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Leviticus – Praying through the Bible #40 – A Prayer that is a Sacrifice
Reading Leviticus, I see no prayers; but much blood, many sacrifices, legalistic commands, details, entrails, and yes even much grace. Every sacrifice is about grace. So how can a book of no prayers help us pray through the Bible?
Sacrifices are prayers and prayers are sacrifices. David pleads, “May my prayer be set before You as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering” (Ps 141.2). As the sacrificial fires rose to heaven, 17 times in Leviticus God refers to these as a “pleasing aroma.” Are my prayers ascending to heaven in prayer, or only to the ceiling?
Sacrifices praised God, as do prayers. “(A)ll its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD (Lv 19.24). David later pleads, “Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it (Ps 51.15-16a). Everything is to God’s glory and praise. God deserves praise and it benefits “Me.” Few reminders are more humbling than honestly praising God because in praise we appraise our unworthiness. “Therefore, through Him (i.e., Jesus), continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name” (Heb 13.15).
Sacrifices and prayers are representative of “Me.” David understood sacrifices were not isolated actions of religion solely aimed at satisfying God’s wrath. God wants “Me.” “You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart (Ps 51.16b-17). I need to be broken, and not just the necks of animals (Lv 1.14-17). If I spend most of my prayer time complaining about others, I am missing the point of prayer. Sacrifices were “a pleasing aroma” (1.17) only if the sacrifices represented “Me.” My sacrificial prayers remind me of God giving me grace, and me giving to God “Me.” Think deeply on the names of some sacrifices and see how we need prayers: Sin Offerings; Fellowship (i.e., Peace) Offerings; Restitution (i.e., Trespass or Guilt) Offerings. Prayers are me sacrificing me.
Sacrifices and prayers benefited others. In Israel’s sacrifices, God typically accepted “all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and he burned on the altar” (8.16). These parts made for great fires but lousy eating! Many of the Old Testament sacrifices benefitted the priests, as they were to prosper from what was not burned up: The Grain offering (6.14-18); The Sin offering (6.24-29); The Restitution Offering (7.1-10). “The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. You are to give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from your fellowship sacrifices” (7.30,32). My prayers support others.
Prayer Challenge: Read Leviticus and thank God we do not offer animals in sacrifice. Offer praise for who God is; offer yourself sacrificially in prayers; and give prayers for the benefit of others. Be a living, praying, sacrifice (Rom 12.1).
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