“And He Called”
The Appomattox Court House Presbyterian Church Pulpit
Rev. Cameron S. Smith
The Lord's Day, September 9, 2007
Leviticus 1:1-9
The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. "If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:1-9
THAT'S WEIRD STUFF MAN!
What was going through your mind as I was reading that passage? Did it seem a bit on the weird side? Were you repulsed? If so, you join the ranks of what I would reckon to be the majority of Christians who encounter this Old Testament book for the first time.
What is the point of this book? Why the need for all this "blood dripping and weird stuff"? I am going to suggest to you this morning that if you do not understand what's going on in Leviticus, then the rest of the Bible through Revelation won't really make much sense either.
If you haven't wrestled with the sacrificial laws and rituals in Leviticus, then chances are you most likely vastly underestimate the human condition apart from Christ.
WRESTLING WITH LEVITICUS
If you haven't struggled with the strangeness (to our modern senses) of Leviticus; then Paul's declaration in 1 Corinthians 1 probably sounds a bit off key to your ears even though you profess it off the top of your head with glee to all who inquire: The "Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified." (1 Cor. 1:22-23).
Leviticus literally begins without missing a beat where the last verse of Exodus 40 leaves off with the words, "And He called to Moses."
God calls out to Moses from the inner part of the Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies. Exodus, as we saw last week, closed with the Tabernacle completed and the parting image of the glory of God descending upon it in cloud and fire.
The Hebrew title of the book of Leviticus is actually "And He Called." When you think of it, it is an entirely appropriate title for the book given that the greater part of the narrative recounts God's direct instruction on sacrifices and other rituals that will be offered in the newly established Tabernacle.
On a practical level, Leviticus provides instruction on how the priests and the people are to approach God; how they can restore and maintain a relationship with Him.
That last point is so very important: Your relationship with God; our relationship with God! A few minutes ago, I told you that if you hadn't dealt with Leviticus, your understanding of the Gospel would be sorely lacking. I say this in all honesty, because until you can comprehend the seriousness of sin, you can't attain to any depth of appreciation of what Jesus Christ did -- on your behalf -- at the cross.
THE SACRIFICIAL "SYSTEM"
The first seven chapters of Leviticus presents a base introduction to the five most common sacrifices offered at the Tabernacle and much later at the Jerusalem Temple:
- The burnt (or whole) offering, meaning quite literally the entire offering went up in smoke to God, with nothing left over;
- The grain (or cereal) offering;
- The peace offering;
- The guilt offering;
- The sin offering.
This morning, we are focusing solely on the burnt offering described in chapter 1; for of these five sacrificial offerings, the burnt offering was the most frequently used, occurring each and every morning before worship; in fact, being a prerequisite for worship. (Gordon J. Wenham NICOT 1979 [pp.63-66]).
Following the flow of the description of the burnt offering here in Leviticus 1, when an animal is brought for sacrifice, it is clear that the worshipper must, at great expense to himself and his family, select it from his own herd or flock. Wild game doesn't count because that doesn't cost you anything personally.
Further, the animal selected must be a male without defect. Male animals were more valuable than the females; and the animal had to be perfect and without defects; only the best of the best could be offered. Sacrifice was costly to the worshiper.
But, I need to point out that even as sacrifice was costly; it was yet made available to all people: the wealthiest could offer a bull from the herd; someone not so rich could use a sheep from the flock. If the worshiper was dirt poor, they could use a bird. God's provision was for all the people!
Above all, it is the worshipper who must take the initiative to bring it to the Lord. It is the worshipper who has to take the knife to kill the animal with his hand pressed firmly on the head of the animal, symbolically transferring the sins of the worshipper to the sacrificial animal.
And although the priest catches the blood and sprinkles it on the altar and ultimately offers the animal in its entirety upon the fire of the altar to be "a pleasing aroma to the LORD" (Lev. 1.9, 13, 17); it is the worshipper himself who must do the dirty, nasty work of skinning, cleaning and cutting up the animal.
A SERIOUS SIN PROBLEM
Okay, are you thoroughly disgusted? Are you bothered by this stuff? Are you mad and thinking that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and anger? "Give me Jesus," you say; "Give me love and something positive!"
But here is where I want to challenge you this morning. Your anger and your loathing is misdirected. You are focusing your energy in the wrong place. You need to be looking in a mirror!
Think back to Genesis; to the very first sin committed by Adam and Eve. Genesis 3 says that after eating the forbidden fruit, directly and consciously disobeying God, their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked. Things would never be the same. The course of history charted in two defiant acts. But God's response was quick and gracious: "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." (Gen. 3:21).
Sacrifice is necessary not because God is a demanding, blood-thirsty tyrant. Sacrifice is necessary because our sin separates us from God. Sin exposes our "nakedness" before God.
In the case of our first parents, Adam and Eve, God literally "covered over" their sin. "Cover over" is thought by many to be one of the definitions of the word "atonement."
For Adam and Eve, blood was shed and the life of an animal was sacrificed for its warm hide; a foreshadowing of how our own sins would be covered over in Christ; a life for a life.
The word translated "atonement" (kapar) in connection to sacrifice is complex in meaning. It may have originally, as I have already mentioned, meant to "cover over"; but, in many other uses in the Old Testament, it meant to wipe clean; or even, to ransom someone.
THE IMPACT OF SACRIFICE
The words of Jesus in John 15:12-13, dramatically describes the meaning of atonement: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
The sacrifice of Maximilian Kolbe, a priest of the Order of St. Francis, illustrates well the seriousness and beauty of sacrifice. In February 1941 he was arrested by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. In the harshness of the conditions there, he maintained the gentleness of Christ. He shared his food. He gave up his bunk. He prayed for his captors. He even celebrated masses in secret. He was soon given the nickname "Saint of Auschwitz."
But it is not for those acts of kindness for which he is best known. Eventually there was an occasion in which some men were chosen to die in reprisal for a prisoner's escape. Maximilian offered his life to take the place of a young married man with children. He was put to death along with the other prisoners to die a slow death through starvation. He died after two weeks of suffering. On August 14, 1941, he was put out of his misery by lethal injection. The ultimate sacrifice: giving of one's life for another. (Story compiled from two sources: Sermon Notes from Chris Vogel, Leviticus 1, "Christ the Holocaust," June 29, 1997, Monergism.com; and "Homily At The Canonization of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe" by John Paul II, October 10, 1982. www.theworkofgod.org)
REACTING TO SACRIFICE
Indeed, there is no greater love than one person forfeiting their life for another! Truthfully, I do find the practice of animal sacrifice disturbing. I value life to the nth degree. I confess that I feel guilty when I've got to dispose of a tick found crawling on my skin or lodged on one of my dogs.
However, this practice of ritual sacrifice for the people of God was, I believe, intended to disturb. To provoke remorse for sin, for it graphically represents the seriousness of sin. It was meant to show them that it was costly. It was meant to convey the messiness of restoring a right relationship.
FROM LEVITICUS TO CHRIST: The Language of Sacrifice in the NT
This brings us to the New Testament; straight to the Gospels. With the background of these Old Testament sacrifices, we hear these beautiful words, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16).
These words are so very well known, but so little understood. God "giving" His "only" Son doesn't refer to His merely sending Jesus to live as a man. This is sacrificial language: His sending His one and only Son as atonement for sin. (cf. Gen. 22:2, 16).
John the Baptist, upon laying eyes on Jesus for the first time declares, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
Paul points out the centrality of sacrifice in the plan of God: "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Rom. 8.32). And so because God has been so giving and gracious, he reasons, "...walk [now] in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Eph. 5.2)
Mark puts it this way: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10.45)
Peter is not silent on this topic either: "…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Peter 1.18-19)
The Book of Hebrews reminds us that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the once for all, definitive sacrifice. "He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself." (Heb. 7.27).
PERSPECTIVE AND CONCLUDING NOTE
There is no longer a need for the sacrificial system. In the self-offering of Christ is found the all-satisfying, all-encompassing exclamation point to end the sacrificial system. The blood of animals was never competely and definitively sufficient. Indeed, the blood of sacrificial animals was never intended by God to be a permanent solution; only a harbinger of greater things to come; its function more of a nagging reminder of our own futility and inability to make things right.
I find it quite interesting that not more than forty years after the death and resurrection of Christ, the Jerusalem Temple, the location where sacrifice was offered morning, noon and night continuously, was wiped off the face of the earth by the invading Roman army. The sacrificial system, in my estimation, providentially died in the wake of the work of the ultimate High Priest and spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
I would encourage you, that as you read Leviticus - if you ever get around to exploring that book - try to put things in perspective. Recognize the seriousness of sin. Recognize that sin ultimately results in death (cf. Rom. 5:12; 6.21-23; 8:6-13). Recognize as well that the popular slogan likening God's gift of salvation in Christ as a "free gift" is misleading - It is, in fact, very, very costly!
Thankfully, we no longer have to offer bloody animal sacrifices on a daily basis to atone for our sins, either personally or corporately! But, as I close this morning, let me remind you that although we, in Christ Jesus, no longer have to attend to that altar, we have not been freed from the concept of sacrifice.
In response to God's goodness in Christ, in gratitude for salvation and life, we are exhorted to offer spiritual sacrifices on a daily basis. Once again, the writer to the Hebrews says, "Through him [Christ] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Heb. 13.15-16).
Peter puts it even more eloquently when he says, "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2.4-5)
Spiritual sacrifice happens in this sanctuary each Lord's Day when we sing, pray or respond in praise through the liturgy. Spiritual sacrifice happens when we do good in the Name of Christ. Spiritual sacrifice happens when we befriend the friendless. Spiritual sacrifice happens when we obey God rather than giving in to greed, lust, envy, anger, or pride. Spiritual sacrifice happens when we give to someone in need at some cost to our own station.
God "called out" to Moses from the door of the Tent of Meeting. He is still calling, even today.
Amen.
Prayer:
Gracious Lord,
Your Name is love,
in love receive our prayer.
We know our sins to be numerous and heavy.
But where sin abounds, there is grace more abundant.
We look to the cross of your beloved Son,
and see the preciousness of his atoning blood;
We listen to his never-failing intercession,
As it whispers to our hearts, 'Your sins are forgiven,
be of good cheer, lie down in peace.'
Grace flows freely and lavishly from heaven and flows for ever,
and mercy never ceases in bestowing profit.
Grant us more and more
to prize the privilege of prayer,
to come to you as a sin-soiled sinners,
to find pardon in you,
to speak freely with you;
to know you in prayer as
the path in which our feet tread,
the latch upon the door of our lips,
the light that shines through our eyes,
the music of our ears,
the center of our understanding,
the strength of our wills,
the power of our affections,
the sweetness of our remembrance.
May the matter of our prayer be always wise, humble, submissive, obedient and Christ-like.
Give us unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain,
that if we seem not to obtain our petitions
we shall have larger, richer answers,
surpassing all that we ask or think.
Unsought, you have given all of us the greatest gift,
the person of your dear Son,
And in him we have all we need…
Amen.
(Prayer adapted from Arthur Bennett's "The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions," The Prayer of Love, p.149; Banner of Truth Trust, 2002.)
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