Leviticus 1:3b … before the Lord …
As I read the first four chapters of Leviticus this morning
I was struck by the repetition of the phrase “before the Lord” in the
descriptions of the various sacrifices.
Those who were offering sacrifices did not do the sacrificial acts on
their own or privately. It was done in a
public area of the tabernacle. So the offering
and sacrifice were fairly public even though the reason for the sacrifice may
have been a private or individual one. I think
the repetition of the phrase “before the Lord” would have been a good reminder
to the people that even though the offering was public, they were in reality
having a private interaction with the Lord.
The Lord was the One to whom the sacrifice was being made and the public
nature of it was secondary to their communication with God. A good reminder to me today that the most
important part of my spiritual life is my "before the Lord” activity, even
when that activity is public in nature, such as teaching or corporate
worship. It is all “before the Lord.”
