Leviticus 1 & 2: Are You A Sweet Savour To The LORD?
Verse of the Day: (1:9) But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
1. Savour (1:1-17)
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. (1:3)
The burnt sacrifice is the prophecy that Jesus shall be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. By faith Israel offered burnt sacrifices as they looked forward to the coming of Jesus. This was why the sacrifice must be a male without blemish as Jesus is the Man without sins. If the people could not afford the young bulls, they offered the male sheep or goats or turtledoves or pigeons. They must offer their sacrifices willingly so that they were a sweet savour to God, and this symbolised the atonement of their sins. Indeed when we believe by faith that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins, we shall be saved from hell and be promoted to heaven when we die. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. Sons (2:1-11)
And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: (2:2)
The meat or meal offering was made to reveal the humanity of Jesus. The meat offering was different from the burnt offering as fine flour was used for the offering, and it was to be burnt by fire that symbolised purifying of impurities or sins. All the sacrifices were made by Aaron’s sons, God’s priests, on behalf of the people. Today, when we believe in Jesus, we are not only His priests, but we are also the sacrifices because we must present our bodies to God in holiness which is our reasonable service to Him. (Romans 12:1)
3. Salt (2:12-16)
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. (2:13)
Salt is a preservative and it was used in the meat offering to symbolise the preservation of God’s promises to His people that their sins shall be forgiven if they would offer their burnt and meat sacrifices, and would repent their sins. Indeed, when we believe in Jesus, we are the salt of the earth as we preserve God’s promises by sharing the gospel and His promises of salvation and sanctification to all the people of the world. (Matthew 5:13)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be a sweet savour and pleasing to You and You only.
