Leviticus 3:1-17


Besides the burnt offerings and the grain offerings, there were also peace offerings that the children of Israel could bring.  These were to be spontaneous offerings given out of thanksgiving to God as an act of worship.  We have a tendency to think of the offering of sacrifices only as a means of dealing with sin, and that was certainly a major part of the sacrificial system.  However, there were many other types of sacrifices and offerings that were a part of their worship of God that were simply expressions of praise and thanksgiving.  When we come before God we must always be aware of our sin and confess our sin before the Lord, but we must also come before him with thankful hearts for his many provisions in our lives.
THE PEACE OFFERINGS WERE PRESENTED: There is something about presenting the offering before the altar that was an important part of the expression of worship.  We may know in our hearts that we love the Lord and be very grateful for all that He has done; but we are called to do more than just feel these things, they must be expressed in practical ways.  We may love our spouses very much and be assured of our spouses love for us but we still want to hear and see those expressions of love.  We need to be much more intentional about opening our mouths to speak forth the praises of our Lord.  We must tell others and God of our gratitude for all that He has graciously done in our lives.  God has called us to present our bodies to Him and make offerings of our resources.  These are the true expressions of love that God longs to see in each of our lives.
THE PEACE OFFERINGS WERE PERSONAL: There are times for corporate expressions of thanksgiving, but the peace offerings were made on an individual basis.  These were not mandatory or legislated offerings in the sense that they had to be made by everyone.  However, there were specific instructions as to how these offerings were to be made.  God deals with us as individuals.  Even though we are part of a body of believers and we serve in cooperation with one another for the common goal of God’s glory; we are still individuals before Him.  We must relate with God of a personal level and worship Him is spirit and truth.  Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that there is safety in numbers and we feel comfortable hiding in the crowd.  God sees us all as individual persons and longs that we express our love and thanksgiving to Him as personal, voluntary acts of worship.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not   to teach any different doctrine,   nor   to devote themselves to myths and endless   genealogies, which promote   speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.    The aim of our charge is love   that issues from a pure heart and   a good conscience and   a sincere faith.    Certain persons, by   swerving from these, have wandered away into   vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law,   without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.   There will always be false teachers that come into the church attempting to distract people from the truth and destroy people’s faith.  When this happens, it is the job of spiritually mature leaders to confront these false teachers and correct their teachings.  However, it is important that this correction be accomplished with the right motives and methods. 
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more