I know people who can talk about the Levitcal priesthood at such detail it’s mind boggling. I know people who can preach weeks on the meaning of the all the different sacrifices . . . the what’s, why’s, and wherefore’s presented in such a way as to talk not only of what they signified for the children of Israel but also their meaning concerning Christ. They are types . . . metaphors . . . pointing to a once-for-all sacrifice in the future. Yup, I know people who can slice and dice the text almost as much as those priests sliced and diced all the animal offerings . . . I know ’em . . . but I’m not one of them. But I love entering this part of my reading plan which takes me through Leviticus . . . because here, through the types, I encounter the wonders of my salvation and my Savior.

I guess I’m more of a “big picture” guy . . . not as interested in understanding all the detail . . . but, instead, glorying in the overall themes. Two of them just jump out at you in the first 4 chapters of Leviticus.

First, that fact that these animal sacrifices, these offerings made by fire, were “a sweet aroma to the LORD” (1:13,17; 2:2,9; 3:5,16, 4:31). The NIV says that the offerings rose as “an aroma pleasing to the LORD”, the NASB, “a soothing aroma to the LORD”. Yes . . . yes . . . and yes. Soothing is a really good translation it seems . . . the word literally means “quieting” or “tranquilizing”. What needs to be soothed? The displeasure and anger of a Holy, Holy, Holy God over the sin of His creation. The sacrifices quieted God’s just wrath as payment was made for sin. And, it was a pleasing aroma . . . because it was offered willing by those who acknowledged their transgression (1:3) before a Holy, Holy, Holy God. According to God’s prescribed method, men would offer a substitute in payment for their sin . . . they would bring a perfect offering, without blemish . . . they would place their hands upon the offering so as to identify with it as being offered for their sin . . . and they would willingly offer it to God. And God was pleased with the aroma. And too, it was a sweet aroma. Not sweet in terms of the sense of smell, but sweet in that it restored fellowship between God and man that had been broken by sin. I imagine God seeing the smoke come up . . . and God smelling that smoke . . . and God saying, “Sweet!”

And the pleasure it brought God was not from the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of animals over the centuries. No, it’s the other grand theme in the 4 chapters which made these such sweet smelling aromas: “So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him” (4:20, 26, 31, 35). All this sacrifice . . . all the details of the Levitcal priesthood . . . all pointed to His beloved Son . . . the Great High Priest . . . the One who would one day offer the final sacrifice . . . the last of the shed blood . . . to pay the price for man’s sin. I imagine God seeing and smelling the smoke from the altar and saying, “Sweet. But they haven’t seen anything yet. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man that which I have prepared for them. They cannot conceive now the Lamb of God come to take away the sin of the world. But they will . . . soon they will!”

Oh, how sweet the sacrifice! Not that I have a blood thirst . . . not that I enjoy remembering that which the Son of God suffered on my stead . . . not that I am enamored with the violence shown to the Creator nor the brutality of the Cross. But, that it allowed My Great High Priest to make once for all atonement for my sin . . . now that’s sweet! Atonement . . . at – one – ment . . . oh, to think that I can be in a relationship with Holy, Holy, Holy God! No fear of judgment and wrath . . . not because I’m perfect, but because He was . . . not because I’ve conquered sin (yet) . . . but because sin had no authority over Him . . . not because of what I done . . . but because of who He is . . . not because of who I am . . . but because of what He’s done (there’s a song there J ).

Thank You Father for intervening in my sin problem . . thank You that in the shedding of blood there is the remission of sin . . . that there is forgiveness. You have always sought a people . . . and you have always provided a way for that people to draw near. In Leviticus it was the high priest making atonement for sin through the offering of a sacrifice . . . resulting in a sweet aroma ascending to heaven and forgiveness descending upon the sinner. Today, I sit here forgiven because Jesus offered Himself as that sacrifice . . . and You were well pleased with Your Son . . and I am well pleased to know my sins washed away . . . and You and I join in single-mindedness . . . as You declare from heaven . . . and I declare on earth . . “Sweet!”