An Adoring Sacrifice

We can turn back to our reading in Leviticus chapter 2.

Leviticus 2 · chapter mention

We can read at the beginning of this chapter again, Leviticus chapter 2.

Leviticus 2 · chapter mention

When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour.

He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests.

And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil with all of its frankincense.

And the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

And so on.

When you read in the New Testament in 2 Timothy, there's a verse that reminds us that all Scripture is God-breathed.

God has given all of his word to us.

And he gives it to us for a purpose.

Reminds us in that passage in Timothy as well that it's for our good, for our upbuilding, for all of these things that we seek to find as we turn.

To God's word.

But there are certain passages and maybe books of the Bible that we don't tend to go to as much.

And yet they're still God-breathed.

They're given for a purpose, for our good, for our instruction.

Which book in the Bible do you find God speaking directly in most?

Which book in the Bible is made up, in the sense of the majority of the book, is made up of God speaking directly?

Well, it's this book of Leviticus.

It's a book where you see God speaking directly almost all the way through it.

You see it from the very beginning in chapter 1.

The first verse says,

And so God is speaking directly throughout this book for much of it.

And that says something to us, that this book is important.

This book has a lot to say to us.

And the very fact that you see it often quoted in the New Testament is a reminder to us of just how important it is as well.

We'll touch on that a little bit more tomorrow.

But when you start, if you've ever tried starting at the beginning of the Bible, the book of Genesis,

and you say to yourself, I'm going to read all the way through the Bible.

Starting from the Genesis, I'm going to read all the way through.

How far do you get?

How many of you have tried that, starting to read the Bible?

You come to Leviticus, and it's probably the place where most people suddenly find themselves,

not losing interest, but finding it just hard to read through.

And very often that's the place where people will give up in that sense of reading all the way through the Bible.

Leviticus can be a difficult read in that sense.

What is it saying to us?

But it has much to say to us.

And even as we think of preparing ourselves to remember the Lord's death,

God willing tomorrow in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper,

we look at this chapter this evening, and God willing tomorrow,

we'll look at chapter 16 of this book as well.

And we see that it has much to say to us about worship.

It has much to say to us about sacrifice, about offering,

and what God has done for us.

And God is speaking to us through his word here.

And the first chapters, first five or six or seven chapters in Leviticus,

outline for us a sense of worship and offering to God.

And there's five main offerings that you find in these opening chapters.

You have the burnt offering, you have the grain offering,

the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering.

There's five different offerings that we see in this book.

And we're going to look at the second one this evening, this grain offering.

Reading through chapter 2, it can sound a little like a cookery class.

This is how you are to prepare this grain offering and offer it up to the Lord.

It just seems to be repeating itself in different ways,

saying this is the way that you are to cook your grain with oil and with frankincense,

and how it's to be offered up and how it's to be given to the priests

and how they are to eat it.

And what is it actually saying to us?

What lessons can we take from it?

Well, the main application is not that the minister is to be kept in a good supply

of pancakes or scones or oat cakes.

That's not what it's saying.

You could take that sense from it,

where the priests have to be given an element of what is cooked,

that they are to eat that.

This is their supply, as it were.

But that's not the main thing that we're taking from it at all.

It's much more important than that.

There's much more to it than that.

Because what it's actually saying to us,

as you see it with all the other offerings that come alongside it,

is that this is an important aspect of the people's worship,

of their worship towards God.

It's part of their lifestyle.

It forms part of their community,

that everybody is involved in this,

no matter how little or how much grain that you have,

that you have something to give to the Lord,

that you have some way of approaching the Lord.

Because this is a sacrifice of worship,

an offering to God with a sweet aroma you find.

So as you look at it, the grain,

the ingredients are given to us,

the grain, the oil, and the frankincense.

The grain is the offering.

The oil is there, as is often seen throughout Scripture.

Oil is making it set apart as holy to God.

And frankincense is what gives it that aroma,

that richness as it is baked,

as it is cooked on the altar.

So all these things come together.

And in that sense, it's that aspect of

offering up a full worship to God,

that we are offering our best to God.

And there's four things that I want us to take

from this grain offering this evening,

as we see it in chapter 2.

Four aspects of worship that we can take from this,

that we can use to help ourselves

prepare for the Lord's Supper tomorrow.

To remember what we are doing,

to look at it as our relationship with God,

that we are preparing ourselves to worship Him aright.

That we have all that we have through the Lord Jesus Christ,

as we come to partake in the Lord's Supper.

Are we worshiping God aright?

Are we coming, offering that sweet worship,

that sweet aroma to God this evening,

in our lives in general,

and as we come tomorrow?

Is our worship of God what it should be?

And how we see the Lord Jesus Christ come

from these verses before us this evening as well.

So the first thing we want to see about our worship

is about the sense of remembrance.

It's about remembering.

The opening verses tell us this,

as they're giving them instruction

about what is involved in this grain offering.

And you see in verse 2 that it speaks about

a memorial portion.

A memorial portion.

It is offered as a burnt offering,

with an aroma pleasing to God,

as a memorial portion.

And so what is that saying to us?

Well, it's saying that there's a recognition

of what God has done.

It's a memorial, a remembrance portion.

Now, it could be applied that there's a remembrance

and a thanksgiving for a harvest,

but it's much wider than that.

It's not just focusing in on one area.

It's focusing in on the people's lives in general.

That they have a lot and much to give thanks

to God for every practical aspect of their lives.

Not just a spiritual side,

but the practical side as well.

That we have a memorial offering,

a remembrance offering to give to God

in our worship.

You remember that the people here,

as we're looking at Leviticus,

were with Moses as their leader.

They were in the wilderness.

They were journeying in the wilderness.

A place that was barren,

a place that was sparse,

and yet they had so much to be thankful for

as they journeyed with God,

as God provided for them.

And so this regular grain offering,

as the other offerings they all were,

they were on a regular basis.

Tomorrow we're going to focus

on the Day of Atonement,

that once-in-a-year sacrifice.

But these other offerings,

as we're looking at here,

they were ongoing.

So there was this continual remembrance

of what God has done.

And at the heart of remembrance

is worship.

And that's what this is about.

The grain offering is about worship.

About this sweet aroma

being offered up to God.

When you look back in the Scriptures,

you go to the book of Genesis.

Noah was saved by God during the flood.

What was the first thing that he did

as he came out of the ark?

Well, he offered a sacrifice to God.

He offered worship to God.

In Genesis 8, 21, it says,

When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma,

the Lord said in his heart,

I will never again curse the ground

because of man.

Noah offered up a sacrifice.

And the aroma was pleasing to the Lord.

And he gave that great promise.

I will never again curse the ground

because of man.

What we find is that

as we draw near to God

in this remembrance,

in this memorial,

in this offering,

a sweet fragrance

of worship to God

that he blesses,

that he is able to bless

as our focus is on him.

And so this grain offering

that seems maybe

so simple in many ways,

it maybe seems a little

out of place here.

We could have focused

on other offerings,

the burnt offering,

the sin offering

that would seem in many ways

more important

because they remind us

of that sense of forgiveness.

But forgiveness is part of this

because the memorial portion,

the remembrance of God

is remembering deliverance,

remembering God's blessings,

remembering God's goodness.

goodness.

And so they offer up

this remembrance offering.

And when we look at ourselves tonight,

when you look at your life,

when you look at what God

has done for you,

do you see the goodness

of God tonight?

We can come to the Lord's Supper

and we can think

it's our sins

that we are focusing on,

our sins that are many

as we look at them

and we look at them

and we know them.

And we thank God

for the forgiveness

of our sin.

But we look too

about the goodness

of God,

the marshes of God,

the way God

has been with us

since we last sat

at the Lord's table

and give thanks

and remember

God's goodness.

Frederick Marsh,

a Christian writer,

he once looked at it

in this way,

what the Christian sees

when he looks back

and can give thanks for,

the deliverance

of the Lord

that he has brought,

the way

the Lord

has led,

the blessings

the Lord

has given,

the victories

the Lord

has won,

the encouragements

the Lord

has given.

You know,

as you look back

in your life tonight,

whether it's short term

or longer term,

looking back

over your life,

do you not have much

to give thanks

to God for

and to offer up

a remembrance

offering

to God,

to remember

what he has done.

How do we remember

the Lord?

Well,

that is what we are

to do

this weekend.

What we are doing

is to come

and partake

in what the Lord

has done

for us,

to give

a worship

that has a rich

aroma of thanksgiving

to God

for the sacrifice

that he has made

for us,

that he gave

his life.

And that as we sang

in Psalm 116,

what can we do?

What can we give

to the Lord

for all of his goodness

to us?

The Psalm says,

what shall I render

to the Lord

for all his benefits

to me?

I will lift

up the cup

of salvation

and call

on the name

of the Lord.

That is worship.

That is a worship

that has a sweet

aroma

because it is

giving thanks

to God,

remembering God

for all that

he has done

because Jesus

said,

do this

in remembrance

of me.

so our worship

is to be

one

of remembrance.

The second thing

we see here

is it's a worship

of giving,

of giving

to the Lord.

They are bringing

their grain offering

to the Lord

in its various

formats.

And as you read

through the different

ways that it is given,

it's a reminder

that everybody

in this community

is involved.

involved.

There may be

some that are

giving maybe

a more expensive

grain,

a finer grain,

a different kind

of way of it

being prepared,

but each

and every one

is being offered

as a sense

of giving

to the Lord.

It's acknowledging

God's goodness

and the people

remembering this

by giving

to him.

And as they

do this,

they do it

by bringing it

as a gift.

That is what

these offerings

are,

a tribute,

a portion

of the goodness

of God

giving back

to him.

So when you look

at these offerings

in the beginning

of Leviticus,

what would the people

have understood

by it?

Well,

they would have

understood that

all that they have

is from God.

Everything that

they have,

whether it's

their cattle,

their sheep,

their goats,

their birds,

their grain,

everything that

they have

is from God.

And what they

are doing

is giving back

to God

what is his,

of giving

themselves

to the Lord.

And so what

this grain offering

was,

was a sense

of dedication,

a sense of

pledging

themselves

once again

to God,

ongoing sacrifice

in that way.

They showed

their commitment

to God.

And as we

come to take

part in the

Lord's Supper,

that is what

we are doing

as well.

We are reminding

ourselves that

everything that we

have is from

God.

And that we are

giving back to

him the glory,

the worship

that is due.

Everything that we

have,

if we have

salvation,

salvation,

it is all

because of

him.

Not because of

anything that

we have done,

it's all

because of

him.

We come

not offering

ourselves to

him,

we come

offering

ourselves

to him.

Offering

ourselves in

that sense

of we are

dependent

on him.

And so

here you're

seeing that

is the sense

of giving

to God

what is

already

his.

And there

was a cost

in this

giving.

Anytime that

we see a

sacrifice being

offered,

it is because

there is a

cost.

They are giving

part of what

they could easily

say, well,

it's mine.

I don't have

to give it.

But anything

that we have

and we see

from God,

it is his

and is about

giving back

to him.

And so

we come

to give

to him

because he

has given

to us.

He has

given us

his son.

He has

given us

salvation.

He has

given us

forgiveness.

Whatever way

you're looking

at it,

it is God

who has

done and

we are

to give.

And when

they do

this,

they offer

up their

best.

You see

it here,

for example,

in verse 14,

if you

offer a

grain offering

of the

first fruits

to the

Lord,

the first

fruits were

always the

best.

You can

easily say,

well,

we'll leave

it till the

second or

the third

harvest,

the ones

that maybe

aren't as

important.

You see it

again and

again through

Scripture where

there is a

lack of

worship,

a lack of

relationship

that is

right with

God.

It is not

the giving

of the

best,

but the

giving of

the second.

In Malachi,

in these

later books

in the

Old Testament,

you see how

they give

lame animals

and all of

these kinds

of things.

They are

holding back

from God.

Instead of

giving,

they are

keeping.

And if

you are

doing that,

you are

robbing God.

That is what

Malachi says

in chapter 3,

verse 8.

Will man

rob God?

Yet you are

robbing me.

But you

say,

how have

I robbed

you?

In your

tithes and

your

contributions.

They were

holding back

from God.

They weren't

giving as

they should.

Are you

holding back

from God

tonight?

Are you

keeping back

from God

what is due

to Him?

In that

sense of

your worship,

your best,

your service,

your life,

everything that

you have from

Him?

Are you

giving back

to Him

with that

sense of

thanksgiving,

that sense

of rejoicing,

that sense

of adoration

that is due

to Him?

We are to

be givers,

not keepers.

We are to

give ourselves

fully to

the Lord,

to commit

our ways

to the

Lord,

not to

hold back

from Him.

Holding

back,

what is

due to

Him is

robbing

God.

It is

disobedience.

And so

are you

coming to

give Him

what He

deserves?

Your love,

your life,

your all.

That is

how we are

to come

to the

Lord's

table,

giving to

Him

what is

due.

in

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9,

Paul speaks

about that

cheerful

giver.

It is

spoken about

maybe in a

financial way,

but everything

that we do,

every act

of worship

is to be

given in a

cheerful way.

Each one

must give

as he has

decided in

his heart,

not reluctantly

or under

compulsion,

for God

loves a

cheerful

giver.

a

hilarious

giver

is the

word that

is used

for cheerful.

It is

that sense

of just

there is

joy,

there is

delight.

When you

look at

that sense

of frankincense

that was

offered up

here,

that aroma,

it made

it sweet.

And that

is what our

giving is

to be like,

a sweet

giving to

the Lord,

a thanksgiving

giving to

the Lord.

The third

thing that we

see here

in this

offering is

that it's

preserving.

It's

preserving.

In

verse 13

we read

these words,

you shall

season all

your grain

offerings with

salt.

You shall

not let

the salt

of the

covenant

with your

God be

missing

from your

grain

offering.

With all

your offerings

you shall

offer salt.

So it's

not just

an ingredient

of salt,

there is

something

more to

this.

It's

the salt

of the

covenant

with your

God.

That is

not to

be missing.

Salt

is of

course a

preservative.

It is

what gives

longevity

to food.

And the

people here

in Moses'

day would

have been

quite familiar

with that,

that salt

was able

to keep,

but only

for a

time.

time.

But what

we see

here is

that behind

this offering

and all

the offerings

you could

see,

is behind

it all

is that

sense of

covenant

pledge

with God.

That he

is the

one who

provides.

That he

is the

one who

preserves

his covenant

with his

people.

Because we

break it.

We fail

in it

again and

again.

And that's

the whole

reason as

you're looking

through Leviticus

and indeed

the Old

Testament,

when you're

seeing the

whole offerings

and sacrificial

system,

it's happening

all the

time.

It's

ongoing

every day.

It's just a

part of their

everyday life.

Because there's

never a point

where they can

say,

we've made

it.

We've

achieved it.

We've

pleased God.

Because they

are constantly

failing God.

Just as we

are, just as

you are, just

as I am, we

are constantly

failing God.

We sin in

thought, word

and deed on

a daily

basis.

So we don't

just confess

our sins

once.

We have to

confess our

sin on a

daily basis.

But we are

being reminded

here that as

they are bringing

their grain

offering,

that behind

it all is

that sense

of relationship,

that covenant

with God.

The salt

of the

covenant

with your

God is

not to

be missing.

There is

this

preserving.

And that is

what we have

ongoing as we

look to the

Lord's

Supper as

well.

We take

it, we do

it in remembrance

of Him and we

keep doing it

until He

come.

Do this in

remembrance of

me until I

come.

It is

preserved for

us.

It's that

relationship,

that covenant

relationship with

God.

And when you

look forward

into the New

Testament and

when you see

Jesus preparing

to go to the

cross and as

He comes to

institute the

Lord's

Supper, when

you look at

that, what

is He doing?

He gives

bread and

He gives

wine.

There is

grain involved

in that.

Bread is

part of what

we take,

God willing,

tomorrow.

We are

seeing that

He is the

fulfillment of

this grain

offering, that

He is the

fulfillment of

this covenant,

that He is the

one who keeps

His people.

He is the

one who gives

that ultimate

sacrifice.

We know that

without the

shedding of

blood, there

is no

forgiveness of

sin.

But our

whole life is

dependent on

God and

God, on

Christ, and

Christ gave

His body and

His blood for

His people,

that we might

have life

through Him.

He gives

every provision

for us.

He preserves

His people.

He keeps

His people

because He is

in that

relationship

with His

people, a

covenant that

He will not

break.

And so as we

come tomorrow,

God willing,

to remember,

it is because

it is preserved

for us.

God willing, a

God willing, a

covenant that

is ongoing.

Do this in

remembrance of

me.

me.

The fourth and

final thing we

see here is

the assurance

that it

gives.

As the

people brought

their offerings,

what were they

looking for?

they were looking

to please God.

They were

looking for

their offering,

their sacrifice

to be

acceptable to

God.

Through the

priest, they

would bring it

and offer it

up to God.

And God

would bless it

if it was

brought right.

But if they

didn't bring the

best,

if they didn't

bring it all,

if they brought

it in the

wrong spirit,

with the

wrong attitude,

then God

was not able

to bless.

But what they

are looking for

here is bringing

that best of

what they have,

that God

would bless it

and give them

that assurance

that he is

with them,

that he will

not leave

them,

that he will

not turn his

back away

from them.

And so what

you see here

is they are

bringing this

offering,

they are

bringing it

to the

priests,

the priests

are then

offering it

up to

the Lord.

And how

do we

come in

worship?

What are

we looking

for as

we come

in worship,

as we

offer up

a right

worship to

God?

What are

we looking

for?

What are

we looking

for in

the Lord's

Supper?

What are

you looking

for in

that tomorrow?

that sense

of assurance,

that sense

of peace,

that sense

of being

accepted

by God.

And how

do we

find that?

Well, it

is coming

through our

priest,

who is the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Christ.

When you

look at,

for example,

verse 10

here,

the priests

partook in

this grain

offering.

The rest

of the grain

offering

shall be

for Aaron

and his

sons.

It is a

most holy

part of

the Lord's

food

offerings.

The priests

were approving

of what they

were given,

and then they

were offering

this, or

they'd offered

it to God,

and they

took it

themselves.

There's that

sense of

this offering

is acceptable.

This offering

is right.

And when we

look at

Christ

ourselves,

we look at

Christ and

his role

of a priest,

offering

himself up

as a

sacrifice,

as it says,

to satisfy

divine justice

and reconcile

us to

God.

That is what

he is doing,

has done

for us.

And so

where is

our assurance

found?

It's not

in what we

can bring

to God.

It's in

giving

ourselves

to him.

It is

putting

ourselves

into his

hands

to come

with Christ

in view,

looking

to him,

to bow

humbly

before him,

to worship

with that

sense of

adoration,

that we

might find

assurance

of the

forgiveness

of our

sin,

of the

love of

God

to us

through

his

Son,

Jesus

Christ,

to have

that assurance

of knowing

the promises

of God,

the fulfillment

of his

scriptures to

us,

that God

so loved

the world

that he

gave his

only Son,

that whoever

believes in

him should

not perish

but have

everlasting

life.

when you

think of

these words

in light

of where

the people

were here,

they know

the love

of God

because God

has remembered

them and

so they

are to

remember

him.

They know

the goodness

of God.

They are to

come and

give to

him as

he has

given to

us.

He gave

his Son.

and they

are to

look to

him.

We are

to look

to him

with that

sense of

thanksgiving

that he

has remembered

us in that

way and

come

believing

and then

we have

that assurance

of eternal

life

from him.

God

has been

good to

us.

He is

due

our

thanksgiving.

he is

due

our

worship,

a worship

that is

a sacrifice

pleasing

to him.

And why

would we

not?

When as the

hymn writer

says,

and when I

think that

God his

Son not

sparing sent

him to

die,

I scarce

can take

it in,

that on the

cross my

burden

gladly bearing,

he bled

and died

to take

away my

sin.

when Christ

shall come

with shout

of acclamation

and take

me home,

what joy

shall fill

my heart.

Then shall

I bow

in humble

adoration

and there

proclaim,

my God,

how great

thou art.

Bow with

humble

adoration.

That is

what we

are to do,

to come

with that

worship

of humility

and adoration

and dependence

on him,

saying,

not about

us,

but my

God,

how great

thou art.

And so

may our

worship,

simple as

it may seem,

as this grain

offering might

seem,

may our

worship be

filled with

that holiness

and that

aroma,

that richness

of thanksgiving

to him

for all

that he

has done.

Let us

pray.

Lord,

our gracious

God,

we do

thank you

for your

word.

We thank

you for

the way

all is

God-breathed

and how

the wonder

of you,

the way

you spoke

to your

people in

the days

of Moses,

how you

gave instruction

to them,

how you

guided them

in every

aspect of

life and

worship.

we thank

you that

that still

rings through

to us

today,

that everything

that we

are to do,

everything that

we have,

everything that

we see in

our lives,

is to bring

us to that

sense of

adoration and

worship of

you.

We pray,

Lord,

this evening

and for

God willing

tomorrow,

that our

worship and

all that we

do in

remembering

our

Saviour,

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

that it

would be

acceptable to

you,

that it

would be

done in a

right spirit,

that we

would come

not looking

to ourselves,

but looking

to Christ,

our Lord,

our Redeemer.

Hear us

in our

prayers,

fill us

with adoration,

bless us

as your

people,

and go

before us

in all

things,

forgiving

our sin,

in Jesus'

name,

Amen.

Amen.

we'll

conclude by

singing to

God's

praise in

Psalm 117,

the

Sing

Psalms

version,

Psalm 117,

page 155,

the tune is

Regent

Square,

Praise the

Lord,

all you

nations,

all you

peoples,

sing his

praise,

for his

love is

great towards

his commitment,

lasts always,

he is

faithful now

and ever,

hallelujah,

praise the

Lord.

Psalm 117,

the Sing

Psalms version,

to God's

praise.

praise the

Lord,

all you

nations,

all you

peoples,

sing his

praise,

for his

love is

great towards

us,

his

commitment,

lasts

always,

he is

faithful now

and ever,

hallelujah,

praise the

Lord.

This

mercy and

peace from

God,

Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit rest

upon and

abide with

you all now

and forever

more.

Amen.