I was cruising along to work this am on my bike (mountain not motor) when I saw a somewhat common site but then had a rather uncommon reaction. What I saw was a dead bird. The deceased fowl had apparently flown foul into someone’s windshield and there laid motionless in my path. This is not uncommon as you ride of course, but my reaction was.
No doubt stemming from a high exposure to the Book of Leviticus my first thought was ‘gospel’. I looked at the dead bird and thought about the burnt offering.
If you haven’t read Leviticus 1 for awhile, the central issue facing the Jews was access to God as they received the divine Law via Moses and had the tabernacle contructed in the wilderness. God had come down to dwell with his people. But in so doing he demonstrated with clarity that he is a holy God who does not turn a blind eye to sin. And as a result of the people of God’s prevailing sinfulness and God’s unwavering holiness something needed to be done in order allow sinners to enjoy the glorious and matchless blessing of fellowship with God.
Enter Leviticus. In the first several chapters God provides a means for sinners to deal with their sin and enjoy the blessing of fellowship with God. One such offering is the burnt offering. The principle focus of this offering is consecrate a people for God by dealing with sinners’ sin in the light of God’s holy wrath by virtue of a substitutionary sacrifice (atonement, Lev. 1.4). Various animals were specified. And depending upon what the worshiper had the means to offer the scales varied. Some offered from the herd (bulls), others from the flock (sheep or goats).
But it is the third category that got me this morning: the burnt offering from the birds. (Lev. 1.14-17). God provided the means for even the poorest among the people to have their sins dealt with and fellowship enjoyed. God is not a respector of social status or economic standing; he universally offers fellowship with himself through exclusive means.
In fact this is the very offering brought by the impoverished family of our Lord. We read in Luke 2 .22-24 that as a result of Jesus’ birth his family was required to bring this offering, and it was the bird that they brought.
As Jesus came fulfilling all of the righteousness that the Law demands he willingly and humbly put himself under all of its requirements. But his condecension is not limited to merely stuping low as a man, even here he is seen as a poor boy from a poor family. We learn in Scripture that Christ is the one who is the creator, sustainer and goal of all things (Col. 1.16-17) but now he is seen as one coming from the most humble circumstances in order to accomplish redemption for his people.
But the point of the Levitical offerings is not fulfilled on an altar in a temple at the hands of a high priest and a bird. Rather, we know that ultimately the burnt offerings, whether bulls, goats, or birds, all point forward to the offering of Christ! Christ is the burnt offering! He is also the priest who offered the burnt offering! Upon the altar of Calvary Jesus offered up his own perfect life of obedience; he was without blemish and without reproach in the matters of the Law. He offered up himself before the Father. And it was the Father who unleashed the artillary of heaven to consume him in his wrath. Just as the bull or goat were ‘flayed’ and ‘cut into pieces’ (1.6) Christ was shredded by men’s wrath and ripped apart by God’s. And further, the priests were instructed to ‘burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering (1.9). Christ the high priest offered himself where he was finally and completely consumed by God’s holy and righteous fire. Upon the Cross we have Christ offering perfection perfectly for imperfect sinners to enjoy the blessed fellowship with God. Christ finally and ultimately makes complete atonement, provides complete consecration and therefore his people enjoy complete restoration to God.
Am I guilty of overspiritualizing my morning commute? Maybe. But I am convinced that this world, even though it is fallen and cursed, is an ongoing supply house for the gospel to be regularly returned to our minds and hearts. Often times God uses general revelation (creation) to point us to special revelation (Scripture) that we might find ourselves more impressed with the person and work of Christ. It is in this sense that I ‘get’ the bird.