So, what are my "takeaways" from the burnt offering, one of the most significant Jewish sacrifices.
The key to understanding the sacrifice is to see the sacrifice as God does. This sacrifice is a "pleasing aroma" to him. As I said before, not because he enjoys the smell of burnt flesh and fat, but because the burnt offering is a worship offering. How do we know that? Because God takes delight in our worship - let me explain.
Today, when we talk about worship we envision a pretty church building, an auditorium full of people and a stage with instruments and music and singing. And while that can be worship, worship is not limited to that.
In a nutshell, worship is declaring the worth of God, bringing notice to who He is; Holy, Just, Righteous, Loving, Gracious, Merciful. As we declare these things we are engaged in worship. We can declare them through music, through words, or even through our actions.
So how is this sacrifice worship? How is God pleased with it? Is He pleased only because people are following his orders and doing what He has "commanded"? Not entirely; let's break down the process.
If you are the one offering the sacrifice, think about what you are going to experience in the process. Here is what I think I would experience. One, I am giving a significant sacrifice to God. If I am giving an entire bull, that is several days worth of good eating that I am laying on the altar. And even if I can't eat it, there is significant value in my sacrifice. This is not something I enter into lightly. I will be fully committed to this process.
Two, I am committing a large block of time to this. Not only will it take me several hours to flay the animal, but I also am going to get quite messy and bloody while I'm doing it. To make this sacrifice, to make this offering that God takes pleasure in, is messy and takes time. Because of the time and effort involved, again I will be fully committed to the process. I will be purposely involving my physical body and senses and they will be engaged in this process for several hours.
And as I put in the effort for this sacrifice, I cannot help but think about the correlations that are involved. The connection between the offering of blood and God's forgiveness, the role of the priest in process, the example that God has already given where blood saved the life of all Jewish first-borns in Egypt. God's promised Messiah who would rescue us and make all things right again. The fact that God's pleasure comes at the expense of life-blood. All these things would weave their way into my thinking over the course of the sacrifice.
And as I think about these things, it can draw my heart into worship. Granted, today, we have a much clearer picture of God's redemptive plan, but still, all these things, through their symbolism and actions, can draw my heart into recognition of who God is and what he has done/ is doing in our world.
This sacrifice is all about worship
In case you're wondering, no, it is not necessary for us to worship like this today. (Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, has already been offered) But looking at what our Old Testament counterparts had as an opportunity, can serve as a picture to us and help draw us into a greater appreciation of our great God and our high priest, Jesus Christ.
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