Today’s reading: Lev 1:1–3:17, John 7:1–13, Song 5:10–12

Today’s theme: A pleasing aroma

A common theme in Leviticus is the pleasing aroma which comes from sacrifices done in the right way and with the right heart before God. Jesus is the ultimate pleasing aroma and our lives should bring God pleasure and glory too. There should be a distinct smell to our lives that pleases God and causes the world to hate us as we bear witness to the truth.

Leviticus 1:1–3:17

A pleasing aroma

but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:9 (ESV)

This term “a pleasing aroma” comes up a lot in Leviticus. It shows that the sacrifices that were made brought God pleasure and were a way of averting God’s righteous anger and appealing to His grace.

It also shows that if the sacrifices do not please God (like in Isaiah where God says He is sick of the heartless sacrifices) then they are dead and without effect.

Ultimately this all points to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross which God was pleased with as mentioned in Ephesians 5:2.

Seasoned with salt

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. Leviticus 2:13 (ESV)

The salt of the covenant represents the durability and eternal nature of God’s covenant as salt is a preservative. Leaven and honey on the other hand cause fermentation and decay so could not be accepted as part of a burnt offering.

The peace offering

“If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. Leviticus 3:1 (ESV)

The peace offering (also known as the offering of well being and the fellowship offering) was one where peace was made between the person making the sacrifice and God as both would partake of the offering in fellowship.

Again this all points to Jesus, the ultimate peace offering, He removes the offence and brings peace between God and believers. See Colossians 1:20 and Ephesians 2:15.

John 7:1–13

Hold up God’s standard to the world

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. John 7:7 (ESV)

We should be like Jesus, we should hold up the standard of God’s truth to the world which is automatically a testimony that what they do is evil. This will cause us individually and as a people to be hated. We should rejoice in this as we identify with Jesus.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on John 7