Turtle Doves

A pair of turtle doves. A sin offering. "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."

A cursory overview of the Old Testament sacrifices demonstrates shedding of blood and loss of life on a massive scale. No one watches animals butchered and burned with flames of fire in person and thinks lightly of it, though there are a few who by vocation must prepare animals for food and who may be less impressed. Few people in our current society, however, could watch such a thing in person and not be moved.

The LORD of Life, to Whom belongs all things, whether hills and mountains or all the creatures that dwell thereon, set up this arrangement for the very purpose of causing man to know deeply what is required of true Love and righteousness, so that we do not think lightly of either our sin or His sheer grace; so that He may dwell with us in Person as is His most earnest desire.

If nothing else, the Old Testament sacrifices as ordained by God and practiced faithfully by the people of Israel ought to move us to consider the enormity of what is at stake, and the patience of our Creator in dealing with us. Ultimately all people of all time are subsumed under the terms God has established in dealing with us.

Today we know and are taught that all the sacrifices ordained from Above to teach us and keep us before the face of God were fulfilled by one Man, Who for a short time appeared in weakness in our midst, but as the Lamb of God, conquered all sin and death for all time; Who works to this moment to bring us out of this body of death to Himself.

This is why a Pastor, of all people in particular, no longer recognizes anyone according to the flesh, but is given constantly to bear in mind (as he is able) whether this person or that person has been baptized into Christ Jesus, and is being taught and fed in this perfect, unfathomable Gift of Gifts. For it is through this Christ that the new creation is entering into our weak and mortal bodies, to be raised again at the last day without the corruption in which we groan for a short time.