Today's Reading:

There is no reading today, but you can use this time to catch up on any days that you may have missed this week. 

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You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.
Leviticus 1:4

There is grace in that the animal dies in place of the sinner, and the sinner is accepted by God, not because of personal perfection, but through the act of substitution.  

Exodus 29-40 and Leviticus 1-10 lay out the priesthood and sacrificing laws, which showed how God could dwell among the sinful people. God instructed Moses on how to ordain Aaron and his sons through the washing, sacred clothes, anointing , and precise sacrificial rules. The Tabernacle, including the Ark, Furnishings, Curtains, and Altars were built with the exact blueprints given by God’s command. God’s glory cloud then filled the Tabernacle at completion. In Leviticus, the 5 main offerings (burnt, grain, peace, sin , and guilt) for atonement were highlighted. The priesthood began, Aaron made sacrifices for himself and the Israelite population. The priest’s share was established because the priests were to concentrate their full time to doing God’s work for the people and they would not have had time to provide for their families. God wanted them to rely on Him for their food! 

Then, on the worst first-day-on-the-job ever, Aaron’s sons were consumed by God’s fire in deadly judgment. Moses had compassion for the mistakes made when Aaron’s remaining two sons could not eat the sacrifice due to their grief. The repetition of “as the Lord commanded” highlighted obedience after past failures, and the need for one perfect holy mediator- foreshadowing the ultimate Priest and Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. 

Just to remind you of a few terms to remember: 

• Anoint- to apply sacred oil on a person or object to set it apart for God’s holy purpose 
• Atonement- to cover sin through a sacrifice in order to restore oneness with God 
• Consecrate- to set apart a common item or person for sacred use by God 
• Ordain- to establish an official, appointed for a specific purpose by God or the church 

Today's discussion question: 

Place yourself in the Israelites' position. What would it feel like to place your hand on the offering, knowing your brokenness is being transferred so that you can stand accepted before God?

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