Thinking About Sacrifice

I have been thinking this week about sacrifice. In Exodus in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, God instructed Moses how to build a tabernacle so that He may have a home among His people. The basic layout of the Tabernacle was an Outer Court, an Inner Court and then at the very center the Most Holy Place (a.k.a. The Holy of Holies). Upon entering the Outer Court the first thing you see in front of you is the Altar of Sacrifice. In the back ground behind a curtain, is the Inner Court. I believe the picture here is that before we can have fellowship with God, a sacrifice must be offered. That sacrifice was God's One and Only Son, Jesus. I feel that to often we take His sacrifice for granted. Just saying a prayer to escape Hell's flames with no real intenion of allowing Jesus to change our lives. We must sacrifice our lives as well. Jesus sacrificed his life and we must surrender our's to complete the process. It is interesting that in tabernacle times a family would actually raise the animal they were going to sacrifice. The children probably became friends with the lamb only to have to offer it as a sacrifice. It cost them something. The sacrifice of that lamb did not forgive sin it only pushed it ahead until the next sacrifice was made one year later. When Jesus, the Lamb of God was sacrificed He was the Final Sacrifice for sin, giving us access to God once again and allowing us access to the Most Holy Places.

-Norm

Weather today: 65 degrees and partly cloudy.