Something Greater
Read This Week: Leviticus 1
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.” ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. – Leviticus 1:1-3 NIV
Leviticus is a continuation of the journey from Exodus to freedom for the children of Israel. At first glance, it might not seem like the first place one would turn for spiritual inspiration. One might read it and think it feels ritualistic or irrelevant to modern life. But when we dig a little deeper into the content of this part of the Scriptures, there’s something timeless worth exploring, something that points us as contemporary believers to our greater responsibility in our covenant relationship with God. This book isn’t just an account of ancient Israelite worship; it’s about human nature, intention, and connection with something bigger, something greater.
Chapter 1 starts with God speaking to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, laying out the rules for burnt offerings. These were voluntary sacrifices, a way for someone to approach God, often to express devotion, gratitude, or a desire for atonement. The chapter specifies what to offer, like cattle, sheep, goats, or birds, depending on what someone can afford. It’s meticulous: the animal had to be without defect, the offerer had to lay hands on it, slaughter it, and the priests would handle the blood and fire. The whole thing gets burned up, a pleasing aroma to God. On the surface, it’s a gritty, instructional part of the text. But there’s something greater going on.
What stands out is the intentionality of the sacrifice. This wasn’t a casual act; God didn’t want them to toss an animal on the fire and call it a day. The Israelites had to choose something valuable, something perfect, and actively participate in giving it up. Laying hands on the animal wasn’t just a formality. It symbolized transferring who you are or need for God and holiness to the offering. The fire consumed it completely. There were no leftovers or taking it back. It was a total commitment. It was a greater responsibility. This contrasts our current world, where we’re used to half-measures or scrolling through life, avoiding commitment and deeper investment. The burnt offering demanded focus, cost, responsibility, and follow-through. It was a physical act that mirrored an inner desire, surrender, trust, and a longing to align with Father God’s heart and purpose.
We, as believers in the 21st century, don’t slaughter livestock in worship anymore. But the principles here aren’t tied only to the people of that time. They’re about how we approach what matters most. So, what’s the equivalent today? What do we “offer” when we want to connect with something greater, whether that’s God, purpose, or values? The animals in Leviticus weren’t secondhand. They were costly and part of someone’s livelihood. Today that might look like giving up time (not just the leftover minutes), paying attention (putting the phone down), or using resources (money, energy, comfort) for something greater. It’s not about the act itself but the willingness to let go of what’s precious for what God has called us to.
The moment wasn’t accidental; it was personal. Whatever we’re offering, we should make it ours. If it’s serving others, we shouldn’t just go through the motions. If it’s worship, it shouldn’t just be from our leftovers. If it’s a goal or purpose, we shouldn’t chase it passively but should own it with passion and dedication. Intention turns routine into a habit and the mundane into meaningful. The fire in Leviticus 1 took everything. When we commit, we shouldn’t hold back a piece for ourselves. Half-heartedness doesn’t cut it, whether it’s forgiving someone, pursuing a dream, living on mission, or trusting a process. Burn it all up and give it to God for something greater as a follower of Jesus. Leave no regrets.
Leviticus 1 isn’t asking us to build an altar in our backyard, but it might encourage us to rethink how we live out our priorities with the help of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t just about rules; it’s about a relationship. The burnt offering was a bridge between a person and God that said, “We are here, and we are serious. We want this connection to a holy Father.” The Lord asks us to show up in the same way, to offer something of ourselves that is greater than the status quo for the glory of Christ, and to trust His process every day.
This week in Leviticus chapter 1 I got a song
Holiness
Let’s come together to worship our Lord let’s come together to worship our Lord praising singing our Lord is holy our Lord is holy we want our hearts to be like our Gods holy with our faith in Jesus holy with our faith in Jesus, listening obeying responding to his commands. Knowing his spirit lives in us. We are blessed. Yes we are blessed because our Lord is everywhere we go so let’s come together. Praising our Lord singing. We are blessed. Yes, we are blessed. Our Lord is holy. Our Lord is holy amen
Our Lord’s heart is full of holiness, so let’s have a heart like Jesus being holy. Letting others see it in us. Amen
A Call to Greater Responsibility Responding to God’s Presence
At the end of Exodus, something breathtaking happens:
The Tabernacle the dwelling place of God is completed, and then boom—the glory of the Lord fills it.
“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” —Exodus 40:34
This was a beautiful, holy moment. The people had seen God’s power, His deliverance, and His provision. And now? They got to see His glory filling the space they had built for Him.
But then something interesting happens…
“Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” —Exodus 40:35
God was near but not yet accessible.
So the book of Leviticus opens with God speaking not from a mountaintop, but from the Tabernacle calling to Moses and inviting the people into something deeper.
This wasn’t just about deliverance anymore this was about devotion.
Not just about being freed from Egypt but about learning to walk with God.
Leviticus is a Book About Living in God’s Presence
The book of Leviticus is often seen as a list of rituals and rules, but at its heart, it’s about relationship. It’s about living in the presence of a holy God.
God is holy set apart from all things, He is the Creator, the Author of life.
And now, He was calling His people to be set apart too to live differently, because of who He is.
Why Did God Require These Offerings?
Because love gives.
Bringing an animal is something valuable from your flock it was a costly act. It was a way to say,
“God, I want to draw near. I want You.”
That’s why Leviticus begins not with a command to “be holy,” but with an invitation
“When anyone among you brings an offering…” (Leviticus 1:2)
God was saying:
“Here’s how you can come close to Me and live.”
The offerings were never just about rules.
They were about worship.
They were about surrender.
They were about learning how to walk with God daily.
The Burnt Offering – A Picture of Total Surrender
The burnt offering in Leviticus 1 was fully consumed on the altar.
Nothing was held back. It cost something. It required a heart that said:
“God, You’re worthy of my best.”
That’s what worship truly is: not just a song we sing, but a life we offer.
Jesus became the final burnt offering—completely surrendered, fully consumed by love.
He laid down His life on the cross, not holding anything back, so that we could draw near to God forever.
His sacrifice fulfilled what the offerings in Leviticus only symbolized.
He made a way for us to come close—not just once, but always.
Now, because of Jesus, our response is not ritual—it’s relationship.
We offer ourselves not to earn His love, but because we already have it.
Worship Today Isn’t About Animals—it’s About Ourselves
Paul writes in Romans 12:1:
“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Today, our worship looks like:
Laying down control
Choosing God’s will over our own
Loving others with God’s love, not the world’s
Speaking truth, serving faithfully, staying surrendered
Saying: “Here I am, Lord. You’re worthy of it all.”
Like the smoke rising from the altar, our surrendered lives become a pleasing aroma to God.
Greater Responsibility Starts with a Willing Heart
To walk with God is a gift but it comes with greater responsibility.
It means I don’t just know the truth I live it with God”s help.
It means I bring my love, my time, my obedience, my attitudes everything to the altar.
It means I want to walk with God not out of fear, but out of love.
This is what God is inviting us into a deeper awareness of His presence in our everyday life.
Lord, thank You for Your presence.
You’ve invited us to walk with You to build our lives with You, to live set apart, and to carry Your love into the world.
Help us to choose Your will over ours every day every moment!
We offer You our hearts, our worship, our whole lives.
You are worthy of everything ❤️
Thank you for Your Love and guidance
Thank you For Jesus out best example and Your Holy Spirit I am so blessed to be Your daughter and Your servant ty ❤️
Leviticus chapter 1 Verse 1
The Lord called to Moses out of the Tent of meeting, and said to him,
Leviticus chapter 1 Verse 3
If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.
~The Art Of Sacrifice And Service~
God Is Saying To Me:
The Israelites are on their journey to greatness with Me. We have many things to learn and sacrifices to be made to ensure my Covenant relationship with My people is understood through sacrifices, atonement for sin, individual and collective worship, experience and practice of understanding My provisions and grace for all and truly understanding what holiness means to Me and My chosen people. You are holy! They are holy! I am holy! Let everything you do be a complete and pleasing offering unto Me.
What This Means To Me:
1. God emphasizes and expects specific actions and rituals for worship, holy unto Him with obedience to Him and not ourselves.
2. Total dedication to God and total surrender was exercised by a complete burning of the animal. This voluntary action was called atonement for human sin and transgressions.
3. Following God’s commands from Moses is a way for the Israelites to worship and establish a relationship with God, publicly demonstrating the identity as His treasured, chosen and called possessions.
Father, God also gave me this insight on being in His presence: Obedience/ Sacrifice, Holiness, Atonement and Forgiveness.
Leviticus chapter 1: 1-3 with a special notation left out from my response above:
Verse 2
Say to the Israelites, when any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of domestic animals from the herd or from the flock.
God Is Saying To Me:
The Israelites are learning about obedience, sacrifice, Holiness, atonement, and forgiveness. Establishing laws and expectations for my chosen people, but I understand the need of mankind and know that obeying the law will become difficult to follow. This is where sacrifice plays a role, but for now let’s focus on expectations concerning atonement, devotion to Me, worship, total devotion and forgiveness from Me. Rebellion against Me must stop and I am the only way to satisfy those sins.
What This Means To Me:
1. God has a specific plan for worship and that plan is not up for discussion at the time and place at Mount Sinai.
2. God demands excellence in worship, requiring an unblemished male sacrifice for the burnt offering. The burnt offering covers the sins of the worshipers and brings them into right-standing with God. They must have a way to approach God because He is Holy and they live in sin. God’s presence is in the Tabernacle and He requires that sin be atoned and His requirement of worship must be followed.
3. Obedience is vital to pleasing God, sacrificing represents a pleasing aroma to Him and by sacrificing something that’s important to them and that God approves, the Israelites know that God accepted their sacrifice and they are forgiven. They learned that a burnt offering is a complete surrender to Father God.
To Summarize:
No one can perfectly obey these laws and Jesus became humanities sacrifice for sin. Thank you God that you loved us so deeply that you came in the flesh and satisfied atonement for sin, once and for all, for your children. ✝️❤️
Have you ever considered that the sacrifices you make in life—when done for God and for others—are actually a beautiful and pleasing form of worship to Him?
At first glance, the idea of sacrifice might seem strange or even uncomfortable. But when you look deeper, it’s really about giving of yourself for the good of someone else. That kind of selflessness is deeply powerful. It’s one of the most beautiful and honorable expressions of love we can offer. True sacrifice—putting others before ourselves—isn’t just noble, it’s transformative. May our lives, our bodies, and all we have be presented as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
When I reflect on all God has done for us—how He gave His Son, Jesus, and how Jesus willingly laid down His life—I’m overwhelmed by that kind of love. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). That’s the example we’re called to follow.
A few thoughts from Leviticus 1:
1. God desires offerings from a willing heart. He doesn’t demand out of obligation—He invites those who desire to give. He sees beyond the surface, searching our hearts and motives.
2. Because of Jesus, we’ve been given a new nature and right standing with God. Through His sacrifice, we are made righteous and now have direct access to the Father. No longer separated by sin, we’re empowered to offer our lives—our time, talents, and treasures—as living sacrifices in response to His grace.
3. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice. Through His death, He paid for our sins—past, present, and future—so we no longer live under the weight of the old sacrificial system. Instead, we live in the freedom and security of being fully accepted by God.
So as we walk through our day, may we remember: every act of service, every choice to love when it’s hard, every time we give of ourselves—it is all worship. And it is deeply meaningful to our Heavenly Father.
PODCAST
This Week in the Life: Leviticus 1
For the best experience, we suggest you listen to the first song, the message, and then the second song.
1. Sunday Worship – First Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250413-Worship1.wav
2. Sunday Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250413-Message.wav
3. Sunday Worship – Second Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250413-Worship2.wav
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