I've been walking through the book of Leviticus. People much smarter than me have studied the pages of this book, but I'm purposely just going through it on my own. ...just me and the Holy Spirit.
The first chapter has floored me. This chapter is about sin offerings. The sacrifices mentioned are voluntary, burnt offerings given for the forgiveness of sin. As I read, I'm gripped by the cost of sin. I tried to imagine what it would be like to take a valued animal from my herd, kill it, skin it, cut it apart and watch it burn. It would be a gory, bloody, sad process.
The Greater The Sacrifice, The Closer To God
Leviticus 1 mentions three different burnt offerings. The first is a bull, the second a goat and the third is birds. This order of progression is from most costly to least costly. A bull was sacrificed just outside the Tent of Meeting, which was closest to the Holy of Holies. A goat or sheep would be sacrificed on the North side of the altar, the next sector away from the Holy of Holies. A sacrifice of birds would be made at the outermost altar. The greater, or costlier the sacrifice, the closer to God you could approach.
A Sacrifice Cost You Something
The very definition of the word sacrifice means there is high cost. But growing up hearing the word "sacrifice" isn't enough for me to understand the true cost involved. The cost of sacrificing a bull without defect would be a sacrifice of large economic value. When I was a young girl, I grew up on a cattle farm. Great care was taken to be certain just the right bull was chosen for the herd. His genetics were extremely important for producing higher quality animals. Prize bulls now are sold for thousands of dollars. Even the semen from high quality bulls is purchased. Someone choosing to sacrifice a bull would be forfeiting the future of their family's fortune because of their sin. A sacrifice of a male goat or sheep had the same impact on the future genetics of the herd and the future of the entire family. ...because of someone's sin...
The Person Who Sinned Performed The Sacrifice
This was one of the most shocking things for me to read. All my life, I imagined the person picked the animal from their herd, took it to the priest and the priest performed the sacrifice. But in the instructions given in Leviticus 1, the person bringing the sacrifice performed it themselves! They had to kill it, skin it, cut it apart.
A sacrifice is no small thing and neither is a sin. Let us never forget the cost of sin and the true requirement of redemption. It doesn't just impact you, it impacts every person your life touches, your family most of all. Your sin. What you did that you thought nobody saw and yet you can't forget about it and you tell yourself all day it's no big deal.... and yet you think about it everyday. That thought you had that you let roll around in your mind until it became an obsession, hatred, lust, greed, or bitterness. That thing you are supposed to say to that someone and you think if you don't it's no big deal and you figure if you don't do something that can't be wrong. Sin has a BIG cost. It's always paid in blood money. Praise God I don't have to kill an animal. Thank You Jesus your one sacrifice whose payment was big enough to pay the cost for the sins of the world.
Think of this...I announce to my family I'm going to temple and I go through the herd and select the prize bull. It's obvious to them now that I have sinned, in a big way, and my restoration to God is going to cost the entire family and perhaps even the next generation. I don't have to do this. The burnt offering is a voluntary offering. So I need to convince the family that my sin has caused a great enough separation between myself and God that the cost to the family is warranted and necessary.
I then must travel a great distance with the animal. Each time I look at it I'm reminded of my sin and the cost. I travel to the temple area. I know that my sacrifice is going to get me as close to God as possible. I place my hands on the head of the bull and look into his large eyes. I see in those eyes innocence. The bull has done nothing wrong. The bull has great potential for the future security of my family. As I place my hands on his head I remember my sin and the guilt flows from my consciousness through my hands onto the head of this animal.
Now I must do the unthinkable. This beautiful, valuable animal must be killed by my own hand. I can't give the knife to someone else. I can't ignore the cost of my sin. I must slit its throat and the blood of the animal rushes over my trembling hands. I hear the pain as the knife plunges. I see the look of confusion in his eyes. I watch as he falls to the ground and the blood flows from the fatal wound. Death is not instantaneous and I am gripped by what my sin has caused as I watch the animal gasp for it's final breath.
I want to run away. I want to hide in shame. My guilt is consuming me now. But my task is not yet done. I must now utterly destroy this animal. Death is not enough. Destruction follows. I must skin and cut this animal up. It will take a long time and the iron rich smell of the animal's blood is invading my nostrils. I feel my stomach lurch.
I've sacrificed animals before. I've fed my family by slaughtering. But this is different. This animal isn't dying to feed my family. Instead it is costing me and my family a great deal. The flesh that I am cutting through will be entirely consumed by fire instead of being consumed for food. The process of cutting up this animal is excruciating.
Finally, I give the slain and devoured animal to the priest and it is arranged on the altar. My hands are bloody and I'm reminded of my sin and it's cost once again. As the sacrifice begins to burn I glance over at the Tent of Meeting. I know that behind those curtains, God is there. My heart begins to cry out to him as I remember my sin. I pray fervently with the priest and the fire begins to devour my sin. The iron, raw smell is replaced with the aroma of burning flesh and somehow it smells good. The smoke curls into the air and hovers over the Tent of Meeting. I know that God is smelling the aroma of my sacrifice. I know that it is pleasing to the LORD. I know that my sacrifice is pleasing to the LORD. I know that I am pleasing to the LORD.
I am restored.
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