Burnt Offerings

Lev 1:7-17

The work of sacrifice is grisly. Flesh and blood, cut and torn, and blood spilled out on the ground, then burned in a fire. The lines of people from all over Israel, waiting to participate with their offering of sacrifice. Who are these people? It is so foreign to my experience.

A good and creative God. The utter destruction and sacrificial loss of life. “God hates sin this much…” I still can’t reconcile it in my mind.

I get my meat from a factory where, as far as I know, nothing grisly ever happens. Meat from the grocery store, pink and fresh and clean.

“Where does this meat come from dad?” Not wanting to wreck a three year old appetite, or deal with the reality of death leading to life I say, “Don’t worry about it – just enjoy it.”

Why can’t I just say – “death to life.” Because it wasn’t always meant to be this way?

Fortunate fall? Isn’t that a little too convenient?

And yet, He came. He was beaten and bruised and slaughtered. And somehow this saves me. And somehow love overcomes death. And somehow grisly death leads to life.

…By His wounds we are healed  Isa 53:5