THE OFFERINGS IN LEVITICUS, CHAPTERS 1-5

 

THE OFFERINGS IN LEVITICUS, CHAPTERS 1-5

The Leviticus offerings read in Biblical order are how God sees us, we having been saved and justified through Jesus Christ. But, read in reverse, or, starting in chapter 5, are how we come to God through Christ. See this in:

1. THE TRESPASS OFFERING, chapter 5:1-19

This is Christ making atonement for all sinners' sin even if committed unknowingly, ignorantly or "he is unaware of it."

2. THE SIN OFFERING, chapter 4:1-35

In this chapter, Christ makes atonement for sins known to be sin, but forgotten or deliberately ignored.

3. THE PEACE OFFERING, chapter 3:1-17 

When the sinner believes in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, he is forgiven. Calvary covers it all.  Such a one is at peace with God (Romans 5:1 - "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God...")

4. THE GRAIN OR SOFT FLOUR OFFERING, chapter 2:1-16

Christ is seen in His perfect LIFE and sinlessness and in His perfection in all His being and doings. All is in perfect proportion. 

5. THE WHOLE BURNT OFERING, chapter 1:1-17

Christ seen in His perfect DEATH for us. He completely resigned Himself to God's will for the redemption of sinners. He said, "not my will but Thine be done."

And so, believers are ever enjoined to complete yieldedness in body and spirit, to do the will of God. 

- Dick Christen

       

       

GOSSIP = CHEAP CANDY

 

Pointedly, the Apostle James said, "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity" and, among other biting remarks, that it is "set on fire by hell" (James 3).

As kids we sang, "O, Be careful little mouth what you say...for the Father up above is looking down in love, O, be careful little mouth what you say." Adults should learn it anew. 

The Bible warns often about the dangers of a tongue dangerously misused:

Proverbs 26:22 says this: "The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body."

A paraphrase expresses it this way: "Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly?" (MSG, an interpretive paraphrase)

A discerning head usher in one of my pastorates (when people would try to pass gossip on to him) would take hold of one of his ears and say, "Does this look like a garbage pail?")

An abrupt rebuke like that can certainly put an end to abusive talk. Try it, unless you like "cheap candy."

J. Sidlow Baxter once remarked, "One of the first things that happens when a man is truly filled with the Spirit is not that he speaks with tongues, but that he learns to hold the one tongue he already has."

Good observation!

- dick christen