| I. | | | | aroma pleasing to him. Endure the fire and please |
| "…it is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, | | | | the King of kings. |
| an aroma pleasing to the Lord." | | | | II. |
| Luke 1: 9b, 13c & 17d | | | | "Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not |
| I wondered why this verse was repeated 3 times | | | | leave the salt of the covenant of your God out |
| in the first chapter of Leviticus. As I was | | | | of your grain offerings; add salt to all your |
| meditating, I found no answer. Though I found | | | | offerings." |
| one, (which is probably because there were 3 | | | | Could you imagine why of all the preservatives in |
| examples of burnt offering) I found it | | | | the world, God uniquely preferred salt to be the |
| inappropriate to what I am seeking. Then suddenly | | | | most important seasoning in the grain offering? |
| I arrived to noticing one verse which kept on | | | | As we read the whole 2nd chapter of Leviticus, |
| repeating throughout the chapter. | | | | we could sum it up as a message of instructions |
| Present your bodies as living sacrifices. This was | | | | to the Israelites on how they would make their |
| the first verse that I thought when I have read | | | | grain offerings for the Lord. It should be made of |
| the verse that was written above. Humans were | | | | fine flour, therefore a pure one -- an offering |
| created by God like lambs that are to be | | | | made of pure specific ingredients and is made out |
| sacrificed to Him. We, as humans, should offer | | | | of yeast. |
| ourselves as living sacrifices to the God of | | | | God simply wants us to present to Him the |
| heavens who first found us. It seemed awkward | | | | purest of what we can offer. We should "…walk |
| with the customs of this world but it is what the | | | | before Him and be blameless." Confession of our |
| Father requires of us. We are the same burnt | | | | sins is a must for our Christian lifestyle. Before |
| offering God refers in this chapter. | | | | we face God and present to Him ourselves, let us |
| But it is not just a simple offering, beloved. We | | | | make sure that we already have had confessed |
| should go under purification. The best way to | | | | all the wrong things that we have done on this |
| purify gold is to put it on fire. And then after the | | | | earth that would make our Father in heaven so |
| process, the victory of having an untouched | | | | upset. There is nothing in this world that would |
| treasure would become the greatest wealth for a | | | | make our Lord so upset but sin. It was even |
| person. And this is what the Lord had made us to | | | | written in the New Testament that even before |
| be. We should undergo purification, just like how | | | | we would go to the altar, we should already affix |
| metals and gold purifies through fire. | | | | things that were undone. And this is how we can |
| Remember the story of three friends who were | | | | present ourselves as living sacrifice, as one |
| pursued to worship other gods by their king. This | | | | approved, holy and pleasing unto the Lord. |
| was the best example for purifying the faith of | | | | Notice that grain offerings are referred to as |
| saint. Such a mysterious story. They were put | | | | breads, cakes, wafers and foods made of flour. |
| inside the fiery furnace because of their | | | | And imagine those seasoned with salt. (Though |
| disobedience to the king. But this made them | | | | nowadays it would seem just fine but for me, it |
| prove that there God was more powerful than | | | | was awkward because I am a sweet desert and |
| any other phenomena on earth. God used fire to | | | | pastries lover.) God thinks and moves in |
| show the people that these three men would | | | | mysterious ways. Remember in Colossians 4:6 |
| outshine them all for their faith in their one true | | | | which says , "Let your speech always be |
| God. Perhaps, as they were walking inside the | | | | gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may |
| furnace, God was smelling the beautiful and | | | | know how you ought to answer each person.". |
| pleasing aroma of their souls. | | | | This verse makes me realize the significance of |
| We were made much better through fire, through | | | | salt and how it benefit humans. Salt cleanses and |
| painful circumstances, through dim and vague | | | | preserves. It kills germs and disinfects bacteria. |
| moments, through problems and troubles, through | | | | God wanted us to have a lifestyle seasoned with |
| trials and persecution and even through death. But | | | | salt. He wanted our every word to be gracious |
| learn by heart that through these things -- | | | | and be seasoned with salt. He wanted us to |
| through becoming an offering made by fire and | | | | speak of good things -- things that are pure, holy |
| becoming a burnt offering -- we become an | | | | and free from guilt and sin. Taming our tongue is |
| aroma pleasing to the Lord. How wonderful and | | | | one way of seasoning ourselves with salt. "There |
| amazing to know that the God of this universe | | | | is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, |
| would care to make us a wonderful treasure | | | | but the tongue of the wise brings healing." |
| untouched by any impurities. | | | | (Proverbs 12:18) |
| Instead of getting mad and confused why you | | | | God wants us to be a pleasing aroma to Him. And |
| experience such things, get on your knees and | | | | to Him, a pleasing aroma is seasoned with purity. |
| thank God that He wants you to be a sweet | | | | |