Leviticus 9:6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

Reading the step-by-step description of the sacrificial ritual described after this, the thing that came to mind was how Hebrews expresses explicitly that Jesus, offering Himself as our sin offering, totally fulfilled all the sacrificial requirements, so that rather than “the blood of bulls and goats,” (Hebrews 10:4) what we need to see the glory of God is faith in the One who fulfilled it all for us. The destruction of Jerusalem in 60 AD effectively did away with the sacrificial system, since the temple was destroyed, so I wonder how Jews have dealt with that in the 2000 years since then? Jesus addressed this in talking with the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well, telling her that “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23) We are not called to ceremony and ritual, but to a living relationship with our Creator through His Son by His Spirit. Sacrificial rituals can’t compare with that! Various groups place weight on liturgies and vestments and rituals of various sorts. Those aren’t bad in themselves, and properly considered they can point us to the underlying truths, but they are no substitute for repentance and faith. God doesn’t want little robots, He wants children, and that is how we are to worship Him.

I didn’t grow up in a liturgical setting, but I can understand how the familiar can be very comforting, allowing people to open up to God. In my own experience, I have had times of intense worship when I was alone, and likewise times of intense worship in groups of various sizes. What has been consistent has been my personal surrender and commitment to God. As Paul said, I have learned that I am to present my own body as a living sacrifice, not bleeding out on an altar, but doing the hard thing of living each moment for and with my Lord. (Romans 12:1) That’s the “in truth” part of worshiping “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) If I’m not doing that, then my ministry as a pastor is no more than an act.

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Help me indeed worship You truly, not just in form but in substance, so that I may be and do exactly what You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!