Lessons Learned

What did I learn about God in 2015?

In the "Study Of Moses" I learned about Jewish traditional sacrifices and about the one true living sacrifice. The tribe of Levi was the tribe of priests. They were given a responsibility from God to lead the Jewish people in worship. Part of the worship was the sacrificial offering. Within their practice there were 5 types of offerings: the burnt offering,  fellowship offering, the sin offering, the grain offering and the guilt offering. The burnt offering was totally incinerated, the blood was sprinkled on the alter, and made atonement for sins. For the grain offering not blood was shed so it was a offering of thanksgiving. With the Fellowship offering the worshipper celebrated (shalom or) peace with God. Again with the sin offering blood was shed and in the book of Leviticus a list of acceptable offerings and steps people were to take to be reconciled with God.  The guilt offering was given as an offering done to another person or his property through carelessness. Reconciliation was its primary purpose. 
All of this was terribly interesting to me. I had previously thought that there was only one sacrifice made at the temple for all the people and then the blood was sprinkled on the congregation. I learned that some were to give a pleasing aroma for/to God; others were to be as an atonement for sins.

Today Christians have a relationship with God because Jesus was the supreme sacrifice. His death was the final and now only necessary sacrifice. He died who knew no sin that we might live a holy relationship with God our Father. Jesus died that we could approach God. In the book of Ephesians,  Apostle Paul urges us to walk in a  manner worthy of the calling according to the power of the Holy Spirit within us.    I believe this is possible only when we listen to what God is telling us to do daily.