Originally posted: 05/19/2019
“… it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it,” (22:21).
Yesterday, we considered the provision of atonement made through Our Perfect Priest, the One without defect. Now, the LORD turns His attention again to the binding requirement for the offering; it too must be without defect.
Consider Him, Our Accepted Offering
In order for His people to be accepted, their offering must be accepted; it had to be perfect. This is not the first time His servant, Moses, had addressed the people concerning this critical, life-giving and sustaining reality.
The call for the perfect sacrificial offering was first given in Exodus 12 in the instructions regarding the Passover Lamb. The LORD repeats these rigid regulations required for the Accepted Offering on more than one occasion.
As any mother and father understands, repetition is a needed and valuable instrument used in targeting truth so that it ultimately finds its way into the hearts of their children.
The Lord’s repeated instructions and demands required for an Offering to be Accepted (it must be perfect), target His truth; and as this truth makes its way into our hearts, we will see Jesus, the Perfect One, the One and Only Way that our offerings can ever be accepted.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or of the aliens in Israel who presents his offering, whether it is any of their votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they present to the Lord for a burnt offering— 19 for you to be accepted—it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. 20 Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you. 21 When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it,” (22:17-21 emphasis added).
“When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day, you shall leave none of it until morning; I am the Lord. 31 So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord,” (22:29-31 emphasis added).
- He is our Accepted Offering, by which we may offer our burnt offerings (22:19-21): described in Leviticus, chapters 1, 8 and 16; a voluntary act of worship reckoning our devotion, commitment, and surrender to the Lord as Accepted.
- “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He,” (John 4:23-26).
- 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).
- He is our Accepted Offering, by which we may offer our thanksgiving or peace offerings (22:29-31): described in Leviticus, chapters 3 and 7; a voluntary act of worship, that included a communal meal, reckoning our thanksgiving and fellowship as Accepted.
- Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25).
- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (Ephesians 2:12-14).
How are we to respond to Him, Our Accepted Offering?
We begin by accepting, by faith, what the Lord has said in His Word. Anything we attempt to offer Him in our own ability, wits, or strength is simply unaccepted.
- Before any voluntary acts of worship will be accepted, before we can devote, commit, and surrender our lives to Him and experience His peace and fellowship, we must first place our faith in Him, Our Accepted Offering, as our perfect and undefiled sin offering.
- The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! … 35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29, 35-36).
- He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- As we trust Him alone for our salvation, He reckons, or credits our faith as righteousness.
- Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6).
- For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” … 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead… (Romans 4:3, 20-24).
- Only in Jesus is our worship, commitment, devotion, and surrender accepted. Only in Jesus is peace and fellowship possible. Only as we place our faith in Jesus will we be declared righteous, experience His peace, and grow in our fellowship through the true knowledge of Him, Our Accepted Offering.
- Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1 HCSB).
- …and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, (Philippians 3:9-11)
Father, we thank You that You have provided the way to know You, to fellowship with You, and to have Your peace through faith in Jesus, Our Accepted Offering. Please grow us in our faith as we trust Your Son in us; that each and every day we would offer You our lives in worship, commitment, devotion, and surrender. We offer this prayer in and because of the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Our Accepted Offering. Amen.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me, (Galatians 2:20).