Advent reflection Dec 12

Morning
Leviticus 3:1-5

“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. And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

There are many laws and rules in the book of levity’s explaining how a person should approach God. Notice the graphic nature of blood and “entrails” displayed to the person who is longing for peace with God. Since mankind is broken and sinful we can never hope to approach our maker on our terms. He is pure and holy. We are violators of what he made to be “very good.” Consider this morning how you could ever stand before God on your own as you are.

Afternoon
Judges 6:19-24

So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Gideon sees a messenger from God and fears for his life. There are many other similar stories throughout scripture. We must never forget that apart from mercy we should fear for our lives in the presence of God. Pray today that God will show mercy. Thank him that in Christ he does.

Evening
Rom 5:1-2

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

His mercy is on display. Nothing is so important to us as the relationship we have with Christ. He is good. He and he alone provides peace with God. Were in not for the work of Christ we would still need to slaughter and gut animals in order to approach him. But we have a greater peace and a greater offering. We are seen by the father through the lens of Jesus Christ.