 |  |
Here the acceptance of the offerer is found in the offering. The consciousness of the
blessedness of this truth is expressed by the words, "He shall LEAN," not merely "put."
Lev. 2: 2, speaking of the meal offering, says:--
"He shall take his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof with ALL the
frankincense thereof: and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an
offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord."
ALL the frankincense was required. It was that, called in the Hebrew "something
white," which gave the "sweet savour." Some may be inclined to regard a reference to
Leviticus as an indication of failure "to try the things that differ," and so, for any such,
and indeed for us all, we would notice Eph. 5: 2:--
"Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."
In Luke 1: 28 we meet the word translated "made accepted"; there it is rendered
"highly favoured." As we review the blessings which are ours in Christ, can we not truly
say that we are "highly favoured"? By nature children of wrath, dead in and by our sins,
Gentiles, aliens, and enemies by wicked works, walking according to the age of this
world, and according to the vanity of our minds--and now accepted!
One further reference from Leviticus is very much to the point here:--
"It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein" (Lev. 22: 21).
This completely cuts away all hope in the flesh or in legal observance. "The law made
nothing perfect," the flesh cannot offer anything but what is blemished. Only One could
offer Himself "without spot to God," and, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, we are "accepted," "highly favoured" in Him. Chosen to be holy and
without blemish, we are so in Him, and shall be presented "holy and without blemish"
(Eph. 1: 4 and 5: 27).
Every step forward gives us added reason for the praise of the glory of His grace. Yet
further. We are accepted "in the Beloved." Of all the titles of the Lord Jesus which are
used in the Epistle, this one is chosen. Some titles are more official than others, such as
"Christ" and "Lord." Some have special relationships with various phases of the divine
purpose, such as Son of man and Son of God. "The Beloved," however, seems to be a
title that transcends the limitations of time and dispensation, and it is in The Beloved that
we are accepted!
The three occasions in Matthew upon which the Lord Jesus was spoken of as "The
Beloved" are connected, in each case, with the added words, "In whom I am (or, My
soul is) well pleased" (Matt. 3: 17; 12: 18; 17: 5). A somewhat similar title occurs in
Col. 1: in a context which, like Eph. 1: 6, speaks of the believer's acceptance,
redemption through blood, and forgiveness.