Saturday, June 20, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Leviticus 3-5
- Secondary Reading: Psalms 71
Key Verse
Leviticus 4:19 — “And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.”
Devotional Thought
What does it mean to belong wholly to God? Leviticus 3-5 answers with smoke and blood and fire. The peace offering—whether from herd, flock, or goat—was brought without blemish, and the worshiper laid his hand upon its head before the LORD. The fat, the kidneys, the caul above the liver: the richest inward portions were burned on the altar as “the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’s” (3:16). The best belonged to God, and the worshiper feasted on the rest in fellowship with Him. Then sin enters the picture. Leviticus 4 speaks repeatedly of sins “through ignorance”—the anointed priest, the whole congregation, a ruler, one of the common people. Even unwitting guilt required atonement. The blood was sprinkled seven times before the vail; the horns of the incense altar were touched; the body was carried outside the camp. Leviticus 5 adds the trespass offering for hidden uncleanness, careless oaths, and withheld testimony, and even the poorest could bring turtledoves or fine flour. No one was excluded from the way of forgiveness.
Notice how specific God is about degrees of guilt and provision. The priest, the ruler, the common person—each had an offering suited to their station, yet all alike needed blood. And in every case the refrain sounds: “the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him” (4:31). Ignorance does not erase guilt; but confession opens the door to cleansing. “He shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing” (5:5). This is not cold ritual but a gracious Father teaching His children how to be made right with Him.
We read these chapters in late June, when gardens are full and the year’s work is underway. It is a season of abundance—and a fitting time to ask whether we are giving God the fat, the first and best, or only what is left over. The peace offering was voluntary, a gift of gratitude and communion; it reminds us that worship is not merely duty but delight. And the sin offering reminds us that even our unnoticed failures matter, because God is holy and we are not.
All of this points forward. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins permanently (Hebrews 10:4); it was a shadow of the Lamb without blemish who would be slain outside the gate. When we confess our sins, John writes, “he is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). The psalmist’s cry in Psalm 71 fits here perfectly: “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort” (71:3). The offerings gave Israel a place to resort; Christ gives us a Person. So today, bring Him the fat—your best love, your hidden faults, your confessed sin—and find that He is still the God who forgives.
Reflection
- What “fat”—the first and best of your time, affection, and strength—are you holding back from the LORD, and what would it look like this week to lay it on the altar?
- Are there sins you have committed “through ignorance” that the Spirit is now bringing to your knowledge? Will you confess them specifically and receive the forgiveness God promises?
Prayer
O Lord, our Rock and our Fortress, we come as those who have sinned and fallen short, trusting not in our own righteousness but in Thy mercy. Thou hast taught us from our youth, and we praise Thee for the atonement made for us through Jesus Christ, the Lamb without blemish. Search our hearts, O God; reveal the hidden faults we have not seen, and grant us grace to confess them plainly. Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise all the day, and let our lives be an offering of sweet savour unto Thee. Forsake us not when our strength faileth, but be our strong habitation, now and forever. Amen.
Psalm Verse
Psalms 71:1 — “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.”