TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 9:15-28
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people. - Hebrews 9:28
TODAY IN THE WORD
In our secular culture we can easily forget about the connection between the events we celebrate at Christmas and Easter. Hebrews reminds us that all of Jesus’ life on earth–His birth, growth, death, and resurrection–belongs together. Jesus’ life is unified by one goal: the eradication of sin (v. 26). We must not forget that the accomplishment of this goal was not an end in itself; rather, the superior sacrifice of Jesus was made so that God’s people can “receive the promised eternal inheritance,” namely salvation (vv. 15, 28).

Why, we may ask, did Jesus have to die to accomplish our salvation? Our text today addresses this very question. God’s covenants are much like a will–they cannot go into effect apart from death (vv. 16-18). So, the promises of God regarding the forgiveness of sins are ratified by sacrifice. The old covenant teaches us that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood (v. 22).

The problem, as we have seen, is that the old covenant sacrifices only made things clean on the outside. The blood of bulls and goats didn’t open the way into the real, heavenly sanctuary–God’s very presence (vv. 8-9, 13). This is why a superior sacrifice was required. This is why Jesus had to die, and also why He has become the mediator of a new and better covenant (v. 15). The cleansing accomplished by Jesus opens the way into the very presence of God (v. 24) and sets us free from sin and judgment so that, when He comes again, we will receive the promised eternal salvation in full (vv. 15, 26-28).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
With good reason some hymnals list Charles Wesley’s great hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as both a Christmas and an Easter hymn. As you finish your devotions today, meditate on the words of this classic song.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 10:1-18
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. - Hebrews 10:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent television commercial for a cleanser boasted that this product could remove stains with one application. Why, the commercial hinted, would anyone choose another product that required repeated washing and scrubbing when one time was enough with this detergent?

Hebrews asks us a similar question regarding Jesus’ sacrifice. His sacrifice is superior because it had to be offered only one time and was powerful enough to cleanse us all.

The old covenant required the repetition of sacrifices, one clue that these sacrifices were not ultimately sufficient for God’s people (v. 1). If they had done the job that really needed to be done–if they had really dealt with issue of sin–then they wouldn’t need to be repeated year after year (v. 2).

In fact, the sacrifices in some ways only made the problem more acute, since rather than cleansing the conscience of the worshipers they only reminded them of their sins. The sacrifices simply couldn’t take away sin (vv. 3-4).

The sacrifice of Christ, on the other hand, did deal the deathblow to the problem of sin. Today, those who hope in Christ are already declared perfect, even while our lives are still being made holy (v. 14). Theologians describe this as the distinction between justification and sanctification. If we have truly become sharers in Christ, through His sacrifice we are perfect or justified in God’s eyes. However, we still wrestle with the power of sin in our lives. The more we walk with Christ and His people, the more we become sanctified or holy, even as He is holy.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you know people who struggle with having assurance of their salvation? These verses can be tremendously encouraging to those who wonder where they stand before God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 10:19-39
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. - Hebrews 10:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
If a traveling salesman came to your door and tried to sell you a very prettily wrapped box, you’d probably want to know what was inside the box before you bought it. You would want to know the benefit of the product in the box. You would know that pretty packaging isn’t worth much without quality contents.

Our text in Hebrews today gives us the contents–the benefits–of exactly why Jesus’ superiority is important for us.

The author has used a good bit of his letter to explain how Jesus is a high priest superior to those of the old covenant in every respect. His arguments began all the way back in Hebrews 4:14. He has shown us that Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses and that He is part of a superior priestly order. We have read that He is priest of a better covenant. We now know He serves in a better tabernacle and that He offers a superior sacrifice. But why is all of this so important?

Every part of this argument ought to encourage us: stick with Jesus. Since we have such a great high priest who has accomplished so much on our behalf, we should never turn away from Him. Why would we risk judgment from the living God (10:31) when we can, through Christ, serve Him instead (9:14)? Why would we turn from the promised inheritance we have in Jesus when we know that God will make good on His promises (Heb. 10:36)? Instead of deserting Jesus and forsaking the gatherings of His people, we ought to be encouraging one another in the faith (vv. 24-25).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God has blessed us with a rich resource for our encouragement when trials come: our participation in a local church.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:1-7
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Garage sales are a great source for bargains, especially for children’s toys, books, and games. But more than one person has purchased something like a board game for a few cents, only to get home and discover that the game is missing most of the pieces or even the instructions!

Thankfully Hebrews has not left us in this position. We are called to have faith, and in Hebrews 11 we have several examples of exactly what that faith ought to look like.

In this passage we first learn a definition of faith as being certain of what we hope in, even when we cannot see it. The rest of chapter 11 gives us concrete examples to flesh out this definition and enable us to see what “faith” means. As we look at some of these examples in detail, we should note first the source from which the majority of these examples are taken–the Old Testament. From this we see that faith has its source in Scripture. Scripture is, after all, the only way that we know that the universe was formed by God’s command (v. 3). Scripture is also the source from which we learn about Abel, Enoch, and Noah.

Additionally, though, we must note that we learn what it means to live out our own faith by looking at the examples we have in the stories of these faithful men and women in Scripture. These Old Testament stories have immense value for us, since they make it possible for us to imitate the faithful lives of these saints (cf. Heb. 6:12). As we read their stories, we will ask how their lives illustrate faith: confidence in what they hoped for and certainty of what they did not see. Imitating them is one way we can grow in our own faith.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In addition to reading the stories of the Old Testament heroes of the faith, we can also learn much from reading biographies of Christians who have served Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:8-22
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. - Hebrews 11:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Trust is something earned over time. We trust our friends and even rely on them because over time they have been there for us. When our friends make promises, we know from our experience with them that they’ll follow through on their word.

Our faith in God works in much the same way. As His children we have seen Him working in our lives in the past. Our experience of His past faithfulness should lead us to trust Him, just as Abraham did, to make good on His promises in the future.

Abraham provides us with a rich example of a faithful life. Like us he was promised an inheritance that he had not yet seen. As an example for us, he believed that God’s promise was trustworthy, and he acted accordingly. He left his homeland and went out to settle in the place God would show him (v. . Faith, then, involves obeying God–even though we don’t see the end result.

We can see another quality of faith in Abraham’s life. He never stopped looking forward to God’s promises. Within his own lifetime he did see some of those promises fulfilled. He did go into the inheritance God promised him, the Promised Land, and he never turned back to his home country. However, he did not find a permanent residency there. He did indeed father the promised heir. But he did not see his offspring multiply until they were as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Abraham never saw the promises of God completely fulfilled. God faithfully gave him token fulfillments, but Abraham died still looking ahead to the fullness of God’s promises (vv. 13-15). But for believers, death is not the end of the story. God will not disappoint Abraham, or anyone who trusts Him. He has prepared an eternal inheritance for him and for all those who live by faith (v. 16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The theme of inheritance runs throughout the book of Hebrews. We’ve looked at several instances of what our inheritance means already, but it would be helpful to take some time to look at these passages systematically.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:23-28
He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. - Hebrews 11:25
TODAY IN THE WORD
Has anyone ever told you, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”? That’s one of the pleasantries we sometimes tell people who are experiencing trials. At times we may even try to convince ourselves of such ideas when we face difficulties in life. As Christians, a better response would be “When the going gets tough, faith keeps us going.” This is one of the lessons we learn about faith from the example of Moses.

Yesterday we saw that Abraham’s faith was characterized by looking toward the future promises God had given him. This same outlook marks the life of Moses. Moses had it made. As an adopted member of Pharaoh’s household he lacked for nothing. All the best the kingdom of Egypt had to offer was there for him to enjoy. Yet he made a choice to be associated with the people of God, the Hebrew slaves, rather than stay in the lap of Pharaoh’s luxury (Ex. 2:11-15).

Hebrews explains that Moses had faith that what God had in store for His people far surpassed anything Pharaoh could offer. This faith led him to choose disgrace on account of Christ and the people of God over staying in Egypt. “He was looking ahead to his reward” (Heb. 11:26).

Faith leads us on through difficult times because it orients our lives toward the future, toward the eternal fulfillment of God’s promises. As those who are wandering through this life with the rest of God’s people, looking ahead toward that eternal inheritance, we stake everything on the character of our God. Just as Moses chose to be associated with God’s people even when he could not see his reward, so too we have chosen to be followers of Christ and members of His church even though that means denying ourselves the momentary pleasures of this world.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We can certainly encounter various trials in our lives as American Christians, from battling disease to teasing in our workplace, even to open hostility. But many Christians around the world live in daily fear of death and persecution because of their faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:29-12:3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . - Hebrews 12:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
The character Pigpen in Charles Schultz’ comic strip Peanuts is usually depicted with a cloud of dust swirling around him. After seeing Pigpen, a little girl told her mother that Pigpen must be a Christian. “Why do you think that?” asked her mother. “Because he’s covered with a great cloud!” the little girl replied.

Obviously the “great cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1 doesn’t refer to the swirling dirt around Pigpen. It’s far better than that–these witnesses are the faithful saints we just read about in chapter 11. In Scripture we have a host of people who show to us the example of what a faithful life should look like. As great as these saints were, a far greater example of faith should also draw our attention–Jesus Himself.

Hebrews carefully emphasizes both the full deity and full humanity of Jesus. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being and the One by whom all things were created (Heb. 1:2-3). Yet, He became a human being and was made like us “in every way” (2:17). He was even tempted just as we are, though He never sinned (4:15). It is fitting, then, that Jesus should also be the chief example, the author and perfecter, of our faith.

Jesus had perfect faith in His Father. As with the other men and women we saw in chapter 11, Jesus also chose to accept shame and suffering for greater joy. He knew that through His work God would redeem creation. Jesus looked beyond the cross to the vindication ahead. After He endured the suffering of Calvary, He rose again, ascending to the right hand of the Father (12:2).

We sometimes imagine that because Jesus was God, His experience of suffering and temptation must have been different from our own. Hebrews doesn’t allow us to think this way. When we face trials and temptations, rather than thinking that these things separate us from Christ, we ought to think about how they can draw us closer to Him. Our Savior does understand our struggles!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Devil tempts us to think that we can’t be honest with God. He uses this lie to try to keep us from accepting the saving grace of Christ. Even after we are believers Satan will try to deceive us into thinking that we can’t approach God with our true feelings.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 12:4-13
No discipline seems pleasant at the time . . . however it produces a harvest of righteousness. - Hebrews 12:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
The United States hosted an international gymnastics competition this past spring. One young American gymnast delivered a performance that looked effortless, with flawless execution. Later, while congratulating her on her victory, an interviewer commented on how relaxed and composed she looked during her exercise. She replied that she knew she could win and wasn’t worried about it because of all the time she had spent training. Her discipline and hard work prepared her to compete with confidence and composure.

As Christians, we too are in the midst of a great competition. We are running the race marked out for us (v. 1). Hebrews tells us that the trials we face provide the training that God ordains to make us holy people.

As we consider this passage today we ought to keep a few points in mind. First, the words discipline and punishment in this passage don’t refer to bad things that happen to us because we have sinned. Instead, these words carry the sense of an athlete who “disciplines” or “punishes” her body as part of her training regimen. Jesus is our model here (vv. 2-3). He suffered not because He was a sinner, but because He was a Son. Suffering marks God’s work in our lives as Christians, for He “disciplines” or “trains” His own children (vv. 7-10).

Second, we must see that this training has a goal. God disciplines us “for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (v. 10). Hebrews provides us with a Christian response to suffering. Suffering shouldn’t drive us away from God. We should persevere and cling to Jesus, for we know that a reward is promised to us. Because of Jesus, we have a share in that eternal inheritance. We have been made perfect; through suffering we are being made holy (cf. v. 10, 10:14).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Hebrews warns us against both slow drift away from Jesus and sudden departure from Him. Sometimes when we bear the strain of suffering–whether physical, emotional, or relational–we may want to just toss in the towel on our faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 12:14-29
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. - Hebrews 12:22
TODAY IN THE WORD
During two world wars Britain and America fought together as allies. In the early 1800s, few would have predicted this close relationship–at that time Great Britain and the United States were in between wars with each other. Despite their past conflicts, the two nations now struggled together toward a common goal. This situation is similar to that of Christians within the church. We are all bound together in a common cause, and each of us needs others around us. The local church is one of the primary contexts where we learn and grow in perseverance.

The writer of Hebrews has spent a good bit of time explaining deep theological truths to us, and then using those truths to encourage us to persevere in our faith. However, he also knows that our experience of conflict in the church sometimes tempts us to turn our backs on Christ and His church. In response to this temptation, our writer says two things.

First, the pursuit of holiness is incompatible with bitterness. We can’t claim to hold tightly to Christ and fail to make every effort to live at peace with others (vv. 14-15). This isn’t to say that there will never be conflicts in the church (cf. 1 Cor. 11:19). The key lies in discerning which disputes threaten our eternal inheritance for immediate pleasure, and which simply reflect our different God-given personalities.

Take Esau for example (vv. 16-17). He sold his birth-right for the fleeting pleasure of a meal. He focused on the present instead of looking forward to the better inheritance.

Second, Hebrews gives us a renewed vision of what really happens when we meet together with the church to worship. Because of the work of our high priest Jesus, we come into the very presence of God Himself when we gather for worship. Our gathering with God’s people is a foretaste of the eternal, unshakeable kingdom we will one day inherit (vv. 18–21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Last month in Today in the Word we studied the portion from the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus exhorts us to keep short accounts with each other (cf. Matt. 7).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 13:1-6
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” - Hebrews 13:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
A young boy who was afraid of heights went on a very tall Ferris Wheel with his father. After the ride his mother asked him if he was scared. “Yes,” replied the boy, “But daddy was with me, so I knew everything would be okay.” That little boy learned a lesson that we frequently need to remember. As children of God, our Father is always with us. When we look at life through the eyes of faith, we truly have no reason to be afraid.

As the author of Hebrews nears the end of his epistle, he reminds us of a few more contexts where our faith ought to be working. He begins by reinforcing the point he made in the passage we read yesterday–we must love each other (v. 1)!

Indeed, we must be a community of people marked by care for strangers and those who are imprisoned (vv. 2-3). But how does showing hospitality to strangers and visiting those in prison relate to our love for the church? Specifically in this context the writer refers to hospitality toward other Christians and visitation of those imprisoned because of their faith (cf. Heb. 10:32-34).

This doesn’t rule out broader applications of these verses, though it does focus our attention on the primary context in which we ought to be serving–the church. Christians ought to be caring for other Christians, including believers who are suffering or confined.

Marriage, too, must be honored and kept pure (v. 4). Few other relationships provide such opportunity to put faith and love into practice.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Through the ministry of groups like Prison Fellowship and Kairos, many people in prison have found salvation in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 13:7-19
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
A mother was teaching her daughter how to bake a ham, and she began by cutting the ends off. Her daughter asked her why she did this. She responded that her mother taught her to bake hams that way. Curious, the daughter asked her grandmother why she cut off the ends of the ham. She, too, could only respond that her mother had done that. The daughter decided to ask her great-grandmother. “Well,” her great-grandma said shakily, “The hams were always too large for our little roasting pan.”

Much of what we do in our lives stems from imitation of others. We see this principle in our reading today from Hebrews, and we find that imitation has special importance for the church.

We have seen the idea of imitation before in Hebrews. In Hebrews 6:12 we were exhorted to imitate those who inherit God’s promises through faith and perseverance. Our writer even gave us the example of Abraham (cf. Heb. 6:13-15). We saw that all the people mentioned in chapter 11, and even Jesus Himself, provide us with the pattern of faithful perseverance for us to imitate. Now we are told that we ought to imitate our leaders (Heb. 13:7).

The foundation for this emphasis on imitation rests on our standard, Jesus Christ, who never changes. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (v. . If our leaders are imitating Him, then we are blessed to have living examples of Christlikeness in our lives. Paul endorses this same basic principle when he says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Hebrews doesn’t mince words when it comes to the responsibility held by Christian leaders.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 13:20-25
May the God of peace … work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20–21
TODAY IN THE WORD
This letter of Hebrews that we’ve studied for a month was probably read to its original audience in one sitting! The fact that we’re still reading this short letter of exhortation (v. 22) today as part of the New Testament proves that even the earliest believers pored over its content because they heard the Holy Spirit speaking to them. Throughout we have seen how Jesus Christ is far superior to any other person or being through whom God has spoken to His people. There is one more contrast to be made–Jesus is a superior shepherd!

Yesterday we saw just how important Christian leaders can be for the life and health of Christ’s churches. We saw that they were to take Jesus Himself as their example. As the great shepherd, Jesus gives His churches one more model that they ought to follow.

The language in this passage reminds us of Psalm 23. In fact, many of the themes in that psalm resonate with themes we have seen toward the end of this letter. For example, in Psalm 23 the Lord provides for His people, leading them in such a way that they will not be in want (Ps. 23:1–2, cf. Heb. 13:5-7).

Psalm 23 also reminds us that our Shepherd carries a rod and staff, items used to guide the sheep and correct those who wandered off. Yet in this psalm these instruments of discipline are also tools of comfort (Ps. 23:4, cf. Heb. 12:3-11).

Finally, Psalm 23 implies that as a result of the guidance of the shepherd, the sheep are brought safely to dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Ps. 23:6). Over and over again in the book of Hebrews we have seen this same goal placed before us. Because of the great work of Jesus Christ, God has promised us an eternal inheritance.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Memorizing Scripture is a wonderful way to keep the promises of God ever before us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Leviticus 1:1-17
It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. - Leviticus 1:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
The book of Leviticus is essentially a handbook of regulations for Israel’s religious life under the Law. The title means “pertaining to the Levites,” which points out that the priests and Levites were responsible for seeing to it that these regulations were followed.

Historically, Leviticus picks up where Exodus left off. The Israelites had just built the tabernacle and begun receiving the Law. As God revealed to Moses the further rules found in Leviticus, the people remained encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai for about a year.

We’ll study several key themes in Leviticus this month, including worship, purity, obedience, and our identity as God’s people. The first section (ch. 1-10), the sacrifices and priestly duties, focuses on worship and holiness. Part two (ch. 11-16) deals with issues of purity in daily life. The third section (ch. 17-22) explores what it means to be God’s chosen people. And the final section (ch. 23-27) lays out special days and festivals in the Jewish calendar.

The primary purpose of the sacrificial system was worship. As Charles Ryrie has noted, the root of the word offering means to “draw near” to God. This is reflected in David’s words: “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Ps. 141:2).

Burnt offerings were made voluntarily, and seem to have been the most common type of sacrifice (cf. Ex. 29:38-43). They purified a worshiper from general sin and thus prepared him to draw near to God. This offering was completely burned up to show that it was completely dedicated to the Lord.

To “make atonement” (v. 4) meant that the animal died a substitutionary death in place of a worshiper. By laying hands on it, worshipers showed an understanding of sin and a repentant heart. We know that the blood of these animals did not actually remove sin–only the blood of Christ can do that–but the sacrifices did purify people outwardly and make it possible for them to be in the presence of God (Heb. 9:11-14).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As you begin this study of the book of Leviticus, pray over God’s purposes for you personally this month. What would He have you learn? What attitudes would He have you change? What actions would He have you take?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Leviticus 2:1-16
Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. - Leviticus 2:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Salt seems a simple substance, but you may be surprised by some of the facts found in Salt: A World History, by Mark Kurlansky.

For instance, salt is present throughout the human body and is needed for virtually every physical function. As another example, it takes weeks of immersion in a salt bath to create Parmesan cheese. And did you know that Gandhi’s nonviolent drive for Indian independence began as a protest against a salt tax? Or that the creation of liquid bleach became possible only after scientists figured out the chemistry of sodium?

The salt industry boasts 14,000 different uses for salt! In America, most salt, a prized commodity in world trade in ages past, now goes to de-ice roads in winter.

So what exactly did God mean when He spoke of “the salt of the covenant” in today’s verse? In the culture of that day, salt probably symbolized permanence, purity, and value. By putting salt in their grain offerings, the Israelites acknowledged the eternal, perfect, and precious nature of God’s covenant with them.

The grain offering, the second of the five main types of sacrifice, was a voluntary recognition of God’s goodness. Also called the meal offering or the cereal offering, it was the only one that did not include blood, and so it was normally offered alongside other types of sacrifices. As with every sacrifice except the burnt offering, the priests ate designated portions of this offering (cf. 1 Cor. 9:13–14).

Salt was required in the grain offering, but yeast and honey were excluded. Yeast may have stood for sin and rebellion, but more likely God ordered yeast omitted in order to remind the Israelites of the Passover and how He had saved them from slavery in Egypt. The reason for prohibiting honey is unknown. Neither exclusion was across-the-board, since both yeast and honey could be included in firstfruits offerings.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Since salt is highlighted in today’s devotional, try going without it as a personal object lesson about its importance. Don’t add salt to anything you eat today, and try to avoid packaged food that lists salt as an ingredient. You may find this rather difficult!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Leviticus 3:1-17
When anyone brings a fellowship offering to the Lord . . . it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. - Leviticus 22:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
One winter’s day, a woodsman saw a snake lying nearly dead in the snow. He picked it up, put it inside his shirt to keep it warm, and hurried home. He lay the snake in front of the fire, where it gradually warmed up and revived. One of the woodsman’s children reached down to pet it, but the snake reared back to strike. The woodsman seized his axe and chopped off the snake’s head.

“Ah,” said he. “There’s no gratitude from the wicked.”

Unlike the ungrateful snake, thankfulness is an essential part of worship for the righteous. That’s the basic meaning of the fellowship offering, the next type of sacrifice covered in Leviticus. The Israelites offered it voluntarily to show gratitude, to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill expression of love for God.

After the animals for the fellowship offering had been sacrificed, the worshipers and priests shared a meal together. In effect, this was a meal with the Lord Himself, and it showed the intimacy and close fellowship He intended between Himself and His covenant people.

That’s why the fellowship offering was also called the peace offering–the word for peace suggests the wholeness found in unhindered fellowship with God. These Old Testament concepts create a rich background for the New Testament’s statement: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

As with the other types of offerings, we see a truly worshipful heart reflected at several points in the sacrificial ritual. The worshiper brought a perfect animal to honor the Lord. He laid hands on it, acknowledging his sin (Lev. 3:13). Blood was sprinkled to signify atonement or purification. And neither blood nor fat could be eaten by the participants. The breed of sheep offered had a large, fat tail, and this part was specially offered to God on the altar–it would have been disrespectful to “chow down” on it (v. 9).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When is the last time you made a “freewill offering” to the Lord? This is something beyond your usual giving, and your normal service in the church. It flows freely and joyfully from your worship, gratitude, and faith in Him.