BAM! Gone...


Did I mention that the Levitical offerings can be divided into two groups?  the ones that involve blood shed and the one that does not.  The continual burnt offering, the peace offering, and the sin and trespass offerings all involve the slaughter of animals.  The meat offering was the only meat-less offering.  This used to really humor me...The only meatless offering was called the meat offering.  Those of you not using a King James probably have no idea what I am taking about.  In the days of King James, when people shared a meal, they didn’t come for dinner, they came to meat. John Nelson D. simply calls the meat offering an oblation, which is an offering to be used as food.

Did I mention that the Levitical offerings can be divided into two groups? the ones that atoned sins, and the one that was primarily for food.  Each of the blood-shedding offerings made atonement for sins.  The meat offering did not include bloodshed and was for food, not atonement.  Atonement is one of those words that I would like to define.  Here again, my definition, may or may not hold true 100% of the time.

Atonement is simply a covering.  With respect to sacrifices, it is a covering of/for sin.  Offering a sacrifice was like picking up the edge of the carpet and sweeping the sin under it.  The sin is still there, just covered.  Sin again, offer another sacrifice, pick up the edge of the carpet to sweep new sin in.  The old sin is still there, and both are covered.  The process was repeated innumerable times. Atonement was an Old Testament thing.

In the beginning of the Gospel of John, John the Baptist ...sees Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  The people that heard this were accustomed to the tabernacle/temple system of worship.  They knew that a lamb (an innocent animal) could be offered as a sacrifice.  The ritual included the laying on of hands (signifying the transfer of sins from the guilty to the innocent); death by bloodshed; sprinkling of blood; and burning of the carcass.  They knew that there was atonement of sin with the sacrifice.  

But John is introducing two new principals, paradigm shifts (TQM, anyone? anyone?) of the ancient world: a person (not an animal) for a sacrifice and the actual removal of sin.  Peek  under the carpet and BAM!  Those sins are gone!

The author of Hebrews explains this further.  For blood of bulls and goats [is] incapable of taking away sins. Heb. 10:4.  For this reason, offerings were made continually, day by day, year after year (Heb. 10:1-2).  The priests job was never done. But when Jesus offered one himself a sacrifice, once, completed the work, and our sins and iniquities are remembered no more (Heb 10:17).  There is no more need for additional offerings (10:18). There is no need for a covering since BAM! sins are gone!

All my sins are gone,
All because of Calvary;
Life is filled with song,
All because of Calvary;
Christ my Savior lives,
Lives from sin to set me free;
Some day He’s coming,
O wondrous, blessèd day,
All, yes, all because of Calvary. -- Wen­dell P. Love­less

Afar Off

The children of Israel shall encamp every one by his standard, with the ensign of their father's house; round about the tent of meeting, afar off, opposite to it shall they encamp. Number 2:2

When the ancient Israelites pitched their tent in the wilderness, they were in groups according to family or tribe. Each had their place. But according to this verse, they could not pitch the tent anywhere near the tabernacle (or the tent of meeting). The Levites and the priest, who had to serve in the tabernacle, were permitted to pitch tents closer.

The only reason for a non-Levite/priest to come to the tabernacle was with an offering. Since his tent was pitched afar off, the offerer had to travel with his offering (or gift) to the entrance of the tabernacle. In plain sight. In the sight of everyone.

Offerings were brought for several reasons including:

• for a known sin: trespass offering
• for a sin that was not known, but brought to light later: sin offering
• for thanksgiving
• for a vow
• for praising Jehovah
• for fellowship
• and there was the offering just to please Jehovah, the continual burnt offering (as far as I can tell, there was no other reason for this offering).

The sinner had to come from afar off. I suppose that some that were more conscience of the power of the Most Holy and their own unworthiness, probably made more frequent trips.

They could approach Jehovah, but since Jehovah dwelt in the Holiest of Holiest, the offerer could not really get too close. He had no business going any further than the altar of burnt offering. There was nothing for him beyond that point.

Just like the ancient Israelite, we approach Jehovah. We approach Him in prayer. The offerer had to enter the tabernacle gate. When we enter into prayer, we are told to enter into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, shutting ourselves in separated from the cares of this world . The ancient Israelite had no reason to come without a gift, an offering. We have no reason to bring an offering. We come to God in prayer empty-handed. Each and every offering brought to the tabernacle (or later, temple) and offered on the altar of burnt offering (for whatever reason) was merely a foreshadowing looking forward to a day when Jesus Christ was to be made the offering for us. The author of the book of Hebrews spent a lot of ink to demonstrate this.

This reminds me of the parable of the lost son (you may call him a prodigal if you like). After the son spent and lost everything, he came to his father empty-handed and his father spotted him while he was yet afar off.

And he rose up and went to his own father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell upon his neck, and covered him with kisses. Luke 15:2

So, when you have to confess sin, give thanks, vow a vow, offer praise, desire fellowship or just want to please God, come empty-handed in prayer. Shut the door behind you. Pray to the Father who is in secret. See if He is not moved with compassion.

And remember why your hands are empty.