Good Morning.
If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. (Leviticus 1:3)
As I mentioned in the previous devotion, these sacrifices and offerings act as tutors to teach us of important concepts and principles. The עלה olah or the “burnt offering” teaches us of complete surrender to God’s Will. While other offerings were portions of an animal’s carcass, the burnt offering was the entire animal with the exception of its hide, meaning that it was a complete offering. The smoke that ascended from this burnt offering gives it its name — olah is derived from the Hebrew word that means “ascend.”
Thus, the burnt offering teaches us that, if it were possible and if it were required of us, we would put ourselves upon that altar without any reservation, that is, if we have a heart to follow God with all of our being. Obviously that is not what He wants from us, and at the same time, it is exactly what He wants from us — our whole being. The burnt offering is the one that best expresses the sentiment of those who are sold out to God body, soul and spirit. As a tutor, this offering inspires us to see ourselves as a complete sacrifice to God’s service and, as such, we “ascend” to the man or woman He has called us to be. It seems fitting, then, to close with the words of Paul who said:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments