Yesterday morning I was so excited after our exercise in class. I was nervous about how it would go when I asked everyone to imagine themselves in the midst of the tabernacle as the sacrifices were being offered up. We don't flex our imagination muscles as adults very often, which is a shame.
I asked what you saw - blood, animals, fire, lines of people
I asked what you heard - murmured talking, crackling of flames, animal noises (possibly in fear)
I asked what you smelt - blood, barbecue, smoke, animal feces
I asked what you might feel - fur, blood, the warmth of the live animal
I asked what you felt emotionally - sorrow, relief, peace, anxiety
Together our imaginations painted this complex tableau of what these sacrifices looked, felt, and even smelt like. We didn't try to analyze the passages or unpack the theology, we simply placed ourselves in the midst of the bloody scene and looked around. I believe that to be an incredibly important step in understanding their meaning, one that most Christians never take.
Now let me ask you this question: What would you be thinking and feeling as you headed home after offering a sin or guilt offering to the Lord?
Let's say you knew of sin in your life and you went to offer an unblemished goat from your flock for your forgiveness. Now you are walking home, having placed your hand on that animal and watched as its lifeblood flowed out for your guilt. You are now forgiven, but how do you feel? What is going through your mind? What do you tell your family when you return home?
Please post your comments/replies or email me and I will post them: chapsdriskell@gmail.com
Stay Holy,
Len
I asked what you saw - blood, animals, fire, lines of people
I asked what you heard - murmured talking, crackling of flames, animal noises (possibly in fear)
I asked what you smelt - blood, barbecue, smoke, animal feces
I asked what you might feel - fur, blood, the warmth of the live animal
I asked what you felt emotionally - sorrow, relief, peace, anxiety
Together our imaginations painted this complex tableau of what these sacrifices looked, felt, and even smelt like. We didn't try to analyze the passages or unpack the theology, we simply placed ourselves in the midst of the bloody scene and looked around. I believe that to be an incredibly important step in understanding their meaning, one that most Christians never take.
Now let me ask you this question: What would you be thinking and feeling as you headed home after offering a sin or guilt offering to the Lord?
Let's say you knew of sin in your life and you went to offer an unblemished goat from your flock for your forgiveness. Now you are walking home, having placed your hand on that animal and watched as its lifeblood flowed out for your guilt. You are now forgiven, but how do you feel? What is going through your mind? What do you tell your family when you return home?
Please post your comments/replies or email me and I will post them: chapsdriskell@gmail.com
Stay Holy,
Len
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