Sacrifice

From our church newsletter:

There is an oft-used phrase, “use it or lose it.” I certainly think this truism applies to reading the Bible. We need to constantly read and study the Bible, all parts, to continue to grow and understand our faith (theology = faith seeking understanding). Even if we’ve read the Bible a while ago, there are points and stories that we have forgotten and there are points and stories that mean more today than they did yesterday. For instance, I have made it my recent mission to re-discover the Book of Leviticus, perhaps one of the most dry books in the Bible due to all of its sacrificial rules and purity requirements and so on. I purchased a book Essential Torah wanting to know more about the types of sacrifices mandated in Leviticus. There are five: burnt offering (voluntary sacrifice – standard offering), meal offering (partly given for the priests to eat), well-being/peace (voluntary sacrifice – to fulfill a vow), sin offering (obligatory-unintentional sin), and guilt offering (obligatory-misappropriated property). Why all these sacrifices? Why all the rules concerning the way the sacrifice is made? Reading the Jewish perspective, it makes sense; the Jews offered sacrifices in order to remain in right relationship with God. Does God need burnt animals or flour? Of course, not, but God does delight in a person’s heart that is seeks to be in relationship with him – at all times and in all places. When things are going normally – a burnt offering; thankfulness for first fruits – meal offering; for fellowship and for an unexpected blessing, to fulfill a vow and general thankfulness – peace offering; and when we sin – sin and guilt offerings. What is left? Nothing! Everything is covered. At every time, good, bad, and ugly, the people offered sacrifices. The fires on the altars were always burning because the people were compelled to remember God and engage God always. You may have noticed this year we have not made a big deal of stewardship. We held cottage meetings to talk about our church and what we’d like to do and recently a letter was sent out concerning stewardship and November 18 when we will present our sacrifices to God. We don’t want stewardship to be a ‘campaign,’ rather we want it to be a desire to seek a right relationship with God. Read the book of Leviticus. See how the people worshipped. How is your day going? Normal? Very well? Not so great? Horrible? Offer a sacrifice. What kind? John 10:27.

photo above from Brand X Pictures