The Lord said to Moses,
2"Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’
- P126
3Say to them: ‘This is the food offering you are to present to the Lord: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day.
4Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight,
5together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives.
6This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. - P126
Moses receives instructions about the offerings that the Israelites are to present each day. Every offering should be pristine—without defect; only the finest available offerings should be given to the God who is holy and perfect. - P128
The offerings stress the importance of worship and thankfulness to God several times throughout the day. - P128
This passage is a reminder that every day is a new beginning for the people of God. We wake each morning and, through our prayers, devotionals, and other spiritual disciplines, offer ourselves to Him. - P128
As the light of day fades into evening, we once again offer ourselves to God, thanking Him for our lives while asking His forgiveness for our sins. God calls us to this spiritual rhythm of life. - P128
God institutes offerings for each week and each month. The Sabbath andnew moon sacrifices described here require more time and effort than thedaily sacrifices. - P128
Time is valuable. Most of us do not seem to have enough ofit. However, as we slow down and take time to honor our Lord, we discoverthat our time with the Eternal God bears more fruit than we could possiblyimagine. - P128
These commands are a gift from God. They instill the importanceof setting aside time to be with the Lord, to be thankful for what we havereceived, and to process what we have experienced throughout the week asthe Spirit of God refreshes and renews our hearts and minds. - P128
Dear Jesus, teach me the grace that comes from a restful spirit. - P128
I want to appreciate what I receive from You each morning, night, week, and month. With every moment, may I bring glory to You. In Your name I pray, amen. - P128
God outlines the offerings for key festivals. On the fourteenth day of the firstmonth, the Passover is to be held. There is to be a festival on the fifteenth day, and the people are to eat bread without yeast for seven days. The Festival ofWeeks follows, during which the people are to present to the Lord an offeringof new grain in addition to animal sacrifices. - P133
"Do no regular work." Throughout these verses describing the Passovercelebration and the Festival of Weeks, we find a clear command from Godinstructing His people to cease from their daily work activities. Generationafter generation, God‘s people are to pause and remember His goodnessand faithfulness in the deliverance from Egypt and the firstfruits of thewheat harvest. - P134
Both events are relevant for us today because they pointto the deliverance from sin accomplished by Christ on the cross, and thelife of fruitfulness to which we are called. - P134
These are times to rememberwhat God has done for us and to reflectreflect upon our own liveour own lives in response toHis mercy and grace. - P134
Temporarily laying aside our everyday schedules andwork responsibilities is a tangible way that we honor God and regain a newperspective on our lives. - P134
Czech RepublicCapital: PraguePopulation: 10,837,890Major Religions: None 47.8%, Roman Catholic 7%, Other Christian 6% Having only experienced freedom from communist influence for a few decades, the Czech Re-public is rich with historical sites and industrialized cities. The fall of communism in 1989 broughtfreedom of religion; however, nearly half of the population identify as atheist, while many remainundecided about what they believe regarding God‘s existence. - P134
|