Sacrifice (7/12/10)

Shalom,




Please begin by reading Rom 12:1.



We have a tendency to think that because the sacrificial system is no longer in effect that we can avoid the subject of sacrifice. But Rom 12:1 clearly speaks to our need of ongoing sacrifice. The word "living" is related to resurrection, so the impression I get is that we must die and be raised to new life every day. Doesn't this go along with the words of Jesus in Luke 9:23? "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me." So for us to off-handedly reject having to make sacrifices isn't a biblcal position. The fully biblical position is that we live a life of sacrifice unto our Lord and Master. That sacrifice comes in many shapes and flavors, but it is most definitely a part of our Christian walk.



To help us get a better grasp of sacrifice under the Mosaic system, here's how a man would make a guilt offering for ceremonial uncleanness according to Lev 5. We'll begin in Hebron with a man who sells milk and cheese for a living. As he's working in the fields one day he accidentally touches the carcass of a raven when he's moving some brush. Yes, that's all he has to do is touch it, and even if it's a total and complete accident he must make a proper sacrifice. He's now required to pick a female goat from his flock and take it to Jerusalem and offer it to atone for his ceremonial impurity.

Hebron is about 18 miles from Jerusalem, in what's called the "hill country." It's a rather treacherous road he'll have to travel. If it takes him longer than one day to make the trip, he'll likely spend one night in Bethlehem which is along the way. It'll take up to five days away from his home and business to fulfill the requirements of the Law. So never mind that you touched a dead bird and must be concerned with disease, you also have to disrupt your business for up to five days to satisfy the requirements of the sacrificial Law.

To begin with he must pick an unblemished animal from his flock, and it must be one of his best. So he must pick one who is a source of income, either a good milk producer or a good breeder. If he chooses a "lesser" animal, he's not sincerely seeking the removal of his guilt, and Yahweh will know this. The point of sacrifice is we have to feel the loss.

So now he travels to Jerusalem. He must be wary of bandits along the way, and he must protect his offering from any harm. If the goat gets a cut or harms a hoof, it would then be unacceptable for sacrifice. If that's the case, he would then have to buy an animal for sacrifice while he's Jerusalem, and you know that won't be cheap. If he's blessed, there may be a caravan of merchangts to travel with, but if not he must trust Yahweh for his protection.

When he arrives at the Temple, first he must perform a ritual mikvah, a bath to cleanse and purify himself from the filth of the road. He likely has brought a change of clothes along so he'll be presentable for entering the Temple. Ritual purification became very intense and more nit-picky as time went on. The worst of it happened under the highly legalistic Pharisees.

Now he must present the goat for preliminary inspection in the Outer Court. The priest will look for any obviously external physical defects. He looks at everything visible. He'll check the hooves, the mouth, the ears, and the parts we prefer not to speak of for any blemish. If a blemish is found, the goat is unacceptable and the man must go buy another one. Think of the disappointment this would be after the long journey with this animal.

If the goat passes the external inspection, the man now takes it into the Inner Court to the Slaughter Place of Burnt Offerings, or as we know it better the Altar of Burnt Sacrifice. The goat is cut open and all its internal organs are inspected for blemish. The reason for the external and then the internal inspection is that guilt offerings were for both internal and external cleansing. If anything is wrong with the liver or any other organ the goat is again unacceptable. Imagine getting to this point and being denied. Your goat is now dead and you must either go back and get another one from your flock or you must buy one in Jerusalem. And know that the lines are long, so it will most likely cost you another day to have to make the purchase and go through the whole process again.

If the goat is acceptable it's placed on the Altar of Burnt Offering. The Talmud says that if the sacrifice is accepted by Yahweh that as the smoke rose the image of a lion would come and consume the offering. If it wasn't acceptable, a north wind would blow and the image of a dog would be seen. The accepted or unaccepted person would be confronted with the true fear of Yahweh because of what they've seen.

The sacrifice of the animal displays the nephesh or soulish part of us as humans. Without our spirits being made alive, our being is centered in our soulishness. Animals are strictly soulish, being driven by instinct and selfish need. The picture is that we sacrifice the flesh to make our spirits alive. If we remain as soulish people, we remain disconnected from our Father and in danger of living by instinct and selfish need.

I won't go into detail about the clean-up of the sacrificial area, but think about being the Levite who gets that duty for the day. He must collect all the "offal." Offal is the dung and intestinal contents of the sacrificed animals. Anything that's not part of the sacrifice had to be brought outside the city, through the Dung Gate to a place where it's burned. Let your own imagination help you with the sight and smell of this.



Lev 1:2 says, "When any of you brings an offering to Yahweh." The wording would be better translated, "when you bring YOU as an offering." The offering under the Mosaic system was to be identified directly with us and our sin. The offering we make now is us, our whole nephesh must die to be brought back to eternal life. And be careful how you scorn the sacrificial system, Paul still made animal sacrifices after he became a Christian. Check out Acts 17 and the fulfillment of his Nazirite vow.

But isn't that the picture of Rom 12:1 that we bring US as an offering to our Father. This is our "reasonable act of worship." Reasonable is the Greek word logikos, you know it as the logical thing to do. It's the right spiritual thing to do. It's the only reasonable way to approach our Creator. It's what a truly right thinking person does.

Now, how about us and sacrifice? Churchgoers are likely to say we have grace so we don't have to make sacrifices. Phil 4:18 says, "They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." Paul directly connects our rightful giving and service to being a burnt offering. How can the smell of burning hair and flesh be fragrant to Yahweh? It's because the burning is happening due to our hearts rightly honoring him, obeying him enough to die.

According to 1 Cor 3:16 our bodies are the Temple of Yahweh now. We don't have to travel long distances to take an animal to the Temple to be sacrificed. Whenever we realize we've sinned, we can go directly to Yahweh and sacrifice ourselves on his altar. Jesus, our high Priest, is right there to inspect us and determine whether or not our sacrifice is acceptable. And if it is we get a direct infusion of his grace and mercy. That's our major advantage over the old sacrificial system. We have direct access to cleansing anywhere we are and anytime we need it.

But is it easier for us? I don't believe so. I think it would be much easier to go through the external process of offering an animal in my place. Right now I have to regularly admit my failure and honestly repent before my Lord and Savior. I must sacrifice my ego on his altar to receive his grace and mercy. That takes a lot of effort for all of us humans. Overcoming our sinful nature is a struggle and a long-term issue.

When we honestly confess our sins and seek his cleansing, our Father is Yahweh, not Elohim. Yahweh was used in relation to sacrifices because it refers to mercy. Elohim wasn't used because it refers to justice and judgment. Do any of you want to face the Great God Almighty when you've sinned? Or do you prefer Yahweh your Father who's filled with mercy and grace?



Our redemption comes through an atoning sacrifice. Jesus was the Lamb of God who gave his life to purchase our pardon from the condemnation we all deserve. He's our burnt offering because his sacrificial death was done completely to atone for us and our sins. We must rely on the words of Heb 10:14. "By one sacrifice Jesus has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Seek him and accept his holiness, that's why he died.



Blessings & Peace, Mike