LEVITICUS
A Gift, an Offering, a Prayer of Consecration
Leviticus ... it's really worth digging into rather than just skimming the text. From the very first chapter, I've got questions plus I'm noticing things I've not seen before.
I began by looking at the difference between sacrifice and offering ... interesting study. That led me into just an overwhelming need to stop and consider the whole sacrificial system and why it's important for us to study it. But let me just say that I'm so thankful that we don’t have lots of blood on the altar and all that kind of stuff to deal with today.
Thankfully, because of Yeshua and His blood applied, we ARE the temple — individually and collectively. We ARE sacred space.
But, at the same time, God should still be approached with caution — with reverence, awe and righteous fear. His presence should never be considered ordinary or entered into casually. Approaching Him should not be a thoughtless event. His presence is STILL sacred as opposed to common, as opposed to profane, which is what profane means … common, ordinary.
Encountering God in private or in the assembly of believers should never be ordinary. It should never be like everything else we do or encounter during the week. It should be different. The idea of bringing an offering just so we can even experience the presence of God in some way without getting hurt is really a good lesson we get from Leviticus.
Of course, this begs the question: What can/will I give Him as my offering as I come into His presence? While we no longer bring bulls or goats or fowl or grain, we have an obligation to come with a gift, an offering, and/or a prayer of consecration preparing us for communion with Him.
Love. Adoration. Focus. Attention. Sincerity. Surrender. Just a sampling of gifts or offerings we can bring ... gifts from a heart devoted to Him.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps 51:17)
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