"...Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

(Leviticus 4:1-5:5a)

“YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:

Speak to the Children of Israel, saying:

(Any) person – when the sins in error regarding any of YHWH's commandments that should not be done, by doing any of them:

If the Anointed Priest should sin, bringing-guilt upon the people, he is to bring-near, for the sin that he has sinned, a bull, a young of the herd, wholly-sound, for YHSWH as a hattat / decontamination-offering...

Now if the entire community of Israel errors, and the matter is hdden from the eyes of the assembly so that they do one of any of the things (regarding) YHWH's commandments that should not be done, and so incur-guilt; when it becomes-known, the sin that they sinned, the assembly are to bring-near a bull, a young of the herd, as a hattat-offering; they are to bring it before the Tent of Appointment...

Where a leader sins, by doing any one of (the things) regarding the commandments of YHWH his God that should not be done, in error, and so incurs-guilt, or is made known to him his sin that he has sinned: he is to bring (as) his near-offering: a hairy-one of goats, male, wholly-sound. He is to lean his hand on the head of the hairy-one and it is to be slain at the place where the offering-up is slain, before the presence of YHWH; it is a hattat-offering...

Now if any (common) person sins in error, from among the people of the land, by doing one (thing) regarding the commandments of YHWH that should not be done, and incurs-guilt, or it is made known to him the sin that he sinned: he is to bring as his near-offering a hairy-one of goats, wholly-sound, female, for the sin whereby he sinned. He is to lean his hand on the head of the hattat-offering, at the place of the offering-up....

If (it is) a sheep he brings as his near-offering for a hattat-offering, a female, wholly-sound, he is to bring. He is to lean his hand on the head of the hattat-offering, a female, wholly-sound..

So if you are guilty of any of these sins, you must confess it. Bring your guilt offering to Yahweh for the sin you committed.”

Whenever someone sins, they would bring their bull, male goat, female goat, rams/sheep, mourning doves, pigeons, or flour to God as an offering for their sin. The type of offering they brought would depend on the type of sin, their position in the community, and their financial means.

If it was an animal they brought as a sin offering, they would place their hand on the animals head as it was slaughtered to signify that the animal was taking the place of them. Sin brings about spiritual death. God told Adam and Eve in the garden in Genesis 2:17, “But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

God provided a substitute for one's sins in animal sacrifice which made the way for the Israelites to have a relationship with God. The sacrifice provided atonement and restoration of relationship.

One commentary notes, “The term 'to atone, make atonement' (HB kipper) means “to reconcile two estranged parties'; theologically, God is the aggrieved party and must be appeased by the offender. (26:14-45). the Lord provided the means by which the affront could be remedied and forgiven (4:20; 19:22). Genuine remorse and confession of sin were required (5:5; 16:21; 26:40-42), not just ritual performance (Hs 6:6, Mc 6:8; Mt 9:13). [1]

Besides being atonement, animal sacrifice was a form of worship. Exodus 7:16 says, “'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert.” Sacrifice as atonement for sins and worship provided a way for God to dwell among the people without causing their death (Ex. 33:3).

In 2 Chronicles 29 Hezekiah rededicated the temple to the Lord after it had been abandoned. He ordered it to be reopened and made ceremonially clean. He and the leaders then brought sacrifices for sin to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:21 says, “They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats as an offering for sin for the kingdom, the holy place, and Judah.

The Israelites worshiped the Lord as they sacrificed the sin offerings before the Lord on the altar. The result, was a restoration of right relationship and revival. Hezekiah told the people in 2 Chron. 29:31, Now you are consecrated to the Lord. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Lord's temple.” Consecrated, the Hebrew word male, Strongs# 4390, means to fulfill or be filled up to the full extent expected.[2]

Leviticus is filled with rules to follow. Commentary notes, “It presents a whole system of rules designed, first, to provide for purification and reconciliation with God through the sacrificial cult; second, to protect sanctuary, priests, land, and people from estrangement from God (via 'pollution” of various kinds)' and, finally, to establish a code of behavior that will ensure the perpetual enjoyment of God's blessings on the land promised to Israel's ancestors.”[3]

The purpose of giving all the rules to the people was to create a system that would re-establish relationship with Himself, allowing them to enjoy His presence. As they followed the rules as worship with a heart to seek and honor God, God met them powerfully with His glory.

My devotional from this last week notes, “When God's Old Covenant saints separate themselves to Him, He met them with a cloud of glory and an outpouring of heavenly fire.” [4]

Moses gathered Aaron, his sons, the leaders and the people of Israel calling them to offer a sacrifice for sin, burnt offerings, fellowship offerings, and a grain offering in God's presence. Moses told the people in Lev. 9:6, “Yahweh has commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see Yahweh's glory.”

Leviticus 9:22-24 says, “Then Aaron raised his hands towards the people and blessed them. He sacrificed the offering for sin, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offering. Then he came down from the altar. Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people. Fire came out from Yahweh's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.”

The people powerfully encountered God. As my devotional goes on to note, if God would meet people powerfully with His glory through the Old Covenant system of sacrifices and burnt offerings, how much more will He meet His people who have been given a New and better Covenant (Heb. 8:6). [5] God still desires under the new Covenant to dwell among us and make his presence known in powerful ways.

He has placed His Spirit in us so that we could know Him and truly be transformed by the glory that dwells inside of us. Romans 7:6 says, “So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life].”

Paul proclaims in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.”

What we could not fulfill (the Law of Moses) has been fulfilled for us through Christ. We have been placed under the control of our spiritual nature and are no longer under the control of our corrupt nature (Romans 8:8-9). Just as under the Old Covenant, one was to separate themselves from sin by sacrifice, worship and offerings, under the New Covenant we are also to separate ourselves.

In Romans 8:12-14 Paul says speaking of the New Covenant, “So, brothers and sisters, we have no obligation to live the way of our corrupt nature wants us to live. If you live by your corrupt nature, you are going to die. But if you use your spiritual nature to put to death the evil activities of the body, you will live. Certainly, all who are guided by God's Spirit are God's children.”

“God's desire remains just to dwell with men.... Oh just to be with you, it's our greatest reward” sings.”

In the Old Covenant as now, God was not looking for people who would just go through the motions, He was and is looking for those who would genuinely worship Him through giving their sacrifices and offerings.

In Psalm 50:5, 8-10, 23 the Lord proclaims, “Gather My faithful ones to Me, those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice... I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not accept a bull from your household or male goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.... Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of God.”

God is not looking for us to go through the motions of conformity to His will but rather He is looking for us to set ourselves apart for Him --putting our old nature to death by the Spirit out of gratitude and with praise for who he is.

Paul goes on to say in Romans 12:1-2, “Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God's compassion. I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. Don't become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants – what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”

“Oh just to be with You is our greatest reward” keeps singing in the background and catching my heart

It is in our day to day offering ourselves up as a living sacrifice that we set ourselves apart and prepare ourselves for His glory. My Devotional goes on to say for today, “To put it most simply, positioning ourselves for the glory means drawing nearer to Jesus. It involves turning our attention away from all that distracts us and getting it back on him.... For Him to do that, we must separate ourselves more and more to Him. We must come to Him not just to get Him to do something for us but because He is the love of our lives. He is our all and all. He is our everything.” [6]

“Emmanuel, Your God with us. Reveal Yourself to us” sings.

My Devotional charges, “Let's devote ourselves ever more wholly to Him. Let's separate ourselves from the ways and distractions of the world so that we can walk and talk more intimately with Him. Let's position ourselves for the glory, and the glory will surely come.” [7]

John 1:14 says, “The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.”

It is wonderful to be involved in corporate worship experiences where God pours out His glory and everyone encounters God. These types of experiences can revive our hearts and help set us on course of thanksgiving, worship, and obedience.

“Let the earth be filled with your glory, let the earth be filled with your praise” sings.

Those types of experiences don't do us any good if they do not change the way we live our daily lives. We need to carry the glory out into the world where it is needed.

It is our day to day walk with Christ, placing ourselves on His altar again and again as a living sacrifice out of a heart of worship that really matters. It is the daily walking with Him and finding Him in the midst of the the joy and the pain as well as the mundane. Seeing Him in all, sharing His heart and sharing His love with those around us.

“I'm after Your heart, I'm after You” sings.

Lord, What I see is Your love pervading all You do. You provided the Israelites laws and sacrifices out of Your love so that they could experience Your glory. Then if it was not enough, You sent Your Son who came to dwell among us to be a once and for all sacrifice for us so that all who call on Your Name can have a right relationship with you. Thank you for the so many ways we are beneficiaries of your infinite love. I think that the glory I am longing for is that which you pour out in Your return. I long for all to see Your glory. In the meantime, teach us how to be with You. Help us to set aside all in the world the divides us from you (our sin) so that we can be fully present to you.

As Paul proclaims in Ephesians 3:20-21, "Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us.  By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.  Glory belongs to God in the church and in Christ Yeshua for all time and eternity! Amen."

1. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Study Bible. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN. 2010.

2. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 1:81
   
   
3. Fox, Everett. The Five Books of Moses. Schocken Books, New York. 1983
   
   
   4-7. Hammond, Lynne. Devotions for the Praying Heart: Prayer Notes. Lynne Hammond Ministries, Minneapolis, MN 2010