Paul implored each of us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. And while the Old Testament sacrificial system was bloody and messy, being a living sacrifice can be bloody and messy, too. Being one requires allowing God to use the sword of the Spirit on our hearts and minds.
The sacrificial system also required worshipers to give their best as offerings. They weren’t to sacrifice the lame and diseased animals. When it comes to your time, talents, and resources, what do you offer to God? Do you offer Him your best? Or do you feel that you often have nothing left to give? During those times, could your best look different than what you might think?
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here. This year I’ve added a couple of new features. First, check out the “Free Resources” tab at the top. You’ll find a downloadable, printable PDF with “Going Deeper Study Questions” for each day’s post. And … this year you’ll find the daily “Bible in a Year” posts on YouTube. The daily emails now have a link to both these Soul Survival posts and the YouTube videos. I hope you’ll sign up. (If you already receive them, no need to sign up again.)
Today’s Readings:
Leviticus 1 & 2
Psalm 22.22-31
Proverbs 8.32-36
Matthew 27.27-54
A Living Sacrifice, How to Offer God Your Best When Life is Overwhelming
Leviticus 1 & 2:
Our Once and for All Sacrifice
Well, here we are starting a new book. Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), also called the Books of Moses.
Three of the themes that run through this book are God’s holiness, mankind’s sinfulness, and the need for a sacrifice. Of course, the sacrifices offered here in Old Testament times were only temporary coverings for sin. They pointed to the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the only sinless, perfect, once and for all, sacrifice.
What We Offer in Return
I noticed several things as I read these two chapters. First, twice in chapter 1, the Israelites were told to bring an animal “without blemish.” These were to be the best of the herd or flock. They were not to say, “Well, we might as well sacrifice this one, he’s probably not going to make it anyway.” They were to give Him their best.
What do you offer up to God? Is it the things you really don’t care about anyway? Or do you say everything I have is Yours, Lord? I’m willing to lay down anything You ask me to lay down?
Do you offer Him the best? The best of your time (often first thing in the morning), the best of your talents, the best of your resources? Or do you give Him what’s leftover, if anything?
What do you offer Him in the way of worship? Do you worship wholeheartedly in every area of life or are there rooms in your heart and life where you worship self or some other idol?
Give What You Have
The next thing I thought about was in verse 14, “And if … his offering to the Lord is of birds …” This was the offering of a poor man. It was the offering that Joseph and Mary brought on the eighth day after Jesus was born. In and of ourselves, none of us has anything worthwhile to give God, but His grace is already more than enough. He’s just asking us to give what we have out of our love for Him.
When it comes to time and energy, you may be in an extremely busy, exhausting season. You might be a mom with young children, sleep-deprived with someone pulling on your pant leg every minute. God understands. Your best right now might be five minutes after the littles fall asleep or ten minutes while they play or watch a video.
This shouldn’t be an excuse to do nothing but it’s important to remember that we don’t have to earn anything from God. Ask Him to give you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Phil. 2.13) and simply be faithful.
Preparation
I was, also, struck by how much preparation went into the sacrificial system of worship. Romans 12:1 tells us:
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.
Part of being a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, means we should come to God with clean hearts. We should take a few minutes to prepare our hearts for worship. We should confess any known sin and invite Him to open our hearts to His truths, convict us of sin, and show us where we need to change and grow.
A week or so ago, we read about the sacrifice required before Aaron and his sons were ready to go into the Holy of Holies. It was messy and bloody.
Offering ourselves as living sacrifices can be messy and bloody, too, as we allow the Holy Spirit to wield that sharp two-edged sword on our hearts (Heb. 4.12)!
But ultimately, while God does call us to examine ourselves and to respond in obedience so we can change and grow, we are not holy and acceptable because of any goodness in us but because we are in Christ and have been imputed His righteousness (Rom. 10.1-13).
The offering of ourselves and the desire to obey and please Him are responses to what He has done in and for us. I’d like to talk a little bit more about that as we look at our New Testament reading below.
Matthew 27.27-54:
No Other Way
As we approach this season of Lent and Easter, allow this passage to really sink in.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
Put yourself there, as they mocked Him, slapped and punched Him, and hit Him with a reed. Put yourself there, watching the scourging as that whip dug into his back ripping out the flesh of our sinless Savior. And finally, as they drove the nails into His hands and feet and hung Him there naked.
He submitted to that for you and for me, because there was no other way. We were so bad that the only remedy was for someone to die in our place!
2 Corinthians 5:21 says:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Walk Worthy of the Calling
Occasionally, I think of the scene from the movie Saving Private Ryan where Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) is dying and he speaks to Private Ryan (Matt Damon) for the last time. If you don’t know the story, Captain Miller and his men were tasked with finding Private James Ryan, whose three brothers had been killed in combat. In the process, many good men died so Private Ryan’s family wouldn’t suffer the ultimate loss of all their sons.
Captain Miller tells Ryan, “Earn this … earn it.”
Late in life, James Ryan travels to France to visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial and pay his respects to Captain Miller. This is the scene:
I can’t think of that scene without, also, thinking about the price that was paid for us, so we could live, not just physically, but spiritually and eternally. Thankfully, we can’t and don’t have to “earn it,” but we should live in a way that shows our gratitude and is worthy of His great sacrifice.
Paul said it this way:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called (Eph. 4.1).
So, let’s not hold on to sins for which He paid that horrible price to set us free. Confession and repentance are the only way out. They are the path to becoming a living sacrifice.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 22.22-31:
Praising Him
After crying out to God in verses 1-21, the Psalmist lifted his heart in praise. We, too, after we’ve cried out to God for His deliverance and the answers to prayer, need to do the same. Ultimately, we must leave those answers and the timing with Him and begin to praise Him in faith and trust.
Proverbs 8.32-36:
On Loving Death
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death (v. 36).
Matthew Henry says, “They love that which will be their death, and put that from them which would be their life.” We can see this clearly in the lives of people who practice what we might consider “big sins” like substance abuse, violence, homosexuality, or adultery.
But what do I love? What do you love that brings death? Do we love holding on to our sinful anger even though it may lead to the death of a relationship? Are we holding on to what someone did to us and our unwillingness to forgive? Are we holding on to some secret sin or our own self-righteousness? Or are we holding on to some “freedom” that pulls us away from our times of worship and study?
To what are you holding on? Are you ready to put it on the altar and offer yourself as that living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him?
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about the importance of defending the faith, the need to get the logs out of our eyes, and how Islam intends to conquer the West largely through cultural invasion. We’ll also pose the question, “Could you be raising little hypocrites?” and talk about what it means to preach the gospel to yourself and why it’s so important.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss them.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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