Offerings to The Lord

Offerings were important in the lives of the Children of Israel. As offerings to The Lord they presented cattle and crop to show their regret for sins committed, to make peace with The Lord, and to show their gratitude. By giving up cattle and crop as offerings to The Lord the Children of Israel showed their faith in The Lord, not thinking their wealth depended upon their own efforts. They proved they would depend upon the Lord by faith.

Also by presenting cattle and crop as offerings to The Lord the Children of Israel declared their reasoning and their thought as to be dependent upon The Lord. In the story of the creation we learn that the animal on the ground to the earth is like reason to the man. And differently from the creeps and the beasts the cattle reminds us of utility – of purposes and understandings that are of use. In this respect an offering of an animal for sins committed was also a surrendering of a reason – of a justification of one’s actions. And further: In the story of the creation we learn that plants on the ground, which are also of three kinds, to the earth are what thoughts are to the man. Also an offering of this kind of emergence was a surrendering of oneself to the infinite power of The Lord. An offering of the crop could be made of the crop as it originally was, or it could be made of baked bread and cakes. In the last case the offering was understood as if being an offering of man’s attitude – of gestures formed in the mind for the sake of something. The overall importance of the offerings, when thinking of them as if they were offerings of reason or of appearance, was that the Children of Israel were not self sufficient with regards to intent. They would act upon faith. They would depend upon The Lord. They made it understood their behaviour belonged to The Lord.

The Law states that leavened bread, understood as appearance one has both shaped and given significance, shall not be made together with the blood of a sacrifice (Exodus 23:18). The life of the flesh is in the blood. So an offering of a pretension of the body shall not be made together with the soul of a reason. By uniting the two of them one is an actor. And the Law states that the fat of the sacrifice shall not remain until the next morning (Exodus 23:18). Fat is honour. By claiming the honour of a reason only the day it is sacrificed The Lord made it clear that any reason is made for the day.

Prophets among the Children of Israel despaired when the people lost faith. The prophet Amos sarcastically let write: “And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.” (Amos 4:5) Unfortunately through out the history many among the Children of Israel came to see the offerings as burdens inflicted upon them by The Lord. They gave up faith in exchange for rules to obey and made themselves dependent upon what they would perceive as being reality. They came to believe in being self-governed. In 1 Samuel it says: “This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's sight, for they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt.” (1 Samuel 2:17)

By Moses offerings were instituted also that were on behalf of the people. As a continual burnt offering on behalf of the people Moses told the Children of Israel to sacrifice two lambs of the first year every day. One was offered in the morning, and one was offered in the evening. Together with the lambs a special drink offering was made from plants. (Exodus 29:38-42) The lamb is a token of faith. Being a kind of reason the lamb is innocent knowledge. By the continual burnt offering the Children of Israel expressed confidence in their destiny.