King James Daily Bible Study: Being A Living Sacrifice
Date: Tuesday February 01, 2011
Chapters: Leviticus 1-3
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-february-1
Details of Today's Reading: God instructs Moses on the acceptable sin offering from the herds, flocks, and fowls. He continues with the meat and the peace offerings.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
As Christians we are to be the example that the world sees as a true child of God. The Bible says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God...So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ” - Romans 12:1,2,5. If we do not separate ourselves from the worldly things the people of the world will never understand why it is so important for them to receive Christ into their lives. The only way to be separated from the world is to offer yourself as a living sacrifice.

The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twenty-seven chapters, the time line for these events were approximately 1490 B.C. This is a continuation of Exodus and Numbers, the author of the book is Moses and it was written to the people of Israel. This book was a manual of worship for Israel, it was provided to give them instructions on how a sinner could fellowship with God. The purpose of the book was to show Israel how to live as a holy nation in fellowship with God and to prepare them to extend God's plan of redemption to all nations. What we are to learn from the book is that God only redeems and fellowships with us if we go to Him willingly. “If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.” - Leviticus 1:3

The first three chapters of the Book of Leviticus explain the offerings that the people were to bring to God in order to be able to fellowship with Him, the offerings were actually voluntary and set according to a persons wealth, if one was not able to afford cattle to offer as a sacrifice, God allowed what they could afford. He gave every person the opportunity to be redeemed from their sins, regardless of their financial status. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - II Peter 3:9.

The sin offering was to be of animal flesh, it had to be a male under a year old without one spot on it, the person had to offer the offering willingly as a payment for sin. Once he brought the offering he had to place his hand upon the sacrifice and offer it in place of himself. Once the offering was accepted, he had to kill the animal and hand it over to the priests where they would clean it up and place it upon the altar to be a burnt offering unto God.

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” - Leviticus 1:2-5.

We can all praise God that we no longer have to do this to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus Christ took the place of the animal by giving Himself as an offering. God will forgive anyone who comes to Him through His Son, but he must come to Him of his own free will. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” - John 3:17,18.

The meat offering was not the flesh of an animal it was vegetables, flat bread, or crackers, baked or fried in olive oil and spices, this was the only offering offered that was able to enter the tabernacle. It was offered to God as a way to show thanks for the atonement as well as all that God had given them. It represents presenting the body as a living sacrifice.

“And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil...And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil...As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour. And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.” - Leviticus 2:1-4,7,12-14.

Everything that was presented to God had to be salted with fresh salt, salt is used as for seasoning and preserving food, it brings life and flavor to a meal, it also is necessary for our bodies, and has many cures. As Christians we are the salt of the earth, a group of people regarded as the finest of our kind. Since we are the salt of the earth we have to be careful not to become stale. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men...Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:13,19.

The peace offering was to be if animal flesh, it could be a male or female, but it had to be spotless. This was an offering given after the sin offering and meat offering for one to be able to communicate and fellowship with God.

“And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away...And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD's. It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.” - Leviticus 3:1-4,16,17.

The word oblation means to offer it willingly, today, the same rules apply, we still need to seek forgiveness for our sins, we still need to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, and we still need to do both to be able to communicate and fellowship with God. The only difference is that Jesus paid the price for our sins permanently, that is if we call on Him to save us. Without Jesus we can not male that payment and receive atonement for our sins. It is only by grace that we are saved, not by how much we do for God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” - Ephesians 2:8,9.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the Meat offering, which was made without leaven, a symbol of sin. “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:” - I Corinthians 5:7.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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