What role does the burnt offering play in understanding God's holiness? Setting the Scene in Exodus 29:25 “Take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma before the LORD, an offering made by fire to the LORD.” • The verse closes the ordination ritual for Aaron and his sons. • God commands that the pieces just waved before Him be set on the altar “on top of the burnt offering,” indicating that everything culminates in that sacrifice. • The repeated phrase “before the LORD” highlights His immediate presence; the offering is not symbolic theater but a real encounter with the holy God. What a Burnt Offering Is • Offered entirely to God—nothing eaten, nothing saved (Leviticus 1:9). • Consumed by fire, representing absolute surrender. • Performed twice daily for Israel (Exodus 29:38–42), underscoring constant need. • Intended “for a pleasing aroma,” meaning God finds it acceptable when done His way. God’s Holiness Revealed in Total Consumption • Fire throughout Scripture pictures holiness that purifies and judges (Exodus 3:2; Hebrews 12:29). • The complete burning shows that sinful humanity cannot keep back any part when approaching a holy God. • By ordering the ordination pieces on top of an existing burnt offering, God layers holiness upon holiness—no priestly service begins without first acknowledging His perfect purity. Aroma of Acceptance • “Pleasing aroma” (Genesis 8:21; Ephesians 5:2) signals reconciliation. • Holiness is not cold distance; it welcomes those who come by God-appointed sacrifice. • The fragrance metaphor reminds us that God is personally delighted when holiness and atonement meet. Mediation and Holiness • Only consecrated priests may place offerings on the altar (Exodus 28:41). • Their newly anointed hands must act through the sacrifice because even consecrated people remain unworthy apart from atonement. • God’s holiness therefore demands a mediator, pointing forward to the ultimate High Priest (Hebrews 7:26–27). Foreshadowing Christ • Jesus fulfilled the burnt offering’s totality: “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). • On the cross He was wholly “consumed” under divine judgment, satisfying holiness once for all (Hebrews 10:10). • Believers now “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1), reflecting the burnt offering’s principle through daily surrender. Responding to God’s Holiness Today • Stand in awe: recognize that holiness still requires complete devotion. • Rest in grace: Christ’s finished work secures acceptance for those who trust Him. • Live consecrated: continual surrender—thoughts, time, possessions—echoes the burnt offering, declaring God’s holiness in everyday life. |
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