Hello Pastor John,
I was thinking about the sacrifice offerings in Leviticus that we read tonight in your office. I had the same thought that Amy did about one of the recent blogs that you wrote concerning the sacrifices of Israel. It really stood out to me that God’s concern was not with himself, as you wrote:
“But His concern was not with Himself; His concern was for the one who had done the wrong, to restore him to fellowship and safety within the congregation of the Lord’s people. The focus of God’s law was on our well-being because the focus of God’s heart was on our well-being.”
Oh, just overwhelming! God did not require those certain things for himself. It was all for the person needing to offer the sacrifice and be forgiven!
So I was having some thoughts about all of it when I went to bed. Was there a such thing as repentance in the Old Testament? That the actual preparing of the animal for sacrifice was like the preparing of a heart for repentance. So I looked up some scriptures on repentance: Romans 2:4 Romans 3:25, 2 Corin. 7:10, Heb. 12:24
Then I had to look up sacrifices. I got to these scriptures. They were great!!
Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, well Master, that hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but He.
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is MORE than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that, he answered discreetly, he said unto him, thou art not far from the kingdom of God.
Oh that is encouraging… to love him with all your heart, understanding, etc. is MORE than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices that one could give!!
Romans 12:1: “. . . that ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God.”
Hebrews 13:15: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.”
1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also as spiritual stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
Oh this is great………….!!
Julie A.