The Means of Worship (Unit 5 Session 5)

Introduction:

Why is Leviticus important for us today?

Leviticus 1:1–2 “1 And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.”

Setting: When the Israelites left Egypt, God spoke to Moses and gave him instructions for His people. God set up the tabernacle so He could dwell with His people as He reminded them of His holiness, forgiveness, and presence. He also gave them specific instructions for the sacrificial system with its various offerings so they could worship Him, remaining close with Him in their covenantal relationship. Through the sacrificial system laid out in the law, God’s people showed Him their commitment, gratitude, and confession of sin through worship.

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There Is A Fountain

Verse 1: There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains And sinners plunged beneath that flood Lose all their guilty stains

Verse 2: The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day And there may I though vile as he wash all my sins away Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away And there may I though vile as he wash all my sins away

Verse 3: Dear dying Lamb Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow'r Till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more Be saved to sin no more, be saved to sin no more Till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more

Verse 4: E'er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die

Verse 5: When this poor lisping stamm'ring tongue lies silent in the grave Then in a nobler sweeter song I'll sing Thy pow'r to save I'll sing Thy pow'r to save, I'll sing Thy pow'r to save Then in a nobler sweeter song I'll sing Thy pow'r to save

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As a reminder, the intent of this Sunday school class/curriculum is to connect the different age groups of our church family in order to stimulate Christ-centered conversations centered on God’s Word. So at this very moment, the kids classes beginning at 4yrs old up to seniors in high school are going through the same, age appropriate lesson, in their class. And for the last five weeks, the kids classes have been reviewing what our curriculum calls a big picture question. Here it is:

Question — What is worship?

What do you think worship means? (to sing praises; to show someone they’re worthy of praise; to make someone the priority in your life; to give everything to someone; to give devotion)

The kids big picture question answers it this way:

Answer — Worship is celebrating the greatness of God.

Key Passage — Psalm 95:6–7 “6 O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. 7 For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,”

A couple of months ago, Pastor Sanders led us through 7 Key Commitments that we as members of Bible Baptist Church should hold. One of those was God-honoring Worship.

We believe that God-Honoring Worship is important because it focuses our church family on glorifying God, strengthening our faith, and teaching each other Biblical truths.

The Essential Doctrine #90 frame helps us understand even deeper the idea of worship: While many reduce worship to an event or the singing of worship songs, worship is first and foremost something of the heart and extends to all areas of life. The aim and focus of (biblical) worship is God, giving Him the exact due of praise and adoration that He deserves. Worship should be carried out not only at a personal level within a Christian’s life but also in joining with other Christians in the corporate act of worship and stewarding our gifts to the glory of God. Corporate worship serves to edify and strengthen other Christians, but it also serves as a witness to non-believers of the greatness of God.

Leviticus illuminates to us how the one true God of the Israelites was to receive their worship. His instructions to them inform our worship today as well.

Point #1: The Sacrifices Showed Dedication to God (Leviticus 6:8-13)

The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a way the people of Isreal could demonstrate their worship of the God who brought them out of Egypt and called them His own. In and of itself, the sacrificial system required dedication to God. In Leviticus God gives Moses specific instructions concerning the sacrificial system. Leviticus begins with the detailed instructions of five types of offerings, each serving a particular purpose.

Fellowship Offerings (ch. 7) — These were voluntary sacrifices to illustrate fellowship with God.

Sin Offerings (ch. 5) — These were mandatory sacrifices for unintentional sins and for purification.

Guilt Offerings (ch. 4) — These were mandatory sacrifices to God along with restitution to others for wrongs committed.

Grain Offerings (ch. 2) — These were voluntary sacrifices to express thanksgiving to God for His provision.

Burnt Offerings (ch. 1) — These were voluntary sacrifices to atone for sin and illustrate complete devotion to God.

Leviticus 6:8–13 KJV 1900

8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. 12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. 13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

Consider these verses and observe how the instructions for the burnt offerings remind the Israelites that worship involves reverence for and dedication to God.

Here, we see the reverence put upon the instructions for this burnt offering because God is holy and everything that is given to Him must be perfect. This sacrifice (burnt offering) was to atone for a person’s sins, symbolized as the giver laid his hand on the head of the animal (1:4). The animal would die in the place of the giver for the sins he and his family had committed. By God’s command, this was a necessary means for sinful human beings to be reconciled with a holy God.

Why would God require an unblemished animal sacrifice to atone for sin? (an unblemished animal was the most valuable animal in the flock; being unblemished reflected the good health of the animal and was symbolic of its purity; an unblemished sacrifice pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice for sin that Jesus made of Himself)

God’s instructions in Leviticus clearly highlight the necessity of an animal sacrifice to be unblemished. From chapter 1 to chapter 6 we find the word unblemished 11 times.

Here’s how our curriculum describes “unblemished”:

In the biblical sense, to be unblemished is to be free from physical or moral defect. Physically, animal sacrifices were to have no broken bones or even spots. Symbolically, an unblemished sacrifice, such as a lamb, bull, or goat (Lev. 1:3,10) represented the sinless taking the place of sinners. So naturally, unblemished sacrifices foreshadowed Christ as the perfect and sinless sacrifice for our sins. (1 Peter 1:19)

1 Peter 1:19 “19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

God’s instructions not only reveal that worship involves reverence, but it also shows us that Worship reflects our dedication to God.

Consider the instruction in Leviticus 6:9 “9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.”

Leviticus 6:12–13 “12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. 13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”

Having the fire burn continually meant the priests needed to be attentive and diligent in their assigned tasks. Keeping a fire burning takes time and energy. Our worship of God should share this same devotion. Sometimes convenient worship may not be worship at all. Worshipping in spirit and truth (John 4:24) is more than just easy singing in a church service. Worship reflects our dedication to God.

What are some ways in which we can show our dedication to God through worship?

But as we continue to think about these instructions from God concerning the sacrifices of the Israelites, we find… The specificity of of God’s instructions for the priests emphasized God’s expectation of holiness and obedience as part of people’s worship.

God gave detailed instructions to the priests about their clothing, when to wear the appropriate clothing, and even how and where to dispose of the ashes that remained of the offering after it had been burned up completely.

God expected (and still expects) that His people’s worship directed toward Him would conform to His will — He expected His people’s obedience. As God’s priestly ambassadors ourselves, everything we do needs to conform to His will. (Romans 12:1–2 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” ) We cannot skip over what we don’t like or find too difficult. Every command of God is important to His holiness, for He desires holiness from us in our obedience and worship.

God’s instructions for offerings and sacrifices remind us that He is a holy God and is worthy of our worship. He deserves our dedication to His commands. He also deserves our thankfulness.

Point #2: The Sacrifices Showed Thankfulness to God (Leviticus 6:14-23)

Leviticus 6:14–23 KJV 1900

14 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar. 15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord. 16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. 19 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. 21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the Lord. 22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the Lord; it shall be wholly burnt. 23 For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.

The purpose of the burnt offerings was to atone for sin. The purpose of the grain (meat/meal) offerings was to express thanksgiving to God for His provision.

The grain offering had a focus on pleasing God and expressing thankfulness to Him.

Leviticus 2:2 “2 And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord:”

Leviticus 6:15 “15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord.”

The grain offering from the Israelites was a form of worship with the intended goal to please God.

The Hebrew here for “sweet savour” communicates: an aroma from a sacrifice that gives/gave satisfaction or pleasure to God.

Let’s think about this for a moment. I’m going to clue you in to how I tend to approach or think through Scripture (scary thing I know!)…

Answer this question: Were the Israelites commanded to offer these grain sacrifices? YES!

So they had no choice but to be obedient to their God. So how then is the obedience from offering these grain sacrifices a sweet smelling savour (or pleasing) to God? That’s how I used to think about Christianity. Almost like it is meant to be some mindless obedience. And I’m convinced that for a lot of us, the trap is set for us to think about Christianity that way.

But I don’t think that’s what our text is advocating for the Israelites’ sacrifices and worship. The grain offering from the Israelites focused on pleasing God by expressing their thankfulness to Him.

The grain was a sacrifice, but without shed blood, it was not one for the purpose of atonement. A grain offering usually came after a burnt offering to express thankfulness for God’s faithfulness in being a God who provides and a God who forgives.

The offering was pleasing to God because of obedience and the Israelites gratitude and thankfulness for the atonement.

This brings me back to Pastor’s message from last week. Those who have been forgiven much, love much. And I’m convinced that for many Christians, they don’t take adequate time to dwell on their forgiven state resulting in cold worship and lack of gratitude and thankfulness.

But this offering was not just thankfulness concerning the atonement, it also was to highlight God’s past provision in their lives. Think with me, a nomadic people traveling through the desert. Do you think they had a multitude of grain?

The grain offerings expressed the people’s thankfulness for God’s provision in their lives.

What are some ways to remember God’s provision in our lives so we can be thankful? (older people talk to younger people; tell stories of God’s faithfulness to our children; have a day of reflection each week; keep a journal of God’s provision)

First God addresses how the Israelite people ought to offer this grain offering. In vs. 19-23, God then gave a unique set of instructions for a regular grain offering to be given by the high priest on behalf of all the priests. As the priests helped with the grain offerings for the other Israelites, the high priest did the same for the other priests. He was their mediator before God just as they mediated between God and the people.

This regular, or continual grain offering (twice daily) was offered by the high priest and would also be a pleasing aroma to the Lord (Leviticus 6:21).

The priests themselves, although appointed by God to do His work, still needed a high priest to sacrifice offerings on their behalf. Even as the spiritual leaders of Israel, they still needed to tend their relationship with God. They still need to be reminded of God’s holiness and to be attentive to their obedience to Him and their worship of Him.

I that you see the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The difference is one word: JESUS.

Our greatest reason for thankfulness to God is an end to regular sacrifices because Jesus laid His life down for us.

Hebrews 7:27 “27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

Hebrews 7:27 reflects back on these sacrifices and reminds us that Jesus, our Great High Priest, is not like Aaron or his sons. He didn’t need to offer sacrifices every day because He offered the perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices — “once for all.”

Ephesians 5:2 “2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

As we read through Leviticus, God reminds us that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient — His offering was Himself, and that is all we need.

Thankfulness to God for all of His provision for us should result in humility and then confession of our sins.

Point #3: The Sacrifices Showed Confession to God (Leviticus 6:24-30)

Leviticus 6:24–30 KJV 1900

24 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord: it is most holy. 26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. 27 Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place. 28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water. 29 All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy. 30 And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.

The “sin offering” purified and atones for the sins of the Israelites, specifically unintentional sins (Leviticus 4:2;5:1-4), bringing them forgiveness.

“Sin” is whatever is forbidden in God’s commands or to deviate from God’s standards. It violates God’s laws and expectations for His people to be holy, or set apart. God cannot just ignore sin because He is holy; therefore, He demands holiness from His people. So when one of His people in the Old Testament sinned, that person had to bring a sin offering to the priests for sacrifice and he had to confess his sins (Leviticus 5:5-6).

The “unblemished” animal offered for the sacrifice (Leviticus 4:3,23,28,32) was to be slaughtered in a holy place — at the entrance to the tabernacle (Leviticus 6:25; 1:3-5). It was to be burned on the holy altar and the appropriate parts eaten by holy people — the priests — in a holy place — the courtyard of the tabernacle (Leviticus 6:26). As with the especially holy grain offering, whatever touched the flesh of the sin offering would be made holy, notably the priests who ate the meat.

“Sin offering” comes up not only in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament. Paul referred to this sacrifice to help us understand the gospel. In Romans 8, he wrote that through the sacrifice of Jesus for sin — as a sin offering — we are no longer condemned and are now set free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1–3 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

The law was insufficient for our purification because without a change of heart, our sinful flesh continues to succumb to our sinful desires. But God sent Jesus as a sin offering to condemn sin so the law would be fulfilled on our behalf. Like an unblemished lamb, Jesus was sinless but was offered up as a sacrifice for us who are sinful.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

That second instance of the word “sin” could also be translated as a “sin offering” — Jesus became a sin offering for us for our atonement, forgiveness, and purification.

The sin offering required confession along with a sacrifice to make atonement. In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus came as the sin offering for our forgiveness and freedom from condemnation. We receive this relationship from God when we repent and believe.

Clearly, we still sin, yet Christ has restored and renewed believers in holiness in our relationship with the Father. But as the sacrificial system teaches us, we still need to be in awe of and humble ourselves before the Lord, confessing sin individually and corporately in response to God’s goodness to us. Confession, then, needs to be a part of our worship.

Why should confession be a part of our worship of God? (God is holy and we are sinners; unconfessed sin hinders our relationship with God; confession is an act of faith in our all-knowing, gracious, and forgiving God; confession directs our attention to our Savior, Jesus, who gave His life for our forgiveness; so we can mend our relationships with others and join together in the worship of God; confession is an admission of our need for the Savior that God sent for us)

When we have strayed from God’s commands, those who trust in Christ don’t have to be afraid of eternal punishment. God will not forsake His own children. But we still should want to return to Him in humility and repentance, asking for forgiveness, knowing He forgives generously and lovingly. Furthermore, believers want to honor God everyday through the way we live — as a “living sacrifice,” a pleasing aroma to our holy and gracious God. (Romans 12:1-2)

My Response:

Because we have been forgiven of all of our sins through Christ’s sacrifice, we seek to be living sacrifices, serving Jesus and making Him known among the nations.

Head:

God is holy, so He cannot abide sin. But He is also loving, merciful, and just and provides a way for His people to remain His people. Initially, the sacrificial system of Israel sufficed at the time. It was prescribed by God for the Israelites to worship Him with their sacrifices and obedience, but Israel continued to sin before a holy God. The sacrificial system helped to restoring the nation of Israel, but it never completely accomplished when God sent Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, God did what the law could not — restore humankind to a right relationship with their Creator.

What are some ways God has prescribed for His people to worship Him now that Jesus has come?

Heart:

Because God is holy and we are not, how amazing it is that He desires to be in relationship with us! His love is abounding so much more than we could ever know. And even as He knows every sin we have done, are doing, and will do, He still loves us and wants us to confess and repent. So much so that He offered the gift of His Son, Jesus, as the sin offering for us. Eternal forgiveness in place of condemnation is a one-and-done thing available to us through faith in Christ. But asking for daily forgiveness when we confess our sins is also a sign of our obedience and devotion in our relationship with God.

Do you regularly confess your sins as part of your worship? Why or why not?

Hands:

In Christ, we no longer have to make sacrifices for our sin. We no longer have to deal with punishment, guilt, and shame. Though we still sin, God promises to forgive us, and because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are no longer condemned. We are set free. We have hope to become who God wants us to be — “living sacrifices” who do His will and proclaim His Son.

How will you be a “living sacrifice” this week because of Jesus, who became a sin offering for your salvation?