Tag: Obedience

A Pleasing Aroma

Just a quick thought today. If you have been reading along you’ll have noticed that the phrase “a pleasing aroma to God” has appeared a great many times in Genesis, Exodus, and especially Leviticus. Depending on what translation you use this phrase pops up some 43 times in the Old Testament.

But what does it mean? We burn a bull or a ram or a sheep or a pigeon and that is a “pleasing aroma” to God? Maybe He just really likes BBQ? He’s a well-done guy I guess… but the same is true when it’s bread being converted to charcoal on the altar as well. And ain’t no one likes charcoaled bread.

So what does it mean? It’s pretty simple, really. It’s not the smoked meat that God is enjoying, it’s the smell of obedience. The scent of demonstrated love. The fragrance of reconciliation. And how can we be sure of this? The Apostle Paul writes the following in Ephesians 5:2 (NLT), “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” God wasn’t pleased that Jesus died, but he was pleased that this act of sacrificial obedience opened the floodgates of restoration for a broken people made in the image of their loving creator.

And our daily acts of worship are the same. They are a sweet smell to God. So make sure you spend some time today, and tomorrow, and the day after that creating a pleasing aroma of worship, love, and devotion to the Lord.

Be blessed, my friends.

Leviticus 7-8 | 049/365

Give ‘Til It Hurts

Exodus 38:8 says, “Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.”

While this may not have blown your hair back in amazement, it’s still interesting to me that the women who served at the Tent of Meeting (we are not sure in what capacity) gave up their mirrors for the construction of the new Tabernacle. As servants who worked at the entrance to the Tabernacle, these women would have been seen by anyone or everyone and so their desire to be presentable was probably fairly high. I know mine would be. Yet, when God put out the call for “bronze” they offered up their mirrors. A sacrificial gift. It would have hurt to give these things up, yet they did so in service of the Lord.

Do we have anything that we would NOT be willing to give up? Are there any things in our life that — though we would never admit it — we value more highly than obedience to God? Would we be willing to hurt for God?

That’s between you and Him, and He already knows your heart.

Exodus 37:1-39:31 | 044/365