Leviticus 2:9

Leviticus 2:9 says, And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.  The priests were to take a portion of the sacrifice and burn it as an offering made by fire.  This would once again be a sweet savor, or scent, to the LORD.  This was not because God wanted the thing sacrificed, but because by sacrificing it in the way that God prescribed, they would show their obedience to Him.  God does not want what we can give Him today, because it is all His anyway, but He does want us to be willing to give everything to Him.  The only thing we can offer is our own sinful nature through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse ten adds, And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.  What was left was to belong to Aaron and his sons, but it was to be considered a thing most holy.  God allows us to use what is left over after we offer our tithes and offerings to Him, but we need to realize that if we are a Christian that what is left over is still a thing most holy, since we gave everything to God when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eleven continuees, No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.  The meat offering, or bread in this case, was to be unleavened.  In other words, it was simply to be as plain as possible.  God does not need our offerings to be ornate, but should be given in simplicity.  Verse twelve states, As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.  First fruits were to be offered to God, but were not to be burned.  The first fruit that anyone can offer today is himself or herself, and then that person should offer the first of all that God blesses them with to Him, to be utilized for the work of His kingdom.  Verse thirteen adds, And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.  All the offerings were to be seasoned with salt.  This would have enhanced the flavor, but salt was also a preservative.  Verse fourteen continues, And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.  Another of the first fruits was that of corn, and it was to be dried by the fire before being offered to God.  Verse fifteen says, And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.  The corn was to have oil and frankincense put on it.  Verse sixteen adds, And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  The priest was to burn a portion of the meat offering as a burnt offering to God.  We have it much easier today since we only have to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and live with Him as our Lord which the Holy Spirit enables us to do,

Leviticus 2:1

Leviticus 2:1 says, And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:  Though referred to as a meat offering, these next few verses actually refer to offerings of crops that had been made into flour.  Not everyone had flocks to make offerings from, but God made provision for them as well.  This was still a free offering of the best that the person had.  It is not the cost of the gift that we bring to God that is important, but the attitude with which we bring it.  It must be a free gift, and it should be the best that we have to offer.  Of course, as followers of Christ, we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices, and when we do we are to give the best of our life to God.  Verse two adds, 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:  As with the other offerings, this offering was to be brought to the priests, Aaron's sons, and they were to offer it to God on the altar.  As Christians today, we present ourselves to Christ in faith, and He offers Himself as a sacrifice to God.  Verse three continues, And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.  Anything left of the offering after it was offered to God would be the possession of the priests.  This was one way that God provided for the needs of the priests, but it did not mean that they could just offer the smallest amount possible and keep the rest for themselves.  Also, only the priests were to eat of the offering.  We today must give our best to God, and He will bless us by meeting our every need.  Verse four states, And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.  Then, there were instructions for how to prepare the offering.  We cannot decide how we are going to give to God outside of giving by His instructions in the Bible.  Verse five adds, And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.  There were different ways to prepare this offering, but all ways were under the guidance of God.  There are different ways to reach the cross today, but we must all come in obedience to God through our faith in Christ.  Verse six continues, Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.  Again, there were specific instructions for giving this offering.  It was to be separated into pieces and covered with oil, I believe to make it more useable to the priests.  Verse seven says, And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.  Again, there were different ways to prepare the offering.  Verse eight adds, And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar. The offerings were to be presented to God by the priests, just as our offering, which is our self, is to be presented to God by our high priest, Jesus Christ.

Leviticus 1:1

Leviticus 1:1 says, And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,  God called to Moses out of the tabernacle of the congregation.  I believe that God still speaks to His people today as we are gathered together ro worship Him.  Of course, He speaks to us to other times as well, but I believe that preachers and teachers must especially have God talking to them. Verse two adds, 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.  God began to give Moses instructions concerning offerings, specifying that it mut cattle of the flock.   Of course, the only offering thar we can offer God today that really matters is ourself.  Verse three continues,  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.  The offering was to be a male without blemish and was to be offered willing.  Of course, we cannot offer ourselves without blemish to God, which is why it was necessary for Jesus Christ to offer Himself in our place, since He alone is the only person to ever live without blemish.  Verse four states, And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.  God said when the person offering the sacrifice put his hand 0on the head of the burnt offering, it would be accepted as atonement for that person.  Of course, the only way we cn have atonement today is by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse five adds, And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  The bullock was to be killed before the LORD, and the priests, Aaron’s sons, were to bring the blood and sprinkle it on the altar by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  The sacrifice was to be made so that all could see, and when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord today, it should be don so that all can see.  Verse six says, And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.  Verse seven adds, And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:  They offering was to be cut in small pieces and Aaron, the priest, was to put it on the fire.  We today can only accept the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for forgiveness of sin.  Verse eight states, And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:  Aaron’s sons were to lay the head and the fat of the bullock in that order on the wood that was on the fire of the altar. God still expects us to follow His directions in the order that He gives them to us today.  Verse, nine adds, But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.  The innards and the legs were to be washed and offered as a burnt sacrifice to God, which would be a sweet savor to the LORD.  Of course, I don’t believe God really was just wanting to smell the aroma of the sacrifice but was wanting to see the obedience of the people in obeying His commands.  There is nothing that we can offer God today that He needs, except ourselves.   

Leviticus 1:10 says, And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.  Provision was made for more than one type of sacrifice, I believe because not all the people could afford to offer the same thing.  Of course, today, we have one sacrifice for all our sins and that is Jesus Christ, and everyone can afford His sacrifice, because it is free.  Verse eleven says, And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.  There were specific instructions for sacrificing the sheep or goat as well.  We must always come to God on His terms and not on our own.  We are to always offer the best that we have to God.  Verse twelve adds, And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:  The instructions for the sacrificing of the animal were the same.  The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the same for all individuals.  We can only come to salvation by accepting Christ's sacrifice on the cross, which actually applied to those who had lived in this time as well.  We can only come in obedience to God's call. Verse thirteen continues, But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.   As before, the burnt offering was to bring a sweet savor to the LORD.  Verse fourteen states, And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.  There was even another provision for the animal that was to be sacrificed, and this time it was for birds.  I don't believe that this means that those who were able to offer the more costly sacrifices were supposed to sacrifice the less costly sacrifices.  This was a provision those who could not offer anymore.  We today can offer no less than our self on the altar of God through the blood of Christ.  Verse fifteen adds, And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:  In all the sacrifices, the sacrifice was to be offered through the priest, and when we offer ourselves to God today it must be through Christ, our high priest.  Verse sixteen continues, And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:  Not all of the sacrifice was to be burned this time, since the crop and feathers were to be placed by the altar.  Then verse seventeen concludes, And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.  The wings were to be cut off, but the rest of the bird was to be burned whole.  The sacrificial system of the Jews is hard to understand at times, but it was all spelled out by God's instruction to Moses.  Some would make salvation a complicated thing today, but it is all very simple and dictated by God, and that is that we give ourselves to God by faith in Christ.  This is God's salvation plan, and the only one available.

Levitcus 1:1 says And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, God called to Moses and spoke to him out of the tabernacle of the congregation.  For us to know what God has to say, He must speak to us, and He will often do it when are assembled together in His name.  Of course, we must first recognize His voice in order to hear Him.  Verse two states,  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering,  God did not say when, but if.  I believe this is because an offering is not a debt, but a free gift.  God does not demand that we give Him anything, even our life, but if we do, God can determine how He will use the gift or our life.  Verse three says, If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the altar.  God said if the offering was to be a burnt sacrifice, that it should be a male without blemish.  We might want to offer something less than perfect if it was going to be burned up anyway, but God expects us to offer the best that we have, and we are to do so willingly.  Verse four states, LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.  We do not live under the sacrificial system, so it may be difficult to truly understand it, but I believe that putting the hands on the head of the sacrifice would represent transferring one's sins to the sacrifice.  We are not under the old sacrificial system because Christ died as a sacrice for all sins for all time, and putting our faith in Him transfers our sins to Him without any physical act.  Verse five says,  And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  The sacrifice was to be killed before God and the priests, the sons of Aaron, and the blood sprinkled on the altar.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, it is done before God and His people and all the world.  The blood of Christ has already been shed for us.  Verse six states, And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.  Then verse seven adds,  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:  Verse eight continues,  And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:  The sacrifice was to be cut in to pieces, and the priests were to place the majority of it on the wood of the sacrifice to be burned.  Verse nine concludes, But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.  Parts were to be washed and burned on the altar itself.  This was to be a burnt offering to the LORD, and would be a sweet savor, or scent, to God.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, our sins are burned away and we are washed by His blood to be a living sacrifice to God, which will be a sweet savor or scent to Him.

We will do a quick review of the things we learned from the book of Philippians.  First, we need to realize that our status in the world should not determine our joy in the LORD.  We should learn to be like Paul and be content in the Lord no matter what.  Next, we need to learn the value of other Christians in our life.  Paul sincerely cared for the Christians at Philippi.  He was concerned with their welfare, and so should we be with the welfare of our fellow believers.  Then, we need to realize that earthly attributes mean nothing to God, but that only our relationship with Christ does.   Paul said his birth, his education, and his religious standing meant nothing before God.  Only his relationship with God did.  The same is true for everyone who ever has or ever will live.  Finally, we need to learn to help our fellow Christians whenever we can.  We will next look at the book of Leviticus.

Philippians 4:11 says, Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  Paul had thanked the Christians at Philippi for contributing to help supply for his needs, but he now tells them that he wasn't writing to seek more aid.  Paul said that he had learned to be content no matter what his circumstances, and we should be the same way today as followers of Christ.  Verse twelve states, I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  Paul said he knew both how to be abased and how to bound, and how to be hungry and to be filled.  In other words, he wasn't just speaking as someone who had always been blessed or in need.  He had experienced the best and worst of life, but had learned to be content by his faith in God no matter what his situation was.  We should be the same way today.  Verse thirteen declares, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Paul then said that he could do all things through Christ because he was strengthened by Christ.  We hear this verse quoted a lot, but we must remember the two verses that came before as well.  I don't believe that this means that everything will always be perfect because of our faith in Christ, but that we can endure hunger and hardship if necessary in order to follow the will of Christ.  Verse fourteen adds, Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.  Paul then said that the Christians at Philippi had done well to help him, though that wasn't why he felt that they were special to him.  We should never put some Christians above others simply because they have done more for us materially.  Verse fifteen says, Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.  Paul said that when he went to Macedonia at the beginning of the spreading of the gospel that the church at Philippi was the only one that offered him support.  I believe this was both morally and financially.  We need to be like the church at Philippi and support missionaries as much as we can today.  Verse sixteen adds, For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.  Paul said they had sent him aid when he was in Thessalonica several times, but again it was not simply because of their financial support that they were special to Paul.  We cannot allow other Christians to become more special to us because they have help us financially, but must see all Christians as special if they are following God's will in their relationship to us.  Verse seventeen continues, Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.  Paul said that he didn't desire a gift for his own benefit, but that the Christians at Philippi might see their fruit abound because of their giving.  As stated, it wasn't the amount or the frequency of their giving that Paul was speaking of, but their obedience to the Holy Spirit when they gave.  We can send a lot of support to missionaries today, but if we are not doing it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and for God's glory, then we are really accomplishing very little spiritually.  Verse eighteen declares, But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.  Paul declared that he was full because of the gift that they had sent by Epaphroditus, which was a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God.  This should be our key to giving.  What we give should be acceptable and well pleasing to God.  If we are giving for any other reason, then we are missing the point.  Verse nineteen adds, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Paul then said that God would likewise supply for all their needs according to His riches.  This does not say that God will give them everything that they want and desire.  We today cannot allow this verse to mean that God is going to give us everything that our heart desires.  Paul was in prison at this time and Christians were being persecuted, but God still provided for the needs of the Christians at Philippi and for Paul out of the abundance of his riches and not based on any earthly situation.  Verse twenty proclaims, Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  Paul said that it should all be done to the glory of the heavenly Father, and so should anything that we do as followers of Christ today.  Verse twenty-one adds, Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.  Paul basically told them to greet each other under the leadership of Jesus Christ, and that those with him saluted them as well.  No matter where we are, as Christians we should support and uplift each other under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty two continues, All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household.  Paul said that there were even Christians in the household of Caesar.  We should never assume that because of their situation in life that people are not Christians.  Verse twenty-three concludes, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. It was written to the Philippians from Rome by Epaphroditus.  Paul called on the grace of their Lord Jesus Christ to be with the Christians at Philippi and said that Epaphroditus had written down what he had to say to them for him.  

Philippians 4:1 says, Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.  Paul had great praise for the Christians at Philippi.  He did not call them his children, but his brethren, because although he may have led them to Christ and have been considered an apostle, they were all equal in God's sight.  If we lead someone to Christ today, he or she is our equal in God's sight.  Paul called them beloved and longed for, because they were his brethren.  We should have that same feeling of closeness for our fellow believers today.  Verse two states, I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.  Even though Paul had spoken highly of the Christians at Philippi, it did not prevent him from singling out the actions of two women who were evidently having a dispute.  He called on them to be of the same mind in Christ.  If two Christians are disputing, if they will both honestly seek God's will in the matter, then they should be led to a peaceful resolution.  Verse three adds, And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.  Paul does not name the person that he calls his fellow yoke person  Matthew Henry says some think it may have been Epaphroditus, and some even think it might have been Paul's wife.  If the person's name were really important, Paul would have identified them by name.  The important thing was that this person was considered a yoke person of Paul.  Our name is really unimportant in our Christian journey, but our relationship with Christ and our fellow Christians is what matters.  There are many. many more unnamed Christians in the Bible and ever since than there are those that we know by name.  Verse four says, Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.  Paul was in prison, but he called on the Christians at Philippi to rejoice, and not just some of the time but always.  In the world that seems to have gone insane today, we need to rejoice in the Lord always.  Verse five states, Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.  Paul called on the Christians at Philippi to be known for their moderation, because the Lord was at hand.  Even then. Paul felt that the return of Christ might be close.  We as followers of Christ today should live our lives in moderation because whether by our death or the return of Christ, we will one day give an account for our life.  Verse six adds, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  This was not a call for them to act reckless, but to act in faith that God would meet their needs, no matter what that need might be.  If we live in prayer and supplication to God, then we have no need to fear the world.  We should live to boldly proclaim God's word and advance His kingdom.  Verse seven declares, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Paul said that when the Christians at Philippi followed God's guidance that they would have a peace that surpassed all understanding.  We have no reason to feel anything but peace in our lives today if we are following the will of God.  If we have fear, then we need to get closer to God  and the Holy Spirit will bring us peace even in a world that seems to have gone insane.  Verse eight adds, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Again. Paul was using hypothetical questions to point out that true, honest, just, pure, lovely and things of good report come from God.  These should be the product of our faith in God today, and they should be the things that we think about or fill our minds with.  If our thoughts are filled with the good things of God, we cannot have them filled with the negative things of this world.  Verse nine continues, Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.  Paul called on them to do the things that he had done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Paul was not calling on them to do exactly what he had done, because they would have been called to their own specific ministry by God, but he was calling on them to be as faithful as he had been to his calling.  Though we may use other Christians as examples of how to live by faith, we should not attempt to make them our standard, because as Christians Christ will always be our standard.  Verse ten concludes, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.  Paul said he thanked them for their support.  Evidently, some time had passed before they sent gifts to help Paul in his situation, but he thanked them instead of berating them for being so long in offering their help.  We should always simply accept the help that others offer us under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and should never berate them because we feel that they haven't done enough or done it quickly enough.