Numbers 28:6 (KJV)
It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord .
Continual burnt offering. What Christ has done is a continual offering of sweet aroma to God. Never will what Christ has done be erased from the remembrance of God. Jesus didn't suffer the wrath of His Father unwillingly. He did it willingly. He plunged into the wrath of God that there will be no wrath on us who believe. God honours Him for that. The Father honours His Son for volunteering to do this. This is why God has exalted Him above all other names. Remember what Jesus said:
John 10:17-18 (KJV)
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
This is why God loves the Son, because of the Son's love that is so beautiful in His holy eyes. Because the Son loved such unlovable people and was even willing to die for their sin, such love was lovable in the Father's eyes. But see Christ's words, This commandment have I received of my Father. God primarily loves His Son because He obeys. The Son always obeys the Father. There was never a moment when He did not obey. In fact, it is not possible for Christ to disobey His Father. We must then thank the Father who first commanded the Son. The Father knew if He gave the commandment, the Son would not refuse. See then the love of God, and the beauty of Christ's heart that obeyed. Christ's obedience is a continual sweet aroma to the Father. It is an aroma that never ceases to please Him.
How is it that God is able to love us with an everlasting love, even when we have given Him nothing but our sins and imperfections? It is because of Christ's eternally satisfying sacrifice. God loves us with love that cannot be broken, because of the death of Christ that took care of our sins. God is with us continually, because for a moment He forsook His Son after He had laid all our sins upon Him.
In this verse, we are also reminded of the continuity of Hell. Devils and sinners in Hell will be a continual burnt offering unto the Lord. Through their punishment, they will give glory to God, endlessly displaying the power of His wrath. They have no other use for Him, but to be instruments of His destruction. There will be no comfort there, no relief from the pain of the everlasting burnings. It will be a continual offering. The punishment is eternal, because they have sinned against an infinitely holy God. We are to always remind ourselves: the consequence of our sin is eternal death. The eternal Son of God experienced this death for us, forever carrying the wounds of the cross on His hands and feet, which save the believers forever. This is our everlasting God. Unbelievers must choose, the everlasting death of their own souls, or the death of the everlasting God on the cross as their own death. Our death shall not please God if we die in our own sins. It is only the death of Christ that pleased God. Let us labour to be found in Christ, that we may also die in Him, as it is written:
Psalm 116:15 (KJV)
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
We ourselves are also to be continual sacrifices unto the Lord. Especially we are to be unceasing in our offering of prayer unto Him:
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (KJV)
Pray without ceasing. [18] In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
The fruit of our lips are to be a continual offering unto Him. It is offering by fire, as there is suffering involved in praying. Praying is hard labour. But this is what God desires of us. Our prayers of worship and thanksgiving pleases the heart of God. It is a sacrifice, giving up of ourselves unto Him. Let us not lack in this exercise, for we know Christ is praying for us. Let us make all our requests known to Him always, for we know God will answer us always, because of what His Son has done for us.
There is one more thing we must not cease to do. It is to rejoice continually:
Philippians 4:4 (KJV)
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
We must rejoice as a continual offering to God. Jesus our Lord suffered all the sorrows of death that we should have suffered for an eternity. He suffered the equivalent of the weeping and gnashing of teeth that we should have suffered. Why then do we weep? Why are we sorrowful? It does not please God. We must rejoice as an offering to God as a sweet aroma to His heart. We must make the most of what Our Lord has done for us! We must rejoice, for this pleases the heart of God. We must continually be rejoicing, not only when good things happen. In fact, when good things happen, weep! For it is blasphemy to rejoice over other things than the Gospel! We must rejoice because of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ! Jesus was the man of sorrows, but He does not want us to be men of sorrows, but people who rejoice always! Thank You Lord, for what you have done! I will rejoice, not because something good has happened, but because of what You have done to buy me joy. In exchange for Your pain, O Christ, You bought me joy. How shall I then be sad! I will rejoice in you, Lord.
We must also walk in love continually. As it is written:
Hebrews 13:1 (KJV)
Let brotherly love continue.
Ephesians 5:2 (KJV)
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Because of what God has done for us in Christ, we can love others continually. If Christ loves and forgives us continually through His own suffering death, we who receive this love ought to love and forgive our brothers and neighbors continually.
Whether it be prayer of faith, rejoicing and loving, God desires these offerings to be continual. For our God is an eternal God, and we have His eternal life in us. Let us never cease in offering ourselves to Him, making every effort to be pleasing in His sight. Amen.
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