Leviticus 9:1-4
The Presence of God is an amazing thing.
Often referred to as the Shekina Glory.
While God is Omni-present,
His glory first arrives on the scene at Mt. Sinai,
When the mountain quakes with fire as
God Himself descended upon that mountain to give the Law.
We later see this glory filling the tent of meeting,
And even later the temple.
It is this same glory that we see vacate the temple in the book of Ezekiel,
Thus ushering in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of Judah to Babylon.
The Jews had learned the seriousness of God’s presence.
Exodus 19:20-22 “The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. “Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them.”
They had also learned the importance of God’s presence,
Having nearly lost it after the golden calf incident.
Exodus 33:7-10 “Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.”
God’s presence has proved to be a wonderful thing.
It is what set the Jews apart.
Today it is what set’s Christians apart.
But there are some pre-requisites to receiving it.
You will remember the church at Laodicea,
Who although they claimed to be a church, did not have the presence of God, for:
Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Laodicea was a gathering of religious people,
And they did not have God’s presence in their midst.
While we don’t see God’s glory today
In the same ways they witnessed it in the Old Testament,
The presence of God is still a very real thing,
And there are some truths that we can learn
from the Old Testament as to how to receive that presence.
This morning, we will take a look back
At a beautiful day in the history of the Israelites.
They had come out of Egypt,
They had passed through the wilderness of Sinai,
They had received the 10 commandments,
And were beginning to receive the Law of God in regard to righteousness.
Leviticus 9 promises to be a day that those present would never forget.
It was the day that God’s presence would be revealed to the people.
It is here that we can see the pre-requisites for receiving that presence.
There are four aspects here that I want us to observe,
And just place ourselves in their shoes.
#1 IMAGINE THE SEARCH
Leviticus 9:1-4
DID YOU CATCH WHAT IS AT STAKE AT THE END OF VERSE 4?
“for today the LORD will appear to you.”
Think about that for just a second.
The Holy is about to show up.
God is about to reveal His glory.
You and I both know that this is a major thing.
The glory that remains behind the veil…
The glory that only the high priest can go before…
The glory that made Sinai shake…
IS COMING HERE!
Now we know that God’s presence,
Especially that glory mentioned in the Old Testament
Was not something to take lightly.
If there ever was something to respect, it was this.
I would imagine that a message like that would send
Just a little element of fear before the camp.
You did not mess with the glory of God.
So God reveals to them how to get ready to receive His presence.
Vs 2-4a, “ and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the LORD. “Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice today before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil;”
In short, before I come,
There are some things that need to be taken care of.
God commands Aaron to perform three different sacrificial offerings.
THESE OFFERINGS ARE OUTLINED IN LEVITIUS 1-7
THE SIN OFFERING (Chapters 4-6)
PURPOSE: To atone for sin
You sacrifice the animal
The priest presents the blood
The body is burned outside the camp
THIS WAS ATONEMENT FOR YOUR SIN
READ 4:1-12
Now that was in regard to the priest.
(13-21) deal with the sin of the entire congregation
(22-26) deal with the sin of the leader
(27-35) deal with the sin of a common man
Before God’s presence comes, not only is Aaron supposed to offer a bull for a sin offering for himself, but also a goat for a sin offering for the people.
You do not want God’s presence entering the camp,
If your sin is not atoned for.
THE BURNT OFFERING (Chapters 1-2)
PURPOSE: Simply to honor God
You sacrificed the animal
You skin it and cut it up
The priest burns the whole thing on God’s altar
IT WAS GIVEN BECAUSE GOD IS WORTHY
READ 1:3-9
The verses we read were if you give God an animal from the heard.
(10-13) if it comes from the flock
(14-17) if it comes from birds
(2:1-16) if it is a grain offering
The is the second requirement before God’s presence comes.
THE PEACE OFFERING (Chapters 3; 7:11-34)
PURPOSE: To honor the peaceful relationship you share with God
You sacrifice the animal
The priest sprinkle the blood and burn God’s part
The priest eats his part
You eat your part
IT IS TO THANK GOD AND COMMIT TO HIM
READ 3:3-5
There is more detail about this offering in chapter 7.
(11-15) offered because of thanksgiving
(16-18) offered in pledge of future commitment
But there is even more of an element here.
(19) only offer clean flesh
(20-21) the eater shall be clean
(22-27) don’t eat God’s share
(28-34) don’t eat the priest’s share
It carried the idea of being in communion with God, and God’s people.
You were actually afforded the right to eat from God’s table.
And this was a requirement before God’s presence showed up.
And notice in all these cases.
“without defect”
Imagine the search.
#2 IMAGINE THE SERIOUSNESS
Leviticus 9:5-7
You see here that the whole congregation
Had now gathered before the tent of meeting to prepare themselves.
I can’t help but imagine the mood here.
I can see a serious tension formed over the crowd.
This thing that was extremely serious, and extremely sacred.
IF GOD’S GLORY WAS ABOUT TO ARRIVE, WOULDN’T YOU BE CAREFUL TO DO IT EXACTLY THE WAY GOD SAID TO DO IT?
If I’m Aaron I follow every little detail.
You don’t have to look hard in the Bible to find the consequences of those who didn’t follow every little detail.
Just look at the next chapter in Leviticus.
Leviticus 10:1-3 “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.”
REMEMBER SAUL’S FOOLISHNESS BEFORE GOD?
Samuel didn’t arrive as soon as Saul wanted him to offer sacrifices to God.
1 Samuel 13:1-14 “Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
The point is simple, you do it exactly how God said to do it.
I would imagine these people were very serious and very attentive to detail
as they brought their sacrifices to the LORD.
#3 IMAGINE THE SACRIFICE
Leviticus 9:8-21
If you total in the sum of all the sacrifices, you see:
1 ox
2 bulls
2 goats
1 ram
1 lamb
And grain
I want you to know, that is a lot of blood, and a lot of burning carcass.
Imagine standing there and watching the bull’s throat cut…
The blood pouring out…
The bull hit the ground…
Aaron sprinkling that blood on the altar…
Aaron pouring the rest of the blood out at the base…
Then the bull’s carcass is burned.
It is happening because you are not worthy to be where you are.
You are not worthy to stand before the presence of God,
And someone had to pay for your sin.
This sacrifice was a vivid reminder of your unworthiness.
Hebrews 10:3 “But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.”
#4 IMAGINE THE SCENE
Leviticus 9:22-24
Here the people are standing looking at the sacrifices,
And at once God’s glory appears.
Then the fire of God consumes all of the burnt offering (it is all His)
And His portion of the peace offering.
The glory appears to reveal that the people were acceptable to Him.
The fire appears to reveal that the sacrifice was acceptable to Him.
Here is the simple point:
When we give what God commands,
We can have confidence that He will accept it.
These people did all that God commanded, and it worked.
I want you to know, this applies today.
When we come before the Lord, the same sacrifices are required.
We would be foolish to come before God without a sin offering.
We have a sin offering: THE CROSS
It was Jesus who died upon that cross.
The Bible teaches that Jesus blood was spilled in Jerusalem,
And His body was taken outside the gate, just as the sin offering was done.
Hebrews 13:11-13 “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”
It is Jesus whom we offer to God as an unblemished Lamb,
A perfect offering to atone for our sin.
Isaiah 53:6 “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
Hebrews 10:11-14 “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
DO NOT TRY TO ENTER THE PRESENCE
WITHOUT HAVING OFFERED THE SIN OFFERING.
Make for certain you have surrendered your life to Christ.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
We also would be foolish to come without a burnt offering.
We have this type of offering: OURSELVES
We come simply to honor God because He is a great God.
We don’t give Him our lives just because of the things He is done,
Or because we want Him to do something else.
We give Him our lives because He is worthy of them.
Psalms 95:1-5 “Praise to the LORD, and Warning against Unbelief. O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.”
It would be foolish to come before the presence of God
Without having honored Him with your worship.
It would be foolish to not have given the sacrifice of praise.
Romans 12:1 “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.”
And so we offer a sin offering, it is the cross.
We offer a burnt offering, it is our lives / works / worship
We also have a peace offering.
It is the LORD’S SUPPER.
It is this ordinance were we come to commune with Him.
We eat of the sacrifice that has been offered upon His table.
It is a necessity, which is why the Bible says, “Do This”
And just as you remember the requirements of the peace offering,
They are also here today.
We come and we eat in thanksgiving, just as they did.
1 Corinthians 11:23-25 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Our eating reveals our gratitude for the sacrifice that was on our behalf.
We come and eat in commitment, just as they did.
1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
Our eating reveals our commitment to His sacrifice.
Hebrews 13:11-16 “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
But just as they had certain requirements
As to how they were to eat, so do we.
We are to eat in purity, just as they were.
1 Corinthians 11:27-32 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”
We would be foolish to not partake of the peace offering,
But we be even more foolish to partake in a manner
Other than that which God intended.
And so we are here at the table of the Lord.
We are here to partake in the peace offering to our God.
Thanking Him for what He has done,
Pledging more commitment to Him in the future.
Are you ready for the presence of God?
Have you presented your sin offering?
Have you presented your burnt offering?
Are you prepared to present your peace offering?
WE ARE ABOUT TO HAVE A TIME OF PREPARATION
NOW YOU CAN OFFER YOUR SIN OFFERING (repentance & faith)
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
NOW YOU CAN OFFER YOUR BURNT OFFERING (self)
Romans 12:1 “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.”
NOW YOU CAN PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE PEACE OFFERING.
Pray
LORD’S SUPPER
1) I will call for the deacons after the time of preparation.
2) Deacon’s fold the blanket.
3) Read Scripture and give plates to deacons
Matthew 27:27-31 “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, ” Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.”
4) Deacon Prayer
5) Deacon’s pass out bread
6) Read Scripture
1 Corinthians 11:23-24 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
7) Partake of bread
8) Read Scripture and give plates to deacons
Matthew 27:33-37 “And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
9) Deacon Prayer
10) Deacon’s pass out juice
11) Read Scripture
1 Corinthians 11:25 “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
12) Partake of juice
13) Parting Chorus
14) Benediction
