DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018 DIVINE STAMP OF APPROVAL TEXT: LEVITICUS 9:17-24 Key Verse: “

DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

DIVINE STAMP OF APPROVAL

TEXT: LEVITICUS 9:17-24

Key Verse: “And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” (Leviticus 9:24)_

Sacrifice is an act through which the blood and flesh of an animal are offered to God in the Old Testament. Some of the offerings prescribed then were sin offering, the grain offering and so on.

Everyone was expected to make sacrifice in Israel, including their priests. It is noteworthy to observe from the text that the sacrifice the priest offered was on behalf of himself and his sons. It was still needful that Aaron should offer sacrifice for his own sin before undertaking for others. The offerings of Aaron were made in faith and total obedience to God.

The animal sacrifice was not perfect since “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:2,4). They symbolically pointed to the fact that people were obligated to present another life in place of their own. This clearly pointed to the ultimate Substitute and sin-Bearer, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was sinless but died for the sins of the world.

God is pleased when we act in obedience to His commandments. When children of Israel acted in accordance with His revealed will concerning offerings and sacrifices in the Old Testament, the glory of God appeared to confirm His acceptance and approval.

The infinite mind of man was not made to comprehend the ramifying provisions through which God has made a substitutionary atonement for the sins of mankind. Yet, what our cognitive elements cannot absorb, He expects us to accept by faith.

So, repent and confess your sins to God; for “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9,10).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Obedience is far better than sacrifice.
COVER to COVER: NUMBERS 11-13.

PONDER:
1. Right from the preceding chapters, sacrifices were made but no fire from the Lord until v24. Why?
2. In our short text of 8 verses, virtually all the sacrifices are mentioned: sin, peace, food, wave and burnt offerings- all pointing to Christ. It shows completeness in sacrifice. Incomplete or partial sacrifice or devotion will not bring the fire.
3. It takes some sort of carefulness and diligence before the sacrifice can be offered according to prescription. God' s service and sacrifices must follow prescription and not done haphazardly.
4. The sacrifice, worship, service or devotion must be good, acceptable and perfect before the fire can fall. Romans 12: 2. A sacrifice can appear good and yet not acceptable to the Lord I Corinthian 13: 3. A sacrifice may be acceptable but not perfect before God 2 Chronicles 25:2.

HYMN: Take my Life and Let it be

1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray the lyrics of the hymn with a decided heart and the fire will fall.
2. Ask for the fire of God in your heart.
2. Ask God to purge His Church of imperfect devotions, sacrifices and worship.
4. Ask for the fire of God in the Church as of old.