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What? Why? Oh..an Aroma!
Rod Shimabukuro“These you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.” So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Numbers 29:39-40
There were intricate details given as commands to Moses to speak to the people of Israel. It’s interesting to me that the description of ”the people of Israel“ was written, rather than ”children of Israel.“ A less personal address was made as God commanded Moses. This appears to me to be a more definitive and direct approach and tone from God - to Moses - to the people.
This to say that ALL of these offerings, all of the details and instructions given (as COMMANDS) were serious to God. Moses obeyed, telling the people everything just as the Lord had commanded. But why so serious? Why so detailed? Did they have to follow all the specific details/commands? One answer I see is given in 28:2 - God speaks of being careful to offer at the appointed, right, instructed time because it was ”MY PLEASING AROMA.“
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ Numbers 28:1-2
My simple, contemplative take away for me today is: I am called to give to God, live for God in obedience to the specific interactions He commands for my life - as pleasing worship to Him. The details, the process, the obedience to the doing and fulfilling the ways and commands of God IS TO BE AN AROMA OF WORSHIP, PLEASING HIM!
I want to live differently by having a better attitude about WHAT I’m doing - and all I’m DOING...because the WHY OF PLEASING GOD, WORSHIPING JESUS... is critically and very, very important!
Oh Spirit of the Living God! First of all - thank you for being very personal with me - the sense of me feeling and knowing that I am Yours - your child - Your son! I’m not just a ”people of God“ I am a son, a child of God! Thank you for Your assurance! Thank you for helping me change my attitudes and heart along the way - to Worship You...no matter the detail, instruction, the inconvenience, the work... May What You call me to do - be done from a heart of worship! I want the aroma of my life and doings to be pleasing to You!
