Slices
Prepare
What huge commitments have you made in your life? A new job; a new house; marriage; deciding to have a child? Others? How did they affect your life from that point?
Bible passage
The burnt offering
1 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
3 ‘“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. 4 You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. 5 You are to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 9 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
10 ‘“If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male without defect. 11 You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 13 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
14 ‘“If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He is to remove the crop and the feathers and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes are. 17 He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
Explore
To anyone in Western society (unless, perhaps, you’re a butcher), this chapter sounds utterly ‘other’. Gory, certainly; maybe offensively so. So, as with the other sacrifices we’ll be considering, we need to understand the heart of what’s happening.
The ceremony described here is about an individual person making an offering of their whole self to God. He (or she, throughout) is expressing the command to love the Lord with all he is (Deuteronomy 6:5), in a practical, earthly and generous way. It is an extravagant offering; in a society that ate meat only rarely, this would have been a costly gift. The animal stands in place of the person offering it; it acts as a ransom for him (v 4) and is a way of them saying to the Lord, ‘Please accept me.’
There is also a brief nod in two directions (v 3) – back to the Passover for the people and forwards to the cross for us, where we see the ‘one, perfect sacrifice for sin’ made by Jesus, the Lamb of God, through whom we can now offer our whole selves to him.
Respond
The offering’s aroma was pleasing to the Lord (vs 9,13,17). ‘May the fragrance of Jesus fill this place; lovely fragrance of Jesus; rising from the sacrifice of lives laid down in adoration.’* Use this, or another song, to offer yourself to God again today.
*’May the Fragrance’, G Kendrick, Thankyou Music, 1986
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Joshua 12–15; Romans 13
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for Research and Innovation Leader Sarah Davison. Ask for inspiration, creativity and wisdom as she continues to help us explore the role that innovation plays in the resources we produce to help churches create spaces for children and young people to respond to Jesus.
Equipping the church to reach the next generation
Across England and Wales, increasing numbers of children and young people are asking big questions about life, faith and meaning. Many are more open than we might assume – curious, thoughtful, and ready for conversations about Jesus, even when church isn’t part of their everyday world. For churches who have a heart for the next generation, this presents a real and hopeful opportunity.
Many leaders carry a deep desire to help the next generation encounter Jesus, but with full diaries and many responsibilities, knowing how to respond – or where to begin – can feel uncertain. That’s why we’ve created the It’s Time to Act guide.
It’s a simple, encouraging resource designed to help churches take thoughtful, realistic steps towards revealing Jesus to the next generation. Rather than offering big programmes or quick fixes, the guide focuses on what’s possible now – small, achievable actions that can grow over time. Inside, you’ll find practical ideas shaped by real church life that work alongside busy schedules and varied contexts. So, whether your church is just beginning to explore this opportunity, or already taking steps, the guide aims to meet you where you are and help you discern what comes next.
Our hope is that It’s Time to Act feels less like another initiative, and more like an invitation – to notice where God is already at work, and to take a next step, one step at a time.
If you’d like to explore the guide and see whether it could support your church, you can order a copy here.
