Day 77/365- Deuteronomy 17:1

"Leftovers"

"Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the Lord your God, for he detests such gifts. (Deuteronomy 17:1 NLT)

This command has a two-fold aspect to it. God didn't want his people offering sick, defective, lame, or otherwise marred sacrifices. God wanted their best. He deserved their best. In reality, the fact that they had animals to sacrifice was because of him. He blessed them with every possession they had, including livestock. This is what a sacrifice is. It's saying to God, "You own everything I have, here I'll prove it." Not, "It's all mine but here's your share." When they were to bring a sacrifice it was to be of their best, not of their worst. It was to be off the top not the leftovers. It was to be their first priority not their second, third, fourth, etc.

Similarly, God wants our best. The best of our time, our resources, our efforts, our ingenuity, our giftedness, our relationships, & any other resource he has given us. It's not ours anyway. It's all his & when we give these things to him for his kingdom purposes we are saying to him that's it's all his anyway. He deserves it. He is worthy of our best. He deserves our top priority, not second. He deserves our best, not our leftovers. He deserves to be on our thoughts the most. He deserves to be the topic of the majority of our talk. He deserves to be the priority of our affections. He is worthy of these things and leftovers just will not do. You don't serve leftover casserole to the president. Likewise, you don't serve leftovers to a King.

He also must have a flawless sacrifice because of what that sacrifice means. There must be a spotless one to take the blame of the spotted one. There must be an undefiled one to take the punishment that should have gone to the defiled one. There must be a pure one to take the sin of the impure one.  Also in view here is not only what the sacrifice means but what it pictures. Ultimately, sacrifices of rams and goats does not take way the sin of anyone. In fact, God chose, in his forbearance (Romans 3) to pass over these sins until Christ would ultimately pay for them. Only the blood of Jesus can atone for sin. In fact, not one person in eternal hell separated from God can atone for one sin they have committed.  They certainly are paying the consequences but only Jesus makes atonement for sin. No amount of human suffering can forgive sins.

See, the sacrifice must be pure because Jesus is pure. It must be without defect because Jesus is without defect. It must be blameless because Jesus is blameless. It must be without sin because Jesus is without sin. The Old Testament sacrifice pointed to a better system, a better, more perfect sacrificial system. It pointed to Jesus who would not enter a man-made tabernacle but would enter the very presence of God in heaven. It pointed to Jesus who would not offer a goat or ram in our place but rather himself for us. It pointed to a better atonement where sinners & rebels can know what it's like to be sons & daughters of God.

Praise be to God for the perfect sacrifice of his Son; the worthy, spotless, holy Lamb of God. Thank God he didn't offer us his leftovers.