Week 7: Sacrifice
Weekly Reading:
Numbers 10 - 30
Opening Prayer
Father God,
Only You are worthy of our time. Sometimes our time is stretched and thin, and we leave so little time for what is essential. Help guide us so that we are always putting You first. Open our eyes to Your word today. Guide our thinking so that it glorifies You.
Amen
Study
Reading through the books of the Torah can sometimes feel monotonous, and sometimes my mind becomes numb and distracted. I admit it; sometimes I get very sleepy when reading who belongs to which tribe, and I get lost and remind myself to clue back in.
When we get to God's instruction on the daily offerings, we witness the large number of sacrifices required of the Israelites in their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly existence. We see requirements for Sabbath offerings, monthly offerings, Passover, Festival of Harvests, Festival of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Festival of Shelters.
There are a few definitions of sacrifice in the dictionary, but the one we will look at is:
the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim (found in dictionary.com).
In the past, the pagans sacrificed animals to "feed" their gods, sacrificing three meals a day to their gods. This type of sacrifice is not what the Lord was seeking, and God was seeking sacrifice as a gift of praise or as means for atonement.
The Israelites valued their animals; the animals were their food source. By choosing the best animals, they gave a portion of their food source to God as a gift of thanks and in trust that God would continue to watch over them. On the Sabbath weekly offering, the Israelites would offer up a gift of thanksgiving for the week and a reminder that God gives them rest. There was also a monthly offering to remind who God is and atonement for sin by offering a male goat.
The sacrifice of an animal by the Israelites and the giving of the best grain, oil, and wine represented giving of themselves to God, who is worthy and deserving of praise and sacrifice.
In Genesis 22:2, we see the intent of sacrificing a much-loved son where Abraham, on the word of God, prepares to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a love offering. We do see that God stopped him, exposing Abraham's true heart, as Abraham intended to follow God's word, and God was thankful.
We see a turn and sacrifice with the death of Jesus. In John 3:16, God made the final sacrifice of his son, and Jesus sacrificed his own life to save you and me. In return, our sacrifice is in our hearts.
In the New Testament, we see a turn in the practice of sacrifice when God sent His Son, Jesus, to atone for man's sins. God made the final sacrifice of His Son, and Jesus laid down his own life to save you and me. In return, we no longer sacrifice animals.
Hebrews 13:16 instructs us to "do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Jesus died for our sins. The sacrifice is no longer our livestock but our hearts. God seeks for us to sacrifice ourselves and put others first. Consider the lost, the discouraged, the hurting, and love them despite our desires.
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul instructs us to be the sacrifice by dedicating ourselves to God and God's desire in our lives. We are to follow the will of God and pursue what is good and acceptable and perfect. We will worship God with our hearts, body, and soul, no longer with an animal offering.
The sacrifice method has changed, but God's goal in our lives remains: live for Him, dedicate our lives to Him, and be a living sacrifice to Him and for Him.
Closing Prayer
Father God,
Your grace is all I need; no longer are we the children of the Old Testament, but children of God in the New Testament. Father, forgive us of our sins, our idolatry of putting things before You, of words that are not of You, of sinful thoughts. We cannot do this on our own; only in You can we be the person You want us to be. Guide us to your way, Father. Help us prune from our lives what does not glorify You.
Amen
Homework
What needs to be retired in your life? Is there something that obstructs God's goal or desire in your life?
Pray on what needs to be retired and that God shows you how to prune it from your life.
