Our sins and the resulting consequences serve to humble us
and cause us to bow our heads in recognition of our need for a Savior.
February 16
It’s tempting to skip over some of these detailed chapters
in the Bible or to simply scan the page. However, once again I’m reminded that
2 Timothy 3:16 says ALL scripture is inspired and profitable on a personal
level, and I don’t want to miss something God might reveal in these details. Up
until now, I thought the priests sacrificed the animals after they were
brought to the tabernacle. However, in reading these chapters closely, it is
clear that the person with the need or desire to make an offering was required to bring the animal to the door of the
tabernacle, place his hand on its head, and then kill it himself. The priest
took care of the ceremonies involving the blood and the altar. The slaughter of an animal is obviously
a major undertaking, time consuming, and emotionally painful
to some degree. According to one enumeration, 1,246 animals were offered
annually in Israel, just on a national level. I cannot imagine what it was like seeing animals killed on a daily basis. Because of the sacrificial system, perhaps people were reminded of their sins more than we are today and perhaps they were careful to avoid having to sacrifice an animal.
The lesson of personal accountability seems obvious under this system. You didn’t just buy an animal and hand it over to the priest and go on
your way. There was nothing quick about it. There's much more to killing an animal than is revealed in the instructions to do so. Imagine feeling the warmth of the animal's body, to feel it move it's head under your hand, to see its eyes as it innocently looks up at you, knowing that you are about to take its life. And I doubt that most animals succumbed quickly. There was suffering involved. To say that “Jesus died for
me” is a fairly simple statement. However, to read the account of all that Jesus suffered
during His arrest, scourging, and crucifixion and to take the time to think about it should be
sobering to say the least. Each
man was responsible for putting his sacrifice to death, and as a Believer I should
consider my sins and my part in Christ’s death. He was suffering for
my sins. How thankful we should be that He willingly poured out His life on our
behalf so that our sins could be dealt with and paid for for eternity!
He restores my soul. Psalm 23 describes a pastoral scene of
green pastures and still waters. (It is refreshing to be away from the
slaughter of animals.) God is our Provider, our Good Shepherd, and promises to
never leave us. I can look behind me and see His foot prints where
His goodness and mercy have been following me.
I can see Jesus preparing a table for me in the presence of my enemies. I
envision Him smiling at me as He fills my cup until it is overflowing. And, I think about what it will be like to dwell in His house, in His Presence forever! Oh, to savor every word of God and to more often follow Him into these secret places of communion!
Unfortunately, not everyone will find the green pastures and still waters God offers. After the earth-shaking events surrounding Jesus' death, some were convinced that He was indeed the Son of God. However, we read that the chief priests and Pharisees still referred to Jesus as “that
deceiver”. In their arrogance, hypocrisy, and unbelief, they missed the coming of the Messiah. Joseph of Armathea, a believer, begged Pilate for the Messiah's body and gently wrapped it and laid it in his own new tomb. However, the
chief priests and Pharisees arrogantly "sealed" Jesus' body in the tomb so that the "deception" would not continue. They did what seemed right to them (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). They failed to recognize their need for a Savior--they failed to recognize their own sins. Most importantly, they failed to recognize Jesus, the Messiah.
Today, we don't have animals being slaughtered in our midst to remind us we need atonement for our sins. Nevertheless, the fact that our sin separates us from God is most relevant. And, how we choose to deal with our sins will determine our lives for eternity. Jesus offers us forgiveness through His sacrifice. As it says in John 3:16, ”whosoever believes in Him
will not perish, but have everlasting life”. Don't allow pride, arrogance, or unbelief to rob you of the "still waters" and peace of forgiveness that is possible when we accept Jesus' sacrifice for our sin. It is the gift from God that will allow us "to dwell in the house of the Lord forever"!
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