SATURDAY 26th
Leviticus 1:1-17
NIV (v2) – ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.’
ESV (v2) – ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.’
We come today to the book of Leviticus, and to be honest not a book I refer to as often as I should! We will be brief in this book as much of it is covering the rules and regulations for the people of Israel in regards to the various offerings they should make and the various laws that were to be integrated into their society as a company of God’s people.
One of the first thoughts I had and I think I may have mentioned this in a previous devotion is thank God for the Cross, for here in Leviticus the people were continually having to bring a sin offering of some sort, whether a sheep or goat, etc. and some of the activity around the act of sacrifice was a bit gruesome. The Hebrew writer reminds us that there is no longer any need for sacrifice for sin, for Christ has made the ultimate sacrifice for sin on our behalf. Hebrews 10:1-18.
Imagine if every Sunday morning when we come to Emmanuel that we had to bring a lamb or a goat and spend ages going through all the various sacrifices required by the law, their would be the noise, the blooded mess, the smell, etc.
But thank God all this is not necessary because one day around two thousand years ago, the noise took place in the courtyard where the cries belted out ‘Crucify him’ and the blooded mess took place by the means of whipping, beating, crown of thorns, nails and spear as the one they took was crucified, and the smell of death hung around the nostrils of those who were gazing around the scene, but as a result of the noise that day, not only of the crowds shouting out, but of the hammer banging the nails, and the blooded mess and smell of death it means that when we come to Emmanuel we don’t need to come with our sheep or goats, we don’t need to make the gruesome sacrifices, we come entering his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, we come into the courts with praise, for that one sacrifice two thousand years ago was a full and complete sacrifice as Hebrews 10:14 says ‘For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified’ and verse 17 ‘I will remember there sins and their lawless deeds no more’ and then verse 18 ‘Where there is forgiveness of these there is no longer any offering for sin.’
I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.
For me it was in the garden, he prayed – ‘not my will, but thine’:
He had no tears for his own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine.
He took my sins and my sorrows, he made them his very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered and died alone.
When with the ransomed in glory his face I at last shall see,
‘Twill be my joy through the ages to sing of his love for me.
How marvellous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be;
How marvellous! How wonderful! Is my Saviour’s love for me!