Worship in the Wilderness #6: The Priests and the Offerings:

 

Read Leviticus 6

Background: This chapter finishes up what we were looking at yesterday about the Guilt or Trespass Offering, with more examples of the types of offences which would prompt it, and showing more the need for the restoration and restitution along with the offering.  In the middle of the chapter, we get more details as to how the Priests are involved in all five of the offerings.

Key Verses: 8  The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out. 

Thoughts: The last verse summarizes one major responsibility of the priests: "Keep the Fire Burning." The Lord is always "open for business," always ready for fellowship, always ready to forgive, always ready to listen.  We begin to get a clearer picture here of how the priests' job was to "assist the people in worship." They were not there as judges or to determine if offerings were to be accepted; they were helpers.  Their share in various offerings was not just their "pay" or support, it was also part of the fellowship they were  to enjoy as God's representatives.  

Many of these laws we are looking at may seem picky and "boring", but God was showing His character: Holy, but with open arms; omniscient of all our sins, yet forgiving; prone to detail, yet making it possible in every way for us to have fellowship with Him and give Him the worship He deserves.