"A Gift for Him" - ‎02/10/13 - Exodus 29:1-31:18

"Consecrate them so they’ll be soaked in holiness, (30:29)
   

     "Consecrate"

     1.  to make or declare sacred or Holy; sanctify.
     2.  to dedicate (one's life, time, etc) to a specific purpose.
     3.  to ordain (a bishop)
     4.  to cause, to be respected or revered; venerate:  time has consecrated this
          custom


Throughout the reading for today, it occurred to me how He fills our senses of touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing. Just as the commands fill His senses. Reminding me once again we are made in His image.

We learn what the acts of consecrating Aaron, his sons, and future generations to be priests were. So much blood. Wondering as I read,  if they washed the blood off their garments. The amount of stench and flies from all the slaughter. The ugliness that was happening while sacrifice was prepared.  More than once it speaks about something that deals with the sense of smell.

 "Then take them from their hands and burn them on the Altar with the Whole-Burnt-Offering—a pleasing fragrance before God, a gift to God." (29:25)

God spoke to Moses: “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum—and add pure frankincense. Mix the spices in equal proportions to make an aromatic incense, the art of a perfumer, salted and pure—holy. Now crush some of it into powder and place some of it before The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you; it will be for you the holiest of holy places. When you make this incense, you are not to copy the mixture for your own use. It’s holy to God; keep it that way. Whoever copies it for personal use will be excommunicated.” (30:34-38)

I don't know if it was to help cover up the smells of slaughtering or to take our minds to another place, away from the smell of sin.  Rereading the commands, visualizing, knowing they haven't running water, they are in a temporary set up, all the blood and waste, there isn't a way that the smell could be covered up. 

The more I ponder on these verses, I really think it is to remind us of the sweet Holy smell of Him.  To remember that on the other side of the Cross, is our Savior. 

He has something for all of our senses, even smell, for the worship of Him.

"Whoever copies it for personal use will be excommunicated.” (38)  Such a strong punishment.  But then, He commands strong punishment for disobedience.  He has His reasons.  They aren't for us to understand, defy, or question.   Because He is Holy.  He is God.

He has commanded The Way to Him - it is only through Christ our Savior.  Only in Christ are we consecrated, made and declared sacred, holy, sanctified.  Throughout time we humans have taken His ways, His Commands, and added our own twist.  We have added to or taken away from His Word to "tickle our ears".  To try and cover up the stench of sin. 

Looking at myself, I wonder how often I have taken His perfume and copied it for my own personal use - "consecrated" my "self"?  How often have I believed I am my own savior, that my ways are right and that I am god? 

Every single time I chose to serve "self" instead of Him.  Just as the world continues in doing this,  with my sinning, I am just as guilty.  It is only through and because of Christ that I am consecrated - to be soaked in Holiness. 

I have to put all of my sins, all of my "self" upon the alter of Christ, my ultimate sacrifice. 

To rid myself of the ugliness of sin and death. 
Becoming "a pleasing fragrance before God, a gift to God".