Based on Leviticus 9:1-7, 22-24 (New King James Version)
“It came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. And he said to Aaron, ‘Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering, also a bull and a ram as peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the Lord will appear to you.’ ’ So they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, ‘This is the thing which the Lord commanded you to do, and the glory of the Lord will appear to you.’ And Moses said to Aaron, ‘Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.’ Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”
Why did God establish sacrifices, to begin with, as sin offerings, for peace between Him and His people, so that His presence would be revealed? It was established so man would understand the price of sin. When man fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, something big changed, there was something that happened that would change all things for the worse, both the planet, nature, and of course, even the carnal state of man, and their eternity. When man sinned, he brought curse on all the good that God had created. And every time we continue to sin, especially voluntarily (because we sin even without realizing it), we perpetuate that curse more and more on the earth, whether we want to recognize it and accept responsibility for it, or not. Just because you don't want to accept something doesn't invalidate its effect. That is why we cannot put all the blame on Adam and Eve, if we also continue to do as much or worse than them, because we inherit the nature of sin in our members. Then, God established sacrifices, as a beginning, so that man would learn that their sin itself has a very great price, so that they would see the suffering of innocent animals die for their evils, see the innocent die for the guilty. These sacrifices were not moments of rejoicing, but rather solemn and sad moments, where the priest would feel for a few moments the pain of the animals when they were killed.
Now, blessed be the God of all mercy, that these sacrifices are no longer necessary, and in reality, it was never the plan for them to be permanent. This was always His will, and now more than ever as a result of the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’” Isaiah 1:16-18. The way God's grace is manifested is through repentance and conversion, by doing things that are worthy of Him. Now, some will say: “But aren't we saved by grace alone, because of what Christ did on the cross?” And I would say that, yes, that is the foundation of our salvation, but there must be a product of that faith, something as a result, if there is in fact such a faith. Because the Lord's sacrifice alone cannot do anything in our lives if we do not make it our own and produce something as a result. This is the will of God, and the sacrifice that God continues to seek from each of us, as it is written: “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ ’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ But after that no one dared question Him.” Mark 12:28-34. Notice that the Lord confirmed what the scribe answered, that loving God and our neighbor were always of more value than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. And love is shown in action, not with words. That is why faith without works is dead. A person can say all they want about their faith, but if there are no works that fulfill the true will of God in their life, then such faith is useless.
So then, there is something we need to offer to God. What does the Word say regarding this? “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:15-23. So, what is the offering that God seeks? The sacrifice of our free will, to stop subjecting our only belonging (free will, our will) to sin and subjecting it to Him, giving Him our free will to love Him and serve Him, to do His will on earth. That is the sacrifice that God has sought from the beginning, since He created man, because we were made for Him, for His glory, for His purpose, as it is written: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. So then, do you continue sacrificing your only belonging to sin and death, or to God that has given you everything, and without any kind of obligation? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.