Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Todays Reading in Song

As we start off today's reading we see Moses telling Aaron to offer sacrifices. Many of us know that once Christ came, was crucified, and resurrected that this did away with the sacrificial system, since Christ was the final sacrifice for us all. Let's keep it simple today with and understanding of two forms of sacrifice. The first was the "burnt offering" The Hebrew word for "burnt offering" actually means to "ascend," literally to "up in smoke." The smoke which came from the sacrifice ascended up to God. It was "a soothing aroma to the LORD" Lev 1:9. A  burnt offering was the complete destruction of the animal (except for the skin or hide) in an effort to renew the relationship between a Holy God and sinful mankind. With the development of God's law, God gave the Israelites specific instructions as to the types of burnt offerings and what they symbolized.

Leviticus chapter 1 and 8 describe what the traditional burnt offering was. It was when the Israelites brought a bull, sheep, or goat, a male without a defect, killed it at the entrance to the tabernacle (church). The blood of the animal was drained, the priest sprinkled the blood around the altar, then the animal was skinned and cut it into different pieces, all intestines and legs were washed, and the priest burned the pieces on the altar all night. The priest got the skin as a fee for his help. Turtledoves or pigeons could also be sacrificed, although they weren't skinned.People could give a burnt offering at any time. It was a sacrifice of atonement for the acknowledgement of our sin nature and for a renewed relationship with God. God also had set times for the priests to give burnt offerings for the benefit of the Nation as a whole, although the animals required for each sacrifice varied.

Leviticus chapter 4 explains the "Sin offering" which was given in sacrifice when a person sinned unintentionally by breaking one of the Lord's commandments later realizing their guilt (Lev 4:27). The sin offerings were part of the ceremonies on the day of atonement when the high priest made two sin offerings: a bull for himself and a young male goat on behalf of the congregation. Different for some of the other offerings, the sin offering was never eaten. The live animal was brought to the altar and the sinner was required to lay his hand on the head of the animal (Lev 4:29). The animal was killed, at which point the priest would take some of the blood and put it on the horns of the altar. In some cases, some of the blood was also sprinkled inside the tabernacle (church). The rest of the blood was poured at the base of the altar. The fat, kidney, and large lobe of the liver of the sin offering was removed and burned on the altar. But all the rest of the carcass was taken "outside to a place ceremonially clean and the carcass was burned "in a wood fire on the ash heap". "In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven". 

We see the unfolding of God's plan of salvation through His son Jesus Christ within the rituals of the sacrificial system. 

As a musician of sorts, I love to see Gods word revealed through songs. In the song "come to the altar" we see this section of scripture revealed in the lyrics. 

Lyrics
Are you hurting and broken within?
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling
O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling

Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
As we transition into todays new Testament reading. Mark chapter 4 and 5 remind us we serve a mighty God, and that we are not suppose to sit idly back as other people do the Lords work of proclaiming the gospel, and discipling others. We must have an active faith. Yes we ALL have different personality types, but do not tell me for a second that you in your personality can not be effective for Jesus, if you think that then you have bought into the lie that satan and you, yes YOU have believed. God has given EVERYONE gifts talents and personalities to reach people in your own sphere of influence. How mighty is our Lord and savior? Again I turn to music. The song "It is well" Bethel music's lyrics proclaims That even the wind and waves know who Jesus is, as did the man in the tombs knew immediately with no introduction needed exactly who Jesus is "the son of the most high God" is!  

lyrics 
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred

Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea


So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name

The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name

So what are you going to do differently today? The same old thing, or will you get up and get moving? Ask God to reveal to you and to you me how we can serve the Son of the most high God Jesus Christ? You can just do nothing, but then nothing will happen and nothing you will see. The choice is yours.

Chuck Goulart
203-943-0961

 "Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." –Francis Chan


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