WORSHIP DEFINED
The book of Leviticus begins with the Lord summoning Moses, (a strong verb in Hebrew). God authoritatively called him into the tent of meeting because he had important instructions to give him. The first seven chapters of Leviticus is the document of God’s instructions to Moses on how the people were to conduct their worship. God defined worship. Worship required offering one’s very best to God. (Note in your insert the different kinds of offerings described in the first seven chapters of the book).
The book of Leviticus is really the book of Law, what to most people sounds pretty dull. However, my prayer is that this book of the law will become alive as the Holy Spirit illuminates His truths to us. (Read the text Lev. 1:1-9)
Aren’t you wondering like I did when I first read this passage, why does God give all these detailed instructions on how to make sacrifices? The sole purpose that God summoned Moses from the tent of meeting and told him to speak to Israel all his words is stated in 11:44 "For I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy for I am holy…For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy."
God takes extraordinary care to help his people be holy. In Genesis you remember, he created humankind in his image, in his likeness that he could have a love relationship with his creatures. But you know what happened. Sin entered the picture and because sin is so hideous in God’s sight and because sin can’t mix with his holiness or purity, God took measures to make it possible for people to be made right with him. But we need to do our part.
Some people may think that living in sin is fun but Proverbs says There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death. Sooner or later sin brings its awful consequence of miserableness and eternal damnation. Billy Graham used the illustration of Johnny who went with his sister Mary to visit their grandparents at their farm. The grandmother had a pet duck of which she was extremely fond. It was a handsome duck and one day, as Johnny was playing he aimed with his slingshot at the duck and hit the duck right on the head. The bird toppled over, kicked a few times and died.
Johnny was frightened. He looked around and saw no one, so he grabbed the duck and ran into the woods and then went back to the house. No one seemed to have noticed.
Johnny and Mary always divided the chores, and that evening it was Mary’s turn to do the supper dishes. But after supper Mary turned to Johnny and said, “You do the dishes tonight.” “No,” he said. “This is your night. I am going out to play.” May said, “I saw you kill that duck. If you don’t do exactly what I tell you to do, I will tell Grandma what you did. And you know what that means. It was her prize duck.” “All right” said Johnny. “I’ll do the dishes.” The next time that it was Mary’s turn, the same thing happened. This continued for two weeks. Every time that Johnny complained, Mary said, “Johnny, remember the duck.”
At last Johnny could stand it no longer, and he went to his grandmother. Johnny stood around and twisted his ear and bit his nails. Finally he said, “Grandma.” Then she said, “I wondered how long you were going to take this bondage to Mary. I’ve watched her give you orders for two weeks, and I wondered when you would come to me.” (from Decision Magazine).
Confession spells relief and confession of our sin is the first step of the solution for relief and for being restored to a right relationship with God and to a life of holiness that he desires for his people.
Today we will look at God’s plan for forgiveness in this passage and then look at God’s plan for forgiveness today.
God’s first words to Moses were "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: when any of you bring an offering of livestock to the LORD, you shall bring your offering from the herd or from the flock. If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you shall offer a male without blemish…"(vv2,3a) Worship first requires that we offer our very best to God. God makes it clear that the offering they brought to the temple was first from their own personal property and then secondly it had to be without blemish! Worship needs to cost us something both then and now! David confessed to God, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, I pray you take away the guilt of your servant; for I have done very foolishly." (II Sam 24:10) Then he continued, "I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing." (v 24)
Even after animal sacrifice was done away with, Scripture still carries the idea that we are to bring the first fruit of our labor, the best ten percent off the top rather than the pocket change left over after we’ve paid our bills and satisfied our wants.
Once the very best animal was chosen it was to be taken to the tabernacle and there offered to God for the forgiveness of the people’s sin. God commanded, "You shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting for acceptance in your behalf before the LORD." (1:3b) God still desires that we bring our offering of worship to his house. It is not just a private affair between God and me alone.
Then God commanded, "You shall lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be acceptable in your behalf as atonement for you. The bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD." (vv 4,5a) The person himself, had to put his hand on the head of the innocent animal and then it was slaughtered so that the blood flowed out and was collected in a container.
I don’t think we can imagine the high-drama of the act of worship and what went on in the heart of the person who brought his prized animal to be killed then witnessed the that animal die before his eyes. It must have been heart-wrenching.
God states his purpose for animal sacrifice in the 17th chapter. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for as life, it is the blood that makes atonement." (v11). God accepted a life in place of a life. Hebrews 9:22 says "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." God looked upon the sacrificing of a perfect animal and the repentant heart, then gave the person a clean slate, a new start and a forgiven heart! God’s solution for sin began when Adam and Eve sinned and he offered the first sacrifice and then made them acceptable skins to wear.
God’s solution for sin today no longer requires sacrificing animals. Hebrews 10:4,5 "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, consequently when Christ came into the world, he said sacrifices and offerings you have not desires, but a body you have prepared for me…" we read further v.12 "Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins he sat down at the right hand of God." Jesus himself said "For the Son of Man came…to give his life a ransom for many." (Mk 10:45).
Gratitude should overflow from the depth of our hearts. We don’t have to take an animal to worship to kill and let the blood flow out for our sins. It has been done for us once for all. "and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (I Jn 1:7) God’s perfect unblemished lamb, his only Son offered his life for our sins once for all.
Yes in God’s sight sin is hideous, it has to be dealt with, "The soul that sinneth shall die," Ezek 18:4 says but we don’t have to die because God made a new provision for us to be saved! That is by believing that Jesus’ sacrifice and shed blood cleanses my sin and makes me forgiven.
But there is still more to worship. After the animal was slain, it was cut in pieces and put on the altar and burned as a pleasing offering to God. (Lev. 1:7-9). The New Testament instructs us in Eph 5:2 "Live in love as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice to God." God doesn’t expect us to lie in the fire and burn to death on an altar but listen to what he does expect. "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship!" (Rom 12:1,2) He desires that we give our total selves to him as a living offering, not a dead one.
The act of offering the whole animal as God commanded in Leviticus 1 symbolized God’s desire for our total dedication and our willingness to completely surrender everything to him. That is our spiritual worship. Then God responds with the gift of his peace and his love.
The Psalmist asked the question, "What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?" He wonders, how in the world can I say thank you God for your willingness to forgive my sin? Then the Psalmist’s answered his own question, "I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord and I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people in the courts of the house of the Lord in your midst O Jerusalem." That is how worship is defined.
May God help us to examine our worship. We need to ask ourselves, is my worship costing me anything? Am I asking God for forgiveness? And am I willing to give my life to him as a living sacrifice?
You are encouraged to come to the altar for prayer as we sing the hymn “I Surrender All.”
