How does Exodus 23:18 relate to New Testament teachings on pure worship? The Context of Exodus 23 Exodus 23 gathers practical directives that guarded Israel’s life of covenant worship. Verse 18 stands out as a pair of negatives—no leaven with sacrificial blood and no leftover fat until morning—both protecting the purity and immediacy of offerings brought before the LORD. The Command in Exodus 23:18 “You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.” • No leaven with sacrificial blood • No delay in consuming or burning the fat portion Both clauses press the worshiper to keep God’s altar uncontaminated and to honor Him with prompt, wholehearted obedience. A Prophetic Picture of Purity Old-covenant symbols often foreshadow New-covenant realities. Here, two pictures emerge: 1. Leaven = corruption that spreads. 2. Fat kept overnight = a divided offering, suggesting half-hearted devotion or potential spoilage. Under the law, God demanded visual lessons of purity; under grace, Christ fulfills and deepens those lessons. Leaven and Sin in the New Testament • 1 Corinthians 5:7-8: “Get rid of the old leaven… For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” • Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.” The apostles carry the Exodus image forward: believers must expel moral “leaven,” living transparently before God, so worship remains pure. Blood and the Once-for-All Sacrifice of Christ • Hebrews 9:22: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” • 1 Peter 1:18-19: “You were redeemed… with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.” Exodus pushes worshipers to respect sacrificial blood; the New Testament reveals that Christ’s spotless blood forever secures our access. Pure worship now centers on trusting, proclaiming, and living under that perfect atonement. Timeliness and Wholehearted Devotion Leaving fat until morning hinted at delay or neglect. Hebrews 3:13 warns against the hardening effect of “tomorrow.” Romans 12:1 urges believers to present themselves immediately as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” Pure worship refuses procrastination; it responds swiftly to grace with undivided hearts. Practical Takeaways for Pure Worship Today • Guard sincerity—remove “leaven” of hidden sin or hypocrisy before gathering to worship. • Treasure Christ’s blood—approach the Lord’s Table with reverence, gratitude, and restored relationships (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). • Respond promptly—obey convictions while they are fresh; do not let devotion “sit until morning.” • Offer the best—give God the first and finest of time, resources, and attention, reflecting the fat portion that rightly belonged to Him. • Live undefiled—“Pure and undefiled religion… is to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27) Exodus 23:18 thus echoes through the New Testament as a lasting call: worship the Holy God with a pure heart, cleansed by Christ’s blood, free from the leaven of sin, and offered without delay. |
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