And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD, if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the LORD or give them to the LORD as a food offering on the altar. You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the LORD; you shall not do it within your land, neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you."
Leviticus 22:17 - 25
As I read this passage, I saw a picture in my mind of a old woman; poor, dirty, ostracized. I imagined her wanting to make an offering to her LORD but unable to afford a ‘perfect’ offering. I imagined her heart, longing to give a gift that was acceptable, but physically being unable to because of her situation in life.
For some reason, this picture in my mind made me cry.
What a precious gift we have been given in Jesus. No longer do we have to labour to give something of worth to God. The perfect gift was already given and no God takes us and what we give him just as we are.
My heart began to sing:
Oh Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
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