Beer commercials say to get all the gusto you can from a party lifestyle. Motivational speakers say you should have a positive mental attitude to be successful. The world says to pursue professional careers like being a doctor, lawyer or engineer to live the American dream. The first five chapters of Leviticus explain five different offerings that offer a fresh start to real life.
Bring a burnt offering of a male animal without defect at the doorway of the tent of meeting so it may be accepted as reconciliation of your sin before God. Aaron’s sons, the priests, offered up the blood and sprinkled it on the altar at the doorway of tent of meeting. Priest put it on fire and offered it up in smoke on the altar as a soothing aroma to the Lord. The poor offered a burnt offering of birds (Lev. 1:1-17). Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross forgives your sins and reconciles you to God.
Bring a grain offering to the Lord of fine flour, pour oil and put frankincense on it. Take a handful to the priests so they can offer it up in smoke as a soothing aroma to the Lord. The remainder belonged to Aaron and his sons as a thing most holy. When the grain offering was baked in an oven, it contained unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, presented to the priest and brought to the altar. No grain offering would be made with leaven, but seasoned with salt of the covenant of God (Lev. 2:1-13). Trusting Christ’s substitutionary death for sin begins your personal relationship with God.
A grain offering with grits of new growth had oil and incense put on it. The priest offered it up in smoke as an offering by fire to the Lord (Lev. 2:14-16). Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to grow in intimacy with God.
They offered a peace offering by laying a hand on a head of an animal without defect and then killing it at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Aaron’s sons, the priests, sprinkled blood around the altar and offered a burnt offering as smoke for a soothing aroma to Lord. This was a perpetual and permanent statute throughout all generations for all homes (Lev. 3:1-17). Continuous surrender to God through prayer deepens the peace you experience in your relationship with God.
If a common person, whole congregation, leader or priest sinned unintentionally violating what the Lord commanded not to be done that brought guilt on the people, he offered a bull without defect as a sin offering. He laid his hand on the bull’s head before killing it. The priest dipped his finger in the blood and sprinkled some of it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary. The priest put blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense and poured all of it at the base of the altar of burnt offering. After removing pieces of the animal, he brought the rest of the bull to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes were burned (Lev. 4:1-35). Everyone must confess known and unknown sin to satisfy God’s holiness and restore experiential peace with God.
If a person sinned after he had known about an oath while a witness and did not tell it, then he bore the guilt. If a person swore thoughtlessly to do evil with an oath, he would be guilty once he knew it. He would confess his sin and bring a guilt offering to the Lord for the sin committed along with a female lamb, goat or smaller animals based on what he could afford. The priest made atonement on his behalf for the sin and sprinkled blood of the sin offering on the side of altar (Lev. 5:1-13). Confess sin of not following through with your promises or vows to relieve guilt.
If person acted unfaithfully and sinned unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he brought a guilt offering to the Lord. The priest made atonement for the forgiveness of sin. He brought a ram without defect, made restitution against the holy things and added a fifth part of it to give to the priest for atonement as a guilt offering. If he was unaware of the sin, he was still guilty (Lev. 5:14-19). Offer restitution if it involves material harm or property to restore relationship with another person.
Have you thanked God for the reconciling work of Jesus Christ in forgiving your sins on the cross? If you have not experienced reconciliation, trust Christ’s work to begin your relationship with God. To grow in intimacy with God, pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. Continually surrender to God through prayer to experience experiential peace. Confess all known and unknown sin to restore peace in your relationship with God. Confess sin of not following through with your vows and promises to relieve guilt. Offer restitution if it involves material harm to someone so you restore your relationship with him.
