The Offerings

… Well, to those of you who have not had the privilege yet of greeting, I would indeed convey my greetings. May the Lord bless you all. Now, as you understand, of course, my exercise is to say something, the Lord helping me, about these wonderful offerings that we can have in Leviticus chapter 1. As we sought to indicate in the Bible reading this afternoon, they speak of Christ in a very unique and precious and wonderful way. And before we look at them in depth, I think it's very helpful to see the setting, the context in which they are brought before us. And that's why I, first of all, had read Exodus 29, not particularly to go into it in any great depth, but to use it to set the scene. Because there we see that blessed setting up of this instruction to the children of Israel, that there would be a continual burnt offering, morning and evening. The day would end with it, and the day would begin with it. The memorial would ever be before them, of in this supreme and blessed way of the work of Christ. And with it, associated with it, the meal offering, speaking of his pathway here. The two are pretty well inseparable in scripture. And in fact, by the time we get to Elijah's day and first Kings, it becomes the oblation. And on that occasion, it is the meal offering, the word for it being oblation, which is predominant there, and it speaks about the evening oblation. But God set it up as the occasion of the burnt offering. And there, you see, it was that God would speak to them. He said, to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord. From their point of view, that was before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And it says, there I will speak with you, Moses, in particular, and there I will meet with the children of Israel. And, you see, dearly beloved, and particularly young brethren, I want you to get a hold of this, that there is a meeting place here on earth today. God hasn't just left us as individual units to go our own, according to our own whims and fancies. There is a place in this earth today, where he has set his name, and it's the place of meeting. It's the assembly. And on one occasion, Paul could say, forsake not the assembling, the assembling of yourselves together. There is that place where God would have us together. The Lord Jesus says, where two or three are gathered together in my name, are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And there is that place, this place, in this scene today, where every blood-bought saint, it's their right, they have a title and a privilege to be there. The shame is, of course, today, there are so very few that exercise that blessed privilege. But nonetheless, if God has so enlightened you, dear saint of God, as to the truth of this wonderful fact, that there is a centre in the scene today, God's gathering place, the place where he will meet with you, then no matter, you may not know much about it, but at least be there and enjoy the blessed truth and the reality, and act in the light of it. And Christ, of course, is the gathering point, the centre that we gather around, the blessed one. So that's where it begins. In the previous chapter of Exodus 40, it said, a cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses could not enter into the tent of meeting, for the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And then, you see, in Leviticus 1, the Lord, Jehovah, called to Moses and spoke to him out of this tent of meeting, this gathering ground, and that is the place from which God would speak to us today. And, of course, in these offerings, he is speaking to us primarily as a company of worshipping priests, and that is God's great thought for us, to be a company of worshipping priests today. His purpose for Israel, his desire for Israel, was that they would be a nation of priests, a kingdom of priests, and sadly they failed in that. But God ever had before him, even in that past age of eternity, that it would be a company that would serve him in worship and praise. The children of Israel set forth three aspects of the believers' pathway today. They were warriors, weren't they? They were warriors. They had an occasion to take up the sword and put down the enemies. They were warriors. And then there was the tribe of Levi, the Levites, and they were the workers. They were the workers, and their great aim was that the testimony might be maintained and sustained here, the testimony to the truth of God. And, of course, every one of us, we are called to be warriors for the Lord Jesus today, in every simple way, to pass on a word for the Master, to proclaim the fame and name of Jesus, to tell it abroad in a quiet way, not necessarily from a platform. It wouldn't do if everyone was on the platform preaching his name. But all God needs, though his servants, is to go out into the highways and the byways, to drop a word over the wall to your neighbor, to visit the sick, in every way to pass on a word for the name of the Master, to teach the children in the Sunday school as warriors. But, oh, that there might be more of us exercised to be workers for the Lord, to maintain the truth of the testimony, because these Levites often prepared the offerings, they brought them in, they brought them along, that there might be the service maintained. They dismantled the tabernacle and they folded it up and covered it in various ways and carried it forward. And, in fact, one section of these Levites, they even bore it upon their shoulders. They were fully identified with the full weight of the testimony. But here in these offerings, the great thought is that we might be worshipers, warriors, workers, but here as worshipers, a company of priests. And my desire is that we might have our affections, our desires more in this way to be worshiping, to be a company of priests serving God in this wonderful way within the sanctuary. We have a blessed privilege today to enter into it. In the Hebrews chapter 9, it said that the priest went in but once a year, while as yet the first was standing. But the first has been put away and the first and the second place have become one. And now in this day of grace, there is that one place of approach to God, that one sphere and center. And so it says, speak unto the children of Israel and say to them, when any man of you, when any man does this individual exercise, first of all, when any man, no matter what your condition, you can be so exercised, any man presents an offering, just a simple word, a present, a gift, a present to the Lord, ye shall present your offering. This individual appreciation that one has, there must be that wrought upon you in personal experience with God, that would give you to respond to him in that way. It's what you have gained under the hand of God as an appreciation of the work of Christ, of his blessed work, of the glorious worth of that blessed man. It would exercise you to bring forward that offering, and here it says, of the cattle, of the herd, and of the flock. The cattle were the large beasts, the large animals, the herd was dealing with sheep, and the flock was dealing with the sheep. Now he says, if his offering, if his offering be a burnt offering, speaking generally about the exercises, it would give some response to God with regard to the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then here it's dealing specifically with a burnt offering of the herd. He shall present it, he shall present it a male, without blemish, without blemish, and most of these offerings had to be males. It, of course, the male, it cost more than the female, so there was more of a sacrifice in bringing that forward, and the male, of course, would seem to bring out the idea of energy, of power and energy, and no weakness at all in the offering. There must be full, mature appreciation of the Lord Jesus Christ in his great work on Calvary's cross, because you see, that burnt offering brings before us the wonderful work of the Lord Jesus Christ supremely culminating in that work upon Calvary's cross, where he offered himself without spot to God. He came here not only to deal with our sins, to cleanse us from our sins, but he came here to settle once and for all that great question of sin, to deal with it once and for all, and in so doing to glorify, to vindicate, to bring honor and majesty to the glory of God in that place of sin, and there we see him subjecting himself to the will of the Father. I must be about my Father's business. He ever did the will of the Father. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and that was tested supremely there at Calvary's cross, where he went into death, and that the death of the cross, there supremely in that place bearing and giving answer to God for this great question of sin, and so the worshiper comes in an appreciation of that work to see that the great question of sin is settled once and for all, and as a result of that one is accepted before God. One has a full appreciation of the acceptance, the standing that we have before God, taken into favor in the beloved in that glorious place because of the great work of Christ upon Calvary's cross. At the end of that verse you see it says, at the entrance of the tent of meeting shall he present it for his acceptance. I know it says in the authorized version of his own voluntary will, but the new translation says for his acceptance before the Lord, and that is the thing that is comes out here first and foremost, that the appreciation of that great work of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving answer to God for sin, one consequence of that work is that the believer stands in all the acceptability of Christ before the Father's face. But however, don't let us miss this wonderful preciousness we thought of the mail, but it's without blemish, without blemish. Remember in the Exodus 12, in the Paschal Lamb, there that was to be likewise without blemish, no mark, no stain, no defect, no spot. If you turn to chapter 22 of Leviticus, you'll see it's explicitly set out there, all the various defects that could be in animals, and none of these were acceptable at all before God in an offering, except one thing in a particular case of a peace offering. But for a burnt offering, there was nothing at all, no weakness at all, no stain, no spot. And of course, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, even the babe in Christ appreciates the wonderful glorious perfection that is in that blessed man, who indeed came here, he said, the prince of this world comes and finds nothing in me. There was not a weakness, not a defect, perisheth not, there was nothing there. He was absolutely, completely perfect in every facet, and supremely, of course, when we view him in the garden, in his agony of blood. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. There we see him in the garden supremely, and then on to Calvary's cross, laying down his life in our room instead. It says in John 10, therefore doth the Father love me, therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life. No man taketh it from me, I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. Oh, what a blessed fullness there is in that one who went into death and glorified God, offering himself without spot to God, securing everything for God's eternal glory and satisfaction. We, in measure, and perhaps feebly, but we enter into the appreciation of that, we stand with wonder and gaze and amazement. Verse four, you see, it says, he shall lay his hand on the head of the offering. And the idea is that he really leans on the offering, it's his support almost, he leans, he identifies himself fully with the offering, with the acceptability of the offering. And so today, isn't it wonderful that we can come and come to God in all the blessed acceptability of his glorious person, the glories of his worth we bring, the glorified we see, his deep perfections gladly sing and tell them forth to thee. We can lean with our hand, how precious, it's a challenge to my heart. Very often do I, am I in the full reality of what it is to lean with my hand upon Christ as the burnt offering, to be identified here in presenting him in all his blessed acceptability as the one who has been into death supremely for the glory of God there upon Calvary's cross. Dearly beloved, it's for every one of us to enjoy that, to get into it and into the enjoyment of that, to lean with his hand on the head of the offering. And it says it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Oh, you know, the great fullness has been brought in as a result of that work, that we who were by nature and by practice far, so very far away from God, that nature of ours and by the man of sin and shame owned and his plaything. And that has been answered once and for all supremely in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we stand accepted in the place that none but Christ can claim. Our willing hearts have heard his voice and in his mercy we rejoice. Yes, taken into favor, taken into favor in the beloved, in the beloved, that unique word in the whole of scripture, certainly in the New Testament, the beloved, the beloved, unique expression, declaration of all that in the heart of God the Father, for his beloved son. And you and I, dear saint of God, because of that work, that finished work upon Calvary's cross, where he secured everything for God the Father's glory, gave answer to the great question of sin, delivered us from the man of sin and shame, that we can now stand accepted in the place that none but Christ can claim. It shall be presented to make an atonement for him. And then it says he shall slaughter the bullock before the Lord. He shall slaughter the bullock before the Lord. That's the offerer, the offerer. And then notice that the priests looked at as Aaron's sons, Aaron's sons. It doesn't say the priests, it says Aaron's sons. And of course we enjoy the thought, don't we, that we are sons of God. Oh the blessed enjoyment we have as sons of God. Privilege there is that connected with it, responsibility. And here's one of our blessed privileges as the sons of God to and to come and present Christ in all his blessed worth and acceptability. It says they shall present the blood. It's already been slain. They shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood round about on the altar. The altar that is at the tent of meeting, the brazen altar, but often called the altar of burnt offering. There was other offerings were presented on that altar, but it very often God's prime thought, great thought is that it's the altar of burnt offering. That is first and foremost what God sees in the work of Christ. He sees there that he did that work for God's glory. Yes, there was man's need, but first and foremost there was that the glory of God might be maintained. And surely we have that in Ephesians 5, don't we? An offering and a sacrifice to God, to God, offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. There was that which accrued supremely and first of all to God in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this precious blood, the blood actually here speaking to us of that greater and more precious blood was sprinkled round about the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. It brings it out specifically, links it with a place where we approach to God. That is the ground and basis of our approach is that shed and sprinkled blood round about the altar. And then it says he shall flay the burnt offering that was to skin it and cut it up into its pieces. And oh, you know, isn't it precious for us to spiritually meditate on the Lord Jesus Christ and without really being demeaning in any way, but to figuratively cut up into its pieces the offering to meditate on the Lord Jesus Christ, to take every blessed aspect of his love, his grace, his holiness, his righteousness, his tenderness, his compassion, every step of his pathway, to see in every blessed feature of him all that accrued to God, to think of the various ways in which he did and acted, to think of these blessed hands of his and the way he acted. There was, you know, one gospel writer says that he took Peter's wife's mother by the hand. Another gospel says that he stood over her and spoke. And then another one says that he stood by her and spoke. And oh, the gospel writers bring out these various scintillating facets of our blessed Lord and all the moral greatness and glory that comes out there, but supremely leading on his devotion, his devotion to the Father's will, but that the world may know that I love the Father arise, let us go hence. And he moved on to Calvary's cross and there to view him on as the victim nailed to the accursed tree, but to look at Christ and all these blessed aspects and facets. What a meditation for our souls to cut it up into its pieces. And no matter which way, which point, which facet, which aspect of the blessed Lord we view and contemplate, and we see it pure and perfect and spotless. It can stand the searching light of the truth of God, of the work of the Holy Spirit. These offerings you see were washed within and without because they had to be cleaned, but the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, figuratively, the water of the Holy Spirit coming upon him, the truth of the word of God. And indeed he alone could say, isn't he? Yea, thy law, thy law is within my heart. I come to do, O God, thy will, to do, O God, thy will, thy law is within my heart. And so in every blessed aspect of his life here, put to the searchlight of the truth of the word of God, and there was glory supreme. There was nothing, no fault, nothing could be found lacking at all. And so as we meditate on the Lord Jesus Christ and present him to the Father in all his blessed acceptability in every single aspect, and this is why, of course, no one of us can really do it alone. There are far too many, a multitude of aspects of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, as it requires indeed many, many priests to come together on occasion to indeed in any small measure give full justice to the glory and the splendor of that blessed man who went into death on Calvary's cross. And so they're cutting up into the pieces and then it says, the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, put fire on the altar. And the fire here I feel, you know, in this particular case is a testing, is a testing. And it's the work of the Holy Spirit as in the testing of the Lord and showing to the fool that he is the one that can fully endure the wrath of God against sin. And the fire is there. And so as priests, we indeed, as we contemplate the Lord, as we read his precious word, we are figuratively bringing the testing of the Holy Spirit to bear upon him. And as we meditate on this, we see supremely that the Lord Jesus Christ secured it all and went through it all in accordance with the will of the Father. And there was the wood there, laying it in order, wood, not very, one might not think very much of wood, but at least that was the thing that the fire would burn and cause the flames to come. And oh, surely there must be that appreciation as led by the Spirit. There is that in our appreciation of Christ that the Holy Spirit can kindle and bring to light so that we are able to give that offering, that praise to God that ascends to him acceptably. And it's laying it in order. Oh, the godly order that's needed to set things in order, not giving flights of fancy or any woolly thoughts, but no, as directed by a pure and proper appreciation, meditation on that blessed one, there is that in our appreciation of him that the Holy Spirit can take and use as that which will give praise and bring out in glorious wonder our appreciation of Christ that ascends to the God, the Father's glory as we appreciate him. So no matter in which way we look at Christ, there is that, there is that that goes up to God and we indeed appreciate it and bring it forward in praise and worship. And it said they lay the pieces, the head and the fat in order once again, this laying things in order on the wood, on the fire, this is on the altar, the fat. And this fat here of course is not very often mentioned, we get fat mentioned with the other offerings, but this, the fat here is only used with regard to the burnt offering and in one other occasion. And the fat would seem to convey the energy, the fat is that which is the energy of the animal and the Lord Jesus Christ could say to God, all my springs are in thee. He was activated, motivated, the great energy of his will was to do the Father's will and God appreciated that and supremely we see that fat being set out, separated and set in order and tested by the fire and as that would be burned by the fire, there was this sweet odor went up to God and the rest of it, the inwards, the legs washed in water and the priest burning all in the altar. There was the separation of the fat, ascending the energy of the will of the Lord going to the Father and then all his glorious person, all holy consumed, giving himself unreservedly, as we've said already, offering himself without spot to God, supremely for God the Father's glory, his will tested to the ultimate by that great death on Calvary's cross. And the priest shall burn all on the altar, every single part burned all on the altar, he gave himself completely to God, nothing held back, a burnt offering, an offering by fire to the Lord of a sweet odor, the preciousness, there was that that ascends to the Father, the Father's full delight from him, there's that indeed in the death of Christ, supremely and first and foremost which went up to God as a sweet smelling savor. There was much else we know that came out of the death of Christ but first and foremost God at his blessed portion in that the Lord Jesus Christ in being made sin, secured everything for his glory and satisfaction, there there indeed he had the appreciation from his beloved son, the one who went and died on Calvary's cross, there's that which ascends to the Father as a sweet odor. Now of course we notice from verses 10 to 13 as many of you are perhaps aware that there was another a lesser grade of animal, the sheep, something from the sheep or the goats for a burnt offering and of course we are inclined to think of this as a obviously a cost less but nonetheless it was appreciated by God and perhaps you know this is where there are there is development in our spiritual appreciation and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ of his person and his work of that great work in Calvary's cross and sometimes we cannot fully enter in to all that there is in the death of whose to God from it and it doesn't say you see without the case of the sheep or the goats that it was for his acceptance for his acceptance come the the worshiper here the offerer comes with an appreciation of Christ but he doesn't seem to really be enjoying the fullness of acceptance before the Father's face. He is accepted but it doesn't mention it here from verses 10 to 13 but he comes perhaps with a somewhat lesser appreciation of Christ but notice nonetheless it says it is a burnt offering an offering by fire to the Lord of a sweet odor and then the next one from verses 14 to 17 this time it was a of the turtle doves or young pigeons and obviously something of much less value a sacrifice but something of much less value and the there again there wasn't the same skinning of the animal and the cleavage putting it into parts in fact there was that that came along that was extraneous matter and had to be put to one side the crop and its feathers and this this person coming with the offering he had to leave it to the priest and you know as perhaps as young believers we come along to praise the Lord at his supper and we come along with an appreciation of Christ something which is really wrought on our hearts by God the Holy Spirit we come along and there may be some brother who has a deeper appreciation of Christ in his giving of praise he expresses the very thoughts that was before our that we had and so that that offering that we were coming with has been translated by the Spirit of God into something which is a deeper and fuller appreciation of Christ but of course you see that doesn't set us back that gives us a greater desire to learn more of Christ to meditate more on him to enjoy his blessed life and to enjoy that what comes from his death and so as we go on and grow in divine things then we enjoy Christ and we're better able to present a bullock or a greater offering you see there is of course Christianity is a sacrificial system and perhaps you know we should challenge our hearts are we ready are we prepared for the sacrifice that we might have that greater appreciation of Christ to present to God I challenge you more in heart along with yours are we are we really prepared for the cost of what it is to have that deeper and fuller appreciation of Christ we don't get it in an easy way no but it comes from a heart given up to God as you know as we meditate on the Lord Jesus Christ as the burnt offering it's a wonderful meditation for our hearts but surely the end should be that there might be a response in our hearts are we prepared in that same way to be devoted unto him a life devoted to him is that the response that there should be surely every heart here from the youngest to the oldest as we contemplate as we meditate upon the great love of our blessed Lord going even unto death and what he did there in in securing everything for God of giving answer to the great question of sin and maintaining the glory and honor and majesty of God surely there would be a response in our hearts and lives that we would likewise seek to be here for the glory of God and there might be that which would go up in praise to him and so you see the law of the offering is very much the the sort of the rules the procedures connected with it and that's why I read it and refer to it and it's particularly what is bearing upon the priest it's you see in verse 9 of that chapter 6 it's command Aaron and his sons saying this is the law of the burnt offering it shall be on the hearth on the altar all night unto the morning and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it and we already mentioned the bearing the force of the fire that that which tasted the blessed Lord even unto death and you know it says it's to be burning all night and are we this is the night of the Lord's rejection this is the night of the Lord's rejection and are we his people maintaining in our in our praises is our whole life maintaining that praise to God issuing forth in the night of his rejection is that that going up to God of praise and worship at full appreciation of his wonderful death there upon Calvary's cross says in psalm 134 doesn't it about the priest who by night stand before the Lord giving praise is that our portion dearly beloved are we are indeed as led by the spirit of God able to maintain that service of praise that supreme position into which you've been privileged by the grace of God to be as worshippers a company of worshippers to offer up spiritual sacrifices a holy accepter unto God is this is this indeed that are we maintaining this in the night of the Lord's rejection the fire of the altar be kept burning on it never to go out from verse 10 the priest shall put on his linen raiment and his linen breeches shall he put on his flesh and linen we know fine linen speaks of the righteousnesses of saints and you know there is a practical bearing in this offering too are we prepared to put on the practical righteousness of Christ today in answer to this great work of his upon Calvary's cross is there a response in our hearts are we prepared to put on these linen garments and take of the ashes and it says he shall put them beside the altar and the ashes was what was left of the the offering to put them beside the altar the place where the sacrifice had been done and are we prepared i think in doing this action the priests were owning that the that there was a finish to the offering and are we saying today that we are finished and God forbid that I should glory the apostle Paul says save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ by which the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world are we prepared are we prepared for this figuratively to put the ashes beside the altar to say that we are finished that that old man has been done and dealt with once and for all and we're there in the death of Christ finished as the old man and that there is now a new man because it says he shall put off his garments and put on other garments there is this other exercise to put on the other garments and come out now in testimony for the Lord as those that are in the full value the full appreciation of the great work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary's cross as that has it got it answered in us have we had the exercises of the true righteousness of God of owning our death with Christ and then putting on the other garments and going out in testimony to him here walking in holy separation from this evil world that nailed unto Calvary's cross are we prepared to take sides with the rejected Lord in this world today to be for him here it says they he shall put on other garments and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place Jesus also might sanctify the people with his blood suffered without the gate let us go forth therefore unto him unto him unto him without the camp bearing his reproach dearly beloved I challenge your hearts surely as we consider as we contemplate as we gaze upon that blessed one that we were occupied this afternoon with the one who was who is in the bosom of the Father came from Godhead's fullest glory down to Calvary's depth of woe died there to put away sin to give answer for that great question of sin once and for all and secure everything with God the Father's pleasure and glory vindicated his honor and majesty as we contemplate that great love of his heart surely it would call for a response from each and every one of our hearts that we might know what it is they put on the other garments to come out outside unto the clean place and the fire upon the altar kept burning on it shall not be put out is there that going up from our hearts continually continually some appreciation perhaps feeble and faint but is there that great desire that it might be awakened and kindled and sustained more and more until the day when the night shall end and it gives way the morning without the clouds when we'll see his blessed face yet savior thou shalt have full praise we soon shall see on the cloud yes we're waiting for that day every one of us let us be found here in this day in answer to that great work of his upon Calvary's cross that we might be found here as those that are put on the other garments carried the ashes out unto a clean place and that we might be here in the maintaining that fire the appreciation of the testing lord came into here in the scene and the burning of the wood on it is there that that we have that appreciation of Christ that will be suitable suitable material for the spirit of God to work upon and bring out some appreciation in our hearts and lives of the Lord Jesus Christ so I leave it with you dearly beloved I trust that you it may have been a little bit faltering but I do trust that by the help of the spirit of God tonight you've got something of what the Lord has laid in my heart that there might be a response to him because surely he is wonderfully worthy and that we might indeed in this night of his rejection there might be that continual fire kept burning from every one of our hearts there might be an appreciation as wrought upon by the blessed holy spirit of something of the wonders and the glories of that blessed man and what is secured for the pleasure of God in his death upon Calvary's cross may it be so for his name's sake I wonder if we could then sing the hymn number 98 hymn number 98 gazing on the Lord in glory while our hearts and worship bow there we read the wondrous story of the cross its shame and woe did thy guardian then forsake thee hide his face from thy dignity in thy face once marred and spitted all his glory now we read the hymn number 98 …

… Leviticus chapter 2 and we begin reading at verse 1. Leviticus chapter 2 verse 1 And when anyone will present a meat offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense thereof. And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. And he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense thereof. And the priest shall burn the memorial thereof on the altar, an offering by fire to the Lord of a sweet savour. And the remainder of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons. It is most holy of the Lord's offerings by fire. And if you present an offering of meat offering, bacon in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. And if you're offering me an oblation, bacon on the pan, it shall be fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. You shall part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon. It is a meat offering. And if you're offering the meat offering prepared in the cauldron, it shall be of fine flour with oil. And you shall bring the meal offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar. And the priest shall take from the meal offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering by fire to the Lord of a sweet smelling savour. And the remainder of the offering shall be Aaron's and his son's. It is most holy of the Lord's offerings by fire. No oblation which he shall present to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for no leaven and no honey shall you burn in any fire offering to the Lord. As to the offering of the firstfruits, he shall present them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered upon the altar for a sweet savour. In every offering of your meal offerings shall you season with salt, neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt. And if you present an offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall present as the offering of the firstfruits green ears of corn roasted in fire, corn beaten out of full ears, and you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense thereon. It is an offering. And the priest shall burn the memorial thereof, part of the beaten corn thereof and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof. It is an offering by fire to the Lord. And in chapter 6 and verse 14, chapter 6 verse 14, and this is the law of the meal offering. One of the sons of Aaron shall present it before the Lord, before the altar, and he shall take of it his handful of fine flour of the meal offering and of the oil thereof and all the frankincense which is on the meal offering and shall burn it on the altar. It is a sweet powder of the memorial thereof to the Lord. And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat. Unleavened shall it be eaten in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting shall they eat it. It shall not be bacon with leaven as their portion have I given it unto them of my offerings by fire. It is most holy as the sin offering and as the trespass offering. All the males among the children of Israel shall eat of it. It is an everlasting statute in your generations, their portion of the Lord's offerings by fire. Whatever touches these shall be holy. And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, this is the offering of Aaron and of his sons which they shall present to the Lord on the day when he is anointed. The tenth part of an ephah of fine flour as a continual meal offering, half of it in the morning and half thereof at night. It shall be prepared in the pan with oil. Saturated with oil shall you bring it. Bacon pieces of the meal offering shall you present for a sweet powder to the Lord. And the priest who is anointed of his sons in his stay shall prepare it. It is an everlasting statute. It shall be holy burned to the Lord. And every meal offering of the priest shall be holy burned it shall not be eaten. May the Lord bless that reading from his precious word to us. Well yesterday in the consideration of the previous offering, chapter one, the burnt offering, there we saw that the great thought was the will of God and the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, doing the will of God and tested fully and completely in every way, fully tested even unto death, where in complete and absolute and total submission to the will of God, he offered himself there without spot to God to give answer for the great question of sin and settle it once and for all that this universe might be cleared or not immediately but the basis may must be laid for the absolute clearance from this scene, from this universe of the great principle of sin. And there we see in that holocaust the giving up of our blessed Lord. I notice I use the word holocaust there. There at last a few years ago there the word got them was referred to the Jewish persecutions and of course one would not belittle in any way the harshness of the treatment that these dear people got. There only ever was one holocaust and there only ever will be one holocaust and that was when the blessed Son of God bore the judgment, the wrath of God there upon Calvary's cross. That alone is the only holocaust. And here we see now in this chapter two, once again the Lord Jesus in submission to the will of the Father. It is an offering but the great point here in this offering is not so much death, not really death. It brings out primarily the life of our Lord Jesus but a life given up to God, a life lived under the eye of God as a sacrifice to God, as a life for God here and a life fully tested as we shall see presently in every way. And you see this is one of the things that we must grasp in these offerings that it needs at least the five types of offering to cover most of the major aspects of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary's cross, though they by no means embrace every aspect of it but they do give a very wide embrace to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary's cross and his life here particularly in this meal offering, what is properly, more properly a meal or a food offering. Not necessarily a meat, it's meat in the sense of food, a food offering and here in this offering we contemplate, we gaze upon, we are occupied with the pathway with a life of the Lord Jesus as a life lived here under the eye of God and so very often almost always it is certainly associated, almost always it's associated with the burnt offering. The two go together, the life of the Lord Jesus and the death of the Lord Jesus. Now perhaps we might wonder why we have the life of the Lord Jesus being presented after his death but you see really until we have come to in all the blessed acceptability of him as we saw try to express figuratively yesterday leaning with our head upon the hand of the burnt offering identification with Christ and being fully accepted in him in all the blessed acceptability of his glorious person accruing resulting from his death when we have fully appropriated, well not really appropriated, when we valued it, enjoyed it, come to the proper realization of it then and then only can we fully and adequately enjoy and appropriate the pathway of our blessed Lord here for the glory of God the Father. You'll notice as we shall presently touch upon it that these priests were enabled, were allowed to eat of this offering but of course in that the one in chapter one, the burnt offering, they were not allowed to eat any of it at all. Theirs only was to adore. In the hymn we had this morning they're only to adore speaking of the coming day but even now in the faith of our souls we can stand as those priests of old stood there and saw that offering going up to God and they knew they appreciated something of the sweet smelling savor that came from that fat being burned there. There was that odor that went up to God, that sweet smelling savor. Our dear brother Johnny was just reminding me last night as you know in the farm he knows a lot about animals that the fat is the essence of the animal and it's a very important part and when that fat was burned there was that sweet odor ascended to God and these priests they could only stand back in wonder and amazement and joy and enjoy the wonder, the glory, the splendor, the majesty, the absolute holiness of that one, the blessed son of God who gave himself without spot to God and so here now we gaze upon him in his pathway here our blessed Lord. This is as we say a food offering. It's the it's the word that's used first of offerings back in Genesis 4. It's an offering there that's used that's the very word that's used and here it's of the main ingredient. The main ingredient was this fine flour, the finest of the grain of the wheat, finely blended and balanced, milled and milled and milled to make it very very fine and without too much stretch of our imagination and not with our imagination at all but with spiritual spiritual susceptibilities we can see how our blessed Lord in this path we hear was always under the mill of God the mill of God there was that pressure that always was coming upon him the pressure that was there in every pathway tested to the full not capriciously perish the thought no but this was in accordance with the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God then the mill of God grinded on him mill of God was ever on him and in every step of his pathway as he was under the mill of God and the pressure was there on him there was that which went up to God as a sweet smelling savour in the psalms we read of him doesn't he says in pressure in pressure thou hast enlarged me and oh indeed not that he needed any enlargement perish the thought though he were son yet learned the obedience by the things which he suffered but he was the perfect one and to become the captain of our salvation he must be made perfect through suffering not sinless perfection no but being fitted for that blessed office of the captain of our salvation and of being our great high priest he must suffer here and oh the ways in which our blessed lord suffered as he walked this pathway and so the flower speaks of his humanity man very man yesterday we were contemplating we were considering him as very God God himself the one who was in the beginning with God came here as God manifest in the flesh but as manifest in the flesh he was truly man truly man in body soul and spirit a man here for the pleasure of God the first man of the earth but the second man out of heaven a new order a different order and character of man at all but a man here for the pleasure of God he was hungry he was thirsty he wept he he wept he rejoiced and he walked the scene he was weary with a journey what a blessed blessed man in every aspect in every way there were those that came to him in in wonder and amazement oh the blessed steps of that one in the scene his perfect humanity and it says fine flower and as that mill was grinding there was complete and perfect balance there was no lumpiness in it nothing that was out of balance or out of blend at all he wasn't all grace he wasn't all holiness he wasn't all righteousness he and all these features were there in our blessed lord but all in perfect blend and balance nothing no one thing outstanding but everything was in perfect blend and balance but of course the whole lot together he was completely outstanding he was supreme in his pathway here for the pleasure of God and then it said he shall pour oil in it and we know of course the oil here speaks of the holy spirit and surely with us i'd stress again that in these offerings we are viewed and we are viewed as worshippers remember we said that there are times when we are warriors there are times when we are workers but in these offerings we are here as worshippers priestly service that's what's needed today God is is calling and looking for priestly service from every one of us and we may not have great capacity or measure perhaps we may not have great understanding of it but it's there for us to go into it and that's what God has in view we may not know much about it but i i would hope that when we see what lies before us that we might go on into it i will remember um just the very day after i gave my heart to lord Jesus i came along to this very hall the following evening to hear an address by dear Mr McBroom and you know probably i probably hardly understood very few words that were said but at least it gave me something of what could lie before one but there was something to get into and you know as we have before us the full blessed responsibility and privilege dear young believer of what it is to enter into his presence with thanksgiving to enter in within the veil to lift up holy hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord that's something for us to go into and have a desire to appreciate and appropriate the Lord Jesus even now to gaze upon him to meditate upon him to enjoy him here as the man for the pleasure of God and so as we come as the opera the pouring of the oil on it we in it we figuratively are appreciating are appreciating that that blessed man who was here was the fit and adequate person upon whom the Holy Spirit could descend as a dove the Holy Spirit had never come as a dove before upon any anyone here at last in this scene was one here who was the fit and proper and adequate person for the Holy Spirit to come upon oh isn't that wonder and amazement at last in this scene and there never would ever again be anyone when the Holy Spirit came upon those that believed on him he came as tongues of fire never again as a dove descending on him and so as we approach with our appreciation of Christ as parched worshipers to the father we see and we indeed tell forth the glories we own before God that in this blessed man was the one upon whom the Holy Spirit could rest with divine complacency oh how precious that is may we enjoy the wonders of that glorious blessed man oh that we might know more of it and then it says and he put frankincense there on oh the precious incense that went up went up holy to God there was nothing for us in it that they would of course have the appreciation of it they would sense it they would know it was there they would have the appreciation of it but the incense the frankincense went up to God and we know in that pathway of our blessed Lord here there was that which was for the benefit and the need of man around there was that which man could take account of there is that which you and I dear fellow believer dear saint of God can take account of but in that pathway of our blessed Lord here in the scene there was that supremely which ascended to the father as a sweet smelling savor every step of his pathway there wasn't one wrong step perish the thought every step it said his face was as it would go to Jerusalem yes every step of his pathway here for the pleasure of God oh as we think of that blessed one remember in the psalms we read very much about the the types of that blessed man blessed is the man that walks not in the council of the wicked and stands not in the way of sinners and sits not in the seat of scorners but his delight is in the law Jehovah's law and in his law does he meditate day and night and he is as a tree planted by brooks of water which gives its fruit in its season and whose leaf fades not and all that he does prospers there we see the pathway so we can begin in psalm 1 and go through psalm 3 and various other sounds verses here and there short portions all showing out there the pathway of this man all the deep divine exercises that were his as he walked in the scene for the glory of God yea indeed there are sometimes a whole sound which shows our blessed lord in the character of the meal offering one of these in particular for your later meditation is psalm 16 preserve me oh god for i trust in thee thou my soul has said to the lord thou art the lord my goodness extends not to thee the lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup and so on he goes he says i have set the lord continually before me and so we see the lord jesus here as the dependent and as the confident one complete confidence in god walking the scene so read the psalms and see here and there these touches by the master's hand of that blessed one who walked here for the pleasure and glory of god so we see in this offering supremely brought before us the pathway of our blessed lord here glorifying god and then in being tested it says the offerer shall bring it to Aaron's sons and here the thoughts are brought together we enjoyed something of a touch of sonship in this particular aspect and it says Aaron's sons the priests in case there's any doubt this double underlining of their great and blessed privilege as being of the priestly family to take these offerings and present them and it says the offerer takes out his handful of the flower thereof and the oil and all that all the frankincense that is he was for god all of it was for god and they should preach a band the memorial thereof on the altar the priest did it an offering by fire to the lord of a sweet order and it's tested by fire tested by fire and we we were thinking yesterday of how that there was the fire of the testing of our blessed lord upon calvary's cross but in his pathway here he was tested in very very many ways yes satan came to me even at the outset as we read about it in matthew 4 and in luke 4 and yet the lord jesus could defeat him absolutely and completely by his utter reliance on the word of god and all through his pathway there was the feelings that came upon him that he he suffered he suffered in anticipation of the cross and he suffered to for righteousness sake here in this scene they were continually seeking to pick him up in his words and he suffered um for israel he suffered for israel and he could weep to the great effect that death had upon those that he loved he whom thou lovest is sick and he wept at the grave of lazarus as he could see the awful effect that death and sin had upon his creation those that he had created the work of his hands that were there and he could feel for the minute and oh think of it i was just reading it this morning in matthew 23 jerusalem jerusalem thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee often would i have gathered together as a hen of gatherer chickens under her wings and thou wouldst not know what it meant for our blessed lord to be rejected by them what he could feel in his holy soul and also he could feel the rejection but he also had a feeling for them that they were rejecting him and that what would come upon them and then of course in that chapter 24 of matthew it's delineated he tells what will happen to them in a coming day and the blessed lord felt these things in his innermost soul feelings deep heartfelt feelings says he groaned in spirit and was troubled groaned in spirit and was troubled and so then from verse the verse three the remainder of the this offering shall be errands and descends it is most holy most holy it's stressed absolutely it's something that we cannot value too much we can't value it enough as its absolute holiness that we're dealing with a holy matter when we are contemplating the pathway of our lord here as under the pressure the testing pressure of the fire of god and it said the remainder shall be errands and descends and here as the priest of family we can partake of it this was the food for the priests to maintain them and keep them going this food it wasn't only the they obviously would have enjoyed along with all of israel the manna the manna the food of christ once humbled here as mr darby brings it out in his hymn the food of christ once humbled here and of course perhaps later on as we read of in joshua they would enjoy the old corn of the land but these priests this was food that was only for them the priestly family to have that appreciation of the life of the lord jesus christ as tested even right up to death and all the pressure that came upon it and that's for us to enjoy and appreciate in a holy way it is most holy we don't take these things up carelessly we can't lay these things on the altar with unclean hands in a haphazard way no it demands deep and great exercise as we saw in the case of the burnt offering there's a need for exercise david said can i offer to god that which doesn't cost me anything he says i won't offer to god that which is costless and here again we see that there must be that exercise of soul and again we would challenge our hearts as to how much we are prepared for that because as we then look from verses 4 to 10 we see a development a slight degradation one might reverently say in the formation of these offerings in a similar way in which we saw some slight degradation in the value of the offering though nonetheless of course all equally appreciated by god that was a great point they were all equally appreciated by god because they as with the hymn right him things i was quoting it at the back of the meeting again though high yet he accepts the praise his people offer here the faintest feverish cry they raise will reach the savior's ears and another hymn says to all our prayers and praises christ adds his sweet perfume when he the sense of raises its odors to consume but there's an incentive for us not to be just content but to go into the into the things of god more and more to enjoy the preciousness of christ and that we might have a large sheaf something great to offer to god so here in verse 4 it says the offering bacon in the oven an offering bacon in the oven unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil baking in the oven the oven as we all are so well aware is something which is hidden we know that there's heat there we know that there's pressure going on but we don't can't really see the effect of it until it's completed and it's taken out and there is that as we've sought to indicate and intimate in the pathway of our blessed lord which we can never never fully appreciate or understand but we know as the one here the holy one remember it is worth that holy thing which shall be born remember it's although it says in the authorized version born of thee the real rendering is that holy thing which shall be born son of god he was born son of god yes he was the sorry he was the son of god before he was born but it said that holy thing which shall be born is called son of god i just mentioned that by the by to bring out the glory and the grandeur that it was the son of god who came into this scene as a man that holy thing which shall be born that holy thing which shall be born and in the holiness of his life here under the eye of god there was that between him and god as in this scene in this evil wicked scene this this world that he had created and yet had gone away from him into which sin had come as he felt the condition of things and alone alone and with the presence of god there is that that we can never fully appreciate but we know that it was going on and we indeed can come as those that see the result of it with an appreciation to god of the result of that and there was these cakes you see they were they were well formed cakes are not just a a handful of a flower but they've been well formed they've been baked and we must have proper and a well-formed thoughts of our lord jesus christ and it was fine flour mingled with oil and this mingling as the mr darvis footnote brings out it was completely invigorated his whole being he was born the power of the holy spirit shall overshadow you the power of the holy spirit was said to mary and therefore that holy thing which shall be born shall be called son of god and he was born of the spirit the whole whole of his being moved here as under the power of the holy spirit of god these a fine flower mingled with oil and then it says or unleavened wafers anointed with oil once again this definite clear distinction the shaping this forming these wafers these wafers you know had indentations on them the marks of further pressing and pressure that came on them though to it all brings out doesn't it in a very wonderful way the pressure that came upon our blessed lord here and then it said if you're offering me bacon in the pan that was the open frying pan a very much heat again pressure coming on our lord here in this pathway but a more open something that we read about openly in the gospels and can appreciate and have an understanding of our thoughts formed in that way and these were parted in pieces and remember yesterday we saw in the burnt offering there was the parting of it in pieces as there was the proper consideration of all the very many facets and of the death of our lord jesus christ here in the parting of the pieces of this meal offering we read the scriptures we read the gospels and we see there all the various ways the various assets facets the aspects all the traits the characteristics of our blessed lord that came out in this pathway here for the pleasure of god oh how wonderful it is to have that great and wonderful appreciation of the lord jesus christ surely that dear woman mary must have had a great appreciation of the lord jesus christ she must have known something of his love of his heart of tenderness didn't it because she brought her glory she brought her glory a little hair hair you see is the woman's a the glory the woman's glory and it was certainly long enough for her to use it to wipe his feet she brought her glory to the feet of the lord jesus christ he must have made a real impression on her i revel to say oh all our glory at his blessed feet and so she had a real appreciation of the lord jesus know that we might have similar and deeper and even fuller and more wonderful there's a great vista of the appreciation of the lord jesus christ as we reverently figuratively cut it up parting it in its pieces and pouring oil thereon having the wonderful blessed appreciation that every act of our blessed lord was that which the holy spirit could indeed delight to give his seal to because of the wonderful perfection of that man in this pathway here and then there was the offering prepared in the pan which was like a porridge that mixture there again the testing of the heat coming on but not such a well-formed appreciation or understanding of the lord jesus christ but nonetheless they're all presented to the priest and he brings it to the altar and there was a memorial thereof burnt on the altar an offering by fire to the lord of a sweet odor as we stressed once again that although we might come with deeper and perhaps fuller some with more with fuller appreciation of the lord jesus christ in his pathway here it's all whatever it is whatever faint feeble cry we raise of appreciation of it's all accepted and it goes up as an offering by fire to the lord of a sweet odor and then the remainder we see was errands and descends the food of the priests that which would maintain them and sustain them in their priestly service for god there was that very much that they had to do day and morning and day and night they had to keep that fire going all night and there was the evening in the morning burnt offering and along with it the evening in the morning meal offering associated with that burnt offering and then there was several reminders of things that were forbidden in this offering the there was to be no leaven no leaven and i'm sure even the very youngest believer can appreciate readily from the many references to leaven in scripture that it never is used in a very nice context in fact leaven clearly indicates the work of the flesh sin it's that which like yeast blows up and puffs up there's no substance there and it's the workings of the flesh isn't it it's that which is evil and wicked and there must be no fleshly workings in our praises to god there must be that which is truly wrought by the spirit of god and nothing of our own fleshly imaginations or workings in that which we would present to god and no honey none of the none of that which is natural sweetness the honey does have its proper bearing at times as it probably says hast thou found honey eat so much as is sufficient for you but it wasn't to be there in the offerings to god there was none of these this honeyedness this natural sweetness no the lord jesus christ had divine sweetness and grace as he walked in the scene there was nothing of that natural a what man calls affability nothing of that at all there no there was only divine blessed sweetness that which was of god he wasn't marked at all by that which was of the natural sweetness there was none of these in any offering to the lord and then it says as to the offering of the first fruits you shall present them to the lord but they shall not be offered upon the altar for a sweet savour and of course we really have to i didn't have time but we really had we'd have to turn to chapter 23 of leviticus to see the full bearing of this what's brought out in that verse a the lord jesus christ of course a the meal offering speaking of him that we've been reading off clearly there was no sin in him there could be no leaven in him when he alone is presented but in this offering of the first fruits there was a meal offering presented with it but of course there it speaks of the assembly uh the meal offering it speaks of the uh the company of believers which are the first fruits unto christ and there's a meal offering with it and of course although we've been cleansed from our sins and the question of sin has been settled there is still sin in us and it's a the fact that in that offering of the first fruits there is a leaven present brings out that it's the the church that is being offered as the first fruits to god that there is that offering at that time when the church is set up and so there was leaven there and you notice that it's not offered upon the altar for a sweet odor it's just waved and presented before god but it's not offered on the altar there's only christ and christ alone and an appreciation of him can be offered upon the altar as a sweet order to god and then there was something that should be in the offering uh in verse 13 it was to be seasoned with salt and the lord jesus could say have salt in yourselves and again the apostle could say let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt the salt is a puritive a preservative isn't it keeps things pure and preserves them and we always must have that pure right word the the the correct word the correct holiness and that would purify things and bring a correct light to bear on every subject and how necessary that is and so as we come with our appreciation of christ there must be that pure salt there of the offering it must not be lacking in the salt of the covenant the agreement the testimony to god the agreement with god it must not be lacking from when we come with our offering to christ there must be that perfect blend and balance that which is spotless and pure and of course it would result surely this salt would result from a life lived here for god you see again there must be a practical answer from our side we must live a life which is effectively salted here salted with pure salt a life here of purity for god in this scene in this wicked scene a life of purity for god and if we are living that life of purity for god then we will be able when we come with our praise to the lord to have the salt of the covenant in our offering it's a test for us you know these offerings are not set out just to titillate our minds but there might be a practical response in our hearts and lives here so you know if we are not walking daily as with the effect of the salt in our lives then when we come with the offering there will be that salt lacking in the offering that we bring to god of praise and worship and then there's the oblation of the firstfruits of the lord presented the green ears of corn roast with fire and the frankincense put on and this of course jumps back a bit to christ the firstfruits christ the firstfruits but also a some dispensationists bring it out as being a type of visual in a coming day and these are things that one that's a thought that one leaves with you for your consideration but i like to enjoy this one here as christ the firstfruits and we thought earlier of course about the firstfruits of the later harvest when we are brought in but this was the green year the green year the lord taken away in the midst of his day in the midst of his days that and then there was the seven weeks later there was the feast of the firstfruits when the assemblies brought in and the memorial burnt thereof on the altar now we did see that the on most occasions on most occasions the meal offering was offered along with the burnt offering but there was one occasion at least that i come across when it wasn't and that was in numbers chapter five where we have the jealousy offering the jealousy offering where there was a meal offering only and that would surely speak to our hearts there was the woman that was being suspected of being unfaithful and you know it would test us today are we being unfaithful in our lives to the lord jesus christ and is there a need for the jealousy offering to be offered or it would search us or that we might not be found in such a condition that there's a need governmentally for the jealousy offering to be offered on our behalf let us keep in pure virgin affection to the lord jesus christ the apostle paul could say i have espoused you as a chaste virgin to christ and all that our affections might ever be on that blessed man the man of calvary now heaven's blessed and endless theme that if we are in devotion and affection to him there'll never be any need for a jealousy offering to be brought and called for as we read about in numbers five no he'll be the one to fill and satisfy our hearts as we walk the scene for his praise and for his glory with true virgin affection to him how blessed and wonderful and so just now in the few closing moments if we refer just for completion again to the uh the um law of the offering remember we say that these are particularly stressed the the what is the the priest what he had to do and what he had to enjoy in these offerings uh they were to present it before the lord before the altar uh the the memorial thereof the sweet odor of the memorial thereof and it was that which they were to eat and enjoy again stressing that it was not to be bacon with leaven and uh in verse 18 this hadn't come out of course earlier it said all the males among the children of israel the children of aaron sorry shall eat of it all the males among the children of aaron now we'll perhaps notice if the lord will in a later offering that the the the daughters the daughters of the priest were allowed to eat a certain offering but this one this one was only for the males among the priestly family and in this context i think it would bring before us a responsibility wouldn't it responsibility the uh when the female is brought in there's more the the condition and the the uh the heart felt response but here this is the side of responsibility that which must be maintained with pure uh with pure logic with pure um rationality uh that which must be maintained for god uh here the the complete side of responsibility before god and these things must be taken up in that way it was only for the males alone all the males of the children of israel shall eat of it it is a never lasting statute in your generations and then there was this other one and from verse 19 to 23 where there's the special one for the offering of aaron and his sons which they should present to the lord on the day when he is anointed and when aaron would pass off the scene and alias that came on and then after him phineas and so on uh whenever there was a new high priest there was this special of a a meal offering and it says in verse 20 it's a continual oblation half of it in the morning half thereof at night prepared in the pan with oil and it was saturated with oil there was a full and a deep and a wonderful appreciation of the way in which the holy spirit came upon that blessed one the lord jesus in his pathway here as the one who alone in every aspect and facet of his life here gave glory and honor and praise to god he gave when here on earth we can sing to the father he gave when here on earth glory to thee and so there is that this special one at the time of the the change of priesthood and just one final thing you know that if there if this is not going on you know if there wasn't the children of israel coming along with these offerings wouldn't these priests have nothing to eat they would starve and oh it's necessary for us today to have that maintain that going on that priestly work for god and you know there was a time in the in the history of the children of israel when uh the priests of course had nothing to eat in nehemiah's day didn't they and they went back into the fields to work for themselves and the service of the lord was neglected oh let that not be the case today with us dearly beloved and you know there was a usurper a royal man there had got in hadn't he uh when they were building the walls when they were repairing the walls that one of them hadn't put a lock on his door and his relative his relative his relative by marriage was let in and isn't it often that the natural affections and relations test us they test all of us don't they we've seen it so often we make a stand at about a certain point and then the natural relationships come in and they test us oh how necessary it is for us to be very careful on these matters anyway he allowed his son-in-law in and where he'd given him one of the fine places in the temple and what place was it was a place where they should have been storing the flour the flour to make the meal offerings with and so there was nothing there coming forward surely that would test our hearts today dearly beloved have we allowed the enemy to come in and take over that chamber the chamber which should be filled with the first fruits filled with the first fruits and Nehemiah says he said prove me now herewith prove me now herewith says bring the tithes into the storehouse and i'll open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing and today you know as we move around among the people of god here and there we hear people speaking about it being a day of small things and the lack here and there but here's the promise of god prove me now herewith prove me now herewith bring the tithe into the storehouse there must be that coming in there must be that coming in to fill that chamber have we allowed the enemy what does it let us allow the enemy to come in and take over that chamber would to god that there are the faithful Nehemiah's today the men that will stand up with the Urim and the Thummim that will stand up for god today and clear the enemy out of his wrong place he's no right being there that there might be that chamber secured for god where there might be the meal for the meat offering that this the priests might come back from their labors and their works and be found there sustained in the presence of god to lift up holy hands and bless the lord that the work the great service of god might go on and continue dear beloved i do desire that you might see something of what i'm seeking to get at it's a precious and wonderful thing that we might study and meditate upon these offerings at all that it might have an answer and each and every one of our hearts for his name's sake …

… Good evening once again. I'd like us to commence the meeting by singing the hymn 335. 335. Lord Jesus, gladly do our lips express our heart's deep sense of all thy worthiness. Thou risen one, the holy and the true, we give thee now the praise, so justly due. Thou wast alone to like the precious grain in death thou lay'st, but didst rise again, and in thy risen life a countless host are all of one with thee, thy joy and boast. The hymn 335. I'd like you to turn with me again to Leviticus, as we have done on the three previous occasions. This time in chapter 3, Leviticus chapter 3, and we'll begin reading at verse 1. And if his offering be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he present it of the herd, whether a male or female, he shall present it without blemish before the Lord. And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and slaughter it at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood on the altar round about. And he shall present of the sacrifice of peace offering, an offering by fire to the Lord, the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the net above the liver, which he shall take away as far as the kidneys. And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar, upon the burnt offering which lies on the wood, that is upon the fire. It is an offering by fire to the Lord of a sweet-smelling savor. And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord be of small cattle, male or female, he shall present it without blemish. If he present a sheep for his offering, then shall he present it before the Lord, and shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and slaughter it before the tent of meeting. And Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about, and he shall present of the sacrifice of peace offering, an offering by fire to the Lord. The fat thereof, the whole fat tail, which he shall take off close by the backbone, and the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the net above the liver, which he shall take away as far as the kidneys. And the priest shall burn it on the altar. It is the food of the offering by fire to the Lord. And if his offering be a goat, then he shall present it before the Lord, and he shall lay his hand on the head of it, and slaughter it before the tent of meeting. And the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof on the altar round about, and he shall present thereof his offering, an offering by fire to the Lord. The fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the net above the liver, which he shall take away as far as the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar. It is the food of the offering by fire for a sweet smelling savor. All the fat shall be the Lord's. It is an everlasting statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings. No fat and no blood shall you eat. And then over in chapter 7, chapter 7, in verse 11, chapter 7, in verse 11, and this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offering, which a man shall present to the Lord. If he present it for a thanksgiving, then he shall present with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes, mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fine flour saturated with oil, cakes mingled with oil. Besides the cakes, he shall present his offering of leavened bread with the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving. And out of it, he shall present one out of the whole offering as a heave offering to the Lord. To the priest that sprinkles the blood of the peace offering to him, it shall be long. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is presented. He shall not let any of it remain until the morning. And if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow or voluntary, it shall be eaten the same day that he presented his sacrifice. On the morrow also, the remainder of it shall be eaten. And the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted. It shall not be reckoned to him that has presented it. It shall be an unclean thing. And the soul that eats of it shall bear his iniquity. And the flesh that touches anything unclean shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. And as to the flesh, all that are clean may eat the flesh. But the soul that eats the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offering which is for the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his peoples. And if anyone touch anything unclean, the uncleanness of man or unclean beast or any unclean abomination, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offering which is for the Lord, that soul shall be cut off from his peoples. And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak unto the children of Israel saying, no fat of ox or of sheep or of goat shall you eat. And verse 28, and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak unto the children of Israel saying, he that presents the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord of the sacrifice of his peace offering. His own hands shall bring the Lord's offerings by fire. The fat with the breast shall he bring. The breast that it may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar. And the priest, the breast shall be Aaron's and his son's. And the right shoulder of the sacrifices of your peace offering shall you give as a heave offering unto the priest. He of the sons of Aaron that presents the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right shoulder for his part. For the breast of the wave offering and the shoulder of the heave offering have I taken from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons from the children of Israel by an everlasting statute. This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron and of the anointing of his sons from the Lord's offerings by fire in the day when he presented them to serve the Lord as priests, which the Lord commanded to be given them by the children of Israel in the day that he anointed them. It is an everlasting statute throughout their generations. And one verse in the New Testament, really a text from the New Testament, 1st Corinthians chapter 10, 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 16, 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ? Because we being many are one loaf, we one body, but we all partake of that one loaf. See Israel according to the flesh are not they who eat the sacrifices in communion with the altar. Verse 21, he cannot drink the Lord's cup and the cup of demons, he cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? Well, I've taken this, what is known as the peace offering, taken it out of its order as it's given in the book of Leviticus. I was in a bit of a quandary what to do because I think the first point we must get a hold of is that the peace offering is very, very closely associated with the burnt offering. In fact, it says in verse 5 there that it's actually to be burned on the burnt offering. It's got to be burned on the burnt offering, which seems to me to indicate that there's got to be a burnt offering there before there can be a peace offering. And you know, so it's always very closely associated with it. And likewise, as we've brought out so often going, taking the great case of Exodus 29, that the meal offering is likewise nearly always associated with a burnt offering, except you remember on that one occasion when there was a jealousy offering in Numbers 5. The peace offering is very much associated with the burnt offering and the meal offering. And of course, it's an interesting study. I leave it for your personal edification to trace throughout the Old Testament, the various occasions in which offerings were given just to see how many there was of burnt offerings and how many of the peace offerings. There was one very interesting one I came across recently in reading in Numbers chapter 7, where there was a very great imbalance between the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. There was one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb for a burnt offering, and for a sacrifice of peace offering, there was two oxen, five rams, five he goats, and five yearling lambs. So there was quite a lot more of peace offerings. Now you see, but it's not as if there's one is particularly, we know of course that the burnt offering is the most important one, but it's to bring home the regulated amount. There is that and that alone, that impression of Christ, there is that amount which must be given. And from that single, that ordained amount of the burnt offering, that could flow out on varying occasions of large and a varying amount of peace offerings. You see, it could vary in amount, the amount of peace offerings. And the great thing about the peace offering, you see, is it brings in, as you will presently see, the fellowship, the communion, the worship of all the company. Not just the priestly company, as we had in the case of the meal offering, but it brings in other people in the priestly family, it brings in his daughters, and it brings in all of the people. The circle widens out because they are particularly, you see, having fellowship on the matter of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ as taking away our sins, as shedding his precious blood, and the satisfaction that is given to God as a result of that. So that's what issues from it. And this peace offering is really more properly, as Mr. Darby points out in one of his writings somewhere, I forget exactly where, but I think he says he translates it in his French Bible as the prosperity offering. It's a prosperity. One has an impression of Christ, has this desire to give thanks to God, how wonderful and blessed it is. One can do it at the entrance of the tent of meeting in view of the company, and they can, in some measure, appreciate that exercise that you have in prayer and praise to God. And Aaron's sons take over the priests, and here we see ourselves functioning in this blessed way as the priestly company, and the blood is sprinkled on the altar round about. We own before God, we own before God the virtue and the value of that precious blood of Christ, and we rise in heart towards God and claim before him, and acclaim before him that this is the ground and basis of all our blessing. All our blessing is complete through that, and we give to God our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the blood of his beloved son that was shed upon that altar for our sins, and enables us to approach God in holiness and in righteousness and in full-hearted praise to him. And it says he shall present the sacrifice, an offering by fire to Jehovah. Nonetheless, remember, although it is a prosperity offering, we need to be reminded that in any approach to God about his beloved son, that he was tested, he was tested even unto death, the offering by fire. And the fact is given, the fact of course we know we learn goes up to God, as we've seen in all of these offerings, the fact going up to God as a sweet smelling savor, the fact speaking again as we saw in the case of the burnt offering of all the energy, the fact as Johnny Wilson was reminding me on Saturday night is really the essential part of the animal, that which energizes it, and of course what energizes us is our will, isn't it? That's what energizes us, certainly in the spiritual sphere is the will, and the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, his will was to do the Father's will, wasn't it? He said my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work, and then he could say supremely in the garden of Gethsemane, Father I will, this cut pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, not as I will but as thou wilt. And his will, his will was so completely identified with the Father's will, and there he gave himself up, so this again we have this wonderful appreciation of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only putting away our sins but glorifying God as he gave himself there on Calvary's cross, and Aaron's sons burning it on the altar upon the burnt offering, as we said, as we earlier remarked, it was burnt upon the burnt offering which lies on the wood that is upon the fire, the wood again I would feel to indicate the same thing as we had in the burnt offering, the wood that which can be quickly used by the fire, remember the Holy Spirit, the fire here speak to us of the Holy Spirit, and is there that in our hearts and lives, that bloody appreciation of Christ and his work, is there that which when the Holy Spirit touches it can quickly be used in giving up that praise to God, there are hearts of that way, is there that in our lives, and if there isn't, why isn't there? Because although we like to dwell on the preciousness of these things, I personally always feel that I must, in reading these things, they must have an effect on me, and am I really ready, am I really in a condition whereby the Spirit of God can use me to further the praise that goes up to God? What is there in my heart and life that is hindering the work of the Spirit of God in this supreme and blessed way? I test my own heart, and I trust we will graciously get before God and see if there is anything in our hearts and lives that is hindering the action of the Spirit of God on us that would hamper us from flowing forth in praise to God. Oh, you know, it searches, it should search us. I don't want us to be compelled and forced to give praise, far be the thought. There is probably an equal danger of that, but I do think we should be exercised about are we already in a ready condition to be used of God when we come together supremely at the supper, to be around our blessed Lord, to gather around him where the emblems are there. Are we like that? We're ready to be moved by the Spirit of God to give that appreciation of the Lord Jesus Christ. I put it before our own hearts for our consideration. And so, then in a similar way, the peace offering may be a slightly lesser formed appreciation of Christ, but nonetheless appreciated by Christ, by God. It could be of the small cattle, again, male or female. And the similar things are done with it from verse 6 down to verse 11. Similar things as were done with the offering of a bullock or a heifer. And then again, it could be a goat presented before the Lord. And likewise, he would lean with his head upon it. And it is a neverlasting statute for your generations, for at all your dwellings, no fat and no blood shall ye eat. Now, this is, of course, dealing with the matter of the offering. And so, that is why in this particular case, we need to very much more turn to the law of the offering to get a lot more of the teaching of this particular offering from the law of the offering. And we read, of course, the verses in chapter 7, verse 11, or really right through to verse 36. It deals with the law of the peace offering. And there are many more verses devoted to the law of this offering than to the laws of the other offerings. And because there, we're developing, we're widening out into a deeper and a fuller circle. Well, not a deeper circle necessarily. I mean, I don't think we could get any deeper than as we stand as priests in the presence of the burnt offering and see it ascending wholly to God. There's no mention of food there, but we stand as worshippers with an appreciation, a very developed and full appreciation of the work of God, as the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as regards the great question of sin. But then as priests, as the priestly company in that particular aspect, we would partake of the meal offering. Then, of course, the other food for the priests, which really wasn't a voluntary food. And one might reverently say would have been a happy and blessed state if they hadn't needed to eat it, as we were considering last night, the eating of the sin offering in the holy place. That again was only for the males, very solemn matter. But here, of course, in this prosperity offering, the priest could eat it. And on certain occasions, of course, his whole family, including his daughters, were allowed to eat it. As we can check, if you want, in Numbers 18, you'll see that there it was said by Moses told him, God told him through Moses, that in Numbers 18, that the peace offerings, the thanksgiving offerings, on certain occasions, their whole family could eat it. And then, of course, they went out to the whole congregation. And so beginning in verse 11, we see the law of the peace offering. And there were, seemed to be two main kinds of peace offering. One was pure thanksgiving, and the other was a vow, a vow which seems to indicate a deeper form of thanks. Not that in any way God ever despises thanks. God is grateful for the thanks that we give. But there could be occasions in which the soul was so utterly thankful to God that he felt he was giving himself up to God in a vow. He had some desire, some matter, that he was vowing before God that he would perform. And, you know, there are, presumably, there are, I'm sure we've all experienced it at times when we really get so deeply into the thanksgiving of God that we feel we just want to have nothing else but to be here for God in praise and thanksgiving. Perhaps it's an experience I've not, I've not had enough of, but one would desire that it might be more and more increasingly our experience is that we would go beyond a thanks, just a, I hate to say a mere thanksgiving because I'm at pains to stress, is that God, God does not despise any expression of thanks. The simplest expression of God, of thanks, God appreciates. I remember we quoted the hymn, I just forget on which occasion, the one that says, the faintest, feeblest cry they raise will reach Saviour's ear. God has an appreciation of it. Any expression of thanks concerning his beloved son, God values that greatly. But, of course, the more, the deeper and the more formed our appreciation of the work of Christ, there are times in our soul when we, we go beyond merely thanksgiving but we feel as if we, we wish to be holy and solely here for Christ in that state of giving up to him in praise and worship, in adoration, a form, a formed, a deeply formed impression and response to the Lord Jesus Christ. That seems to me to be the bearing of what it is in the vow. Some of you may well have other ideas on it. One doesn't press it but that seems to me to be what is conveyed by the vow. And so, first of all, in verse 12, he could present it for a thanksgiving and notice there that it could be, he had to have with it unleavened cakes mingled with oil, unleavened cakes mingled with oil. Just along with that thanksgiving, there must be the tempering of it with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ as we've seen in the meal offering, that life tested in every way and yet a life glorifying God. And unleavened wafers anointed with oil and fine flour saturated. But of course, while there was these unleavened things in verse 13, it says he shall present his offering of leavened bread with the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving. And here, of course, it would remind us that in this particular case where we are so very much in as worshipers, there must be a count taken, of course, that we are still in the flesh and the sin is still in us. And we must be aware of this because, you know, if we thought that we had no sin in us, we were in a perfectly wonderful state, we might be giving a very false state of worship. We might think that we were in a very super spiritual state and that is a great and dangerous condition to be in. So we must ever be mindful of that, that we are still here in bodies of flesh and be completely very humbled. We would be humbled by it as we approach God, I feel. It would be something that would humble us to realize that in our offering of thanks, our great appreciation of Christ, there yet has to be associated with it the leavened bread. It truly would indeed keep us very humble as we approach God in the greatness and glory and majesty of his person. And then the out of it, sorry, verse 14, he presents a one out of it as a heave offering to the Lord, given up, presented up, moved upwards. There's this heaving, a movement upwards towards God, movement directly upwards to God. That was what the heaving was done, it was a movement upwards indicating something going wholly and solely up to God. And then it says, and to the priest that sprinkles the blood of the peace offering to him it shall belong. And so that priest got the gain, the benefit, the blessing, the appreciation of that sole exercise of Christ. He got the gain and the blessing of it. And as priests, we can come into as we come as offerers and then we come as offerers with a formed appreciation of Christ. And then as priests, we present that blessed appreciation, that impression we have of Christ, of his wonderful work, we present it to God. And we get the gain and the blessing of it. It says, to him it shall belong. And we get the gain and the blessing of it. And now, of course, if it was a thanksgiving, it could only be in that day. And it says, none of it to remain to the morning. It must be associated. It must be associated with the actual offering. That thanksgiving must not go beyond the experiences that resulted in the sacrifice. We can't go into a sphere of thanksgiving that is not connected with the exercise that we've had, that has given forth that thanksgiving. We can't go on and on, you see, living on past experiences. We must, if we have experiences with God, if we get some sense, some appreciation in our souls in a particular way, on a particular point of time, of the value of the work of Christ impresses us in a certain way, and there's a particular blessing to our souls, then we give that thanks immediately and we enjoy it. But we can't hope to continue and carry it on and live just on that past glory. No, there's a need to be continually gathering up other and further, and hopefully, and we would really desire deeper and fuller impressions of the Lord Jesus Christ in all his blessed work. So, remember, we can't, in this matter, go like Elijah in the strength of the meat for today's, and that's a different bearing. No, in this matter of approach to God and praise, we must have our thanksgiving associated with the exercise that has given rise to it. And then it says, if it was a vow or a voluntary offering, it must be eaten on the same day. We couldn't leave it over to start eating it. It must be eaten at the same time. It must likewise be associated with that exercise that has brought it about. But it could, of course, in the spiritual vigor one feels, in the power of the Holy Spirit, if one is of such a nature that this deeper, this more devoted appreciation of Christ that is issuing in deeper devotion to him, we can be sustained again only in the power of the Spirit for a somewhat longer time in this condition before God of a heartfelt life given up to him. We can be sustained in that condition for somewhat longer than the matter of a pure thanksgiving. Then, just coming on to, jumping on to verse 28 and 29, it says, he that presents the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering. Then verse 30, his own hands, his own hands shall bring the Lord's offerings by fire. And so it's absolutely necessary that we come in our own personal exercise, not the exercise of one at someone else, but come with our own personal exercise. His own hands shall bring the Lord's offerings and the priest, verse 31, to burn it on the fire. And the breast, it says, the breast shall be Aaron's and his son's. And at the end of verse 30, it spoke about the breast being waved. Now, of course, this was a different action from the heaving. The waving was going around this way. Now again, of course, the prime thought is that it goes up to God, but in the moving it round, one would reverently feel that it was being presented as it was going up to God. It was being bringing in all of the saints. Seems to be that one is a bringing the saints in with one, in one's appreciation that you have of the death of Christ upon Calvary's cross, that you're having real fellowship with God and you're you're owing before God what it is, what it does mean for all the company of saints, the work of Christ upon Calvary's cross. You've got to, you've had your personal experience, your personal gain and benefit, and now one might reverently say you're showing before God that you're sharing it with the saints, that you have an appreciation, along with all the saints, of what the death of his beloved son means to them as a company of his people, as a company of his people. And so you're displaying it around, and the great thought is, of course, it goes up to God in that way. So before it's heaved up, it's shown around, one might reverently say, and we are delighting and enjoying this blessed, wonderful work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary's cross. What has it effected for all of the saints? And it's something indeed to rejoice in God about. And then the right shoulder of the sacrifices was given as a heave offering. We've already spoken about the action of the heaving going up. It seems to be particularly stressing the action of going up to God. And it said the right shoulder, the shoulder, of course, speaks of strength, and most commentators talk about this as indicating strength, the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. But however, I must confess to enjoying a very precious thought on this from Mr Coutts, if I may be allowed to mention such a dear author. But he, in reading some time back about it, he seemed to indicate that the shoulder, being the top of the leg, he was connecting more with the walk of our blessed Lord, the walk of our blessed Lord. And at the time I read it, it seemed to be quite a helpful thought that in the shoulder one has got an appreciation also of the walk of the Lord Jesus Christ, that as he walked here for the pleasure of God. And while one knows, of course, that that walk culminated in the death of Christ upon Calvary's cross, the grounding basis of our redemption, his walk, of course, blessed and wonderful as it is, could never redeem us. The Lord Jesus himself said, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone, but if it die, it brings forth many grains. But indeed, we can appreciate the walk of our blessed Lord, and when we then see how that led on to Calvary's cross, thy path uncheered by earthly smiles, led only to the cross, surely we issue forth in a wonderful praise to God. And it's rather significant to see that it's the one in verse 33, it says, he of the sons of Aaron that presents the blood of the peace offerings and the fat, he's presented that to God, the blood and the fat goes to God. It says, he shall have his right shoulder for his part. It's not, this particular thing isn't shared among all the priest of the family. No, the priest who has had the great privilege of presenting that offering, who has entered in in this unique and wonderful way to an appreciation before God of the value of the work of his beloved son and his great devotion, the will, his will even unto death, glorifying God there upon Calvary's cross, as the saint who has had the joy and the blessed privilege, the priest who has had that blessed privilege of entering fully in response to God on that matter, then he gets his own blessed portion, the shoulder of the way of offering. And of course, that on that occasion, of course, it's for him, but obviously on other occasions, and perhaps at the same time of a general offering of thanksgivings, there were times when, of course, it went on and on for a whole day, the giving of the peace offerings went on for a whole day. And so obviously there was plenty of time for various priests to have this blessed experience. And oh, would to God that we might enjoy it more and more. There is that which we can enjoy in fellowship one with the other, and there's that which we have as distinct and impressions of Christ, which we give forth in praise and homage and adoration. But of course, the great end in view in all of our personal appreciations of Christ is that I might issue in the fellowship of the saints and praise rising in heart to God the Father. And in the ultimate, of course, from each of these individual impressions of Christ, there is that combined volume of praise that accrues to him. And we really and fully enter into it as a company of the people of God. And that is the real height and supremacy of the reality of fellowship, a fellowship which of course is sustained in a practical way by no fellowship with the tables of this world, fellowship only at the blessed Lord's table. And then, of course, we can enjoy the blessedness as a company of God's people of what it is to sit around our beloved Lord and give him the praise and the homage in adoration that is rightly his at his supper. And so, you know, I always think of the peace offering. In Luke 15, there was the fatted calf there. Very interesting that it's a calf. They were asking last night about the golden calf. And as far as I can see, there seems to be only about one other occasion in which a calf was offered in Leviticus 9. But here we have a calf, the fatted calf. And there's always a lot of, throughout my Christian history, there's always been a lot of speculation and discussion as to what sort of offering that is, the fatted calf. And well, really, you know, I do feel it was a prosperity offering. It was a prosperity offering. It was something that the farmer kept for a certain occasion of rejoicing. And of course, when the son comes, the father, he kills the fatted calf, doesn't he? Kills the fatted calf. And you know, the significant thing is, you see, you may have wondered why the peace offering, the peace offering which comes third in order of the offerings before the sin offering and the trespass offerings, why it's taken last. But of course, in the law of it, we're left with that, you see. The great appreciation of Christ as a burnt offering and the meal offering, the work of Christ upon Calvary's cross for sins having been done. What we are left with is the company of God's people. Once we've appreciated these things and the truth connected with them is to be in this condition of praise to God. And it says very significantly in Luke 15, you see. And verse 24, he says, for this my son was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found. And it says, they began, they began to be merry. It doesn't say they stopped or ended, does it? Just says they began, they began to be merry. So when we come in the fullness of the prosperity that we have in our souls as put there by God, we begin, we begin to be merry and it never ends because it's going on, on into eternity. You see, we sing in the hymn, don't we? Eternity has begun. Is it a reality with us that eternity has begun now? Do we in spirit enter into the blessedness of that eternal scene where we're going to be at home around in the Father's house and high? The Father's full delight is centered in the sun and countless tongues in heaven unite to tell what he has done. Oh, we join it, don't we? We revel in it. It fills and thrills and satisfies our souls as we contemplate that blessed scene. But the wonder and the marvel of it is, as dear Mr. McBroom used to remind us so often, that now in bodies of flesh, because we've got the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we enter by spirit into that now. Eternity has begun and we enjoy the blessedness of it. They began to be merry and dearly beloved, let us indeed, as a final note of these series of addresses, get into the good of these things. As dear John Flett used to say, get into it, get into it. Indeed, as we go through the experiences, as we read again and meditate on all the blessed truth that is brought out in these offerings, and let us finish in this blessed condition, we'll be in right conditions, we'll have been properly adjusted, and we'll be full of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we'll be in that state beginning to be merry. And indeed, when we are with him, very soon, perhaps tonight, very soon, it'll be no difference, will it? We'll be rid of this body of flesh, this body of humiliation, not a vile body, this body of humiliation, be changed like unto his own glorious body, according to the power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. And we're going to meet him on the cloud, we soon shall meet thee on the cloud in glory, praising as we would for his namesake. May we indeed go in for it. …

… Good evening once again, it's nice to be with you again. I'd like us to begin by saying the hymn 138. 138. O Christ, what burdens bowed thy head, thou load was laid on thee, thou stoodest in the sinner's stead, to bear all ill for me. A victim led, thy blood was shed, now there's no load for me. Jehovah lifted up his rod, O Christ, it fell on thee. Thou wast forsaken of thy God, no distance now for me. Thy blood beneath that rod has flowed, thy bruising healeth me. The hymn number 138. I'd like you to turn with me to Leviticus again, this time chapter 4, Leviticus chapter 4, and beginning at verse 1, Leviticus chapter 4, verse 1. And the Lord spake to Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord, concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them, if the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people, then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock, without blemish, unto the Lord, for a sin offering. And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord, and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the Lord. And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense at before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering, the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the call above the liver with the kidneys, it shall he take away, as it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering, and the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his down, even the whole bullock, shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire, where the ashes are poured out, shall he be burnt. We'll jump on now to verse 22. When a ruler has sinned and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty, or if his sin wherein he has sinned come to his knowledge, he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish, and he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord. It is a sin offering. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. And going over now into chapter 6. Chapter 6 and verse 24. Chapter 6 and verse 24. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord. It is most holy. The priest that offers it for sin shall eat it. In the holy place shall it be eaten. In the court of the tabernacle of the congregation, whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy. And when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, you shall wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place. But the elven vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken. And if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water. All the males among the priests shall eat thereof. It is most holy. And no sin offering whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile with all in the holy place shall be eaten. It shall be burnt in the fire. May the Lord just bless these words to us. Now as I intimated in prayer, we are now touching on a very, very solemn subject in the sin offering. As I thought to stress in the reading of it, it is most holy. I've purposely jumped over the offering in chapter three, which is the peace offering, and God willing and helping us, one would like to leave that for tomorrow evening, the reason. Therefore, I shall bring out on that tomorrow evening. But I felt really that this evening it would be of profit to us to consider this very, very holy subject of the sin offering. As we confessed in prayer, one feels one's inadequacy to fully bring out all that is conveyed in our blessed Lord as the sin offering. We see quite clearly, of course, the very name conveys what it is. It is the Lord bearing our sins, bearing our sins. We thought we were considering on Saturday evening in the burnt offering, the Lord dealing with the question of sin, and in so doing glorifying God when he offered himself without spot to God. But in the sin offering or sins offering, we see the Lord giving an answer to God for our sins in the precious blood being shed. And of course, later on in chapter five, there are trespass offerings. And there, these are perhaps not such serious matters in human eyes, these trespasses, but of course, in God's eye, God is of holier eye and to look upon sin and cannot countenance iniquity. So, of course, they all are of equal heinousness, awfulness in his sight, and they must have an answer given to them. But of course, there are sins, of course, which are perpetrated, committed by different types of people. And here, one is dealing particularly in this sin offering with the occasion of the believer who commits an act of sin. Some of you who were at Fondochty would be reminded there about the distinction that was made very helpfully by various brothers there, the distinction between practicing sin, which is not the Christian's position, and then the individual commission of acts of sin. Christian does not practice sin, but he unhappily and sadly does fall into acts of sin. But however, the wonderful and blessed thing is that there is a way, there is an answer. It's not for us to get depressed by it, that is the work of Satan to try and occupy us with ourself and bring home our complete and utter inadequacy when we do commit an act of sin. And if he can get us moping and mourning over it and not getting right with God about it, not getting before God about it, then he has, of course, he can never take away from us that eternal life which is ours. But he can, of course, quench our joy in the Lord and make us an ineffective servant for him. And remember David, we shall come to that wonderful Psalm 51, he said, restore unto me the joy of whose salvation? Thy salvation. And then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee. We shall see presently something more from that Psalm. So here we see there are various gradations. There are the ordinary people in verse 27. There's the prince or the ruler in verse 22. There's the whole assembly in verse 13. And here in verse 3, it says the priest that is anointed. Now notice in verse 2, it says if a soul shall sin through inadvertence, it doesn't consider, it doesn't admit, it doesn't seem to expect that a person would sin advertently, would sin knowing that they were going to sin. You see, that situation is not countenanced here. It's not admitted at all that anybody would sin knowing that they were going to sin. It's done inadvertently. It's a lapse. It's a temporary failure. And that's what's conveyed here. And because in the law, of course, we read about it. I was reading about it yesterday in Numbers 15. It says if a man sins willfully, there was no repentance for him. Willfully, there was no repentance for him. Mercifully and wonderfully in the grace of God, a believer will not sin willfully. But here it's the sin of inadvertence against any, any. There's no, it's not just against particular commandments of the Lord. It's against anyone, whatever they are. And we know them all too well, don't we? We know what are the commandments of the Lord. And it's if any of them that we sin against, things that ought not to be done, that ought not to be done and do any of them. And then it says, in particular, if the priest that is anointed sin, according to the trespass of the people. Now we have already mentioned that in these offerings, but certainly in the sweet savour offerings, the first three of them, the great end in view is that we might be formed, characterized, progressing as a priestly company enabled to offer worship to God. And of course, a priest is one that is anointed and he's very near and close to God. And it's a position of course, that perhaps at any point in time, all saints are not there, but it is no excuse. It's a position that we should be moving on to seeking to develop in the progress of our souls, taking on this priestly characteristic. We reminded ourselves, didn't we, that God had always in mind for the nation of Israel, that there should be a kingdom of priests, a kingdom of priests. And in revelation, when the heart rises to God and to him that loved us and washed us in his sins, he washed us from our sins in his own most precious blood and has made us a kingdom, a kingdom, priests unto our God. That's the sort of kingdom God has made us. It's not made us a kingdom of rulers of this world. He's made us a kingdom of priests unto our God. So the position is there for every believer to enter into. And so the priest is the one who is near to God, he and unhappily, there may be the situation where he sins, how tragically according to the trespass of the people. Now it says, then for his trespass, then for the sin which he has sinned, he shall present a young bullock without blemish. Now later on, it says in verse 13, that the congregation are guilty. And in verse 22, it says the prince is guilty. And verse 27, it says that one of the people be guilty. And you see, in these cases, even with the whole congregation of Israel, somebody, somehow it had to be brought home to them that they were guilty. Now, there's no question, but that the priest wasn't guilty, because it's, although it doesn't say here he was guilty. There's no question, but that he was guilty. But the point is, you see, that the greater light you have, the greater light you have, the greater your responsibility. Now that was one thing as a 14 year old boy that used to be brought home to me in this hall. The greater light you have, the greater your responsibility. And so if you are a priest, then you should be so close to the Lord that as soon as a soil comes in, the wrong thought, the wrong action, the wrong deed, that little sin comes in. If your susceptibilities are true and proper, this is what marks true priesthood, that as soon as these come in, you are immediately aware that you are guilty. You shouldn't really need anyone to tell you. You're living so close to the Lord, and you do in thought, word, or action, allow that which will dishonor your blessed Lord and master who died for you to come in. Then immediately, if you're close to the Lord, you'll be aware of it. And such is the position of the priest. He's immediately aware that there is that come in, and it must be put right. It's not something to be glossed over or hidden behind or anything like that. He must be honest and open before God and come in full and frank and free admission and confession of it. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I cannot stress that enough. That is what really marks the priest. And of course, if we have any desire to be here fully committed in a life for God, it would mark us that nearness to Christ, nearness to him, that as soon as anything comes in, we'd be immediately aware of it and realize our guilt and get before God with a young bullock without blemish. The young bullock, of course, we know without blemish is Christ and Christ alone, the precious and wonderful sacrifice. The young bullock, there he was in all the vigor of his precious life before God and without a blemish, no stain, no taint upon him. And we come, not a reenactment of the death of Christ as we have in the mass in the Roman Catholic Church and all its confessionals. No, it's the dear saint of God realizes that that death of Christ upon Calvary's cross done once and for all, which when he came in all his sin and shame and degradation at the feet of Jesus, confessing him and his Lord to the glory of God the Father, that same finished work of Christ upon Calvary's cross avails for all his sins. As it says again in John chapter one, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses from all sin, from every sin. So there we have it and we come in the virtue and the value of that finished work once and for all and we come again and own that by allowing that man of sin and shame, that old man to have the primacy even for a split second in our hearts and lives, that the only way that we can be right with God is to own that that sin was dealt with once and for all upon Calvary's cross. And so we come with that deep and full appreciation, not as a worshipper this time as we did in the burnt offering, with a full and heart-filled appreciation of the great glory and grandeur and splendor of that one who secured everything for God the Father's glory. We come now seeing that our sins so great so many were put away in his precious blood and that that sin of ours that we've now committed has been atoned for in the blood of Christ upon Calvary's cross and we come with that deepened sense of divine holiness. We come standing on holy ground, a young bullock without blemish and it says he shall bring the bullock to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord. That's a great point you see, it's before the Lord, before the Lord. Remember David said hadn't he, he'd done despite to Uriah, he'd sinned against Uriah hadn't he? There's no question about that, he'd sinned against Uriah but he was in the presence of God and he said against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. He comes before the Lord and you know that's that's what glorifies, that's what elevates a man when he's not ashamed to admit that he has done that fault. He doesn't try and cover it up in any way but that's what will elevate him if he comes in true humility and submission to God and admits and doesn't cover his sin. David said again in that Psalm 51 didn't he, he said thou wouldst have truth in the inward parts, thou wouldst have truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part that will make me to know wisdom. It's got to be come out clear and into the open and no fudging of the issue, no edging of it and of course this is very particularly the case isn't it, where there are is an involvement with some other party. We don't want to own that we've done wrong, we stand on our own pride and say let him come first and he's the one that says I've done wrong and we stand on our own dignity so often don't we and yet there's no victory that way. The way of elevation or blessing is to come down at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ and own in that offense that you have given to a dear brother or sister is an offense against God and must be dealt with in the light of the sanctuary in the true holiness of the sanctuary of God. I speak feelingly dear brethren in this matter as having had so often over past years to deal with these matters in the light of the sanctuary in the holiness that comes that comes upon God's house that becomes God's house and these are delicate holy matters but they must be taken up in the light of the sanctuary the place of God's honour where his honour and his glory and his majesty is known they are born of his holiness. He says he shall bring it to the entrance of the tent you see the entrance with it with the congregation could see as he comes to the entrance there was no hiding of the matter he wasn't parading his sin no no he wasn't being having bravado about it parading it no he came he came in true true contrition before the Lord in that way to the entrance and then it says he shall lay his hand on the bullock's head lay his hand on the bullock's head notice the difference with a burnt offering he leaned with his hand identification coming in all the blessed acceptance that there is in the offering there here his sin his sin is being a transmitted to the head of the bullock and they in and it's being owned that this bullock now is taking his sin and being the answer given to God and he slaughters it before the Lord and then here comes in the priest that is anointed for one of his brother priests he comes in and he does this wonderful action he takes the blood first and foremost the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that which had atoned for sin and is still available to as a cleanser from sin and he brings it into the tent of meeting it takes that blood where it had been slain beside the altar he takes the blood first of all right in into the tent of meeting and he dips his finger in that blood and sprinkles it seven times before the Lord before the veil of the sanctuary and the veil of the sanctuary was the presence of God behind that veil as we know lay the mercy seat and God abode between the cherubim thou that dwellest between the cherubim shine forth and the veil was that which was the very presence of God and indeed the priest the priest that was anointed he takes this blood from that book seven times the number of perfection there got to be the perfect witness before God that this one was truly repentant that it was an answer given to God for that sin that he had committed and the relationship in which he stood would be maintained and sustained because of the virtue and the value of that finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary's cross and so there was that witness before God first and foremost it was absolutely necessary and if you read at your own leisure from verses 13 to 21 you'll see that in the case of the sin of the whole congregation it was equally necessary for the blood to be sprinkled seven times before the veil of the sanctuary the whole communion of the people of God was affected that even although a single priest had sinned the communion of the people of God was affected as well as when the whole congregation sinned and there must be the needs if that communion of the people with God was to be re-established there must be the enactment before the presence of God the the the of the symbol of the precious blood of Christ seven times before the veil and then it says he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is in the tent of meeting in that holy place there was the golden altar that we read about it in Exodus chapter 30 the blood or the golden altar the altar of incense and we know how of course the incense speaks of prayers the incense speaks of prayer and the communion and prayer must be would need to be it had been affected you see by the sin of the priest and now it would be restored and the blood was put on the four corners of that altar to signify that the communion the fellowship and prayer with God was restored and then the blood poured at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting it's pointed out specifically that's where the altar of burnt offering was at that entrance where the man had come first of all openly confessing his sin at that same entrance there was the place of a of relief of mercy of relief in that altar of burnt offering and so the the blood is poured round there the answer to the conscience that the conscience is now clear but also you see the the pouring of the blood there is associated with what comes next the fat all the fat of the book was taken off and burnt and so there was the association with the fat and the fat here of course was that which went up to God wholly consumed for God and here we surely see a parallel don't we we see a parallel in the we see a parallel with the burnt offering and where the fat was consumed and it was a sweet savor to God and so here even in this sin offering even in the sins offering there was that which accrued to God and God had his pleasure and delight and satisfaction his honor and his majesty was upheld in the death of his beloved son even in the midst of such a terrible thing as the Lord Jesus Christ dying for sins giving himself for sins there was that which went up as a sweet smelling savor to God it doesn't actually say that but it seems to indicate that that is the thought here and so the blood going around the altar of burnt offering would be associated with that um that that a savor that went up from the fat being consumed on that a altar of burnt offering and surely we see if we refer to David again in Psalm 51 where one of the burnt offering psalms where David makes confession we already said restore unto me the joy of thy salvation deliver me from blood guiltiness of God he said the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken a contrite heart of God thou wilt not despise and then the end of the psalm he says then shalt thou have sacrifices of righteousness burnt offering and whole burnt offering then shall they offer up books upon thine altar so you see once one has gone through the exercises the true exercises of the sins offering one comes to the the good and the benefit and the blessing of the burnt offering as David did in that psalm there there's also of course in that verse 18 he then you see as soon as his own condition is dealt with he can then take in a thought about the people of God because in verse 18 of that psalm 51 he says do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion build the walls of Jerusalem do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion build the walls of Jerusalem and once the the the priest has got right with God about that matter that has come in once he's got right with God he's then got thoughts towards the assembly God's people and he can desire the blessing of God's people do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion you see he's got that matter right and he's now his the answer has been given to God the communion has been restored his conscience has been cleared he's in the good and the joy of the burnt offering and so he can then in such a position he's right and capacitated and able to give the praise to God he can then have a desire and be used a fit vessel for the building up of the assembly for the furtherance of the assembly testimony building the walls of Jerusalem how necessary it is isn't it to build the walls of Jerusalem takes us to Nehemiah where are the builders of the walls today they've been broken down so sadly and that's you see one of the troubles is that the priests have not been owning and confessing their sin but if we are exercised before God and we get right with these matters with God then of course the walls of Jerusalem will be built there'll be a revival in the land there'll be a revival in the assembly of God so there we see the uh the work uh just briefly of the the the priest the um it it's very significant we haven't of course dealt with the peace offering uh God willing we may do that tomorrow evening but it says in verse 10 it's very specific that as it's taken off from the sacrifice of the peace offering all the fat and the liver was to be done in that way not done in the same way as it's done with the um with the burnt offering where it was cut up into pieces here it seems as if the offering wasn't cut up into pieces but the fat and the liver these parts were taken away from the offering in the same way as it was done with the peace offering and then the whole bullock burnt outside the camp it was carried forth onto a clean place where the ashes are poured out and burned and wood with fire and there it was and of course we do again know how the we are called to that outside place with the Lord Jesus Christ to walk in reproach with him in separation unto him and there alone we see it dealt with once and for all now um apart of course from the fact with the uh whole assembly that um they need to be told their guilt said the whole assembly are guilty um in in every other respect pretty well and the instructions and injunctions are the same as we have for the priest the uh the great case of course we see of the assembly being guilty are in these seven lectures uh seven letters in revelation two and three where we see the assembly in its guilt before God first of all in um Ephesus thou hast left thy first love and then it says they are allowing the Nicoletans to teach and of course we see oh so sadly today how that which professes the name of Christ mention was made of it in prayer thou hast the name to live and up dead the lordship of Christ has been set aside they do not own our blessed savior as lord in a real way his headship over all things the assembly is never held and although maybe a recited as a creed is certainly not practiced and the work of the Holy Spirit as alone taking charge in the assembly of God's people is set aside and all the arrangements of man and humanity and human reasonings are set in place of the precious word of God and one could go on at great length I'm sure you're only too well aware of that has come in in the sphere of Christian profession and the assembly has sinned and is guilty and it needs to be told it's guilty and if it won't hear then the pathway for the saint of God is outside as we have in 2 Timothy 2 if a man purge himself out from these purge himself out from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet for the master's use so that is the answer today to the sin of the assembly one the saint in faithfulness to the lord finds himself outside he might be alone but he's outside there with all those that call upon the lord out of a pure heart and so then verse 22 it says a prince when a prince sins and through inadvertence does somewhat against any of all the commandments of the lord is God now this time of course there's one that is a ruler in the people of God we are exalted in Hebrews aren't we to know our leaders those that have taught us the word of God and oh how necessary it is for leaders there was a day in Israel's history you know when the leaders led the leaders led and oh would to God today there was the leaders among the people of God that were leading giving the right lead giving the right clear lead to the saints of God in Deborah sang that in the song that the leaders led and anyway there are such as those in the assembly of God who are the readers not appointed by us not by any laying on of hands or votes or delegations or anything like that no God will bring them forward in faithfulness to him dear Mr Darby said you know if there was more devotion there'd be more gift there was more devotion there'd be more gift that's perhaps what's lacking today as we look around and we say where are the readers are our hearts devoted are we seeking in our own hearts to be more devoted to the lord and of course it applies to sisters as well you know because in that same song of Deborah there were mothers in Israel mothers in Israel and that's another blessed day a person that God is looking for today the mothers in Israel so that's just a little word by the way for the sisters in case you think you've been left out there's a blessed portion for you and I can thank God in my Christian experience for the mothers in Israel that have corrected me in many occasions because and helped me in many ways and they led me on in the things of God and set the things of God before me from the precious word of God one can thank God for the mothers in Israel and would to God that there might be more and more of such raised up today very necessary and blessed work so dear sisters don't think you're neglected in the things of God they're very absolutely necessary so anyway the prince says the prince sins and you'll notice here of course that um he uh he's allowed to come not with a bullock but the uh buck of the goat so he goat but again of course it must be a male and without blemish uh his sin that the sin of the the leader great and a and terrible as it is is obviously not of such a a a terribleness as it is for the whole congregation or the um the priest that is anointed and so he can bring a buck of the goats and but he needs equally to lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it and then the priest this time um it's put on the horns of the altar a burnt offering and but not sprinkled before the um the veil of the sanctuary because uh although it's a sad thing when a prince sins it doesn't in a general way affect the whole company some cases it can of course akin sin affected the whole company of israel in that time but there are times of course when a prince a ruler or one of the people sins it may not necessarily affect the whole company it's a very serious matter and he personally must get right with god so there it's not necessary for the blood to be sprinkled before the veil of the sanctuary but it's necessary for it to be put on the horns of the altar burnt offering and poured out at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering and the fat likewise is burned and a similar thing you find with one of the people of the land very similar pattern now here when we come to the law of the offering the law of the offering and uh in chapter six and verse 24 there's a very important matter is brought out here uh remember the law we said as with all of these offerings the burnt offering the meal offering that we've already considered likewise with the sin offering these are the principles of it and how they particularly affect the priestly family Aaron and his sons it says stresses at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered shall the sin offering be slaughtered before the lord it is most holy they must it's brought home that it is most holy we know that the burnt offering is absolutely holy there's no question about that but in case we were perhaps thinking that the sins offering the sin offering was not holy it is stressed in the word of god that it's an absolutely holy matter and we can't take this up lightly and so the priest that offers it for sin shall eat it the priest that offers it for sin shall eat it as the the one who is dealing in this delicate way with the sin of a brother or sister the one who is a taking this matter up before god he of course he doesn't immediately hears about it run along to him and and ram the bible down his foot no he gets before god in prayer first he gets before god in prayer and he agonizes in prayer perhaps an evening perhaps two or three evenings uh if perhaps depending on the seriousness of it might go on for a week in prayer before god about it he he bears in his own soul the sin of that dear brother that dear sister he's not making a parade about it he's not glorifying in it he feels it before god as a true priest he agonizes in prayer about it and i've known i've known brothers who've been in that condition and they've been aware of the sin of a dear brother or sister but they've got before god and they've borne it and figuratively they've been eating the offering in the holy place and that's the way and then of course one is enabled as helped of god to go along to that dear brother or sister and graciously set the truth of god as it is in his word before them graciously set the truth of god in his word before them i think prayed earnestly that god will immediately speak to them and of course when one comes in that attitude usually god has gone before and works in the heart of that dear brother or sister and they immediately and readily can own where they've gone wrong and they get before god about it and the matter is healed up in that way that's the godly way and oh would to god that there was much more of that today this this bearing things before god paul says dundee in galatians chapter six if any brother be overtaken in a fault any brother be overtaken a fault ye who are spiritual ye who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness in the spirit of meekness considering yourself considering yourself lest thou also be tempted and that's it that's that's the thing that gets us isn't it we might be so ready to run along when we see someone doing some wrong and and try and correct them we must always consider ourselves we've got to realize that that flesh which is in that dear brother or sister and at that for that moment has got the upper hand and allowed him to go wrong at that same price as in us in the very next day we might be the one that's in need of that reproof or correction it's a very solid matter dearly beloved and we have a we have to have a very heightened a very deep a very real appreciation of the great work of the lord jesus christ upon calvary's cross if that marks us more we feel these things in the presence of god in the holy place then we are fitted vessels fitted servants to take these things up for god in the scene you know priesthood doesn't uh that's one of our great heights and joys is being in the sanctuary lifting up holy hands and blessing the lord but the priest had much more else to do hadn't he in much more else to do one of his most difficult jobs one of his most difficult jobs was to discern whether a leper was cleansed or not yes that was i think must have been one of his most difficult jobs to see if a leper was cleansed no you know that would search us today when leprosy comes in when the principle evil comes in among the saints of god where is the priestly eye to discern when there's been when the when the case is clear and healed and that pure and true fellowship can be restored these are holy delicate matters dear beloved but they're absolutely necessary they're not things that we can sweep aside if we want to enjoy the glory and the blessing of of the inside place and the testament of christ today these things which are a blight on us these things which affect us as assemblies of god's people and as companies of god's people and in our individual lives must be put right in a godly and orderly way uh before god and then indeed there will be the blessing there'll be that which will accrue to god in praise and worship and homage and adoration so the priest he eats it in a holy place in the court of the tent of meeting it says everything that touches the flesh thereof shall be holy and if there be splashed the blood thereof on a garment that which is sprinkled shall you wash in a holy place oh these matters can't be dealt with in a in an unholy way wherever they move whatever comes in contact with them must be dealt with delicately remember david could say about the slaying of jonathan and saul tell it not in garth publish it not in ascurum lest the daughters of the philistines rejoice no these are matters that must be taken up in a holy and a godly way um the earthen vessel must be cleansed the copper pots scoured and rinsed then verse 29 all the males among the priests shall eat thereof all the males not the daughters not the daughters all the males we stressed again with the the meal offering that it was the males alone that he ate it it wasn't the food for the the daughters of the priests it was only for the males the side of full responsibility and as brethren we must be up to the full measure of our responsibility there must be no diminution of it there must be that spiritual vigor and energy intelligence in the things of god to take these things up in a holy way without any weak element coming in at all without any sentiment or anything of the weakness coming in at all they must be taken up in that godly and holy way all the males among the priests shall eat thereof it is most holy and then of course no sin offering whereof blood has been brought to the tent of meeting to make atonement in the sanctuary shall be eaten it shall be burned with fire and that of course is dealing with the case of the the offering for the priest and the and the congregation and of course later on we read in leviticus 16 of that great occasion once a year when there was a sin offering made for the people sin offering made for the people we could have perhaps mentioned that one last night as a lamb for the nation though it's actually a goat but it's the very same idea a goat or a lamb for the nation and there it was that god might be able to go on with his people for another year that's an offering was brought into the sanctuary but it had to be burned with fire outside the gate well i do trust dearly beloved that you've seen something of what the lord has laid in my heart and the consider consideration of this very holy and solemn matter tonight that we might get home and and get into prayer before god these exercises these things might be worked out more in our practical dealings one with the other and that there might be that which will accrue to god that the walls of jerusalem might be built again and that god in his good pleasure might do good design for his name's sake …