Putting One Foot in the Basket

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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.

/by

Up In Smoke

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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?

1

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

2

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

3

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

by Roy Gane (Author)

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