Leviticus 1-The Burnt Offering

   I am doing a study on Leviticus as it caught my eye-the theme of that book is Holiness of God. The first chapter already has me reveling and reeling. :) Reveling in the fact of how detailed God is in His complete plan and reeling in the immensity of the stubbornness of my old man who doesn't like what he hears. ;) 

   All my life I understand that I am to be a living sacrifice but my concept of what that meant was either vague or more along the lines of - *sigh* "yes, Lord, I give up." *groans*- but what I read this morning was exciting! 

   Holiness is a word a lot of believers are afraid of. But we must boldly proclaim the standards of God's Word - for they are all realistic and attainable.

now this was a thought. Everything in the Bible is for today even though written thousands of years ago and it is also attainable. "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 Most think of this verse in relation to this physical earth and its situations but look at it in the spiritual realm. Anything God asks of me-growth, surrender, convictions, battling the enemy forces, intercessory prayer-those are attainable. So awesome! :)

Holiness is the very nature of God.

Holiness is like health. ...why should we be afraid of perfect health in our spirit. Holiness for the body is what we call health. Health for the spirit and soul is what we call holiness.

this I am still pondering and haven't grasped completely but the edges of my brain caught a glimpse of truth that is profound so I shall continue to stare at the words. :) would love input if you have any...

We must not tolerate sin any more than we tolerate sickness.

Many Christians think only of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. But what we learn from Leviticus is that He made many sacrifices in His life too. He offered His life day by day to His Father, pouring out His own will and His soul-life to death. 

The burnt offering is a picture of the way Jesus presented His body, throughout His earthly life, to His Father-and then finally the cross as well.

I don't think I can explain the full depth of what I read but I will try...Hebrews 10:5,7 Jesus says "A body You have prepared for me...and I have come to do Your will, O God." We know God made us special and we each have an important task and reason for being placed here on earth but if you are anything like me we say "Thanks God and even though I don't like how You made me I'll learn to accept it and now let's see, what shall I do with my life." Doesn't sound quite the same as Jesus' words, eh? :) I place so much emphasis on myself when really I am only His vessel. As a youth and now a wife/mom, I always asked God, "What shall I do" but often didn't wait for His reply or when it came I struggled with accepting it. Now I do understand our lives are a journey and God never expected us to be robots who bow every time we speak His name, never questioning His requests-that's why He gave us a will. He is looking for children, a bride. I have never seen a bride who was forced into marriage looking pleased at the prospect and generally the groom wasn't the happiest either. From what I gathered in the Bible Jesus is waiting breathlessly for the moment when His Father turns to Him, winks and smiles and says, "Go get your bride Son" that doesn't sound like a commanding God and abject slave-it sounds more like a loving Father who has a Son He loves so exquisitely that He has hand picked and prepared a Bride perfectly suited to His Son's needs and desires. I have always struggled to see God in this light and that is changing the more I learn to know God-all this to say, we are being prepared as that Bride and each one of us does this in God's timing and He is never dismayed or disappointed in the speed at which we travel this road of life-He has it in His control and we will be ready when He returns if we follow one simple step described in Romans 12:1- "Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice to God..." But what does being a living sacrifice mean?? This befuddled me for years...and every person has a different view/opinion-that is what makes our journeys unique to us but this morning I finally saw a truth for myself. 

When we present our bodies to the Lord it is very easy to say, "Lord I give my body totally to You." But we don't know whether we have offered it all until we have 'cut it up'.

this struck me!! "cut it up"- now I offered myself many times on that altar and as stated I never was sure it was a complete surrender so I walked around the altar again and again-climbing on and getting down again only to walk the circle and climb up again. 

God had specific instructions on how to perform the burnt sacrifice for the Israelites-down to a certain side of the altar a dove must be killed on and its feathers placed on an other side. One thing I noticed right away was that each animal sacrificed had to be cut into pieces. Imagine with me if they had not killed/cut the animal it would have leaped off that altar quicker than a jack rabbit :) --the same goes for myself. I can offer myself but if I leave myself intact I have the ability to jump down before the sacrifice is complete. but if I "cut into pieces" my sacrifice then there is no longer "me", it is simply an acceptable sacrifice. What does "cut into pieces" mean? To offer our bodily parts piece by piece. 

When the offering is cut into pieces and laid out on the altar fully, then you can say, "Now Lord, let Your fire fall on the sacrifice and consume it." That fire is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the fire consumes our sacrifice and sets our bodies on fire for God.

As I read this I could sense the battle within me. The new man who longs for that purifying fire and power of the Holy Spirit and the old man who immediately recognizes that a sacrifice will mean denying himself and dying. The fact that the old man is still breathing in myself wanted to bring a shame and guilt but I had to recognize that God said the old man will be in me till the day I die but the totally awesome fact is-that old man just complains and grunts-he has absolutely no hold in my life. Yes, I need to choose to crucify him every day, every moment-but when I asked Jesus into my heart I became a new man. Now I can choose to let the old man climb down off that altar and run around thinking he got the upperhand and is in control, but the new man is stronger and God will never let him die but will continue to bring before me a choice-Life or Death. And each time the Holy Spirit will quietly and gently lead me in the paths of righteousness because I serve a Holy God! So as the two ladies within me battled I could hear His gentle voice asking, "Can you trust Me? Can you choose Me? It's attainable. It's realistic. You are my beloved Bride and I want to make you ready for that upcoming wedding day-unblemished, spotless, and robed in white. I don't ask of you anything that I did not ask of my Son Jesus. If He can do it, so can you as My Holy Spirit lives in you as it did in Him. Can you come up higher? May I take you to heights unknown and show You the unspeakable wealth I have waiting for you?  Can you choose Me?" Oh the sweetness I sensed as I gulped hard and began, "Lord, here is my mind. I have let the enemy control my thoughts in the past but I give it to You as a sacrifice. Here are my eyes...." Suddenly the giving wasn't as difficult-yes, I recognized that I would not be able to do all that I had done up to this point. I will think of this moment every time a doubt rises to the surface in my mind-every time I am watching a movie and realize that it doesn't portray the clean living that I believe God asks of me and I will remember and again I will need to choose, the new life that is growing within or the old man who destined to die. 

*all quotes and teaching from Zac Poonen*