The offering … when we hear or read that word more often than not, we think of a plate being passed around in a public service on a Sunday morning. I saw a movie once where a poor family was in a morning service. When the plate was passed around, each of the boys flipped their fingers on the bottom of the plate as it passed by them in effort to make people think they had dropped a coin in.
I also heard a story of a sinking ship. After the life boats had been filled to capacity, those left on board who were certainly doomed to die gathered around, terrified of what was about to happen. The captain spotted a man whom he knew to be a preacher and he quickly approached him and said, brother, we need some hope. Please lead these people in something religious! In response the man took off his hat and took up an offering.
In reality, there are only a few times in scripture where the word “offering” is used in connection with money. In most situations it is speaking of a sacrifice offered up to God in effort to appease Him into forgiving sin. In the Old Testament, millions of animals gave up their lives as sacrifices for the sins of men. Just think of the bloody scene as all day long the priest slaughtered sheep, goats, oxen and doves in effort to have God forgive those offering them up. In most cases the blood of the offered animal was poured out by the altar upon which the carcass of the animal was to be burned. It is said that the blood was routed and drained into the brook, Kedron, which is a message in itself.
There were a total of six different offerings for various sins and situations, but for the sake of today’s article, we want to deal with three of them, namely, the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. We read in Leviticus 9:22-24, “Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” What a glorious, yet awesomely fearful sight that must have been. The power of God was demonstrated in a way that not only let them see His power, but also what one word from Him could do to the people. The offerings were sacrificed in their place. The fire that feel from the sky could have been on them had God not accepted the sacrifices.
Yet all those offerings and sacrifices were only temporary. They covered that particular situation and sin. When they sinned again, or it came to the end of the year, it all had to be repeated. Once more, millions of animals gave their lives in place of man. Did it really do any good? In reality, it was all a type to show man that his efforts, his sacrifices, his offerings were insignificant and in the long run, accomplished nothing as far as making them right and in good standing with the Almighty God.
The offerings were a type of the Savior that was needed to put an end to all the brutal slaughter of the animals. Read with me in Hebrews 9:11-15, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
God knew from the beginning that the animal sacrificial system was only temporary and that it in itself was insufficient to cover the sin of mankind. It was only a type of what was truly needed – A sinless human sacrifice that would once and for all settle the issue. But there was not one sinless human being that could be found. Even if someone was willing to lay down his life for the rest of mankind, no one was worthy to do so. It seemed hopeless. It left man helplessly doomed to eternal destruction because of sin.
Jesus fulfilled the requirement to be that sinless life. He was God in the flesh. In essence, God Himself came down in human form, born of the virgin and so not born into sin as everyone else who inherited Adam’s sin. We are all guilty regardless of our offerings, our sacrifices and our desperate attempts. Only accepting what Christ has done for us, asking Him to apply His own sacrifice to our failure, and only by believing on Him can we have any hope of escaping the eternal destruction of hell.
He made the way. He gave the ultimate sacrifice. Read also Hebrews 10:1214, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” We no longer need to kill innocent animals to take our place. Jesus has done it for us, once and forever.
The sin offering was given annually for the sin of all the people of Israel. The burnt offering was intended to be a sweet savor to hopefully appease the anger of God, and the peace offering was meant to establish peace between God and man. They had to do it often. But Jesus became all of those offerings wrapped up into one. His one sacrifice took care of our sin, allowing us to be a sweet odor to God and bridge the gap between us so that we could finally, and eternally have peace with God. All we have to do is to accept the gift. We believe what Christ has done for us by dying and raising to life again, thus in type allowing us to die to sin in Him and be raised up a new creation free from the curse of sin, then confess Him as the One who has become our Deliverer, then the Bible says that we will be saved (see Romans 10:9-10).
Simple, isn’t it? Yes, but it was very difficult for Jesus. He did it for you and me and all who will believe upon Him. Will you believe? Will you confess Him today? When you do, He will make a change in you that will make you a new person, finally and forever.
— Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge