“I counsel you to study sanctification and to be dead to this world.”
Samuel Rutherford
The question, “how do we make God’s praise glorious?” has been the subject of our past few sermons. That sermon series is now concluded and we cap it all off with a look at the burnt offering. In Psalm 66, the psalmist closes with a mention of the burnt offering:
- 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
- I will perform my vows to you,
- 14 that which my lips uttered
- and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
- 15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
- with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
- I will make an offering of bulls and goats.
The burnt offering is mentioned first in the book of Leviticus (see chapter one) in part because it is the simplest regarding its procedure. There is no need for additional instructions because all the meat and all the fat is burnt up. The priest will keep nothing. The one making the offering returns home with nothing. While this is the order regarding instruction, this is not the order regarding the actual carrying out of the sacrifice. The author of the article in Baker Encyclopedia notes a difference particularly regarding the Nazirite vow:
However the priest conducted the actual ritual according to a different order; the sin offering was made first, followed by the burnt offering, and finally the peace offering (Nm 6:16, 17). In the case of an incomplete vow the first step was to offer a sin and then a burnt offering to renew the vow (6:11). [Baker Encyclopedia]
How do we make his praise glorious? We do so by acknowledging that there has been a sin offering already made for us, Jesus Christ. (see Romans 3:22b-25) And then we present ourselves a living sacrifice to the Lord. (see Romans 12:1) Have you done that in that order? Have you trusted Christ personally, repenting of sin and placing your faith in Christ as a sin offering? If so, then be a wholly consumed burnt offering for him today. Have a blessed week and we will see many of you on Sunday.
For His glory,
Pastor Dale
