April 29 -- "The Pleasing Aroma"

 Today's Reading: Leviticus 3

"The Pleasing Aroma"

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 - "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

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?