Numbers 15:1-3
‘Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you then make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the LORD, from the herd or from the flock.”‘
Whenever I see that something is pleasing to The Lord, I stop and take notice. God is busy all throughout the bible. He is helping some, correcting others, showing sadness, compassion, displeasure and on. It’s rare that we see God sharing something that pleases Him.
We learn much about a person when we learn what makes them happy. This is privileged information that isn’t for everyone. To get this, we have to go deeper. Here God wants an offering given. Instead of just complying, we can wonder why it’s soothing to Him. Then when do give the offering, we can do so with a desire to please Him in a knowing way.
What is it about offerings that are a soothing aroma? I would say that it’s us giving to Him. The Lord likes generosity. It’s one of His greatest traits. When He sees it in us, He’s a proud dad. It’s a soothing aroma to Him.
How can we give to God? God no longer wants sacrifices. We aren’t to slaughter an animal. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” He wants us to give our bodies to Him. We aren’t to engage in sin. We can sin with our bodies by abusing them and doing unbiblical things. To avoid these things for godly reasons pleases Him. Psalm 51:17 describes another sacrifice, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” I love this. The pauper and the prince can both afford it. He loves a humble heart. We all should be humble. We are deceiving ourselves, if we aren’t. Jesus says in Matthew 9:13, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners”. He’s saying that compassion is the new sacrifice.
On a selfish note, this is when we get blessed. As we grow in our generosity, He blesses us. Jesus says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure– pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” If one wants to be blessed, give. Give of our time, our resources, our compassion, and on. We may not think we’ve got time for a person, but if we sacrificially give, He will help us with our schedules and deadlines, etc.
Lord, thank you for sharing this part of Yourself. Help us to be more generous and to please You.