Grain Offering (part 1)

SCRIPTURE
" 'When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. (Leviticus 2:1-2)

OBSERVATION
Let's face it. Leviticus 2 is difficult to wade through if your looking on the surface for something that's relevant to my life today. But, if you're willing to dig kind of deep into the soil, there's treasure to be discovered. The Grain Offering (the Hebrew word is 'Minchah', which means: a gift, tribute, offering) comes from a tradition of giving a gift to a king who just conquered your village/town/city/people as a way of saying: "I am now under your authority. I submit to you." This kind of offering "Minchah" (check out Judges 3:17 and while you are there...read the whole story of Ehud) was used often as way sign of submission. If you were conquered by the king, you would not want the king to give you trouble...so you submit. The Grain/Minchah offering was a symbolic way of communicating your willingness to comply.
So one of the ideas behind the Grain/Minchah Offering is you are coming to God and saying: "God, I acknowledge that You are God and I am not. You have conquered me (my heart/life) and I am now in submission to You."

APPLICATION
Unlike the cruel kings who conquered tribes, people and land through brute force, our King (Jesus) conquers through losing, self-sacrifice, love and grace. Jesus is has a Kingdom and everyone it is only as big as those who's hearts and lives are willing to submit to His will. "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."
And this is a daily journey of submission to my King. The Grain offering communicates that I am aware that there is a King and I am not the King. How do I, today, pay tribute to my King Jesus? Romans 12:1 tells me I am to be a living sacrifice...following the example of my King. I am to worship Him. Serve Him by serving others. Love Him by loving others. Listen to Him through prayer and study of Scripture. Allow His character to produce good fruit in me.

PRAYER
God, I submit my will to Your will in my life. I want to live my life as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to You. Thank you for forgiving me for the many times I've forced my will over Your will. My way over Your way. Thank You for a fresh start today. I am wholly Yours.
In Jesus name, Amen.

Me & The Priest

SCRIPTURE
He is to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. (Leviticus 1:5-6)

OBSERVATION
Life is in the blood. All the life had to be taken out of the bull, goat, lamb or bird in order for there to be death. And sin can only be atoned for with a death.
This is costly and messy. Again, the "He" in these verses are the regular person who realizes that sin separates him from God. He had to pay for, bring and slaughter the animal himself. There's no way blood and guts would not have gotten on his clothes.
God wanted us to see, first hand, what our sin costs. That way we could not deny the seriousness and consequences.

APPLICATION
This is why observing/celebrating communion in the community of my church, is so significant to me/us. None of us grew up with the regular reminder of animal burnt offering sacrifices built into our life. So communion is our way of remembering the once and for all sacrifice made by Jesus - God's only Son on my/our behalf. I look forward to communion this Sunday with my sisters and brothers @ Radiant Life Fellowship.

PRAYER
Father, this week has had some messy parts to it. I appreciate the confidence I have in my identity in You. Without that, I am nothing. My only significance is found in You and Your loving sacrifice on my behalf. I am eternally transformed and grateful.

Lean on the Lamb

SCRIPTURE
He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. (Leviticus 1:4)

OBSERVATION
The "He" in this verse is the regular person bringing his voluntary burnt offering (live) sin offering for sacrifice at the tent of meeting. I always had this idea in my mind that the Priest did all the slaughtering of sacrificial animals and the people just were observers. Apparently, the role of the Priests were to assist. This was an all-in investment on the part of the worshiper. Approaching God cost the worshiper something precious. They got blood all over them. It was messy, smelly and it set the stage for a Once and For All Sacrifice found in Jesus.

I also noticed the part of "lay his hands on the head of..." The Hebrew word for that also means to "lean into" the lamb. That's rich. How often do I "lean into the Lamb - Jesus" and trust that He has totally and completely covered all my sins?

APPLICATION
I know the book of Leviticus is so foreign to us today. We don't practice those rituals or even totally understand the context. But I begin to recognize my casual approach to worship and to my relationship with God standing in stark contrast to what I read about in Leviticus. This is serious. Sin brings death. It cost. The payment is steep. I'm challenged in how serious I take the relationship with God and His church that I have. I admit I've been too casual.

PRAYER
God, reading Leviticus 1 has opened my eyes in a lot of ways. I am thankful that You made a way to approach You. I'm also thankful that I can still lean on You in complete dependence and gratitude. Because of Jesus, Amen

Remembering

SCRIPTURE
"Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;" (Deuteronomy 11:2)

"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 11:19)

OBSERVATION
The Book of Deuteronomy often mentions to us to Remember and the Teach our Children. Remember. Throughout life there will be good times that we would like to remember and tough times that we would just as well forget. But what the scripture is speaking of is to remember God's grace, faithfulness, holiness and His warnings. As the Israelites prepare to move into a new season, into the promise land, I feel like God is saying to all of us, to remember and not take for granted His Faithfulness and His Blessings along the way. It's in the tough times (especially) when we need to remember that our God has been faithful and is faithful to provide. That is why God also says to teach our children, grandchildren and their children - less we forget.

APPLICATION
To the world outside of the USA, we're known as the land of excess. And it's not just the CEO's of big banks or auto manufactures. It's not just the excessively high paid actors or pro athletes. It's me and you, too. We struggle to find a line between what we need and what we want. We're impulse shoppers. We've been taught that we can never have to much and we need to keep up with the "Jones'" We live in a land of excess.

The Book of Deuteronomy is a book that God tells us to remember as we step into a new season - A New Day. This is a new day we are living in. A new economic reality.

"Remember the days of old. Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Your elders, and they will tell you. (Deuteronomy 32:7)

Today's reading teaches me to be a good steward of what You, Lord, have blessed me with and not take for granted the little things in life. Remember.

PRAYER
Lord I pray that every morning as I start a new day - Thank You for directing my steps and for Your Favor and may I not take for granted Your Blessings today. Help me to remember Your faithfulness by reflecting on these, Your stories from Scripture. I want to pass them on to my children. In Jesus name, Amen.

Like a Child

SCRIPTURE
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Mark 10:15

OBSERVATION
The Kingdom of God is what Jesus came to demonstrate for us and invite us join as active members. In this one sentence, Jesus gives us a picture of how we are to receive/enter the Kingdom of God...as a little child. So why a little child? Here are some of my initial thoughts:
1) Little children live in the "now". They are fully present in this moment. My 4 year old (Jake) is not worried about tomorrow.
2) Little children forgive. My young kids get irritated with each other, but they are able to forgive and move on. They don't hold on to a grudge and become bitter.
3) They're free. They aren't weighed down with worry about what everyone is thinking. They are free to be everything God created them to be.
4) They are dependent. Little children rely on others (their parents) for everything.
5) Little children trust and believe with ease. Us adults have become so jaded...we struggle to trust anyone or anything. We are cynical.

APPLICATION
So if I am going to enter the Kingdom of God, I need those same characteristics in my life.

PRAYER
Lord, I admit that I am cynical, distrusting, codependent, unforgiving and worried. I need You to help me become like a little child. I want to be an active member of Your Kingdom. Please continue Your transformational work in my life. I am Yours. In Jesus name, Amen.