A Living Sacrifice

…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God….

Romans 12:1

During the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, Solomon prayed with his arms stretched toward heaven.  He pleaded with God to hear, to listen, to respond, and to forgive the sins of the Israelites. He followed his prayer of dedication with sacrificial offerings.

Since I was raised by a cattleman, I possess a practical visual and audible awareness of the enormous undertakings that followed Solomon’s prayer. Over fourteen days, the priests and Levites offered a fellowship sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and a 120,000 sheep and goats, burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings (1 Kings 8:64). The sprinkling of the blood of each cow, sheep, and goat provided symbolic payment for sin.

My knowledge of the sights, sounds, smells, and other details of working with livestock, do not, though, make up for my limited understanding of the sacrificial system and the gravity of Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice.

Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, not a symbolic sacrifice of an animal, provides actual payment for my sins and frees me to enter His presence with joy and thanksgiving. Unlike Solomon, I do not need to plead for God to hear and respond. Instead, I freely come into His presence through prayer, thanking Him for hearing and responding—all because of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Father, what a privilege to live in this era of church history. The image of You dwelling in Solomon’s temple through the presence of a dark cloud brings awe. The thought of You now dwelling within me through Your Holy Spirit is a wonder beyond my understanding. May I remember Your presence throughout each day as I live out the life You have entrusted to me.

Linda Lesniewski