Leviticus 1 – 4 and Crockpot Stew

Leviticus 1 – 4

Do you like the smell of roasting meat? How about the smell of barbequing meat? I sure do and I think it is clear that the Lord likes that smell also. In Leviticus 1, there are three references (verses 9, 15 and 17) to a burnt offering as “a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”

These burnt offerings were very important to the Lord, since they allowed the person bringing the offering to be “accepted by the Lord… the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him.” The penitent had to lay his hand on the animal’s head while it was slaughtered. The Lord provided a way of reconciliation through the shedding of the blood of these animals.

Chapter 2 deals with another kind of offering: the grain offering. The grain offering was moistened with oil and accompanied by frankincense. A portion of the flour moistened with oil and all of the frankincense was to be burn on the altar. The rest was used by Aaron and his sons. This grain offering was called a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the Lord.”

Note that yeast and honey were not allowed in this special grain offering, but it could be presented with the firstfruits. Salt was to be included in all grain offerings.

If you want a complete table of the five types of offerings and sacrifices, check out:

http://www.3dbibleproject.com/en/tabernacle/details/offerings.htm

Did you notice that the Israelites were never to eat any fat or blood? (Leviticus 3:17) In this instance, fat refers to animal fat. Olive oil or other pressed oils would have been okay.

What a bloody mess these animal sacrifices must have made! Cattle have more than 4 gallons of blood, all of which was spilled when the sacrifices were made. Isn’t it great that we don’t have to offer up these sacrifices? Jesus was offered as a sacrifice for our sins, once for all.

Hebrews 9: 25 – 28 says, “And he (Christ) did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age, to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, So also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

I know we read four chapters today, but you might find it instructive to read the entire  ninth chapter of Hebrews. It really makes sense of what all this represents.

Tomorrow, it’s Leviticus 5 – 7.

Crockpot Stew

As I sit here writing my blog, my nose is being assailed by the wonderful aroma of beef stew bubbling away in my crock pot. This is the first time I’ve tried it via crock pot and I hope I can wait long enough so it really gets done before taking off the top and testing it.

Until next time…