Title Leviticus 9:1-24
Contents
Text: Leviticus 9:1-24
Hymns: Chapter 325 (Jesus Is With You)
Today's sermon is about Aaron's first sacrifice as a priest, and it is the beginning of his ministry as a priest following the ordination ceremony of Aaron and Aaron's sons as priests in Chapter 8. This is verse 1. “On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.” Here, the ‘eighth day’ is the day after the seven-day priestly commissioning ceremony. The next day, Moses summoned Aaron, Aaron's sons, and the elders of Israel, and commanded them to offer sin offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings for the priests and the people. It shows that the priest's important job is in offering sacrifices.
The Reformer Martin Luther said, "To believe in God means to worship him," and Oliver Powell said of worship, "In a sense, this is all we are asked to do, It is fundamentally about updating. That is important in the individual Christian life, and it is also important in Christian education.”
Worship is essential and important to Christians. It's not really work, it's life. Just as God said that the purpose of bringing Israel out of Egypt was to worship Him on His mountain, God has called us as His people to worship Him. Because worship constantly awakens us to our identity, we have a right identity, and we live the life we should live.
Therefore, worship is not just a religious act. It is not simply a time for observing religious regulations or satisfying self-satisfaction, it is a complete way of life that we must always remember and follow, and it is our way of being.
Verses 2 and 24 are about Aaron who offered the sacrifices and sacrifices that Moses had commanded to Aaron the high priest. Moses had Aaron the priest offer sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings. All the sacrifices mentioned above have already been made. However, in today's text, there are important verses that are repeatedly mentioned. These are the words “appearing of God” and “commanding”.
The second half of verse 4 says, “Today the LORD will appear to you.” And the second half of verse 6, “the glory of the LORD will appear to you.” And in the middle of verse 6, “I commanded you to do it”, in verse 7, “Do as the Lord commanded,” in verse 10, “as it was commanded Moses”, in verse 21, “as Moses commanded. more.”
God reveals Himself in worship. Through worship, the living God reveals Himself, builds a deeper and more intimate relationship with us, and guides us on the path to wholeness and blessing. It is through the Word and the Holy Spirit that God reveals Himself, regenerates the soul, and grants new strength in God. He allows us to overcome situations and affirm life, to overcome loneliness and anxiety in life together with God, and to walk the path of true hope and glory in the truth. The Lord's saints who have one faith and one hope build a stronger and more intimate relationship. The meaning and mystery of worship is here, and this is why we must respect and follow God's command to worship.
God is waiting for us during worship. And God reveals Himself through the Word and the Holy Spirit, shaping our souls and shaping our faith and life. makes life a blessing. He is reborn as a person of sound common sense, a person who loves people without misunderstanding, and a person favored by God, and makes life and eternity blessed.
Balthasar says: “Human life is a liturgy before God.” This means that our daily lives are worship and rituals before God. Father Seon-tae Kim explained this again, “From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, we should be deeply conscious of God’s presence throughout the day, and we should adore, honor, and praise God. “Just as a priest who celebrates the liturgy, in honor of God on the altar, walks and gestures with care, moderation and dignity, so our lives should be a series of such movements and actions.”
After all, our daily life is the field of God Himself in which God reveals Himself. It is a willingness to walk the path of the call of grace in hope every day with that God. Our church motto, “Make worship a lifestyle, make worship a lifestyle,” is the spirit of our faith and life that reminds us of this fact.
Prayer. Heavenly Father, just as God revealed Himself through the Word and the Holy Spirit in the last Sunday worship service, I believe that God will reveal Himself in our daily life through the Word and the Holy Spirit today. Let me live with God all the time of the day with the spirit of worship today, and let me gladly walk the path of this call of grace in hope. Trust in the hand of God who gives and helps, and let us go our way with thanks, service, and sharing. I earnestly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.