Title: Exacting Demands / Topic: Offerings And Worship

Note: This post was delayed because of illness.

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 1; Leviticus 2; Leviticus 3; Acts 13

Scripture: Leviticus 1:1-4
1 The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
3 " 'If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. 4 He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

Observation: As I read through the first three chapters of Leviticus I was struck with the exacting demands that the Lord gives. An amazing amount of detail is prescribed with such words as, "he is to...", "he must..", "he shall...", etc. The way that offerings are to be made is spelled out with such great specificity that no one bringing a sacrifice would be tempted think about it in a casual or nonchalant way. God knows what He wants and He spells it out clearly.

Application: I have an affinity for relaxed and casual worship styles (although I have and can enjoy everything from high church hymn singing to black gospel). But the expectations of God as given in Leviticus are anything but relaxed or casual. They are exacting. I guess I am wondering if I need to rethink my approach to worship. Perhaps I have communicated such a relaxed style that it has appeared lax and has given the idea that the expectations of God are little or none. I think that God wants us to come before Him with joy, but not with sloppiness or and "anything goes" kind of attitude.

Bottom Line: The worship of God is serious business. People have died for doing it wrong! I need to approach it with thought and purpose.

Prayer: Lord, I want to please You with the way I worship You. I want to come into Your presence with great rejoicing for You are worthy of that. But I want to also come with intensity and purposefulness -- because You are also worthy of that. Help me find the right approach.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.