Today's Reading: Leviticus 3
The book of
Leviticus is all about God making a way for unholy and sinful people to approach
and have fellowship with a holy and pure God. (In fact, that’s what the whole
Bible is about.) The laws and instructions contained in Leviticus were intended
to guide the Israelites in their worship of God and their daily lives, and they
were seen as essential to maintaining a right relationship with God.
In this
particular verse, God is instructing the Israelites on how to offer a peace
offering to Him. The peace offering was a type of sacrifice that was made to
God as a symbol of fellowship and communion. It was typically made up of an
animal that was slain, and part of the meat was burned on the altar while the
rest was eaten by the priests and the worshipers.
When the
priests placed the offering on the fire, it resulted in a “pleasing aroma” wafting
up to the LORD. The idea of a pleasing
aroma was a way of indicating that the offering was acceptable and pleasing to
God. The aroma was seen as a symbol of God's pleasure and favor towards the
Israelites and His acceptance of their sacrifice. It was a way of demonstrating
that they had followed God's instructions and were obedient to His commands.
One of the
key lessons for us is the importance of offering ourselves to God as living
sacrifices. Just as the animal was offered on the altar, we too should offer
ourselves to God as “living sacrifices” surrendering our will and desires to
Him. As we read in Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Paul the Apostle mentioned the pleasing aroma of a surrendered life in 2 Corinthians 2:15 - "
The idea of
a pleasing aroma to the Lord can be seen as a metaphor for our lives. Just as
the peace offering was meant to be a pleasing aroma to God, we too should
strive to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God, through acts of sacrifice,
love, kindness, and service to others. Take a moment to ask yourself, does my
life produce a pleasing aroma unto God?
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