It Smells Wonderful

T

he beginning of summer brought with it longer days, freedom from schedules and routines, an end of books and homework, and the promise of non-stop adventure and fun.  Every kid in my neighborhood wrung every possible opportunity for fun and excitement out of each passing day.  We would start play early in the morning, surrendering at night only because darkness had fallen and because our parents expected us home in bed so we could be prepared for the next day.

In addition, the summer months also heralded the season for grilling out.  My mother loved this time because it meant my dad shared the cooking.  From hamburgers and hot dogs to steaks, whenever we cooked outside, my dad did the honors.  Other fathers in the neighborhood also turned their backyards into outdoor kitchens.  On the average, someone in our neighborhood was cooking out almost nightly.

I remember several occasions when our play was interrupted by the smell of burning charcoal, lighter fluid, and the wonderful aroma of supper cooking on the grill.  It didn’t matter whether dad was cooking hamburgers, chicken, steak, or pork.  The entire neighborhood was filled with the pleasing odor and everyone knew that somewhere, someone was using their barbecue grill.  The aroma prompted others to join in and the aroma of cooking grills soon permeated the neighborhood.

The Old Testament book of Leviticus provides a brief glimpse into the sacrificial system of ancient Israel.  When God gave Moses the law, he laid down specific instructions concerning sacrifices.  There were sacrifices for everything from the birth of a baby, to atoning for sin.  The number of sacrifices required by the law underlined man’s impossibility to achieve salvation for himself.  At every turn he was reminded just how far short of God’s standard he fell.

Leviticus 3:5 presents us with an interesting statement to consider, “…an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.”  Several times, God repeats this phrase in direct relation to the giving of sacrifices.  Why does he make this statement?  What lesson does this teach us today?  How are we to understand this?

Well, God certainly does not intend for us to build an altar, slaughter and animal, and sacrifice it to him.  This was done in ancient Israel as a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice God would make in order to obtain man’s salvation.  The Old Testament sacrifices had to be performed over and over again because they didn’t do away with sin, they just covered it.  The death of Jesus, however, fulfilled God’s requirement for the perfect sacrifice, eliminating the need for the law’s requirements.  When Jesus paid the sin penalty, the daily and yearly sacrifices were no longer necessary.

However, the principle of the sacrifice still remains.  When a sacrifice was offered to God, it was accompanied by fire.  The fire was the means of burning away all the sin separating man from God.  The aroma rising to God pleased him because it represented forgiveness, repentance, and obedience to his commands.  Nothing pleases God more than when his children offer their lives to him in true repentance and obedience.  Not only does this aroma please God, but it also affects others, encouraging them to repent and accept Jesus as well.

Every day, our lives give off an aroma that either encourages others to come to Christ, or it prevents them from doing so.  When you are under “fire”, what aroma does your life emit?  Is it pleasing to God, demonstrating your faith, trust, and obedience for him?  Does it encourage those around you or does it dissuade them from becoming a follower of Jesus Christ?  When you fire up the grill, do others come running to be fed, or do they run away instead?  Think about it!