A Sacrifice That Saves

Sacrifice of one’s self … it is the highest form of service and it is selfless, given out of one’s own free will. Our military award medals and honors soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in service to their country and fellow soldiers. God requires sacrifice also. In Leviticus 1:3–17, God issued specific instructions on the manner in which burnt offering sacrifices were to be made to atone for an Israelite’s personal sinful nature. An animal was offered to God and sacrificed in substitution for the life of the person offering it. The burnt offering was a serious undertaking. It required the offeror to recognize that God takes sin seriously and the payment for sin requires the shedding of blood. I pray that we all understand and give thanks for the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross at Calvary. He sacrificed His life and had His blood shed as a substitute in our place, to pay for our sins and give us new life. Hallelujah and Amen!

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. You are to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. (Leviticus 1:3-9)

God gave specific instructions regarding the sacrifice of animals as a burnt offering that would be a substitute and atonement for an individual’s general state of sin. In essence, this would transfer his sin onto the animal being sacrificed. A bull without defect was to be sacrificed and burnt on the altar at the tabernacle. The person offering the animal was to slaughter, skin, cut the animal into pieces and wash it. Prior to killing the animal he was to lay his hand on the animal’s head to make it acceptable as a substitute and atonement for his sin. The priest was required to sprinkle the animal’s blood around the altar and place the parts of the animal on the altar to burn it. These instructions were to be followed exactly and completely. The sacrifice would create an aroma pleasing to God.

“‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male without defect. You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. (Leviticus 1:10:13)

A burnt offering sacrifice of an animal from the flock was acceptable. The animal had to be male and without blemish.

“‘If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon. The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. He is to remove the crop and the feathers and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes are. He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. (Leviticus 1:14-17)

God made provision for burnt offering sacrifices in circumstances where the person offering the sacrifice was unable to afford a herd or flock sacrifice. If such was the case, the person could offer a dove or a young pigeon instead. God provided specific instructions regarding the killing and preparation of the bird before burning on the altar.

The burnt offering was truly intended to be a sacrifice for the person offering it. The complete burning of the animal represented total sacrifice on the part of the person offering it. It had to be a choice animal that would have been productive in sustaining the livelihood of the person who offered it. The person was to offer the sacrifice of their own free will and not under any obligation. They were required to put their hand on the head of the animal in order to identify with it and understand that it was dying as a substitution for their death. Additionally, the person who offered the sacrifice also personally participated with the priests in the sacrifice by slaughtering, cleaning and cutting the animal into parts. The burnt offering sacrifice was serious and represented atonement (redemption) for the sins of the person bringing the sacrifice, as a substitute for their death and as a payment for sin. Sin and guilt was atoned for by the burnt offering sacrifice. And the sacrifice was accompanied by prayer and worship of God. Jesus made a once and for all sacrifice for us on the cross. He was the perfect lamb of God. And because of His sacrifice, we are no longer required to make burnt offering sacrifices. But Christ’s sacrifice should not be taken lightly by us. It was made by the shedding of His blood. And even though we no longer physically make burnt offering sacrifices, we should still offer praise to God for His grace and we offer our worship to a loving God who allowed our sin to be forgiven by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Blessings, Rev. Glenn

God is very particular about the way men approach Him. The rebellious nature of fallen man inclines him to want to approach God his own way. The song, “I did it my way,” illustrates this tendency. God did not allow men to approach Him their own way, but rather only in accordance with the means He Himself established. Men could only approach God by means of the tabernacle, the priesthood, and the sacrifices. Today, men can only come to God God’s way, through the person and work of Jesus Christ