Leviticus 2:7-8

“The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire.

Then the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar.”

In Exodus we see how Israel was redeemed and established as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The book of Leviticus shows us how God’s people are to fulfill their priestly calling. It opens up by showing us who God is and how to fulfill that priestly calling. Chapter 1 tells us that a burnt sacrifice is an offering made by fire, it is a sweet aroma to the Lord. This is mentioned 3 times in one chapter! Can you just imagine how sweet it truly was to the Lord? But we learn, it is not the offering that the Lord requires but the broken and contrite heart as the psalmist writes. This is the sweet smelling aroma. The sweet smelling aroma of surrender, forgiveness, love, and so much more. The Lord delights in our hearts without words, rather than our words without heart.

The Lord had required the priests to lay the wood in order. As well as the parts of the animal along with the fat. Our God is a God of order. And He does not want to see destruction but construction. Whether that has to do with a physical building up, as seen here in Leviticus, or a spiritual construction in each of our temples. In order for there to be a sweet smelling aroma, there must be some kind of “order.” And in order for us to see a need for order we need to see a need to lay, submit, surrender. The priests lay the wood. Lay the parts, Lay the head..in order. In order so that they may see God move, God accomplish, God fulfill.

When we surrender to God we begin to lay, like a sheep lying down at the foot of the Good Shepherd. Order produces obedience. And in turn we learn Discipline. Moses had heard from God about the law. “First lay ,then order, then..” He could have easily walked away from the calling of God. But he feared God and he was obedient. This produced a sweet smelling aroma. The Lord loves to see order in His kingdom because He himself is order. I know I am content when my kids at the school I teach at. They begin to line up without me telling them. Its order. It might have taken them a while to get, but what this produces in me is a joy that I can't explain.

For the people at this time laying, ordering and sacrificing is what was required of them. But the Lord was not looking at the physical sacrifice. It was so much more. Our father was looking at their hearts. When I go to the Lord in my time of worship and prayer, am I laying it down? Asking him to strip and rid me of myself, letting him order and sort it all out. Laying it down in order to not just receive but to see the Lord solely for who He is. That sweet, sweet smelling aroma.