our hearts and minds with the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we will be transformed. Silence every voice in us but your own, so that we may hear your word, and then obey it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point, “Uncooked” is found in Leviticus 2:1-3. This is what God’s Word says, “When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

The first thing we can notice is that “anyone” can offer a grain offering. In chapter one the Hebrew word used was “mankind” and the word used here is “soul.” So literally any “soul”, man or woman, could bring a grain offering to the Lord. The Hebrew word for “grain offering” means “a gift”, “donation” or “tribute from an inferior to a superior.” This offering demonstrated their thankfulness for what their covenant king had done for them and for continuing to provide for them. They gave this gift to the Lord with joy and with the desire to rededicate themselves in relationship and communion with Him. This gift offering had to be given according to God’s standards in order for it to be accepted. They were to give their offerings in faith and with the right heart before God. This is because the offering pointed to Christ and what He would do for them and for us on the cross. The same is true for us. We must be one with Christ giving our offerings in faith and with the right heart or it will not be accepted. This same Hebrew word for “grain offering” is used for both Cain and Abel’s offerings, one being accepted and other one was not.

The first offering was an “uncooked” grain offering that was to consist of fine flour. The main flour cultivated by the Israelites was wheat flour and so this is what is probably in view here. It was to be “fine” flour, meaning, one, it was flour that has been finely ground and two, meaning it was the most purified flour and representative of the best they had. The grain offering is a picture of Jesus Christ as the first and finest grain of wheat that must be put in the ground and die to produce many seeds. We see that in John 12:24. This offering acknowledged that Jesus is the Bread of Life and that He gives eternal life to those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The grain for this offering was given by God to the people, but they had to do the work of grinding it into flour to be used in their worship of the Lord. Today, as we work, in whatever capacity, paid or volunteer, we are to work to the best of our ability remembering we are Christ-followers and we can only do what we do because God has given us the resources and ability.

Next, the worshipper was to pour a generous amount of olive oil on the flour. In God’s Word, oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. By pouring oil on it and not mixing it in, it is a picture of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Again, this is a picture of Jesus who is the Messiah or the Christ, which means the “Anointed One.” After pouring oil on top, the worshipper put frankincense on it as well. Frankincense was expensive and so it was worthy of being offered to God and it was fragrant so its burning would give off a sweet-smelling aroma. This symbolized the offeror’s complete and fragrant act of devotion and worship ascending to the Lord as an acceptable and pleasing aroma to Him. It is also a picture of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and that His sacrifice on the cross was an acceptable and pleasing aroma to His Father. Jesus had acceptably fulfilled the work God sent him to do on the earth.

The offering was then taken by the worshipper to Aaron’s sons, the priests, at the tabernacle. This would have identified the offering as the worshipper’s much like the bird in the burnt offering was. One of the priests would take a handful of the flour and oil and all the incense and burn it on the altar. The priests as the people’s mediator, holy and set apart by God were the only ones who could burn the offerings on the altar. This points to our offerings being sanctified by Christ alone who is the mediator between God and us. This handful is called a memorial portion which comes from the word meaning “to remember.” The worshipper was to remember what God had done and was still doing for them. If the worshipper correctly followed the regulations for the grain offering and did it with the right heart it would be a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Again, we are pointed to Christ as we are to “remember” His sacrifice on the cross for us and everything we “do” for the Lord should be done in devotion and thanksgiving to Him. The rest of the grain offering was to go to Aaron and his sons. The worshipper had given his offering in thanksgiving and gratitude for what God had done for him and so it would not have made sense for the worshipper to take any part of it back. As this offering was given to the Lord, he had the right to do with it what he wanted. Calling it most holy told the people and the priests that it had to be used in a “holy” way not in a profane or unholy way. Since the priests were set apart and holy to the Lord it went to them. In effect it was “wages’ for their work in the Tabernacle.

Our second point, “Cooked”, is found in Leviticus 2:4-10. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of the finest flour: either thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in or thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with olive oil. If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of the finest flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

In contrast to the first offering being “uncooked” this section talks about “cooked” offerings. The first type of cooked offering was one that was “oven baked.” It also had to be made from their best and finest flour and without yeast. The worshipper could bring an offering of “thick” loaves or cakes with olive oil mixed in or “thin” loaves or wafers with olive oil brushed on. The olive oil being mixed in symbolized the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the oil being brushed on symbolizes being anointed with the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for “brushed” is the same word used to identify the coming Messiah in Isaiah 61:1 which says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” This is a picture of Christ who was anointed to fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the OT.

The second type of cooked offering was one that was prepared on a griddle. Again, it was made of the finest flour mixed with oil and without yeast. The worshipper was to crumble it or break into pieces and pour oil on it. This is to remind us of Christ’s body being broken for us as we partake in Holy Communion. The oil again pictures the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Jesus. The third type of cooked offering was one cooked in a pan. Again, this offering had to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. In all three baked offerings we see Christ and the purity of his life saturated with the Spirit of God. He is fully human and fully God and His goodness overflows to those who offer themselves and the best they have in dedication and thanksgiving to Him (Big Idea). Just like the uncooked offering, these three cooked offerings were to be brought to the Lord at the tabernacle and presented to the priest who was to take it to the altar.

The priest would again take out the memorial portion and burn it on the altar. The Hebrew for this action by the priest means “to raise or exalt.” The memorial portion of the offering is raised above the rest and is to be burned as a sweet aroma to the Lord. The word for “burn” means more than “to consume.” It indicates a fragrant offering of incense. Again, by following God’s regulations for the offering it will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord as it was consumed on the altar. This is another picture of Jesus Christ raised up on the cross and exalted before the Lord. Jesus was the memorial portion given by God so that humanity could be saved. The Israelites brought the grain offering to show their dedication and gratitude to the Lord for saving them. They were to live obedient, holy lives in relationship with Him. Again, the rest of the offering was to go to Aaron and his sons as it was the most holy part of the food offering presented to God.

Our third point, “Further Regulations”, is found in Leviticus 2:11-13. This is what God’s Word says, “Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the first fruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

In this section, we get some further regulations on the grain offering. God prohibits every grain offering from being made with yeast and they were not to burn any yeast or honey on the altar in a food offering presented to the Lord. What was wrong with yeast or leaven and honey and why couldn’t their offerings be made with it or why couldn’t they be burned on the altar? Leaven was symbolic of pride, malice and hypocrisy and honey was symbolic of worldly sensual pleasure. And so, their offerings, meaning their lives, had to be free from those evil influences. And because the altar was holy, yeast and honey representing sin and evil, could not be burnt on it as a food offering presented to the Lord. Jesus lived a life that was directly opposed to what leaven and honey symbolized. And as Christ-followers, we are also to live our lives free of pride, malice, hypocrisy and sinful worldly pleasures. When we live lives filled with leaven and honey it keeps us from bringing ourselves and the best we have to the Lord. We can’t be wholly devoted to our Savior and Lord and thankful for what He has done for us if we are living our lives full of leaven and honey. That brings us to our first next step which is I will live my life free of yeast and honey.

In verse 12, it seems that God still allowed His people to bring yeast and honey to Him as "first fruits." Their first fruits offering was to be the first and best part of their harvest. This offering acknowledged God as the ultimate source of their harvest and demonstrated trust that He would provide the rest of their crops and blessings. The first fruits were to be presented differently and could not be burned on the altar for a "sweet aroma." When we remember the altar symbolizes Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross and that His sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to the Lord, we understand why yeast and honey had no place on God’s altar. Then God commands them to season all their grain offerings with salt. They were not to leave the “salt of the covenant” of their God out. We see the importance of salt as it is commanded three times in verse 12. First, salt was valuable in the ancient world. it was so valuable that Roman soldiers were paid with it (hence the saying “worth your salt”). Second, salt has the opposite effect of leaven and honey. Instead of corrupting the offerings, salt strengthened and preserved it. Salt can never be destroyed and so it is the perfect picture of the covenant between the Israelites and God. He always keeps His covenant, and it will last forever. It can never be broken until the Lord ends it himself. The salt is also a picture of Christ’s incorruptible nature.

It seems that salt could be used without limit symbolizing Jesus as infinitely incorrupt and that His followers would be infinitely acceptable to God because of his sinless life and work on the cross. Also, God is infinitely faithful, and he can infinitely preserve those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. By putting salt in their offerings, it would remind the Israelites to be faithful to their covenant as God is faithful to the covenant. For us it symbolizes our commitment to live under the lordship of Christ, to worship Him the way He commands and to be fully dedicated and faithful to Him. Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Salt is a flavor enhancer and so as Christians we are to be the “flavor of God” to the world. If we are to be the “salt of the earth” we must show the world the tangible impact of God’s presence in us. When we are in Christ, we will demonstrate what true power, love, peace, healing and forgiveness looks like. This means we will be different and must not compromise our faith for the sake of fitting in. Just as salt is the opposite of leaven and honey, we are to be the opposite of the world. Van Meter says, “Note that we are not called to make a difference; we are called to be different, and this will eventually make a difference.” That brings us to our second next step which is I will be the “salt of the earth” and spread the “flavor of God” to the world.

Our fourth point, “First Fruit Regulations”, is found in Leviticus 2:14-16. This is what God’s Word says, “If you bring a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as a food offering presented to the Lord.

An offering of first fruits was to be crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. “Roasted in the fire” symbolizes purification by fire. Jesus suffered the fire of God’s wrath for sinners and was crushed for our sakes. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Kaiser says, “As the grain was bruised and crushed to make the sacrifice for the ancient Israelite, so the living Bread was bruised and crushed for all who would believe.” First fruits in the Bible are a picture of Jesus Christ and those who are in Him. It symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection and our new birth. Jesus is the best and perfect "first fruits" offering of God's spiritual harvest, meaning His resurrection is the guaranteed promise and first taste of the future resurrection and eternal life for all believers. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” They were to again put oil and incense on their offering symbolizing the presence of the Spirit. The works of Christ and those who are in Christ, are sufficient to please God. The incense would be a fragrant offering of those who are obedient to the covenant. The priest would again burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil together with all the incense. Again, this offering was not only consumed on the altar, but it was also a sweet aroma. Jesus Christ was the memorial portion offered on the altar by which the Father kept and keeps His covenant. And it is on this basis that we are motivated to keep our covenant with Him.

I will conclude with this illustration. George Whitefield, the famed evangelist and companion of John Wesley, preached a farewell sermon to the passengers of the ship Whittaker, anchored near Savannah GA in 1738. It was entitled thankfulness for mercies received, and necessary duty. After four months of open seas, sailing from England, he characterized their adventure this way: “At God's almighty word, we have seen the stormy wind arise, which hath lifted the waves thereof. We have been carried up to the heaven, and down again to the deep, and some of our souls melted away because of the trouble; but I trust we cried earnestly unto the Lord, and he delivered us out of our distress.” But it was telling what Whitfield acknowledged about the character of human ingratitude: “numberless marks do man bear in his soul, that he has fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, then that backwardness, which everyone finds within himself, to the duty of praise and Thanksgiving. Those on the ship were not inclined to give God praise and thanksgiving for their safety and their lives.

Luke’s gospel recalls the healing of 10 lepers by Jesus, but only one returned to give him thanks. The Lord remarked on the ingratitude of the other nine and the one who expressed Thanksgiving alone received Jesus confirming grace: “rise and go your way your faith has made you well.” Are you in the habit of saying thank you? Have you ever thought that thank you goes a long way in God's book? Let’s be people who show our gratitude to the Lord for who He is and for what He has done for us by offering ourselves and the best we have to Him. Let us be people who continually bring our “grain” offerings to the altar, with love, dedication, gratitude and thanksgiving for Him. I hope the next time you sit down to eat a side of fries that you will be reminded to dedicate yourself anew to the Lord and be grateful for how He saved you and provides for you. That brings us to our last next step which is I will offer myself and the best I have to the Lord as a token of my dedication and gratitude.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be in your house this morning and to study your Word. I pray that as we purpose to live according to your Word, we will live lives free of yeast and honey; free of those sins that weaken our relationship with you. May we be the “salt of the earth” and spread your “flavor” to everyplace we work, live and play. Let us be people who daily offer ourselves and the best we have to you in dedication and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 7, 2025/by Office

Putting One Foot in the Basket

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Authority, Life, Relationship with God, Sacrifice, Work

Putting One Foot in the Basket

David Vetter was born in Texas on September 21, 1971, with severe combined immunodeficiency disease. He was forced to live in a specially constructed sterile plastic bubble from birth until he died at age 12. After 20 seconds of exposure to the world, David, nicknamed "Bubble Boy”, was placed in a plastic isolator bubble and spent his entire life in "bubbles" designed by NASA engineers (picture). When he was six, David took his first steps outside of the “bubble” thanks to NASA designing a special spacesuit so he could walk and play outside. Every time David used his suit, helpers had to complete a 24-step pre-excursion hookup and a 28-step suit-donning procedure to keep his environment sterile. Although the process of putting on the spacesuit was complicated, it was worth it for both David and his mother - who was able to hold her son in her arms for the first time on July 29, 1977 (picture). Through his bubble he could see people, talk to them, and come close to them, but he could not touch them except through the specially made spacesuit. His body had to be protected from the outside world as he would have died if he had ventured out of the environment that isolated him from germs.

We see the same kind of controlled environment in the Israelite tabernacle. It made interaction possible in spite of the divine human separation that had resulted from sin. In the tabernacle behind the veil separating the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place God came as close to His people as possible. Just as the boy in the bubble had to be isolated from disease God had to maintain a pure environment separate from the world of sin outside. Unlike the condition of the boy in the bubble, God's holy glory was lethal to people outside. But God made a way for His people to draw as close to Himself as possible and this was done by the bringing of ritual offerings before the Lord. This God-ordained ritual was a bridging mechanism that was able to span the gap between God and humans. When the ritual was performed correctly God and the Israelites could interact with each other. The first ritual offering that God put in place was the whole burnt offering, which symbolized the worshippers complete surrender of themselves to God which would result in a sweet-smelling pleasing aroma to Himself. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to be a whole burnt offering which results in a sweet-smelling aroma to Him.

Let’s pray: Almighty God, we gather here today in humble reverence, seeking Your presence among us. Open our hearts and minds to Your wisdom, by the power of your Holy Spirit. And as your holy Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, may we hear with joy what you want to say to us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Three weeks ago, we started our study of Leviticus, looking at chapter 1 verses 1-4. We learned it was a continuation of what was happening in Exodus 40, where Moses had finished constructing the tabernacle and God had come down to inhabit it. We learned that Moses couldn’t go in because now even he needed to come before the Lord with the proper offering or sacrifice. In Leviticus 1:1, the Lord calls to Moses from the tent and starts to give him instructions about how the sinful Israelites could approach a holy God in worship. It was imperative that God’s chosen people follow His instructions to the letter or they would be in danger of being destroyed. In the first five chapters, God will give instructions for five different offerings that the people were to bring to Him. The first offering, the whole burnt offering, may not have been the most important, but it was the most prevalent. A whole burnt offering was sacrificed every morning and every evening to the Lord. The Israelites would have been familiar with this offering as we see them in the book of Job and in the book of Genesis. The whole burnt offering was completely offered to the Lord except for the skin of the animal. It all literally went “up in smoke” before the Lord.

We learned that the main purpose of the burnt offering was to show complete devotion and commitment to God, but it was also given to make atonement for the worshipper. This was not a sin offering but because every person is inherently sinful, their sin must be dealt with. There needed to be reconciliation between God and man before they could approach Him in communion and worship. The whole burnt offering would have been the most expensive offering to bring because it was completely burned up and the worshipper received nothing in return. It also had to be a male animal without defect or blemish from the worshippers domesticated herd, flock or birds. It was a freewill offering to the Lord and had to be the best the person could offer. God began His instructions with the most expensive animal to be sacrificed - a male cow or bull from the worshipper’s herd. The ritual had regulations that had to be followed by both the worshipper and the priest in order for the worshipper to be atoned for and their offering to be accepted. First, the worshipper brought the bull to the door of the courtyard, and it was inspected by the priest. Then it was brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting which was before the Lord. These regulations would have reminded the worshipper that their sin must be dealt with before approaching God's presence.

Last time we were in Leviticus we saw that the first step to ensuring the offering was an acceptable sacrifice was for the worshipper to “lean with all one’s weight” on the head of the sacrifice. This symbolized that the worshipper was depending on their voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant freewill offering to bring them atonement and acceptance with God. Now we pick up God’s instructions in Leviticus 1:5. As we move forward, we want to notice that the responsibilities are shared between the worshipper and the priests. The second step to ensuring the offering was an acceptable sacrifice was that the worshipper had to slaughter the young bull before the Lord. This ritual was sacred because it happened in the Lord’s presence. The word used for slaughter did not mean indiscriminate or inhumane killing. God’s Word promotes the care of animals and not abuse, so God ordained that the slaughtering of their sacrifices be quick and rather painless. Try to imagine the scene. All the worshipper’s senses would have been engaged in their worship of God. There would be touch as they leaned on the animal. There would have been sight as they looked into the animal’s eyes as they slit its throat and it died at their feet. There would be sound as the animal died and sounds of other livestock in the courtyard to be sacrificed. Also, even though it is not mentioned, the worshipper would not have remained silent. As they slaughtered their sacrifice, they were probably, one, simultaneously confessing any sin they had in their hearts or had committed and, two, praying and or singing songs and hymns. This would not have been a quiet scene. There also would have been smells as the worshipper smelled the blood of their sacrifice. It would have been a very moving ritual that should have impacted the worshipper with the extent of their sinfulness and the penalty that had to be paid for them to be atoned for and reconciled to God. It would also have given them a profound sense of God’s holiness in that they could not be near His presence without the shedding of blood.

Next, the priest had the responsibility of collecting the blood of the sacrifice as the animal bled out. The blood was sacred and was not to touch the ground and become defiled. We are reminded that the only Levites who could be priests at the altar and tabernacle had to come from the lineage of Aaron. They were given this sacred responsibility because they had been set apart by God to fulfill these duties. Anything to do with the holy altar and tabernacle, which was set apart for God’s use, had to be attended by those He had set apart to do His work. After collecting the blood, the priests would take it and “splash” it against the sides of the altar at the tent of meeting. Most versions say “sprinkle,” but the word used means a more forceful application. It refers to large amounts of blood being “thrown” against the sides of the altar. By throwing the blood on the altar, the priest presented the animal’s lifeblood to the Lord, making atonement possible for the worshipper. Next, the worshipper was to skin the animal and cut it into pieces. Again, this was done humanely and not sloppily and haphazardly, kind of like butchering today. As the responsibilities again alternated to the priest, they would put fire on the altar and arrange the wood on it. This doesn’t mean they started the fire on the altar each time a sacrifice was brought, but that they “stoked” the fire to get it hot and ready for the sacrifice. Again, the priests were responsible for this because the altar was sacred and set apart. In Leviticus 9:24, fire came out of the presence of the Lord and consumed Aaron’s first offerings and that fire was to never be extinguished as commanded in Leviticus 6:13. It was to be kept burning because it was a sacred gift from heaven. It was a reminder of God’s holy presence, judgment against sin and the constant need for their atonement through sacrifice. The divine fire represented God’s acceptance of the sacrifices and his ongoing relationship with His people. It also pointed to the eventual sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Next, the priests arranged the pieces of the animal, the head and the fat, in an orderly fashion on the wood on the altar. Since God is a God of order, the priests had to lay the pieces out the same way it would have looked alive, from its head to its feet. The responsibilities again alternate with the worshipper. Presumably while the priests are arranging the head and the fat on the altar, the worshipper was to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, probably from the bronze laver. They were washing the dirt and filth off the animal that had accumulated from grazing and being slaughtered. This was done because the sacrifice had to be cleansed before being put on the holy altar before a holy God. It symbolized purity, preparation, and removal of anything undesirable or sinful from the offering. This reminds us of our need for spiritual purification and to have our hearts cleansed before we come into the presence of God. Lastly, the priests were to simply burn all of the offering on the altar. By burning all of it as a food offering, the Israelites demonstrated their gratitude and acknowledgment of God as their provider. When we think of the worshipper’s senses, this offering would have smelled like a backyard BBQ that makes your mouth water. It smells pleasing to you and you can’t wait to devour it. It was the same for the Lord as the food offering was a pleasing aroma to Him, which was the ultimate purpose for the whole burnt offering. The phrase “a pleasing aroma to the Lord” highlights how such offerings were metaphorically accepted by God, signifying His approval and pleasure of His people’s worship of Him. Now fellowship and relationship could take place.

This scripture underscores the importance of reverence and proper preparation in our worship. We should strive for purity in our own lives. When we offer our time, talents, treasures or praise, glory and worship to God, it must come from a place of preparation and readiness. When we worship the Lord, we must come before Him, serious about our commitment and relationship with Him, giving ourselves wholly, and holding nothing back. (Big Idea). God is more interested in our heart and the intentions behind our offerings than the physical gifts we bring before Him. We must examine our motives as it says in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Next, we see instructions for those who didn’t have the means to offer a bull for sacrifice. It could also be an offering from the worshipper’s flock, meaning a goat or a sheep. An animal from the flock would not have been as costly as one from the herd but would have been costlier than the third allowable offering of a bird. What God was conveying was that no one was exempt from offering their sacrifices to him and everyone had the means to come before Him with a sacrifice. There was no excuse because you couldn’t afford it. If you couldn’t afford a young bull, you could offer a sheep or a goat, and if you couldn’t afford that, you could offer a bird instead.

The instructions for the sheep or goats are shorter than for the young bull, because some of the instructions would be assumed to be the same. New instructions are given, and the most important parts are repeated. The important parts that are repeated was that it had to be a male without defect and Aaron’s sons the priests were to collect the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. The worshipper was to cut the animal into pieces, the priests were to arrange the pieces on the altar, the worshipper was to wash the internal organs and legs with water, and the priest was to bring the pieces to the altar and burn it up completely. The only variant is that the sheep or the goat was to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar which seems to be different than where the bull was to be slaughtered. In most of the offerings, scripture says the bulls were to be killed “before the Lord” and the sheep specifically on the “north side” of the altar. The slaughtering of the bulls seems to be connected to the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle, and the slaughtering of the sheep seems to be connected to the altar. Whereas the bulls symbolized power and respect seen in God Almighty, the sheep symbolized service to God seen in the altar. This section ends the same exact way the previous one did; with it being called a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to God, again meaning that the worshipper and their sacrifice was acceptable to Him.

Finally, the third type of burnt offering could be from the bird family, a dove or a pigeon. An offering of a bird would have been for the poorest Israelite or Israelite family. Both sheep and the turtledoves or pigeons would have been prevalent. Sheep were used for sacrifice so much that later on that there was a gate going into Jerusalem called the Sheep Gate. According to Isaiah 60:8, doves were domesticated. They were prevalent in the hilly regions of Palestine and were easily caught. Pigeons were available all year long and their nests with their young could be easily found. Notice again that God’s instructions for the birds are shorter than for the sheep and the goats. Again, some of the previous instructions are assumed, the most important parts are repeated and new instructions are given. This time the responsibilities change somewhat. The worshipper’s identification with the offering is seen in handing the bird over to the priest to be sacrificed. The priest pretty much does everything in sacrificing the bird as the burnt offering. This is probably because of the size of the offering. The priest, instead of the worshipper, was to bring the bird to the altar and kill it by wringing off its head. Removing the head of the bird would have been the equivalent of cutting off the head of the other burnt offerings. This would have made it easier for the priest to drain out the blood on the side of the altar.

Next, the priest was to remove the crop and the feathers. Removing the feathers would have been the equivalent of skinning the bulls, sheep and goats. The crop, the internal organs of the bird, were not burnt on the altar because they could not have been washed properly and thus were not considered pure. The priest would then take the crop and feathers and throw them down east of the altar. That was where the ashes from the offerings were kept. Once the pile got too large, the ashes would be taken by the priest to an area outside the camp to a ritually pure place. God is concerned with holiness even with items considered unclean. After wringing off the neck of the bird and removing the crop and feathers, the priest was to tear the bird apart by the wings but not divide it completely. This was probably to help it burn easier on the altar. Then lastly the priest would completely burn the bird on the wood that was burning on the altar. This section ends the same way the previous two did, calling the sacrifice a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to God.

All of the meticulous preparation taken in bringing their sacrifices before the Lord foreshadowed Jesus Christ and what He went through on the cross as He was crucified for our sins. Jesus is also seen in the sacrifices that God ordained for the burnt offering. The Israelites used bulls for breeding and oxen for pulling heavy loads as it says in Psalms 144:14. They are seen as well-laden and strong to labor symbolizing their patient, untiring labor and service. Jesus in Matthew 11:28 said to come to Him all who are weary and heavy laden and He will give them rest. Jesus was also patient and untiring in His service to His heavenly Father. Sheep were docile animals and totally submissive to the shepherd and so we also see uncomplaining submission of Jesus before His Father. Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Lastly, the dove was considered clean, gentle and inoffensive. A dove does not retaliate when attacked and is the international symbol of peace. Jesus was gentle and did not retaliate. 1 Peter 2:23 says, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” A dove was also innocent. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus says he was sending His disciples out into the world as “innocent” as doves. The word “innocent” means “free from evil and guile.” Guile means deceitful cunning, duplicity, or treachery. Jesus was innocent and free from evil and guile, which speaks to the way Jesus conducted Himself. Jesus was the equivalent of all that the God-ordained sacrifices symbolized. We are also to conduct ourselves in the same way as Jesus. That brings us to our first next step: I will live my life as a whole burnt offering to the Lord as I labor tirelessly, submit uncomplainingly and conduct myself free from evil and guile.

The good news of Leviticus is that God will accept with pleasure anyone who comes into His presence by substitutionary atonement through the shedding of blood. The worshipper secured access to God by grace through faith. They showed their faith by bringing the proper sacrifice and pressing their hand on its head. As Christians the burnt offering points to the voluntary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death completely satisfied the wrath of God against all sin. As Christ-follower we are ones who by faith accept Jesus Christ as their whole burnt offering and gives themselves completely to God as a living sacrifice that results in a sweet-smelling aroma before the Lord. The Christian finds favor with God through the shed blood of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. Apart from the shed blood of God’s perfect sacrifice there is no entrance into His presence. Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life and no one can come to the Father except through Him. The only way to salvation is by receiving God’s perfect sacrifice, believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ and submitting to His authority. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, there is no reason why anyone should not come and share the benefits of expiation through Jesus, the whole burnt offering. Jesus is calling everyone to come to Him. There is no reason to say no to Jesus. So, if you are ready to say “yes” to Jesus for the very first time for your salvation, this second next step is for you: I will receive God’s perfect burnt offering, believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ and submit to His authority.

In conclusion I want to share this illustration from Robert D’Alessandro. He says, “I heard a sermon where the pastor gave this example of giving ourselves as a whole burnt offering and living sacrifice that results in a sweet-smelling aroma to God.” He said it probably was not a true story, but it could have been. It happened back in the days of the Pilgrims, and the story goes that at one of the first Thanksgivings an American Indian went to a church service. And as the service progressed, there was an offering that was taken. The offering basket was passed through the congregation, and it came to the Indian who was meditating on what he just heard in the message. As the basket came to him, all eyes were on him wondering what he going to do with it? The Indian put it on the ground, stood up, and put one foot in the basket. That was his way of saying, I'm giving my life completely to God. God desires His people to offer themselves as whole burnt offerings and living sacrifices to Him and the result will be that our lives will be a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord (Big Idea). Let us be people who appropriate Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross for ourselves. Let us be people who strive to live as living sacrifices, striving for holiness, for total dedication and for doing everything wholeheartedly for the Lord. Let us be people who don’t hesitate to “put one foot in the basket” and give our lives completely to God. That brings us to our last next step which is I will “put one foot in the basket” offering myself as a burnt offering and a living sacrifice so that I become a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heaven Father, we thank you for your son, Jesus, who was a whole burnt offering given by you to us for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation. We are amazed at your love for us. Lord help us to desire to give ourselves as a whole burnt offering and a living sacrifice to you which will results in a sweet-smelling aroma to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

November 30, 2025/by Office

Up In Smoke

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Commitment, Extraordinary, Reconciliation, Salvation, Sin, Trust, Trustworthy

Up in Smoke

One of the most common decisions we make on a daily basis is whether or not to commit. There are lots of things that require our commitment – from our work responsibilities, family gatherings and special occasions, to taking care of our kids, our pets and ourselves. Regardless of what the commitment is, there’s always something that we take away after fulfilling every commitment, that can lead us to a new place of growth and maturity. Maybe you’ve made a commitment to completing your education. It’s a struggle. It’s hard. But you follow through with your commitment, and you grow as a result. Marriage is a commitment. You make the choice to love your husband or wife, “till death do us part”. It’s a lifelong commitment. And when things are hard or challenges come, you keep working your way through them, because you made a commitment. Commitments are important. When you look at the life of Jesus, He was constantly calling people to make a commitment. He seldom left them the option of just coasting. You were either going forward with Him or moving in the other direction, there was no middle ground.¹

But Jesus was also committed. He was committed to the world. He was committed to the disciples, and He is committed to us, His followers. The world is starving for the security of a loyal person, a person in whom they can put their trust. And we can fully trust in Jesus and surrender our lives to Him because He is worthy. He has given Himself to us voluntarily, wholeheartedly, and extravagantly with his sacrificial death on the cross. In turn he demands that his people commit themselves wholeheartedly to him in worship. Worship always requires commitment, complete surrender and total devotion to the Lord. It must also be voluntary which reflects the worshippers' willing spirit to acknowledge the lordship of Christ. When we are committed to worshipping the Lord properly it shows a loyal and devoted heart toward Him.

This morning, we will see the first of the five offerings God spoke directly to Moses. God will be instructing Moses in how the people were to draw near to Him with acceptable worship and enjoy His presence. In Genesis and Exodus, we learned about who the Israelites were to worship as Yahweh revealed Himself to them, saving them from slavery in Egypt, bringing them through the Red Sea and giving them the law on Mt. Sinai. Now after the Israelites failed to keep the law by worshipping the golden calf, it was time for God to reveal His divine instructions for proper worship and for bringing sinful human beings back into a right relationship with Himself. As we study the whole burnt offering, we will start to see the basic needs we have as God’s people: commitment to God, communion with God and cleansing from God. Apart from worshipping the Lord, voluntarily, whole heartedly and extravagantly, God’s people could not draw near to Him and could not enjoy fellowship with Him. The same is true for us today. That brings us to our big idea this morning, which is that God desires His people to be voluntarily, wholeheartedly and extravagantly committed to Him.

There are two points this morning. The first is, Invitation, found in Leviticus 1:1-2. This is what God’s Word says, “The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.”

Let me begin by reminding ourselves where we are in the narrative. The tabernacle, God’s tent among the Israelites’ tents, has been built and at the end of Exodus God and His glory took up residence in it. And because the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle Moses couldn’t go inside. It was surprising that Moses was not allowed to enter, but now that the tabernacle, the epicenter of their worship, was completed, sinful human beings were not allowed to draw near to God without the proper offering. To do so the holiness of God would have struck even Moses dead. But the Lord did not forget Moses in fact He called to him from inside the tent of meeting, which shows us that Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus. The tent of meeting would be the place where God would meet with Moses, the priests and His people. This is the fourth time Moses has specifically been called by God. The first was at the burning bush when God commanded him to go to Pharaoh to ask him to let God’s people go.

The second and third times were on Mt. Sinai when God was giving Moses the law, the Ten Commandments. And this time as God begins to give instructions about how He is to be properly worshiped and how they can come into a personal relationship with Himself. This is the only recorded time that God spoke from inside the tent of meeting to anyone outside of it. Moses, as the mediator between Yahweh and the Israelites, was to pass on God’s instructions on worship and sacrifice not only to the priests but to all the Israelites. Everyone would need to know how to properly worship the Lord so as to not violate his holiness. Because Moses and the people were sinners there were requirements in order for them to approach the Lord. In these requirements we see the grace of God as he allows sinful people to draw near to Him. Notice the Lord is inviting His people to bring their offerings to Him. The Lord says, “when” not “if” anyone brings an offering. When sinful Israelites broke fellowship with the Lord and wanted to be restored and to draw near to Him in worship, it necessitated the people to bring an offering or sacrifice to Him.

The word for offering is translated as “to come near” or “to approach” and is used 79 times in Leviticus. The Israelites could not “come near” or “approach” God in worship without first presenting an offering to Him. There were many reasons besides their sin as to why they would bring an offering to the Lord. It may have been to show their thankfulness to the Lord, or to praise the Lord or to commune with or be in fellowship with the Lord. Leviticus would have been the first book taught to Israelite children, and we can see why. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest would need to be fluent in the language of worship and offerings. The offering being instructed in this chapter was to be a voluntary, free-will offering and was to come from their livestock – from their herds or flocks. The proper animal for this offering from their herd would be cattle, or from their flock would be sheep or goats. We already see a picture of Jesus Christ here in that we can only draw near to God because of Jesus’ voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant offering on the cross for us (Big Idea).

That brings us to our second point, Instruction, found in Leviticus 1:3-4. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.”

The first offering that God gave instructions to Moses about was the “burnt offering” also called the “whole burnt offering.” The Israelites would have already been familiar with this sacrifice. In Job 1:5, Job sacrificed burnt offerings for each of his children for any sin that may have been in their hearts. In Genesis 8:20, Noah sacrificed burnt offerings in thankfulness to the Lord for his gracious salvation from the flood. And in Genesis 22:13, Abraham sacrificed the ram in the thicket as a burnt offering to the Lord who provided it instead of his son, Isaac. The term “burnt offering” literally means “to go up” or “to ascend” which refers to the smoke of the sacrifice as the entire offering is consumed on the altar. The whole “burnt offering” literally went “up in smoke” to the Lord. With this offering the entire animal was burnt on the altar, except for the skin, which was given to the officiating priest, as seen in Leviticus 7:8. The “burnt offering” was the most frequent of the offerings. Every day, twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, a sheep was sacrificed as a burnt offering to the Lord. There were also other times in the life of their worship where they were to present burnt offerings, including special days and festivals.

The purpose of the burnt offering was to express sincerity, devotion and their commitment to God. This was shown by their willingness to bring a sacrifice that was valuable and costly. The first type of burnt offering was to be a male without defect or blemish from their herd. This type of offering would have been the most expensive and would have been given by people of means. It was literally a high price to pay. And this offering was to come from their domesticated animals, not wild animals. They would have invested much financially and with their time on their domesticated animals whereas wild animals took no investment at all. They would have cared for and raised these animals so their family could have food to eat and other necessities. The fact that food was not readily available in ANE or in the wilderness for that matter would have made this offering more costly to them. There would also have been some emotional investment in these animals, as well. The willingness to freely give these offerings to the Lord showed their sincerity, devotion and honor for Him.

The burnt offering always had to be a male and one without defect or blemish. Why a male animal? First of all, males in God’s economy depicted leadership and dominion. Second, there was also a practical reason for using male animals for sacrifice. Fewer male animals than females were necessary for the survival of their flocks and herds. The females produced the offspring and also provided milk. Third, the male sacrificial offering more accurately pictured Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. “Without defect” is from the same verb that means “to be complete.” The animal had to be physically complete or perfect. It could have no defects such as blindness, lameness or sores. Why did it have to be without defects or blemishes? It had to be a perfect animal because it was the only kind of offering worthy of being sacrificed to the Lord in worship. To bring a sick or infirm animal would have been an insult to Almighty God. Imagine getting a gift for Christmas from a family member or good friend that was broken or being given someone’s leftovers because they felt they weren’t good enough for them anymore.

The burnt offering had to be the best that the person could offer. Again, we see a picture of Jesus Christ here. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” Tidball writes, “Worship that costs nothing means nothing. Worship that is cheap leads to cheap, superficial and diminished experience of the living God.”² We see this played out in the life of King David in 2 Samuel 24. He was commanded by the Lord to “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” When he arrived at Araunah’s threshing floor, Araunah wanted to freely give King David his threshing floor and the animals to make sacrifices to the Lord with. But in verse 24, King David says to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.” Incidentally, the threshing floor mentioned here became the site for the temple that Solomon, David’s son, later built.

God desires the same faith, devotion and dependence from us. Do we have to admit at times that our offerings to the Lord sometimes become trivialized and cheap, not costing us very much? Jesus said we must take up our cross daily and follow Him. But don’t we at times do it grudgingly or half-heartedly or sparingly? What would be an extravagant offering for us today given totally to the Lord, not looking for anything in return? Maybe it’s our time or our talents or our treasures given sacrificially to the Lord and for His pleasure. It comes down to our hearts. We know if what we are giving as offerings to God are costly to us or not. Let us be people who strive to give God our whole burnt offerings that are voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant (Big Idea). That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is I will offer to the Lord sacrifices of my time, talents and treasures that are voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant.

Next, the burnt offering sacrifices were to take place at the entrance or doorway of the tent of meeting, where the bronze altar was situated. The worshipper was probably met at the door of the courtyard so their animal could be inspected. Once it passed inspection, the worshipper would enter the courtyard and proceed to the bronze altar. The bronze altar would have been the first object a worshipper saw upon entering the courtyard, symbolizing that the problem of sin must be dealt with before approaching God's presence. We are reminded of John 14:6: Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The reason for bringing the offering to the door of the tent of meeting was so that the worshipper “may be accepted” or “be pleased with.” Even though this was not a sin offering, because human beings are inherently sinful, there needed to be reconciliation between God and people so their offering could be accepted. In being accepted by God the worshipper was offering themselves wholly and completely to the Lord. Notice these sacrifices were made publicly and in the open; not hidden or done in secret. Again, we see a picture of Jesus as he was paraded through the streets of Jerusalem and crucified on the top of a hill for everyone to see.

Next, we see the proper preparation for an acceptable sacrifice. We will notice in these offerings both the worshipper and the priests were involved in presenting the offering. Israelite worship of the Lord was interactive. The first step was identification. The worshipper was to lay their hand on the head of the animal being sacrificed. The word translated as “lay” or “put” means to “press down upon.” This was not just lightly laying your hand on its head but “leaning with all one’s weight” on the head of the sacrifice. “Leaning” implies dependency meaning the worshipper was depending on their voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant offering to bring them acceptance with God. By laying their hand and leaning on the head of the animal, the worshipper was identifying publicly that they were the offending party, and that this was their offering. No one could go into the tabernacle courtyard and make a sacrifice for someone else. This was an extremely personal act between the offender and the offended party, who was God. The worshipper was asking God to accept this sacrifice in their place and transfer their sin to the animal.

Jesus Christ is the only one who can soothe the wrath of God and satisfy the justice of God. He is the perfect fulfilment of the burnt offering in Leviticus. If you want the salvation of Jesus for yourself this morning all you need to do is lean on the Lamb for His salvation. This is what God wants for all people. That brings us to our second next step which is for those who are seeking salvation for the first time. I will lean on the lamb, casting all the weight of my sin and trust upon Christ alone for my salvation. It was very important to come not only with the proper physical animal offering but the proper heart offering as well. Paul in Romans 12:1-2 says to present your body to God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service or worship. Maybe you are already in a saving relationship with Jesus today but would like to rededicate yourself to Him. If so, the third next step is for you. I will lean on the lamb, laying my all on the altar, recommitting myself to a deeper relationship with Jesus.

The reason that it was important for the sacrifice to be acceptable and accepted was because it was to make atonement for the worshipper. The Hebrew word for “atonement” is found at least 58 times in Leviticus and can mean a couple of things. First, it can mean “to cover.” It is translated “pitch” in Genesis 6 describing what Moses used to cover the ark so it was waterproof, shielding the water from coming in. This gives the sense of God shielding Noah and his family from the “waters” of His wrath. Again, this points to Jesus Christ who shields those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior from God’s holy wrath. Second, it gives the sense of “purging” or “cleansing from sin” or “paying” the ransom to free someone. “Atonement” is the means by which the estranged worshipper can be reconciled to a Holy God.

Also, the burnt offering was to make atonement for sin in a general sense not for committing specific sins. Those would be atoned for by making the sin offering, which we will see later in Leviticus. The burnt offering was necessary because the Israelites were born sinful human beings and couldn’t even draw near to God in communion and fellowship until they had been cleansed or atoned for. Atonement would have resulted in a deeper commitment to the Lord. The result of this acceptable sacrifice was that, as Wenham says, “peaceful coexistence between a holy God and sinful man [was] a possibility.”

In conclusion, in Philippians 2, Paul tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but to be humble and to value others above ourselves looking to their interests instead of our own. This is the commitment that Jesus Christ had for us as he became like us in human form. He made himself nothing and took on the very nature of a servant and humbled himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross for us. We are called to imitate Christ in the sense that we sacrifice our desires to God for the good of other people. God desires that we be voluntarily, wholeheartedly and extravagantly committed not only to Him but to each other as well.

Lough Fook, a Chinese Christian, pitied those of his countrymen who had become slaves in African mines. He wanted them to enjoy the hope of the gospel, but how could he gain access to them? His solution was to sell himself as a slave for a term of five years. He was transported to Demerara, where he toiled in the mines. While he worked, he told his fellow laborers about the Lord. And before he died 200 of them were liberated from despair by accepting Jesus as their savior. By doing the unthinkable and humbly taking the role of a slave as Jesus did he reached the unreachable.³ Two questions this morning as we close: What do you need to repent of and change in your life to be voluntarily, wholeheartedly and extravagantly committed to the Lord? And how can you live out voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant commitment to others as you live your life for the Lord?

Kenneth A. Mathews, Leviticus: Holy God, Holy People, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2009), 55.

https://brackenhurstbaptist.co.za/first-things-first/ Derek Tidball, The Message of Leviticus

Leviticus, Numbers (The NIV Application Commentary) Hardcover – December 12, 2004

by Roy Gane (Author)

November 9, 2025/by Office

Ultimate Tag

Pursuing Holiness Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Holiness, Love

ULTIMATE TAG

Ultimate Tag is a reality show where competitors must vault, dodge, tumble and dive their way through several different three dimensional courses with one person trying to tag the other person. It is billed as the fastest, craziest, most intense game ever.

Everyone has probably played the childhood game of tag at some point in their lives. I can remember playing tag on the playground growing up. I remember one time in second grade being chased in a game of tag and I tried so hard to get away that I slide under a fence. I ended up ripping my shirt and actually getting stuck under the fence. And I got tagged which upset me more than ripping my shirt did.

This morning we are going to be talking about ultimate tag as it pertains to a command given us by God himself. In ultimate tag the object is to pursue another person trying to tag them so they are “it.” In the command given to us by God we are to be holy as he is holy. We are to pursue holiness daily so that we can abide in his presence. This is the ultimate tag of life because we must be relentless in our pursuit of holiness. We can’t take a day off. It must be an every second of every day pursuit.

Holiness is not just about keeping the commands of God. We can’t earn our holiness as we can only be holy through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Without his sacrifice we could never be holy. But after our justification we can be sanctified through pursuing holiness which means the way that we show our holiness to the Lord is by keeping his commands and obeying his Word. This morning we will be studying Leviticus 19 and we will see parallels with the Ten Commandments given by God to the Israelites. If we follow the Ten Commandments our relationship with God and with others will be in good standing. That brings us to our big idea this morning which is our holiness can be seen in our relationship with God and others.

Before we begin our study this morning let’s dedicate this time to the Lord. Dear Heavenly Father, as we study your Word this morning help us to be attentive to you Spirit. Help us to hear your voice and what it is you want us to learn and share with those we come in contact with this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Before we look at Leviticus, I want to give you some background information. First, what is holiness? The Hebrew word for “holiness” is a word that highlights the realm of the sacred in contrast to everything common and profane. It refers to God and what belongs to him. The word holy is used more than 600 times in the Bible. It describes something or someone that is set apart for God. We will see in Leviticus 19 that God was calling his people into a relationship with himself and he wanted them to not only to survive the experience but to be nourished by it. But for that to happen, they needed to know the ground rules, they needed to come to him on his terms not their own.

What or who can be holy? Anything can be holy, time, space, objects, and people, all can become holy if they belong to God. The temple in Jerusalem was considered a holy space, and the objects used in worship were holy objects. The Sabbaths and feasts of Israel were considered holy days or seasons. And the Israelites were called God’s holy people because he had chosen them and they belonged to him. To be holy literally means to be set apart. The Israelites were to be set apart from the other nations that they were going to be living among in the Promised Land and today we are to be holy and set apart from the world that we live in, meaning those who are against God and don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To be set apart means we are to live differently from the world. When the world looks at us they should see a difference between us and themselves. If they don’t then we are not living a holy life as a child of God.

As believers, we are literally set apart, made holy, because of our relationship with the one who died on a cross for our sins and brought us back into a right relationship with a holy God. How does Jesus do this? If you remember the story of King Midas, everything he touched turned to gold. Something like that happens when we come into relationship with Jesus. He is the one who entered the holy of holies in heaven to heal the rift that sin had created in our relationship with God. Jesus is the one who makes us holy, enabling us to stand in God’s presence and join the angels as they sing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord.” It starts with our justification, our accepting of Jesus as our Lord and Savior and it continues with our sanctification.

What is sanctification? According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, sanctification is “the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” It is a continuing change worked by God in us, freeing us from our sinful habits and forming in us Christ-like affections, dispositions, and virtues. It doesn’t mean that we will never sin again, but it does mean that we strive to be more Christ-like every day and when we do sin we confess and repent. This is sanctification and it is a real transformation, not just the appearance of one.

So our holiness starts with the work of Jesus on the cross and continues as we pursue the holiness of God in our everyday lives, which brings us to our scripture this morning. It is found in Leviticus 19:1-2 but we will be talking about the entire chapter. I also want to reference Leviticus 20:7-8 and 26 in the scripture reading this morning. This is what God’s Word say from Leviticus 19:1-2: The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. And in Leviticus 20:7-8, 26: “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy. You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

We see the concept of holiness played out in these verses. First, we are to be holy because God is holy. Second, God is the one who makes us holy. Third, God has set us apart from the nations to be his own. And fourth, to be holy we need to keep God’s decrees by following and obeying them. The rest of those two chapters are God-given guidelines on what it practically meant for the Israelites to be holy. If they obeyed these decrees they would be different from the nations around them and would be in a close relationship with God. Another benefit from obeying these commands was that not only would they be in a close relationship with God but they would be in close relationships with each other. That reminds us of our big idea that our holiness can be seen in our relationship with God and others.

Leviticus 19 has been called the Old Testament Sermon on the Mount. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus was laying out for His disciples His rules for those who would be subjects of His kingdom. Those whom Christ saves are to display a life that is different from the kingdom from which they have been delivered. They are different because they are pursuing holiness and striving to be holy as God is holy. The same was true for God’s covenant people. If they were pursuing holy living their lives would demonstrate that they were different from the nations living around them.

The important thing for us to remember is that holiness is definable, it is practical, and it is even measureable. But even further than that, when it comes to holiness, those who have been redeemed by the grace of God are responsible. It is our responsibility to pursue the practice of holiness in our lives. And because of God’s saving grace, we have the power to do so. If we pursue holiness, in the power of Christ, then we will find ourselves experiencing the abundant life that Jesus talked about. The pursuit of holiness is also a profitable pursuit. We will see all of this in Leviticus 19.

Our first point is the Principles of Holiness. The first principle is that holiness is a commanded responsibility. In vs. 1-2, God commanded his chosen people to be holy as he was holy. It was not merely a good suggestion but rather a covenant obligation. This is why we have been saved. We are not to be corrupted by the world around us but are to live in loyalty and obedience to the Lord who has saved us. We are to be like Him. Harris says, “The character of God is behind all his commandments. Among the sensual and foolish deities of antiquity, no god could ground all moral duty in his divine character; only the God of Israel could.” Jonathan Edwards once said that if we do not love God for His holiness then it is doubtful that we love Him at all. Think about it: we will know that we love Him for His holiness if we answer His command to pursue holiness. Every week in our worship-based prayer, we seek the face of God as we praise him for his many attributes such as his holiness, but you know what, they are empty words if we don’t answer his command to pursue holiness. It works the same way for all his attributes. If we say we love God but don’t love others our words are meaningless. If we praise him for his graciousness and mercifulness towards us but we are not gracious and merciful towards others our praise is meaningless.

Our second principle is that holiness is a countercultural responsibility. God was concerned that the people whom He had redeemed not be corrupted by the practices of the people whom they would soon encounter. They were to be holy and therefore their lifestyle was to be characterized by holiness. God is different from His creation and as believers we are called to model him. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Harrison says, “God’s holiness is to be taken as a model for individual and community life.” Currid defines holiness as “the imitation of God.” Jesus taught this principle when He said, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” in Matthew 5:48. When God called His people to holiness, He was calling them to a lifestyle and an existence that was to be different to those around them. He is calling us to the same thing today.

Christians and non-Christians are similar in many ways. Rarely can you look at someone and just from the outside tell whether they are a Christian or not. The difference is related to someone’s desires, beliefs, values and aspirations. We should be different from the culture we live in and honestly we should unapologetically be offending the culture around us. There should be a difference in our behavior that is noticeable to them. We will examine examples of that behavior in the rest of chapter 19.

Our third principle is that holiness is a communal responsibility. God’s command to be holy as he is holy, was given in the context of community. Moses was commanded by God to command the entire assembly to holiness. No one was exempt from holy living, not even the stranger or the foreigner in the assembly. This means that everyone here in our congregation of Idaville Church has a part to play in being holy and the responsibility of ensuring that holiness is part of their everyday lives.

It is essential that I pursue holiness, but it is also essential that we all pursue holiness so that together we are holy. This requires an awareness of accountability. Moses gave these commands from God to the people publicly so that they were without excuse. There was a built-in accountability factor that no one could easily escape. It is the same for you and I. We sit here and hear Pastor Stuart preaching and teaching us directly from God’ Word every Sunday. We go to Sunday school and hear teachers teaching from Word of God. We read God’s Word for ourselves at home. We are now held accountable by God but also by each other to obey what God’s Word says. That accountability is part of pursuing holiness.

Our fourth principle is that holiness is a comprehensive responsibility. In Leviticus 19:3-18, Ross says, God gave the Israelites a “rapid, panoramic tour” of what it meant to be holy. The laws he gave covered every major sphere of daily life. They started in the home, and then with the sanctuary and then with society at large. Also, each of the Ten Commandments seem to be alluded to here. We are called to be holy and obedient in every area of our lives. Sometimes we are guilty of pursuing holiness in one aspect of our lives but not worrying about holiness in another. This may be played out in loving God but not being willing to love others as ourselves. We can’t love God if we don’t love others like us who are made in his image.

That brings us to our first next step which is to obey God’s command to be holy, different from the world we live in, individually and as a church community, in every part of our daily lives.

Our second point this morning is the practice of holiness. The pursuit of holiness is a practical pursuit. There are things that we are to do as well as things that we are to avoid. First, holiness is a concrete responsibility. There is a very definite behavior that God expects of those who claim Him as their Father and there should be concrete differences in our living compared to the world around us. And, this behavior is not beyond our reach; it is attainable. Tidball says, “Holy living involved goals that were manageable, by God’s grace, rather than goals that were so far out of reach that people were condemned to perpetual failure.” James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” The pursuit of holiness is practical. It can be demonstrated, measured and attained.

In chapter 19, verses 3-18, we see what was required in the daily pursuit of holiness. The first thing that was required was to love God, and this was shown practically in several ways. First, we are to respect our parents because God has put them in authority over us. Two, we are to remember the Sabbath. Holiness begins in the home and remembering the Sabbath benefits our family life. When we have a respect for God we will have a respect for those he puts in authority over us such as our parents. And three, we are not to have any other gods before us or worship any idols. It is interesting how these are related. If you don’t remember the Sabbath and the worship of God then it won’t be long til you start to worship idols such as money, possessions, people, etc. Holiness is demonstrated in whom we worship. We were created for worship. Everyone worships; the only question is whom and how we worship.

David Foster Wallace delivered a commencement address at Kenyon College back in 2005. He makes no profession to faith in Jesus Christ, but at one point in his address he made the following statement: “Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what we worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship . . . is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.” Anything you worship other than the God of the Bible—money, fame, sex, etc. will eventually eat you alive. If we do not want to be eaten alive by that which they worship, we must teach and model a remembrance of the Sabbath and a respect for God and parents. God is the only one worthy of our worship. Everything else is worthless.

Lastly, to love God was shown practically by obeying the rules. This is seen in Leviticus 19:5-10. The first rule had to do with the peace offering. The peace offering was the culmination of all of the sacrificial rituals. It was a meal in which God shared with His people. It celebrated reconciliation with God. It was a statement expressing fellowship and oneness with Him. The second rule had to do with gleaning which was a God-prescribed means for caring for the poor among His people. When a landowner harvested his field he was not to reap in the corners of his fields or to harvest every grape and olive. He was to leave some for the poor to harvest. It was a means of feeding the poor while at the same time guarding their dignity. In other words, they could find food but they had to labor for it themselves.

What was important about these two rules being together? The peace offering was also a thank offering, in which the worshipper would bring a sacrifice to express gratitude to God for His goodness in giving them a harvest. And this thankfulness was to spill over into their lives as they went back home to their fields. They were in community together and this was a practical way to have compassion for others just as God had compassion on them.

The second thing that was required in the daily pursuit of holiness was love for their neighbor and these practical things are found in Leviticus 19:11-18. The first is honesty. If oneness, fellowship and unity were to be maintained in the community, there must be integrity among the people. To deceive others is to dishonour God and to destroy communal holiness. We should expect and even demand honesty from those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and call themselves Christians. Second, we are not to take advantage of others. We are not to cheat our neighbor or withhold from someone what they have earned. We are not to take advantage of the disadvantaged or the disenfranchised. The Israelites were to be compassionate and sympathetic towards those who were in such a predicament. They were not to take advantage of those who did not know or could not perceive what was happening to them. He mentions the blind and the deaf. God can see and hear how we treat others even if they can’t. Third, we are to practice justice towards others. God’s people are to be characterized by justice, truthfulness and fairness. We are not supposed to stab people in the back. Lastly, a practical way to love our neighbor is to be constructive not destructive. Verses 17-18 means that we are to be passionately concerned for the spiritual welfare of others. We are to love our fellow believers so much that we will do what is necessary to help them live differently and to be holy. We don’t love others when we refuse to hold them accountable to personal holiness, or hold a grudge against them instead of reconciling and restoring fellowship with them.

Why is holiness important especially in our relationship to God and with others? Because if we obey these concrete laws of holiness commanded by God then good will be the result. Our homes will be blessed, our church will be blessed and the overflow is that our society will be blessed. Imagine what our world would look like if we obeyed the command in Leviticus 19:17-18 to love and not hate each other. How different our communities would be if we lived by this simple yet demanding rule.

That brings us to our second next step this morning which is to love God and love my neighbors so that our homes, our church, and our society will be blessed.

I want to say one last thing about this holiness. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Does that scare you? Which one of us can be perfect? Only Jesus was perfect and perfectly lived out these laws we see in Leviticus 19. The good news is we have the power as Christians to be perfect, to be holy. It is because we are Christians, not in name but in nature, that we have the power to pursue holiness. We need to be born again as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3. Apart from being born again, all our attempts to love mercy, do justice and walk humbly with our God will be nothing but self-righteousness. Of course, we can never be perfect even though we are called to be perfect. But the key is when we aren’t perfect and we do sin, we confess our sin and repent from it and we turn to Christ alone for forgiveness and for the ability to seek his righteousness and to live a holy life. Christ through his sacrifice gives us the power to daily pursue holiness and live holy, obedient lives.

In conclusion, I want to introduce the 2021 Spiritual Life Journal to you. Our theme for 2021, if you haven’t figured it out is Holiness. In 2020, our theme was Unity, and hopefully you all feel as I do that even though 2020 was a difficult year, we come into 2021, more unified than in the past, even though we spent a little over three months apart and are spending some time apart even now from our friends here at Idaville Church. But as Pastor Stuart and I were talking about 2021, we felt that a next logical step was a pursuit of holiness. I have been praying that we as a congregation pursue holiness and I have prayed that it would start with me. We spent 2020 working on our relationships with each other and now in 2021 we want to spend time on our relationship with God and in growing closer and staying close to him.

When you look through the Spiritual Life Journal you will see the same main headings with holiness in place of unity, such as, Holiness in Prayer, Holiness in the Word, Holiness in Service, Holiness in Giving, Holiness in Relationships, Holiness in the Gospel and Holiness in Worship. There are commitments that can be made for each section and Bible verses for each section as well. There is also a daily Bible reading plan and monthly memory verses that we as a congregation will recite together on Sunday mornings. I want to challenge everyone to sign the commitments this year that are in the Journal and I want to challenge everyone to do the daily Bible reading plan and to memorize the monthly memory verses. If we all make this commitment to God and to each other and hold each other accountable we will attain a goal of holiness this year not only personally but as a community of faith as well. That brings us to our last next step which is to make a commitment to holiness in prayer, in the Word, in service, in giving, in my relationships, in the Gospel and in worship and to daily Bible reading and memorization.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in our final song, let’s pray: Holy God, I pray that we who call Idaville Church home would pursue holiness every day and I pray that it would start with me. Help us to hold each other accountable and to strive to be better in our relationships with you and with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

January 3, 2021/by Office

Scorpion’s Sting

Gospel Megaphone

Dethroned But Not Destroyed

Give Peace a Chance

A Side of Fries

Putting One Foot in the Basket

Up In Smoke

Ultimate Tag

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