Then an idea struck me, maybe because it meant something. God could have asked for a simple sacrifice, but he's already dealing with a people who are struggling to believe that this God is really the one who wants the best for them. They're on the edge. They want to trust God, I think, but they/re also afraid and unsure. I think all this about sacrifices, because God really didn't go into detail before this, is to set them apart. I think it's so that the Israelites will know this is their God and he means business. He's fighting against their grumbling and complaining and calf worshipping tendencies, so maybe he gives these detailed lists of how to offer sacrifices and what to offer, so that the people will know exactly what the LORD wants and expects.
I think God does this for them. I don't think God really needed the sacrifices, they're not for him they/re for them, for us; so that we can have a more intimate relationship with God. He gives them a prescription so that it means something, so they will see it as important and strive to follow it. He knows they won't because well, we always find things that are much simpler than doing what we're supposed to do. I don't think he's setting them up for failure. I think he wants them to succeed. He knows they won't because of what we always ultimately choose. Still he wants the best for them, but just because you want something, doesn't mean it happens.
I am just so thankful that God's ultimate plan was to take all this upon himself. Knowing the intricate detail of it all makes me appreciate it that much more. Thank you Jesus for being the ultimate, final sacrifice. Thank you for doing all the work. Thank you for washing me clean through your blood and your body, which I remember through your communion. Thank you for giving me new life through your Spirit, which I remember through your baptism. It means something.
No comments:
Post a Comment