2 Chronicles 5:4-6 (NIVUK)
4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up; 6 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
Tim joked on Sunday that this was not a day to be a sheep or cow… This worship was extravagant and as a result, costly. In that, it reminds me of the anointing of Jesus, when a woman poured an whole jar of expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet (this can be found told in slightly different ways in all four Gospels: Matthew 26:6–13, Mark 14:3–9, Luke 7:36–50, John 12:1–8: ). When the disciples rebuked her, Jesus made the point that it was a beautiful act of worship before his burial. The disciples wouldn’t have understood, but we can see that it is through the expensive sacrifice of God himself that we have been given the freedom to have a relationship with God, these other sacrifices are simply pointers to this.
Thank you Jesus, that you were willing to be our costly sacrifice, that through the giving of your life, we can enjoy life in all its fullness.
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