You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. Numbers 29:8
It is very common for people to put on some type of perfume or deodorant to smell better for others. Along with the scent put on, many will also spray a room or burn some incense to improve the odor of the room, often to cover up bad smells.
The desire is to make themselves and the area more pleasing to others and themselves.
God told the people to present an aroma that was pleasing to God of a bull, a ram, and some lambs.
When cooking a meal, it will often present an aroma that is very pleasing and appealing to many people. It creates a desire to eat that meal and have a time of fellowship with others.
Prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Israelites had to offer various physical sacrifices for sin, thanksgiving, and praise to God. The death and resurrection of Jesus took away that requirement.
However, God still desires for His people to be a pleasing aroma to Him. Prayers lifted up before God are considered as a pleasing aroma to God. Along with the prayers, anyone who puts his trust in God and obeys Him presents a pleasing aroma.
Taking time to pray, trust, and obey God requires a sacrifice. It is a sacrifice to put self-desires to the side and do what is needed to please God. One is cleaned up by Jesus and made presentable to God.
Doing these things creates an aroma that is pleasing to God, one that causes God to desire to be around a person even more than ever before. It makes the sacrifice of Jesus worth it all.
Your life is your offering to God in honor of what Jesus did for you in removing your sins and giving you life. Putting aside your desires and the things of this world is one thing that you can present to God as a pleasing sacrifice with a pleasing aroma.
Allow Jesus to clean you up of the sin and filth of this world so that you can present your life as a pleasing aroma to God, one that trusts in and obeys all the commands of God.
Does God smell a pleasing aroma when you are around?
Today, I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be pleasing to God; that you will trust and obey God with your whole life; that God will be pleased with how you obey Him; and that you will be a pleasant aroma to God.
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Insights from Tom
