Crack your Bible open to Leviticus (I’m sure it naturally falls open to Leviticus chapter 1 because you read it so often!), and check out the first word of the book. Depending on what translation you use, it may say, Now, And, or Then. (Some less literal translations just jump into the story line with something like, “The Lord called to Moses…”) Implication? It connects to the end of Exodus!

So, what was happening at the end of Exodus? The cloud and pillar of fire were leading the Israelites, and verse 35 says, “And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” If we continue with our marriage analogy back in Exodus (refer back to “Covenants, Old and New“) this is a pretty rotten honeymoon! They can’t even approach Him!

Enter Leviticus. There are constant barriers to close communion with God – He is holy, we are not. We cannot just saunter into His presence as sinful people – some people tried, and they ended up dead! Leviticus gives the answer to the question, “So, how are we supposed approach and have fellowship with God?”

The text jumps right into all kinds of offerings you could bring. There were free-will sacrifices, which were not offered to cover sin, but rather to allow the worshipper to have fellowship with God, express thanksgiving, recognize His sovereignty.

There were many, many sacrifices to cover different kinds of sin. The cost was greater for intentional, rebellious sin than it was for “normal” sin that people find themselves in. (ie: intentionally slandering with malicious intent versus “everyday” lies which people find themselves saying without meaning to.) Both are still sinful, both caused death, but the cost was greater for intentional sin. In the same way, those in higher position had a greater price to pay for their sin (4:3,13,22,27). Position and influence mean greater accountability.

There are lots of details I could point out here, but please just get the gist: Our sin means death. Something has to pay! Our God is HOLY. We cannot have a relationship with Him, we cannot fellowship with Him, without our sin being covered by the blood of another. Why? Because it should have been our blood! We deserve death when we sin. What a humbling daily experience this would have been for a faithful follower of God – constantly falling into sin, constantly bringing an animal sacrifice to the tabernacle, watching it be killed, and understanding full well that it should have been me up on that altar.

When Jesus comes and offers Himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, this was no small thing. He was the ultimate sinless sacrifice, the only one that could wash away all our sin for all time.

In Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul writes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Recognize the mercy of God – He has offered us absolutely undeserved forgiveness. We deserve to be on that altar ourselves, and Jesus willingly suffered death on our behalf. What should our response be? Be a living sacrifice. Offer your whole self, your whole life, on that altar as an act of daily worship. It’s the ultimate free-will offering!

I once heard a speaker talk about this passage and point out that the trouble with a living sacrifice is that we often try to crawl off the altar! :) It is a daily choice. Offer yourself – I am yours, Lord! I’ll do whatever you call me to do, I will go wherever you call me to go, I will obey you completely and hold nothing back. That might sound pious, but does Paul say this is “your extraordinary service?” Or “the service offered by super- Christians?” No! He says it is our reasonable service. If we truly understand the mercy and grace of God, it is unreasonable to offer anything less than all that we are.

You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them.
If I brought you a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.
A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:16-17, NLT