Saturday, July 12, 2008

Exodus 24:5-6 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.

A SACRIFICE

Our guilt may threaten to keep us from coming near to God, but the solution is the same as it was hundreds of years ago at Mount Sinai for Moses and the others: a sacrifice.

That day, Moses built an altar and around the altar he placed twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. On the altar they offered burnt offerings and they sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings. This reflected what the book of Hebrews said many years later that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (9:22). The people were sinners and a price had to be paid for those sins. It had to be the price of a life.

Now the animal couldn't really make up for the sins of Israel, but it made for those people a connection to another sacrifice which truly did pay for sin. The blood on the altar pointed them to the blood of Jesus which was offered -- and sufficient for -- the sins of the whole world.

Jesus is your offering. He is the life given to God to take care of your guilt so that now you can approach God. Listen to Heb 10:22: "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Let us draw near to God because our hearts have been sprinkled by the blood of Jesus! Let us draw near to God because our bodies have been washed with the water of baptism!

Jesus' blood cleanses you so you can come into the presence of God; so you can pray to Him; so that you can call on Him in times of trouble; so you can go and "dine" with Him. Share with Him your cares and feelings, your hopes and dreams, your songs and praises and thanksgivings. This is good fellowship which God appreciates -- and so will you -- to the refreshment of your soul!