Gifts and Talents

        In the days of the Old Testament there were several types of sacrifices and offerings. The mandatory types of sacrifices were; the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. They were required to use animals for these sacrifices depending which sacrifice was being done; a young bull, a male goat, a female goat, a dove/pigeon, or ephor of fine flour. The animals had to be without blemish.

      The voluntary sacrifices: The first was the burnt offering, a voluntary act of worship to express devotion or commitment to God. It was also used as an atonement for unintentional sin.

      The second voluntary offering was the grain offering, in which the fruit of the field was offered in the form of a cake or baked bread made of grain, fine flour, oil and salt. The grain offering was one of the sacrifices accompanied by a drink offering of one-quarter hin (about a quart) of wine. The purpose of the grain offering was to express thanksgiving in recognition of God’s provision and an merited goodwill toward the person making the sacrifice.

      The third voluntary offering was the peace offering, which consisted of any unblemished animal from the worshiper’s herd, and/or various grains or bread. This was a sacrifice of thanksgiving and fellowship followed by a shared meal. The high priest was given the breast of the animal; the officiating priest was given the right foreleg. These pieces of the offering were called the “wave offering” and the “heave offering” because they were waved or lifted over the alter during the ceremony. This symbolizing God’s provision. The vow offering, thanksgiving offering, and freewill offering mentioned in the Old Testament were all peace offerings.

      These sacrifices pointed forward to the perfect and final sacrifice of our redeemer (Jesus), they were a shadow of things that were to come.

      Jesus was God, but He gave up His throne, and came to Earth as a baby that was born of a virgin. His ministry started at the age of thirty. He was crucified, and buried in a stone grave, covered with a large stone. Jesus was without sin and without blemish. The Devil had thought that he had won. But, three days later Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive forever more. He has redeemed not just us from all of our sins, but for all of people of the Old Testament also.

      There is no redemption with out the shedding of blood. The Old Testament sacrifices were a temporary solution, until the Redeemer came and gave His blood for us. Because He Lives, we can live, we can face tomorrow, we are healed; we are forgiven; we also have authority over our enemies, just because He lives.

      Bill Gaither wrote Because He Lives, and it is a powerful song when we sing it. When we give our lives to Jesus, we are redeemed by His blood, and we can face anything and anyone, just, because He lives.

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

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      New King James Version
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

      New King James Version
John 3:14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.