The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD…” Leviticus 1.1

The Covenant between God and Israel was designed to strengthen the bonds which God had effected with His people, bonds of love and obedience issuing in blessing and glory. An important component in this relationship was the requirement of seeking the Lord, coming into the presence of the Lord in order to renew Covenant with Him by means of offerings and sacrifices.

God instructed Moses to construct the Tabernacle as a place for God to dwell in the midst of His people. He ordained the priests and Levites to serve the needs of the Tabernacle and of the people as they came before the Lord to renew Covenant with Him. An elaborate system of sacrifices and offerings is outlined in the Law of God which provided tangible means for the people, through the mediation of priests and sacrifices, to be renewed in the favor of the Lord and to go forth strengthened unto obedience.

Seeking the Lord for the people of ancient Israel was to be a regular discipline of their lives. They would seek Him in His Word, as we have seen, where they would learn His will and see, reflected in their own lives, areas where they had fallen short of His expectations. Then they would be instructed how to seek Him through sacrifices and offerings in order to have their covenant relationship renewed.

But the people were also instructed to seek the Lord to offer freely to Him, as tokens of their love and devotion and in order to deepen their commitment to Him. The system of sacrifices and offerings was put in place to remind the people that the essence of the Covenant consisted in knowing the Lord and enjoying His favor, and to provide tangible means for them to seek Him for reassurance and renewal as often as they may.

We seek God today through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and in offerings of prayers, gifts, fasts, and special works of service. All these are to us what the ancient sacrifices and offerings were for Israel – means of expressing our love for and faith in the Lord, and of being renewed in our covenant standing with Him. Seeking the Lord must be for us, as it was for the ancient Israelites, a daily and moment-by-moment occupation.

For a more complete exposition of the promises of God, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store. In his article, “Ready for Discipline?”, T. M. reminds us of why it is so important to seek the Lord.