February 27, 2011 A Pleasing Aroma

A Pleasing Aroma
Read Numbers 28-30

Num 29:13 Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

I’VE often wondered how burnt animals could be a pleasing aroma to God. Burning flesh is anything but pleasing, but that is how God described it. How is this relevant to us today?
The lesson I see for us today is this: I see God calling us to trust him with as LORD. “LORD” is a title for God that means he is Jehovah—Provider. And to God, this title must be real to his people. They (we) need to know he provides what we need.
To emphasize that truth, God is commanding his people to sacrifice their best to him. The aroma of the burning flesh tells God his people have obeyed. They have sacrificed prime livestock for him. They have honored him. They have worshiped him. And they are trusting him to provide in the future.
The aroma is the reality of God’s people trusting him to offer a sacrifice. “Sacrifice” means giving up something of value to another. God called his people to give up their best for him because he had offered himself to them to free them and call them into his Kingdom.
We can look now and see how God has given his best even more personally in his Son, Jesus Christ, for you.
Now, God wants your best. He doesn’t want your leftover money, energy or time. Give to God your best, and you be a pleasing aroma to him.



Pause and Consider: your smile is a pleasing aroma to God.