In Leviticus 1:9, God speaks of the burnt offering, one of the many offerings that the Israelites offered to Him: “…The priest shall burn the whole on the altar, as a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a satisfying fragrance to Jehovah.” This offering was wholly burnt on the altar; nothing was left for man except ashes. Thus everything in this offering was for God. It was a satisfaction to Jehovah, pleasing Him and making Him happy.
The burnt offering here typifies Christ, especially in the matter of His living on the earth. As a man, Christ lived absolutely for God. In John 5:30 He said, “I can do nothing from Myself; as I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.”Such a living – not for Himself, not for man, but absolutely for the Father – satisfied God. In Matthew 3:17, the Father says, “…This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight.”Christ lived a life absolutely for God, a life that was pure and holy, with no element of the fall, no defect, and no sin (John 14:30; Luke 23:14; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet 1:19; 2:22). Such a living was a satisfying fragrance ascending to God for His pleasure and satisfaction.
When we believe into the Lord we receive His divine life, the very life that was expressed though His human living in the gospels (John 1:12-13). By such a supply, we may become a reproduction of Christ as the burnt offering in our living, fully for God and pleasing to God. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”By believing into Him, Christ can live within us and through us. This is a life of faith, not depending on ourselves, but trusting and depending on the Lord as Jesus did with the Father (John 6:57, Matt. 26:39). When we live by this life, we are absolutely for God and are a satisfying fragrance to Him (Eph. 5:2). Hallelujah for this life!
Further Reading:
Witness Lee, Life-Study of Genesis, Message 57 (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print).
Witness Lee, Life-Study of Romans, Message 8 (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print).
Watchman Nee, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Chapter 6 (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print).
Holy Bible Recovery Version, all verses mentioned in this post and their corresponding footnotes (Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Print).
(Most references in the Further Reading can also be viewed on www.ministrybooks.org.)