February 21: Burnt and Cereal Offerings

Burnt and Cereal Offerings

I struggle with reading this part of the Bible because I can tend to wrongly think that there is no value in it. It's a list of instructions for rituals that don't apply to us now. What does this mean to us today? Why is it important to know about these offerings when they are not practiced anymore?

Yesterday Ruth asked us to seriously think about what God has done in our lives. When I read today's passage with that in mind, it becomes so much more than a list of instructions on ancient rituals. It becomes a passage about a holy God who loves sinful people and is working on a plan to bring them back to Him.

Because God is holy and perfect, He cannot be in the presence of sin. All humans are sinful and fall incredibly short of God's holiness. Trying to live a perfect life without sin would be like trying to jump over the Grand Canyon. It's just not possible. We will literally fall short every single time. But thankfully God is also loving and merciful. Despite our sinfulness, He loves us more than we could ever imagine. Since the moment sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God has been working to bring His people back into fellowship with Him. These burnt offerings were a means by which the people's sin could be covered by the blood of a lamb. Today, the reason we don't have to sacrifice burnt offerings to God is because Jesus was the perfect sacrifice who died once and for all the sins of the world (past, present, and future). Jesus is our lamb without defect. His blood permanently covers our sin so that we can be with God. God knew He was going to send His Son to die for our sins long before it actually happened. He showed the Israelites a glimpse of what was to come when He instructed them on burnt offering. 

The next couple weeks will be difficult, but I encourage you to stay faithful as we continue reading the law. Ask God to help you and ask Him to speak to you through these passages. You'll be amazed at how He reveals Himself when you ask Him to!

On a personal note, I ask that we all say a prayer for Heidi Gropp. Pray that her recovery from her surgery will go well and that she will be aware that God is right beside her every step of the way.