What can we learn about God's expectations from the "pleasing aroma" in sacrifices? Opening the Text Leviticus 1:9: “But its entrails and legs are to be washed with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” What “Pleasing Aroma” Communicates • God personally receives true worship; He “smells” the sacrifice (Genesis 8:21). • “Pleasing” (Hebrew: nîḥôaḥ) speaks of satisfaction, contentment, delight. • The aroma rises; acceptable worship must ascend from earth to heaven (Psalm 141:2). God’s Expectations Embedded in the Phrase • Wholehearted Obedience – The entire animal is placed on the altar (Leviticus 1:9); God wants every part of us (Romans 12:1). • Purity and Cleansing – Entrails and legs washed first; worship must be clean (James 4:8). • Voluntary, Costly Devotion – Burnt offering was not compulsory for sin; it was given freely out of love (Leviticus 1:3). • Exact, Revealed Pattern – Specific steps detailed by God, not improvised by the worshiper (Exodus 25:40). • Mediation by a Priest – A priest presents the sacrifice; God requires a mediator (Hebrews 7:25). • Substitutionary Atonement – Life for life on the altar (Leviticus 17:11); foreshadows Christ, “an offering…a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:2). Broader Scriptural Echoes • Noah’s burnt offering changed history (Genesis 8:20-22). • Daily offerings kept God’s presence central (Exodus 29:38-46). • When Israel rebelled, sacrifices lost their aroma (Isaiah 1:11-15; Amos 5:21-22). • Christ fulfilled every expectation, making believers themselves a “pleasing aroma” (2 Corinthians 2:15). Lessons for Today • God still delights in obedience born of love, not mere ritual. • Hidden areas must be cleansed—integrity matters as much as visible worship. • Worship that costs nothing smells like nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). • We approach God only through the once-for-all fragrant offering of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). • A life surrendered—time, talent, treasure—continues to rise before Him. Key Takeaways • God notices. He is not distant from true devotion. • Acceptable worship demands purity, sacrifice, and wholehearted surrender. • The “pleasing aroma” of Christ now defines and enables our own. |
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