3/16/23
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
Although we will never know for a certainty, I suspect that one of the least-read books in the Old Testament is the book of Leviticus. Leviticus is often neglected because we Christians have misunderstood its message and purpose. But that book has available a wealth of prophetic insight which can be of immense value to all Christians. Just as the Book of Exodus relates to redemption, almost everyone would agree that the Book of Leviticus is the Book that relates to and gives God's prescription for worship at the tabernacle, which was conducted by the Levitical priests, with Aaron as the first high priest. Today, the service of worship does not take place in a brick building on Sunday morning at 123 Main Street. It takes place in the hearts of those chosen vessels who are part of the Melchizedek priesthood, with the Lord Jesus Christ as our great High Priest. Every born-from-above Christian has been designed to be part of the tabernacle in which the Lord dwells ... spiritual Zion.
We Christians are likewise to be holy.
I have never found one example in the Bible when someone built an altar of earth. That is because the altar of earth is you and me ... all true believers. The essence of true worship is when the Lord comes unto us. Without the presence of the Lord, our services may be nice and enjoyable, but forever unfruitful.
There are two prerequisites on God's part for our worship. The first prerequisite comes from Leviticus 1:1, "And the LORD called unto Moses ..." The second prerequisite is found in Psalm 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple." In other words, we must be called, chosen, and caused by God to worship Him. Only those who are called of God and chosen can worship Him. All others can only offer strange fire. We also should note that all of the offerings were what God had first given to man. That says that only the Christ within man can worship the Father.
Note from Psalm 65:4 that the ONLY thing that will satisfy us is to dwell in His courts and experience the goodness of His holy house or temple. David said, in
A burnt offering was offered every morning and evening for all Israel (Exodus 29:39-42). Double burnt offerings were brought on the sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10), and extra ones on feast days (Numbers 28-29). In addition, anyone could offer special burnt offerings to express devotion to the Lord. The burnt offering had to be a male animal because of its greater value.
The offerer was to lay his hand on the head of the animal to express identification between himself and the animal (Leviticus 16:21).
Note that the burnt offering was totally consumed by fire. Therefore, the burnt offering was also known as the "whole burnt offering," because it was totally consumed on the altar.
Note that burnt offering was to be killed on the north side of the altar. The Lord is always very specific. In addition, everything in the Bible has some significance.
Back to Leviticus, Chapter 1.
Note that regardless of the animal or bird used in the burnt offering, the offering made by fire was a sweet savor unto the Lord.
We know that the great flood in the days of Noah killed every living person and animal except those who were inside the ark. We also know from 1 Peter 3:20 that only eight souls were saved. The first thing that Noah did after coming out of the ark on dry ground is recorded in
"And it came to pass after these things" ... after what things? After the birth and weaning of Isaac and after Hagar and Ishmael had been cast out. Only a few seconds after Abraham was about to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, God spoke to Abraham and told him not to slay Isaac. What if Abraham had been hard of hearing? What if Abraham did not discern the voice of the Lord? Would that all of us Christians could hear the voice of the Lord as clearly as Abraham did. And Abraham did not even have a pastor or a bible! Neither did he ever attend a great Christian convention. Abraham simply depended on what the Lord told him. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice that which was the most important to him.
Although that account of Abraham and Isaac contains several valuable teaching lessons for every Christian, there is another example in Genesis 22 that may well be even more important for us today.
"Behold the fire and the wood." Wood in the Bible speaks of humanity. It takes the fire from off the altar to consume the wood ... human nature. Let us consider the first fire on that Altar. Also let us remember that John the Baptist said, in
So God started that fire, but there were certain rules that Moses and Aaron had to observe in the care of that fire.
Two of the sons of Aaron found out the hard way that it was unacceptable to use man-made fire in tabernacle worship. They broke the rules of worship by taking ordinary (strange) fire to burn incense before the Lord instead of getting their (eternal) fire from the altar. The cost of that mistake was sudden death by the same consuming fire that had been put on the altar. Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
When the fire of God consumed the offering, it was a sign that God had fully accepted that offering. Is there any strange fire in the church today?
Now let us return to Genesis 22:7, when Isaac asked his father Abraham, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" That is a question that we all, at one time or another, must ask. Where is the Lamb of our life? The purpose of human life is not for us to be blessed abundantly with prosperity here on earth, followed by an eternity of happiness in heaven. The purpose of human life is meant to give pleasure to God.
A lamb, of course, is the meekest of all creatures. We know from Numbers 12:3 that Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. However, Jesus, as a Man on earth, was the epitomy of meekness. We Christians must be willing to be a lamb. That is a decision, a choice, that we must make every day. We can either be a sweet savor to God or a stench in His nostrils. God desires that sweet savor from man. He will have His way!
In response to Isaac's question, "Where is the lamb"? Abraham responded, "God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." We all know that was fulfilled both literally and spiritually. The Lord provided Abraham with a ram, caught in a thicket, to use as the burnt offering. A ram is a male sheep, capable of bearing offspring; a lamb is a young sheep. There is a possible analogy here with the ram and the lamb on one hand, and the Father and the Son, the Lamb of God on the other hand.
Every professing Christian knows that Jesus came to earth as a man, suffered more than any man ever suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, rose again from the dead, and sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus voluntarily and willingly became the ultimate burnt offering. His whole earthly life was focused on, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God."
John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
The word "dwelt" can be translated as "tabernacled."
The content and purpose of the Book of Leviticus is the calling of God's people, and in particular the calling of the Levites to minister before Him. Leviticus contains civil, ceremonial, moral, and religious regulations for the nation of Israel. All of the offerings, as well as the ceremonies, feasts, and laws, constantly reminded Israel that God was/is imminently holy: God could be approached only by the priests, and then only in strict obedience to the detailed instructions for purification.
Now, however, all born-from-above believers are priests after the order of Melchizedek. The Holy Spirit is not once named in Leviticus because all here relates to Christ; and it is the Spirit's work to glorify Christ. Jesus said, in John 16:14, "He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you."
Perhaps the key thought in Leviticus is the holiness of God, which is symbolized by physical perfection. Leviticus demands perfect animals for its many sacrifices and requires priests without any deformity. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Therefore, under the New Covenant, the key thought is spiritual perfection within His chosen people ... Christ in you, the hope of glory. If anyone says, but brother, nobody is perfect, that is a cop-out ... simply an excuse or a rationalization to continue doing our own thing.
The content and purpose of the Book of Leviticus is the calling of God's people, and in particular the calling of the Levites to minister before Him. Leviticus contains civil, ceremonial, moral, and religious regulations for the nation of Israel. All of the offerings, as well as the ceremonies, feasts, and laws, constantly reminded Israel that God was/is imminently holy: God could be approached only by the priests, and then only in strict obedience to the detailed instructions for purification.
Now, however, all born-from-above believers are priests after the order of Melchizedek. The Holy Spirit is not once named in Leviticus because all here relates to Christ; and it is the Spirit's work to glorify Christ. Jesus said, in John 16:14, "He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you."
Perhaps the key thought in Leviticus is the holiness of God, which is symbolized by physical perfection. Leviticus demands perfect animals for its many sacrifices and requires priests without any deformity. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Therefore, under the New Covenant, the key thought is spiritual perfection within His chosen people ... Christ in you, the hope of glory. If anyone says, but brother, nobody is perfect, that is a cop-out ... simply an excuse or a rationalization to continue doing our own thing.
1 John 2:1-2, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
"IF any man sin ..." That seems to imply that it is possible, after being born from above, that we can walk with the Lord without sinning. That is because we have free will.
Romans 6: 1-2, 10-11, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
We Christians are likewise to be holy.
1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (or behavior); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
The Book of Leviticus records the duties of the Levites. They were to teach the people the difference "between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean" (Leviticus 10:10). That function still exists today for the priests, the sons of Zadok (Ezekiel 44:23). The priests in that old day did not execute that function very well. So far, the priests in our day have not executed their function very well either. There have always been many more priests who have committed abominations and will bear their iniquity (Ezekiel 44:10-14), but the Lord says He will still use them to minister to the house (the visible church).
Under the Old Covenant, worship was in the natural realm ... it was something only the priests did. Under the New Covenant, worship is in the realm of the Spirit ... it is that which the Christ within us does. The natural man does not know how to worship God and indeed cannot worship Him.
Under the Old Covenant, worship was in the natural realm ... it was something only the priests did. Under the New Covenant, worship is in the realm of the Spirit ... it is that which the Christ within us does. The natural man does not know how to worship God and indeed cannot worship Him.
John 4:23, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him."
The fact that there are true worshippers implies that there are also false worshippers ... those who simply go through the motions. We can go to "church" faithfully every Sunday, go through the prescribed routine, and never enter into worship of the Lord.
Exodus 20:24, "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee."
I have never found one example in the Bible when someone built an altar of earth. That is because the altar of earth is you and me ... all true believers. The essence of true worship is when the Lord comes unto us. Without the presence of the Lord, our services may be nice and enjoyable, but forever unfruitful.
There are two prerequisites on God's part for our worship. The first prerequisite comes from Leviticus 1:1, "And the LORD called unto Moses ..." The second prerequisite is found in Psalm 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple." In other words, we must be called, chosen, and caused by God to worship Him. Only those who are called of God and chosen can worship Him. All others can only offer strange fire. We also should note that all of the offerings were what God had first given to man. That says that only the Christ within man can worship the Father.
Hebrews 2:10-13, "For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me."
Note from Psalm 65:4 that the ONLY thing that will satisfy us is to dwell in His courts and experience the goodness of His holy house or temple. David said, in
Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."Romans 8:22-23, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
One specific example that will benefit us greatly is recorded in the first seven chapters of Leviticus, which gives the Lord's detailed instructions concerning the five major Old Testament offerings - the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering - and in that order in Leviticus, chapters 1 through 7.
Those various offerings have different functions, the primary one being worship. Each particular sacrifice or offering was to have meaning for the people of Israel but also has spiritual and symbolic importance for us today. The burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering were all voluntary. The sin offering and the trespass offering were mandatory, if the occasion warranted it. An offering (or sacrifice) is something of personal value that someone brings to God. The Hebrew word for offering is korban, which means "to draw near," and indicates the primary purpose of offerings is to draw us near to God. There are at least three basic concepts underlying korban. The first is the aspect of giving.
A korban requires the renunciation of something of value that belongs to the person making the offering. Thus, sacrifices were made from domestic animals, not wild animals, because wild animals do not belong to anyone. Likewise, offerings of food were ordinarily in the form of flour or meal, which requires substantial work to prepare. Another important concept is that of substitution. The idea is that the thing being offered is a substitute for the person making the offering, and the things that are done to the offering are things that should have been done to the person who makes the offering. The offering in a sense replaces the offerer. Another important concept is the idea of coming closer. The essence of sacrifice is to bring a person closer to God. It is also very important to realize that Jesus, as a Man, fulfilled or is the fulfillment of all five of those offerings.
All the offerings were what God had first given to man; only such can be accepted by Him. The Tabernacle ceremonies are the pattern, in symbolic form, of worshipping in Spirit and in Truth. If we can avoid getting tangled in the symbols, we can get a reasonable idea of what they point toward. The sin offering is prophetic of the finished work of Christ at Calvary. At first thought, we might expect the sin offering to be described first, thus signifying repentance and being born from above. That is not the case because all of the offerings apply to those who are already a chosen vessel of God. Remember that the burnt offering in Leviticus comes after our redemption in Exodus. We also must remember that all of the Bible has been written, not for heathens, but for the benefit of God's chosen people. Therefore, the major significance of the sin offering is associated with any known sin after we are born again.
In this message, we want to look at the first and most important offering mentioned in the Book of Leviticus ... the burnt offering. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah, which means to cause to ascend, as the flame and smoke ascend by burning. In Greek, the word is holocausts, which conveys the meaning of being wholly burnt.
Let us turn to Leviticus 1:1 and look at the burnt offering. The burnt offering was usually a young sheep or goat for the average individual, but a bull for the wealthy, and turtledoves and pigeons for the poor.
Those various offerings have different functions, the primary one being worship. Each particular sacrifice or offering was to have meaning for the people of Israel but also has spiritual and symbolic importance for us today. The burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering were all voluntary. The sin offering and the trespass offering were mandatory, if the occasion warranted it. An offering (or sacrifice) is something of personal value that someone brings to God. The Hebrew word for offering is korban, which means "to draw near," and indicates the primary purpose of offerings is to draw us near to God. There are at least three basic concepts underlying korban. The first is the aspect of giving.
A korban requires the renunciation of something of value that belongs to the person making the offering. Thus, sacrifices were made from domestic animals, not wild animals, because wild animals do not belong to anyone. Likewise, offerings of food were ordinarily in the form of flour or meal, which requires substantial work to prepare. Another important concept is that of substitution. The idea is that the thing being offered is a substitute for the person making the offering, and the things that are done to the offering are things that should have been done to the person who makes the offering. The offering in a sense replaces the offerer. Another important concept is the idea of coming closer. The essence of sacrifice is to bring a person closer to God. It is also very important to realize that Jesus, as a Man, fulfilled or is the fulfillment of all five of those offerings.
All the offerings were what God had first given to man; only such can be accepted by Him. The Tabernacle ceremonies are the pattern, in symbolic form, of worshipping in Spirit and in Truth. If we can avoid getting tangled in the symbols, we can get a reasonable idea of what they point toward. The sin offering is prophetic of the finished work of Christ at Calvary. At first thought, we might expect the sin offering to be described first, thus signifying repentance and being born from above. That is not the case because all of the offerings apply to those who are already a chosen vessel of God. Remember that the burnt offering in Leviticus comes after our redemption in Exodus. We also must remember that all of the Bible has been written, not for heathens, but for the benefit of God's chosen people. Therefore, the major significance of the sin offering is associated with any known sin after we are born again.
In this message, we want to look at the first and most important offering mentioned in the Book of Leviticus ... the burnt offering. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah, which means to cause to ascend, as the flame and smoke ascend by burning. In Greek, the word is holocausts, which conveys the meaning of being wholly burnt.
Let us turn to Leviticus 1:1 and look at the burnt offering. The burnt offering was usually a young sheep or goat for the average individual, but a bull for the wealthy, and turtledoves and pigeons for the poor.
1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.3 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.
A burnt offering was offered every morning and evening for all Israel (Exodus 29:39-42). Double burnt offerings were brought on the sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10), and extra ones on feast days (Numbers 28-29). In addition, anyone could offer special burnt offerings to express devotion to the Lord. The burnt offering had to be a male animal because of its greater value.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
The offerer was to lay his hand on the head of the animal to express identification between himself and the animal (Leviticus 16:21).
5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: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.
Note that the burnt offering was totally consumed by fire. Therefore, the burnt offering was also known as the "whole burnt offering," because it was totally consumed on the altar.
10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
Note that burnt offering was to be killed on the north side of the altar. The Lord is always very specific. In addition, everything in the Bible has some significance.
Psalm 48:2, "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King."
Even Lucifer knew the significance of the side of the north. When Lucifer fell and became Satan, the Lord said to him, in
Isaiah 14:13-15, "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
In the Bible, moving from the north toward Zion represents maturing in Christ.
Job 37:22, "Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty."
Another translation of that verse is, "Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty."
Back to Leviticus, Chapter 1.
12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Note that regardless of the animal or bird used in the burnt offering, the offering made by fire was a sweet savor unto the Lord.
2 Corinthians 2:14-15, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:"
We know that the great flood in the days of Noah killed every living person and animal except those who were inside the ark. We also know from 1 Peter 3:20 that only eight souls were saved. The first thing that Noah did after coming out of the ark on dry ground is recorded in
Genesis 8:20-21, "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour ..."
That is the first literal occurrence in the Bible of the word "burnt offering." That, of course, was long before the law was given to Moses. How did Noah know to build and altar unto the LORD and offer burnt offerings on that altar? Scripture does not specifically answer that question. However, I must believe that Noah was overwhelmed with the grace of God that had saved only him and his family. His heart was probably full and overflowing with thanksgiving and praise to God. Therefore, he offered back to God what God had given into his care in the form of clean animals.
However, I am not at all sure that was the first act of a burnt offering being offered by man to God. I tend to believe that the first burnt offering was given by Abel, even though scripture does not specifically use those words.
However, I am not at all sure that was the first act of a burnt offering being offered by man to God. I tend to believe that the first burnt offering was given by Abel, even though scripture does not specifically use those words.
Genesis 4:3-5, "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."
I do not believe that Abel gave a live sheep or lamb to a physical person who was God. I believe Abel brought a burnt offering to the altar of God. Further, Abel brought the very best of his flock as a burnt offering. That was a sacrifice; it cost Abel something of value to himself. When Cain brought his offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground, it cost him nothing. Therefore, it was not even an offering, not a sacrifice. Of course, the ground had already been cursed anyway.
Now let us consider Abraham.
Now let us consider Abraham.
Genesis 22:1-2, "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."
"And it came to pass after these things" ... after what things? After the birth and weaning of Isaac and after Hagar and Ishmael had been cast out. Only a few seconds after Abraham was about to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, God spoke to Abraham and told him not to slay Isaac. What if Abraham had been hard of hearing? What if Abraham did not discern the voice of the Lord? Would that all of us Christians could hear the voice of the Lord as clearly as Abraham did. And Abraham did not even have a pastor or a bible! Neither did he ever attend a great Christian convention. Abraham simply depended on what the Lord told him. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice that which was the most important to him.
Hebrews 11:17, "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."
Although that account of Abraham and Isaac contains several valuable teaching lessons for every Christian, there is another example in Genesis 22 that may well be even more important for us today.
Genesis 22:7-8, "And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together."
"Behold the fire and the wood." Wood in the Bible speaks of humanity. It takes the fire from off the altar to consume the wood ... human nature. Let us consider the first fire on that Altar. Also let us remember that John the Baptist said, in
Luke 3:16, "John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:"
Consider the brazen altar which was in the outer court of the Tabernacle of Moses. First, note that after Moses had prepared the Tabernacle and everything pertaining to the ceremonies of worship, God started the fire on the Brazen Altar.
The Lord took great pains to fully instruct Moses and the people about how the sacrifices were to be conducted and how the ceremonies of the Tabernacle were to be performed. The fire on the brazen altar was not by any means ordinary fire. It looked just like other fire, and normally acted like other fire, but that is where the similarity ended. Have you ever considered how long it would take to burn the carcase of an animal using ordinary fire?
So, the fire on the Altar was a special fire. The Bible tells us,
The Lord took great pains to fully instruct Moses and the people about how the sacrifices were to be conducted and how the ceremonies of the Tabernacle were to be performed. The fire on the brazen altar was not by any means ordinary fire. It looked just like other fire, and normally acted like other fire, but that is where the similarity ended. Have you ever considered how long it would take to burn the carcase of an animal using ordinary fire?
So, the fire on the Altar was a special fire. The Bible tells us,
"And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces" (Leviticus 9:24).
So God started that fire, but there were certain rules that Moses and Aaron had to observe in the care of that fire.
Leviticus 6:12, "And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings."
The fire which came from God was eternal fire. It came from God's dwelling place ... eternity. Though it was eternal fire, it would go out when it had consumed all of the available fuel. So much prophetic significance here! We are to be that altar with the fire of God burning within us.
That command created a problem of fuel supply. That was the responsibility of man ... to keep the fire burning on the altar. This speaks volumes. It must have been a full-time task for some folks to continually bring in all the wood to keep the fire burning. Likewise, we must do whatever it takes to keep the fire of God burning in our souls. Three main elements make up the fuel for the fire of God in our souls. They are the rhema word of God, prayer and intercession, and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Leviticus 6:13,18,23
Under penalty of death, only the fire from off the altar was to be used in tabernacle worship.
That command created a problem of fuel supply. That was the responsibility of man ... to keep the fire burning on the altar. This speaks volumes. It must have been a full-time task for some folks to continually bring in all the wood to keep the fire burning. Likewise, we must do whatever it takes to keep the fire of God burning in our souls. Three main elements make up the fuel for the fire of God in our souls. They are the rhema word of God, prayer and intercession, and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Leviticus 6:13,18,23
Under penalty of death, only the fire from off the altar was to be used in tabernacle worship.
Leviticus 16:12-13, "And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:"
Two of the sons of Aaron found out the hard way that it was unacceptable to use man-made fire in tabernacle worship. They broke the rules of worship by taking ordinary (strange) fire to burn incense before the Lord instead of getting their (eternal) fire from the altar. The cost of that mistake was sudden death by the same consuming fire that had been put on the altar. Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
Leviticus 10:1-2, "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."
When the fire of God consumed the offering, it was a sign that God had fully accepted that offering. Is there any strange fire in the church today?
Now let us return to Genesis 22:7, when Isaac asked his father Abraham, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" That is a question that we all, at one time or another, must ask. Where is the Lamb of our life? The purpose of human life is not for us to be blessed abundantly with prosperity here on earth, followed by an eternity of happiness in heaven. The purpose of human life is meant to give pleasure to God.
Revelation 4:11, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
A lamb, of course, is the meekest of all creatures. We know from Numbers 12:3 that Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. However, Jesus, as a Man on earth, was the epitomy of meekness. We Christians must be willing to be a lamb. That is a decision, a choice, that we must make every day. We can either be a sweet savor to God or a stench in His nostrils. God desires that sweet savor from man. He will have His way!
In response to Isaac's question, "Where is the lamb"? Abraham responded, "God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." We all know that was fulfilled both literally and spiritually. The Lord provided Abraham with a ram, caught in a thicket, to use as the burnt offering. A ram is a male sheep, capable of bearing offspring; a lamb is a young sheep. There is a possible analogy here with the ram and the lamb on one hand, and the Father and the Son, the Lamb of God on the other hand.
John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Every professing Christian knows that Jesus came to earth as a man, suffered more than any man ever suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, rose again from the dead, and sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus voluntarily and willingly became the ultimate burnt offering. His whole earthly life was focused on, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God."
2 Corinthians 5:20-21, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
Jesus became or fulfilled that burnt offering. The will of God is that every Christian should become a burnt offering after being born from above. The burnt offering is a voluntary act of worship which speaks of atonement for unintentional sin in general and an expression of devotion, commitment and complete surrender to God.
In Genesis 22:5, "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."
Did Abraham forget to worship? No, but not in the sense that we think of worship today. But Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac ... that which was the most valuable part of His life. That was a real sacrifice, a real offering. This seems to match the definition of worship which was quickened to me many years ago from Genesis 22 when Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Worship is the voluntary, unquestioning obedience to the rhema word of God through the Holy Spirit. (The rhema is a specific word to a specific person. God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only son. God did not tell every father to go and sacrifice their only son.) Worship also springs out of a pure heart that fears God.
The burnt offering allowed men to participate in the ceremony of the sacrifice, but not to add anything to the sacrifice. This can easily be understood in the light of the purpose of atonement. For sinful man to attempt to contribute to an atoning sacrifice would only defile that sacrifice. The Israelite of that day could add nothing to that sacrifice which atoned for his sins, just as we can contribute nothing to the work of Christ, which atones for our sins.
To summarize, the burnt offering under the Old Covenant was largely a mechanical routine to most men. It was part of the Mosaic Law. But under the New Covenant the burnt offering is designed to be a spiritual reality. The law is the covenant and expression of His will that was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. How did He fulfill it? Luke 8:21 records that as He was in the synagogue reading from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said, "It is fulfilled." As He was hanging from the cross, He said, "It is finished." Jesus knew the will of the Father and He was able to walk in it primarily because He fully identified with that perfect will. It was not so much that He fulfilled the law, but that the law was fulfilled in Him. The law was specifically designed for the Lord Jesus Christ that it might be fulfilled in Him. What about us? The fulfillment of the law is Christ to everyone that believes in Him. (Romans 10:4).
The burnt offering allowed men to participate in the ceremony of the sacrifice, but not to add anything to the sacrifice. This can easily be understood in the light of the purpose of atonement. For sinful man to attempt to contribute to an atoning sacrifice would only defile that sacrifice. The Israelite of that day could add nothing to that sacrifice which atoned for his sins, just as we can contribute nothing to the work of Christ, which atones for our sins.
To summarize, the burnt offering under the Old Covenant was largely a mechanical routine to most men. It was part of the Mosaic Law. But under the New Covenant the burnt offering is designed to be a spiritual reality. The law is the covenant and expression of His will that was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. How did He fulfill it? Luke 8:21 records that as He was in the synagogue reading from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said, "It is fulfilled." As He was hanging from the cross, He said, "It is finished." Jesus knew the will of the Father and He was able to walk in it primarily because He fully identified with that perfect will. It was not so much that He fulfilled the law, but that the law was fulfilled in Him. The law was specifically designed for the Lord Jesus Christ that it might be fulfilled in Him. What about us? The fulfillment of the law is Christ to everyone that believes in Him. (Romans 10:4).
Hebrews 9:11-14, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
2 Chronicles 17:16, "And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour."
And so, the real question for each one of us today does not concern Abel or Noah or Abraham. The most important question for us today is: Where is the Lamb for the burnt offering? What place does He occupy in our heart and mind? Who is willing, voluntarily, without questioning, to become a burnt offering as unto the Lord? Who desires to be fully identified with the perfect will of the Father? Who will say unto the Lord I will not go away from you because I love you and your house? Who would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness? Who will take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door and be the servant of the Lord forever? Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. Amen and amen.
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