“When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.” ~ Ernest Hemingway
LEVITICUS 1-3
These 3 chapters are filled with God's instructions for offerings, how they are to be presented with detailed instructions
- Burnt offering: Focus is on satisfaction of God's Righteousness, through sacrifice of an animal
- Grain offering: Focus is on dependence on God for Physical existance
- Fellowship offering: Focus is on thanks for peace relationship with God
MATTHEW 24:23-51
Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about being complacent and not letting his commandments and instructions take heart.
45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
JOURNAL
As I read through all of the complicated and detailed instructions required for all the offerings, I am grateful that we are no longer required to perform these...however I know that in my own heart, I also become very complacent and take for granted all of God's blessings and forget to acknowledge God in thanksgiving. It is so easy to dismiss blessings as just part of living rather than gifts from God.
It makes so much sense that as God was forming the Israelites into a nation, he also was teaching them discipline and thankfulness, through action. While there is such a blessing in being able to receive and have God's fellowship, forgiveness and spirit, without detailed required ritual...it makes me realize the prevalence of my flesh in it's laziness and ungratefulness. Christ's death made the sacrifices irrelevant, but it is because of his suffering and death. Therefore how much more should I be grateful and overwhelmed with love and gratitude.
Acceptance of this comes with the giving of my heart and life in following him. I no longer have to sacrifice my things but in essence he asks for everything in requiring me to give my heart and will, as a result I give my life, not just some of my stuff. As a result I get all of God and his constant presence and love.
It makes so much sense that as God was forming the Israelites into a nation, he also was teaching them discipline and thankfulness, through action. While there is such a blessing in being able to receive and have God's fellowship, forgiveness and spirit, without detailed required ritual...it makes me realize the prevalence of my flesh in it's laziness and ungratefulness. Christ's death made the sacrifices irrelevant, but it is because of his suffering and death. Therefore how much more should I be grateful and overwhelmed with love and gratitude.
Acceptance of this comes with the giving of my heart and life in following him. I no longer have to sacrifice my things but in essence he asks for everything in requiring me to give my heart and will, as a result I give my life, not just some of my stuff. As a result I get all of God and his constant presence and love.
19“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I 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. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:19-21)
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