Merciful Sacrifice

The Old Testament is very symbolic in nature. God did not require so many sacrifices because He enjoys watching animals be killed. Each sacrifice meant something. The Israelites were not performing acts of animal cruelty; they were shepherds, and they brought their very livelihood before the presence of God. It symbolized trust and submission.

The ritual describe in Leviticus 8 is also very symbolic in nature. Horatius Bonar explains, "The victim was selected by Moses, who was thus representing God. It was not Aaron and his sons who chose the sacrifice; it was God who made the choice for them... Thus, in one sense, God lays our sins upon the sacrifice; but, in another, it is we who lay our sins upon it, when we bring them to it and confess them over its head." Moses selected a ram to consecrate Aaron; God chose Jesus to consecrate us. Just as the ram's blood covered Aaron, Jesus' blood covers us.

We have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was He, in His mercy, who offered an acceptable sacrifice for our sins. But we are still required to accept His gift of mercy. Accepting God's mercy must be taken seriously, and it calls us to proper action. Just days after being anointed as priests of Israel, Aaron's two eldest sons were killed by God for failing to honor the commands they were given. Commit yourselves to God, but realize what it means to be committed to God. When we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, our lives must become different. We are exhorted again and again to no longer live for the world. By ourselves, that is impossible, That is why, in His mercy, Jesus offered Himself as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord.

Living Life