The Worshiper & Sacrifices

WOW what a reading today!!! When you get to readings like today’s the temptation is always there to think, well I have read this before and can’t learn much more from “sacrifices.” After all, this is the old law and we are under the new law now. How much value can this really have in my life. To be honest some of those thoughts came to my mind as I started the reading. But as always God showed me something new as I read.
I was reminded of something as I read the text today. God desires our best!! It is obvious and easy to see that God in each case wanted the worshiper to bring the choice sacrifice animals without blemish, or the finest flower etc. You can’t bring the leftovers to God and call it a sacrifice. A sacrifice consists of the best you and I have, anything less is not acceptable as a sacrifice. It was a good reminder for me.
The next thing really jumped off the pages at me in a way it never has before. I noticed how many times the worshiper was called to lay his own hand on the animal and deliver the fatal blow. I think many times we assume that the worshiper just brought the animal to the Priest and he did all the dirty work. It turns out this is not the case. The worshiper coming to offer the sacrifice was to present the offering, and then actively participate in killing the animal being sacrificed. The priest in most cases was there to catch the blood, or carry the sacrifice on from the point the fatal blow was delivered. The word translated “lay his hand on” (smkh) means to lean, rest, or support ones self. Walvoord and Zuck state that this shows that through the act of leaning into or on the animal the worshiper was identifying himself with the animal as his substitute. Furthermore by delivering the final deathblow, the worshiper would have realized the incredible cost of sin.
My question is do we? Do we understand the incredible price that was paid for our redemption? God delivered the sacrifice and presented it for us in his one and only son. Ultimately God had control and sent His Son to the cross with his own hand. God allowed Jesus to suffer and die for our sins. Simply put, He did it all for us before we were even born. I did not have to lay my hands on an animal sacrifice, or Jesus for that matter and deliver the final blow. God did it all for us!!! (Col 2:13-15) I am thankful that He did, but I fear this is perhaps the main reason we treat sin in such a lazy manner in our society. We don’t truly appreciate the cost, and the incredible task that fell on the worshiper who laid his hands on the sacrifice and took its life from it. I pray as we read about the sacrifices those under the old law made and the way they made them our appreciation of the New Covenant will be strengthened and our hearts will despise the sin more and more each day. God’s grace through Jesus Christ was FREE, but it was not CHEAP!!!!