Sacrifices (Part 1) A Pleasing Aroma

Transcription

1 : Ready Your Heart Sacrifices (Part 1) A Pleasing Aroma 4 Imagine it. Pieces of barbeque crisping on the altar. The burnt offering must have been quite the sight and smell! It must have filled the entire tabernacle with an aroma that was not only pleasing to God (Lev. 1:9) but also to everyone around. But did God need His people to offer sacrifices? Long before gas-lit grills and self-starting charcoal, God showed everyone that He could light His own altar. That s what Elijah, the 450 prophets of Baal, and a large gathering of Israelites discovered during the epic showdown recorded in 1 Kings 18. The first deity to rain down fire from heaven won. In the end, Yahweh sent down a fire that consumed the sacrifice even when the altar was saturated with water. When the ultimate sacrifice was made Christ hanging from the cross it was not love that descended upon Him but fire. The fiery wrath of a righteous God. Unlike the time at Christ s baptism, no dove descended that day. For the first time in His earthly life, Jesus Christ, the sinless and beloved Son with whom God was delighted and pleased (Matt. 3:17), took on our sin. The heat of divine punishment became so intense, so unbearable, that the Son of God, through whom the seas and everything in them were created, cried out, I m thirsty (John 19:28). What an offering! What a sacrifice! What a pleasing aroma for desperate sinners in need of saving grace! Pause and Reflect How does an understanding of the burnt offering (Lev. 1:3-9) increase your love for Christ? How does it expand your view of God s holiness? How is Aaron s offering contrasted with that of Christ s? Read Hebrews 9:12. What does this verse suggest about the nature of Christ s sacrifice? What does it suggest about the purity of the holy of holies? LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

2 : Ready Your Heart Sacrifices (Part 1) Restored to Duty Dishonorable discharge two words you never want to hear when serving in the military. Dishonorable discharge happens when there is a moral or ethical violation in which the guilty party is subject to discipline and then relieved of duty. Not a pretty picture. If you re going to be discharged of your military duties, an honorable discharge is the way to go. When the army of Israelites was conquering the land of Canaan, they committed horrible acts of moral misconduct. They married into pagan cultures, adopted heathen rituals, and thereby broke the laws of God. God s people blatantly disobeyed the First Commandment they were given by Moses Do not have other gods besides Me (Ex. 20:3). Their habitual disregard for God s laws didn t stop once they settled the promised land. On the contrary, they continued to murder, lie, steal, commit adultery, and so on. Instead of being holy and set apart, they broke the Levitical guidelines and proved unfit for active duty. But God restored them to service through the grain offering. He gave them a way to express their gratitude for forgiveness. Like the Israelites, we too are given opportunities to express our gratitude for forgiveness. And what better way to show gratitude than to share God s love with the world? Pause and Reflect In what ways has God equipped you for service in His kingdom? In what ways has God restored you in the past to active duty? Do you currently need restoration? From whom does restoration come? 36 Personal Study Guide Spring 2014

3 : Group Time Sacrifices (Part 1) We Need Atonement to Reconcile Our Relationship with God Balage Balogh / Art Resource, NY Leviticus is a tough book for a lot of people. Christians get excited about reading the Bible through in a year but then tend to get bogged down in Leviticus. They wonder what all these bloody sacrifices have to do with us today. The New Testament answers that question by introducing us to Jesus Christ, the new and final sacrifice for our sins. The death of Jesus Christ a fragrant offering to God (Eph. 5:2) became the new and final fragrance of atonement. Why do Christians often have a hard time reading through Leviticus? The animal sacrifices in Leviticus anticipate Christ s sacrifice in the New Testament. What does this foreshadowing suggest about how we should interpret Scripture? In this session, we will look at how Leviticus provides instruction for Israel regarding special offerings. The burnt offering was for the removal of the people s guilt before God; the grain offering restored Israel to serve God and neighbor; and the fellowship offering was for reconciliation between God and His people. Because of Christ s ultimate sacrifice, we celebrate the removal of our guilt before God, the freedom to serve God on His mission, and the restoration of our relationship with God. The Atonement Thread Garden Coverings Abraham and Isaac Passover Sacrificial Offerings Water from the Rock Bronze Snake Sign of Jonah Suffering Servant Lamb of God Bread of Life Perfect Sacrifice Washed Robes 37

4 1. We need atonement to remove our guilt (Lev. 1:3-9; Heb. 9:12). These sacrifices shine light on our sin, and they shine light on our Savior. Let s take a closer look at the first offering mentioned in Leviticus the burnt offering. 3 If his gift is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to bring an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting so that he may be accepted by the Lord. 4 He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. 5 He is to slaughter the bull before the Lord; Aaron s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 Then he must skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest will prepare a fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Aaron s sons the priests are to arrange the pieces, the head, and the suet on top of the burning wood on the altar. 9 The offerer must wash its entrails and shanks with water. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Our Sin. First, this offering shines light on our sin and the severity of the punishment. Imagine that you are the one who has brought the animal and is ready to offer it. You put your hand on its head. Next, you yourself slaughter it. Then you hand things off to the priests who light the fire and burn the animal in order to create a pleasing aroma (Lev. 1:9) in the nostrils of Yahweh. Think about how personal this would feel as you watch the animal die and be burned. The laying on of hands (Lev. 1:4) symbolized the transfer of guilt from the worshiper to the animal. Read Leviticus 16:21. What does this verse suggest about the role of confession in our worship? The detailed nature of these instructions shines light on how seriously God takes sin. He hates lackadaisical sacrifices. Later on in the Old Testament, we see God s people bringing their worst animals to be sacrificed. When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong? (Mal. 1:8). The answer was yes for the Israelites, and the answer is yes for us too. That s why the Book of Leviticus is so important. It s not just instructions about blood and guts. It s about how God desires our best offerings, our first sacrifices, our ultimate treasures. It s about how God bent down and got His hands dirty in order to remove the stains that you and I cannot remove by ourselves. 38 Personal Study Guide Spring 2014

5 Our Savior. Second, this sacrifice points forward to Jesus, whose death removes our guilt. In the Old Testament, it took the blood of a bull offered by the priests to remove the people s sins. But these were only signs that pointed to a greater sacrifice. Hebrews 9:12 says: 12 He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. In considering the great salvation we ve been given, we should ask God to help us respond with love from the heart. It s wrong to give God our worst offerings lazy Sunday morning worship that can t hold a candle to the excitement of the last football game; a prayer life that s so sickly that it belongs in the I.C.U. just to stay alive; a tithe that s given so late in the month, after all the bills and important checks are written, that it sometimes doesn t get offered at all. God deserves the best, and we ought to offer praise gratefully and joyfully, not out of duty and obligation. Voices from the Church The book of Leviticus informs the Israelites that when the holy, awesome God comes to live in your midst, everything in your life will change. All of life must now be lived with the consciousness of God s great holiness. 1 J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays In the same way that the Israelite s sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to the Lord (Lev. 1:9), Paul writes in Ephesians 5:2 that the sacrifice of Jesus was also a fragrant offering to God. In what ways was Christ s death pleasing to God? 2. We need atonement to restore us to service (Lev. 2:1-3; John 12:24). In Leviticus 2:1-3, we learn that God s people were to give a grain offering as an expression of their thanksgiving and dedication to God and His service. 1 When anyone presents a grain offering as a gift to the Lord, his gift must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it, 2 and bring it to Aaron s sons the priests. The priest will take a handful of fine flour and oil from it, along with all its frankincense, and will burn this memorial portion of it on the altar, a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 3 But the rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons; it is the holiest part of the fire offerings to the Lord. 39

6 Offering grain was a voluntary action, an expression of devotion. This kind of offering indicates that God takes pleasure when we voluntarily express our gratitude and our desire to engage in His mission in this world through the giving of our time, energy, and resources. Why does God desire a voluntary offering? What is the difference between doing something from a sense of duty or a sense of delight? What does this teach us about God s concern for our hearts? Having recently become a college professor, I ve learned that one of the most common rules broken by students is enrolling in a class without taking the necessary prerequisites. For instance, you can t take an upper-level Hebrew course without first passing Introduction to Hebrew. The upper-level class builds upon the foundation laid by the lower-level class. The sacrifice of grain offerings had a prerequisite the burnt offering. Only after guilt had been removed by the slaughtering of a bull could the offering of grain be given. The grain offering did not atone for sin but instead was a voluntary response of gratitude for having their sins atoned for. It was a sign of dedication to Yahweh, a public pledge of obedience to His mission and will in this world. What are some spontaneous ways we express our gratitude to God? What is the connection between our gratitude (for salvation) and our calling (to service)? Though not as directly as other sacrifices, the grain offering pointed forward to Jesus. In John 12, Jesus reminded His disciples that following Him required a special offering their lives. Just as He would give His life to bring about a great harvest, so would the disciples give their lives to the service of God s kingdom. Take a look: 24 I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. Jesus spoke these words in the context of the Passover festival, reminding the disciples what happens to grain when it falls to the ground. The grain must die in order to produce a large crop. The immediate application is about Jesus. He would offer up His life in order to bring about salvation and restore His people to service. But it also can be applied to the disciples. After all, the next verse says, The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (12:25). You and I have been given the privilege and responsibility of sharing outstretched hands for a prodigal world that needs the loving arms of a Father (see Luke 15:20). 40 Personal Study Guide Spring 2014

7 When you and I, in gratitude for Christ s atonement, reach out to others, we become a pleasing and aromatic offering to God. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Cor. 2:15). What are the signs that a Christian is dedicated to God? In what ways are we called to die to ourselves so that others might find Christ and live? Voices from Church History And so, like a sheaf of grain, the firstfruits of the earth, he offered himself to the Father for our sake. 2 Cyril of Alexandria (circa ) 3. We need atonement to reconcile our relationship with God (Lev. 3:1-5; Eph. 2:13). Raised in New Orleans, my wife, Rebecca, comes from a long lineage of top-notch Cajun cooks. Fried oysters, jambalayas, muffulettas, beignets. And don t forget the crawfish boil a large trashcan-size pot of crawfish, corn on the cob, and potatoes scattered across a long, newspaper-covered picnic table. No one goes hungry at this feast! The third offering in Leviticus, the fellowship offering, everyone got to eat. It was a vivid demonstration of celebration and reconciliation that comes in the wake of God s grace. 1 If his offering is a fellowship sacrifice, and he is presenting an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he must present one without blemish before the Lord. 2 He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron s sons the priests will sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar. 3 He will present part of the fellowship sacrifice as a fire offering to the Lord: the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat that is on the entrails, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins; he will also remove the fatty lobe of the liver with the kidneys. 5 Aaron s sons will burn it on the altar along with the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The fellowship offering didn t end at the altar. It extended into a celebratory feast to which the priests and the poor were invited (Lev. 7:28-36; Deut. 12:17-19). Notice the sequence of the offerings. First comes the burnt offering the removal of sins. Then comes the grain offering restoration to service. And finally comes the fellowship offering. Only after the sins of the people had been atoned for were they prepared to serve and experience authentic community and fellowship with one another. 41

8 Read 1 John 4:20. Why is reconciliation with God a prerequisite for reconciliation with others? What word does John use to describe those who have one but not the other? The fellowship offering provided reconciliation for the Israelites in the context of worship. In doing so, it foreshadowed a future reality. Look at how Paul described Jesus work of reconciliation in Ephesians 2: 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. The fellowship offering was a vivid foreshadowing in the Old Testament of the reconciliation accomplished in the New Testament. It was a representation of the Heavenly Father s re-unification with His estranged and prodigal children. This feast of fellowship was a foretaste of things to come. Voices from the Church We are reconciled first to God in Christ, then to one another in covenant community, and third to what God is doing in the renewal of all creation. 3 Matt Chandler All of us have been prodigals at one time or another. Estranged from God s family, every one of us was once an enemy of God in need of reconciliation (Col. 1:21). All of us lived our lives in the faraway land as we pursued the desires of our sinful appetites. But thanks be to God, He is a Father in heaven who is able to say, This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! (Luke 15:24). In order to properly love our neighbors, we first must be reconciled with God. For the love we share with one another flows directly out of the fountain of love that we ourselves have been shown love that selflessly gives itself away without the promise of return. Why is God concerned with the way we treat those around us? How does the fellowship offering speak to our life together as believers in Jesus? Conclusion Before we spread the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, we first must embrace the atoning work of Christ. The sacrifices that the Israelites offered to God teach us that reconciliation with others can only happen after we ourselves are reconciled with God. Worship is at the very heart of evangelism. When we extend to others the grace that we ourselves have embraced, our lives become like that of Paul s a sacrifice of service that is offered for the salvation of the lost (Phil. 2:17). 42 Personal Study Guide Spring 2014

9 : Respond in Your Life Sacrifices (Part 1) Potluck Dinner Ever been to a potluck? At such a meal, everyone contributes different dishes (some better, or more lucky than others). Unfortunately, it s a dying tradition this after-church dinner. But there s something ancient about this time of fellowship among believers, something biblical. The fellowship offering in ancient Israel was the potluck meal among the Israelites. It was a vivid celebration of the reconciliation between humanity and divinity. Out of gratitude for the atonement for sin, the fellowship offering was God s way of taking care of the poor. It was God s way of saying, I have done this for you, now you must do this for others. It speaks to the reality that God is interested in taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves the outcast, the homeless, the nobodies of society, the least of these (Matt. 25:40). Eating does that. It s a way of extending grace to others out of gratitude for what God has given us. It brings to mind the giving of another dish the body and blood of Christ. There was no luck in that meal. Instead, Christ was intentionally served so that you and I might eat and find eternal satisfaction (see John 4). The contribution of this dish was enormous a sacrifice prepared with all the love God could muster. What are you contributing to the mission of God? What dishes have you brought to the table? God has given each of us certain skills and talents, and like waiters and waitresses, each of us is called to serve the world with a menu of grace and a message of hope. Pause and Reflect In what ways have you served the least fortunate around you? What attitude did you have while you were doing it? Why must Christians always be on our guard against self-righteousness and pride? Reflect on 1 Corinthians 4:7. Answer the questions that Paul poses. What indeed do you have that you did not receive? Why is eating so important to God? 43

10 About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB Volume 2, Number 3 Spring 2014 Eric Geiger Vice President, Church Resources Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor Philip Nation Director, Adult Ministry Publishing Faith Whatley Director, Adult Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN ; or make comments on the Web at Printed in the United States of America Kendell Easley is a professor of biblical studies at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and is the director of the Master of Christian Studies and Doctor of Ministry programs for Union s Stephen Olford Center. He has written ongoing curriculum for more than 20 years. Kendell is married to Nancy, and they have one married young adult son. Christian George (@PilgrimGeorge) is assistant professor of biblical and theological studies at Oklahoma Baptist University. He is the author of Sex, Sushi, & Salvation, Godology, and Sacred Travels. He earned his PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Joey Jernigan serves as a lead pastor at Lanier Islands Community Church in Buford, Georgia. He also teaches as an assistant professor at Liberty University Online. He is married to Lindsay, and they have three daughters, Ella, Eden, and Emma. The Gospel Project : Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB (ISSN ; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription address changes, subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. David Nasser is a nationally recognized speaker and author of A Call to Die, Glory Revealed, and Jumping Through Fires. He also serves as a pastor at Christ City Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and children. Halim Suh and his wife, Angela, have three kids and live in Austin, Texas, where he is pastor of teaching and theology at The Austin Stone Community Church. He is the author (with Matt Carter) of two Threads studies: Creation Unraveled and Creation Restored. Halim has a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. writers

11 Notes Session 1 1. John Stott, Basic Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, reprint 1998), Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (New York: HarperCollins, 1978), W. A. Criswell, Basic Bible Sermons on the Cross (Nashville: B&H, 1990), 60. Session 2 1. CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, Infertility, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [online], 30 May 2013 [cited 16 August 2013]. Available from the Internet: 2. Athanasius, Festal Letters 6, in The Resurrection Letters, by Athanasius, ed. Jack N. Sparks (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1979), 106, quoted in Genesis 12 50, ed. Mark Sheridan, vol. II in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2002), Charles Spurgeon, The Gospel of Abraham s Sacrifice of Isaac [No. 869] Spurgeon Gems [online], 2 May 1869 [cited 14 May 2013]. Available from the Internet: Session 3 1. W. A. Criswell, Basic Bible Sermons on the Cross, Colin E. Gunton, Actuality of Atonement (New York: T&T Clark, 1998, reprint 2004), C. S. Lewis, quoted in The Quotable Lewis, eds. Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 1990), J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Living God s Word (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), Cyril of Alexandria, Glaphyra on Numbers 2, quoted in John 11 21, ed. Joel C. Elowsky, vol. IVb in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2007), Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson, The Explicit Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 144. Session 5 1. Elisabeth Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1958), Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989), John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John and the Epistle to the Hebrews, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, vol. 14, ed. Philip Schaff (New York: Cosimo, 1889, reprint), 440. Session 6 1. Jerome, The Letters of St. Jerome, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 6, eds. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, reprint 1893), W. A. Criswell, And That Rock Was Christ, W. A. Criswell Sermon Library [online], 23 October 1955 [cited 16 May 2013]. Available from the Internet: Session 7 1. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 94, in Fathers of the Church: A New Translation (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1947-), 6:297, quoted in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, ed. Joseph T. Lienhard, vol. III in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2001), Nancy Guthrie, The Lamb of God (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 234. Session 8 1. Tullian Tchividjian, Surprised by Grace (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), Paige Patterson, The Work of Christ, in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: B&H, 2007), 596 Session 9 1. National Safety Council, What are the odds of dying? [online], 2003 [cited 16 August 2013]. Available from the Internet: usark.org. 2. Martin Luther, quoted in It Is Well, by Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), Augustine, Sermons 284.6, in Works of St. Augustine: A Translation for the Twenty-First Century, ed. J. E. Rotelle (Hyde Park NY: New City Press, 1995), 3 8:91, quoted in James, 1 2 Peter, 1 3 John, Jude, ed. Gerald Bray, vol. XI in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000), 95. Session A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Rockville, MD: Serenity, 2009), Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day (Nashville: B&H, 1998), 295. Session Adrian Rogers, Beyond Miracles & on to Jesus, Love Worth Finding Ministries [online; cited 23 May 2013]. Available from the Internet: 2. Augustine, in Nicene and Post- Nicene Fathers, First Series, vol. 6, ed. Philip Schaff (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, reprint 1888), John Stott, Why I Am a Christian (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 95. Session Tim Keller, The Prodigal God (New York: Dutton, 2008), Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day, Donald Guthrie, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 216. Session C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (New York: HarperOne, 1976), Rory Noland, Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), Roy Fish, Giving a Good Invitation (Nashville: B&H, 1974),