Originally posted: 03/19/2019
“Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish,” (29:1).
Exodus 29 is a bloody chapter. The New American Standard Bible uses the word, “slaughter” to convey God’s commands regarding the sacrifices of His Ordered Offerings. And the blood must be spilled out and touch everything and everyone in the place where God would come and manifest His Presence.
Consider His Ordered Offerings
Today, I was reminded of the slaughter of our sinless Savior, of His shed blood spilled out and offered to pay the penalty of our sin, to touch each believer with His cleansing blood and thereby make the way for fellowship with holy God.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, (Ephesians 1:7).
…and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, (Hebrews 9:22).
And the thought of His bloody death is almost too much to bear until flooded with the truth of His Resurrection. And I rejoiced, as with Paul, when he remembered the words of Hosea,
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
But before the victory there would be the slaughter and His Ordered Offerings. Twenty-nine times the word “offer” or “offering” is used in Exodus 29.
- The sin offering: (29:14, 36)
- The burnt offering: (29:18, 25)
- The wave offering: (29:24, 26, 27)
- The heave offering: (29:27, 28)
- The peace offering: (29:28)
- The drink offering: (29:40, 41)
- The grain offering: (29:41)
- The continual burnt offering: (29:42)
His Ordered Offerings. Once fulfilled, He would meet to speak with His people at the place consecrated by His glory.
“It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me. 45 I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. 46 They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God,” (29:42-46).
How must we respond to His Ordered Offerings?
It’s difficult for us to relate to the stringent requirements placed on His people, the tent of meeting and the altar, in order to be granted the privilege of His Presence. But oh, that we would be awakened to His absolute and complete holiness and the devastating reality of our sin. His Ordered Offerings must be fulfilled. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled every Ordered Offering; Jesus, and Jesus alone.
The Bible is clear. Jesus is our perfect High Priest, Who has faithfully fulfilled each and every Ordered Offering.
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; (Hebrews 3:1).
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, (Hebrews 4:14).
Today as we reflect on our Perfect Offering, Jesus Christ, let us worship Him as we bring to mind His costly sacrifice, resurrection and victory over death. God declared all of His Ordered Offerings as the required preparation for the place and the people; and then in that consecrated place is “where I will meet with you, to speak to you there,” (29:42).
Can you imagine God wants to meet with us so that He can speak to us? Those words exploded throughout my mind and heart! And I was instantly reminded, that He still meets with us to speak to us. Oh Father, may we have ears to hear!
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”(John 10:27)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
We can have confidence to come into His Presence when we place our faith in His Ordered Offerings through our perfect and compassionate High Priest; and through Jesus Christ we are granted the immeasurable privilege to speak with Him and hear His Words of grace and mercy.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need, (Hebrews 4:15-16).
Let us also remember our call to the holy priesthood. When we place our faith in Christ for salvation we too are called into the holy priesthood of the believer.
…You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 2:5).
His Ordered Offerings have been fulfilled in Christ alone, but there is still an urgent call to bring Him our offerings… our very lives. May we humbly, and vigorously, answer the call.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, (Romans 12:1).