Leviticus 1: All on the Altar!

Welcome to chapter by chapter, a four-year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the Word of God, the Bible. And we get to go through it chapter by chapter, seven minutes a day and seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with others so they can join this journey that will be life-changing. We'll stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder. We will have chapters that will be instructive and in others we'll find joy and comfort. We will occasionally be convicted and want to change, but all in all, the journey will be worth it. Once in a while, we may take a detour on the journey and hear from some of God's servants on their favorite passages from a chapter of scripture and let them give you their insight. Every journey needs a small detour occasionally. The best way to get the most from this podcast is read the chapter we're discussing before or after. It's His word that transforms. You'll find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Leviticus 1, all on the altar. We begin both a challenging and a profound journey through the book of Leviticus. I'm praying that the book that many shun on their Bible reading programs begins to open up in the weeks to come. This may have been a book that you have wanted to skip in the past, but I believe we can see it through new lenses. It was a book written for the priests. In fact, the word Leviticus means pertaining to the Levites, who are the priests of Israel. So what does a book dedicated to priests have to do with me? You must read Leviticus with 1 Peter in mind. The apostle describes the people of God under the new covenant like this in 1 Peter 2, 9 through 10. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. You are a royal priesthood. For all of those who have trusted their lives to Jesus and received His mercy and have come out of darkness, you are a New Testament priest. This is your book. Our job is to see these laws and regulations have spiritual connotations for us today. They speak to the royal priesthood of the believer. So let's read the book of Leviticus as a New Testament priesthood. I grew up in the church at the end of almost every service there was an altar call. We would hear in our church, lay your lives down at the altar, come to the altar and kneel and pray. Come to the altar and believe for the fire of God to come down. This is all Leviticus. Through this chapter, we have the altar, the sacrifice and the fire. This is what the burned offering is all about. And in Leviticus 1 9, it says, And the pre-shell offer up and smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering and offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. All on the altar is the key to the burnt offering for it speaks of complete dedication to the Lord. The animal that was laid on the altar was an involuntary sacrifice, but God's people are to be a living sacrifice. We are reminded of the challenge to every New Testament Christian in Romans 12 1. Listen to the words. Therefore I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and a holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Nothing less than a living sacrifice is demanded, not alone, but all is given to God. Mother Teresa said it like this. A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt and must empty ourselves. That's Leviticus 1. That's Romans 12. That's the challenge for every Christian all on the altar for God. The purpose of the burnt offering for Israel was to express total consecration. It was an offering about the whole sacrifice being consumed on the altar. The British historian Thomas Reeves, who for many years was a professor at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, wrote these words. Christianity in modern America is in large part innocuous. It tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as a love for God. God did not save us solely that we can go to heaven. He calls and commands us to have an impact here on earth as well. When we trade the shame of the cross, of Christ, for the plaudits of acceptance of men, we have forfeited the power to shake the world. Far better to be despised than even persecuted than to live a life without making a difference for God. This happens when a life is consumed by God as a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament, a burnt offering was made daily, twice a day, morning and evening. It was a continual sacrifice. Listen in Numbers 28-1. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, command the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be careful to present my offering, my food for my offerings, by fire of a soothing aroma to me at their appointed time. You shall say to them, this is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the Lord. Two male lambs one year without defect as a continual burnt offering every day. You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. An important prayer to pray each morning is Lord, help me to put my all on the altar today. During World War II, a young soldier named David Webster of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne wrote his mother. He said this, stop worrying about me. Adjoin the parachutists to fight and tend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting. But don't worry about this because no war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice. This sounds like a real Christianity. This sounds like a church that has laid down its life. This sounds like a soldier of the cross. This sounds like a New Testament priest who is a living sacrifice. Or as J. H. Jowett has said, ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. I lay it all down for you Jesus every day. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, the Bible, the Word of God. Seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.