Reading for Tuesday, January 26th
I’m behind in these daily posts! Hopefully those who are reading have adjusted and read a day behind! I’ve spent most of the evening tonight searching for topics for our next sermon series at Living Hope. One of the ideas that has come to me is to study some of the OT offerings and search for meanings relevant to our life today. One of the offerings I was reading about is called a grain offering and one practice that comes out from a grain offering is offering our best to God.
“Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. ‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as an offering made to the LORD by fire.’” Leviticus 2:13-16
The grain offerings are described in Leviticus with great attention to detail. Every t must be crossed, every i dotted in pursuit of the perfect offering. This requires the supplicant to pay unwavering attention during the process of preparing the offering in order to ensure that every aspect of the finished product is exactly as the law requires.
Perhaps Cain’s mistake was not simply that he did not offer the life of an animal, as some think, but that he did not prepare his offering with true attentiveness. Or it simply could have been that his heart attitude was all wrong. Either way, he did not truly give God his best. What about us? When we are truly dedicating our actions to the Lord, we must be continually conscious of both his presence and of our intention. We are not used to this kind of thinking in our multitasking world, but the ancients knew of this intimately. Meditating on the Word, fasting and prayer, submitting offerings to the Lord—each of these required a singleminded devotion and diligence. God, help us to offer you our best as we seek after you and as we worship you!
