He Knew
Aug 13
Ex 24:3-11
† In the name of Jesus †
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is it a paradox?
Sacrifices “commanded” and 1 Samuel 15:22
Sacrifice a “term” of covenant
THere seems to be an idea out there, that God’s grace is different in the Old Testament, than it is in the new. The idea seems to be that God in the Old Testament is a God of wrath, and a God’s who must be appeased. Compare this to the God of grace in the New Testament, God the Father who sent Jesus to die for us, even before we were born, even while people were still dead in sin.
It seems a great paradox, for God, scripture teaches, is not a God who changes, yet people will claim that He does, for He is different in His covenant to Israel, then He is in His new covenant to the church.
One of the reasons for this, I believe, is a misunderstanding of the sacrificial system, the offering of oxen or goats or sheep, to be sacrificed, and burnt. Rather than see these grace filled events as gifts from God, they were turned into traditions. Traditions that were legalized, and whose meaning and significance became lost. So lost, that we find God tired of them! Hear His words.
11 "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. Isaiah 1:11 (ESV)
and
22 And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)
Have you ever felt that your worship was dry, that it was lacking something? Does it ever seem as dry, as if you are just going through the motions? That our liturgy has become more about the ritual. Maybe, going back to one of the first worship services of God’s gathered people, seeing what they saw, hearing what they heard, we too, can realize the incredible blessing, as we celebrate the ultimate sacrifice, and realize that the blood of our covenant, is the blood of Christ, shed for us.
We start with the word,
The covenant that describes the relationship
Relationship between God and His people, relationships of the people
The people receive, with one voice!
The apostle Paul, in the 10th chapter of Romans, tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God., from those entrusted and sent to preach it. In the middle of the Sinai, at the foot of a mountain, the descendants of Israel heard Moses proclaim the words of God, given for them. That is the scene in our Old Testament reading today. Look at your bulletin and read verse 3 along with me.
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."
Starting in chapter 20 with what we call the Decaloque, the Ten Words, commonly referred to as the 10 Commandments, , we find those words of God. Words that are more than “commandments.” Words that describe life, lived properly, as God intended for us to live. These words starting with,
2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV)
describe the incredible relationship, between God, and His people, and their relationship to each other. A relationship, as all live in fellowship together, without the complication of sins, or sinfulness. Even when sin, or accidents mar the relationships, the words, the rules determined how to restore those relationships.
It was laid out before them there, as it would be, every time the law was read. But this time, their reaction betrayed a layer of excitement – as they realized – we are not alone, but we walk through life with our God.
And their voices, as one, the Bible says, rejoices in agreement with these words. Given the promise of an incredible life, a life with God, they energetically rejoice and agree to the words that God proposes to them.
Now the sacrifices – confirming the Word
Burnt offerings- acknowledging the forgiveness of sin
Peace offering – acknowledges the fellowship and the blessings of that fellowship -
Why? The cost – paid – by God….
It is the next morning, after writing down the words of God, that the service is prepared for, a service celebrating the covenant relationship between God and His people. The altar is set up, and the pillars, and the young men, the acolytes prepare the offerings, both the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. It is the blood of the cattle, the animals sacrificed, that is given to Moses, in large basins. We don’t know how many cattle, how many basins of blood, but it was a large amount, enough to cover the altar, and to be sprinkled on the people.
As the service starts, the blood is thrown against the altar, committing God to the relationship first and foremost. Before the people commit, before the people even hear, God does what He did from before the foundation of the world. He committed Himself, with all of His power, with all of His love, to the people he had gathered together. It is then, with the people of God, knowing His intention towards them, that the word, His word, is again proclaimed by Moses. Once again, the people respond with one voice, eagerly accepting the promised relationship. Even as the smoke of the offerings ascend, the people, and their God, celebrate their relationship.
That day, there were two kinds of offerings, burnt offerings and peace offerings. The burnt offerings, animals sacrificed and burnt completely, till there was nothing left but ashes. Prior to the sacrifice, the hands of those guilty of sin, or if the offering was for the entire people, of the priests were laid on the animal, symbolizing the transference of the sins to the animal. So completely did God remove the sins of His people, that even the ashes of the animals were buried outside the camp. Truly, this offering was a picture of God’s amazing forgiveness, picturing the final offering of Christ, the final offering where blood was shed. For the New Testament book of Hebrews says it well,
. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
There was another offering given that day, the peace offering. This offering was not for sins, but rather a celebration of the relationship between God and His people. Called the fellowship offering, or the peace offering, only the fat portions of the offering were burnt, as an offering to the Lord. Two other pieces were set aside for the priests, and the rest of the meat was to be eaten that very day as a celebration of the fellowship with God. It was truly a shared meal, between God and His people, a mark of the fellowship between God and His people. You see, potlucks are something new, but go back to the first divine liturgies. But do we realize, that even in out potlucks, Jesus is a guest?
Our Word, His Blood, the cost of forgiveness and peace/fellowship
There is a pattern, to the interaction of God, and His people. We see it in our Old Testament Reading today, as the Word is read, and the people hear, and are given life a relationship with God, as described in those words. Through that word, the promise of their forgiveness, is made clear, as relationships are restored. Then, there is a meal to celebrate that relationship.
Isn’t that what happened as well in the gospel reading as well? As the people were gathered together by God, in the wilderness to hear Jesus teach? He taught, and the peace offering of a little boy, fed the people of God in the wilderness, once again.
And he does the same in our liturgy today. This is where we get the two parts of our liturgy from! The first, the liturgy of the Word, is the hearing again the words and rules of God, and being assured that He has called and gathered us, into this incredible relationship with Him, and with each other, together.
The second half of our liturgy, is the part where the sacrifice of Christ is remembered, and the fellowship of sharing a table, where the body of the sacrifice is shared, and the blood covers our sins, is shared as well.
But our sacrifice, the once and for all sacrifice, was not cattle, or goat, but the Son of God, sacrificed on a tree, so many years ago, on a tree. To bring forgiveness to the people of God, as His blood covers our sin, and to be shared as a peace offering, in the bread, His body, that is given for us.
An offering of peace, from God, to you and I.
The peace of God which passes all understanding… which guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!
