(pic credit: heavenward ©2017-2019 by crisbaj. Used with permission)

…Truly Burnt

Burnt Offering in Hebrew is the word olah, from the root Ayin-Lamed-Heh, meaning ‘ascension’  עֹלַ֤ת . Coming from the Hebrew tradition of Karbanot (root Qof-Resh-Bet, which means “to draw near”), the Burnt Offering was the role of the Priests (kohanim) in helping people draw near to G-D.

With 280 Old Testament occurrences, the hallmarks of a burnt offering are [1] specific act offered to God and no-one else, [2] purposely lifted up in a sacred setting, [3] completely given over (completely burned into ash), [4] cost the person something significant, and [5] Sacred Fire was involved (not strange fire, a bad thing)

…It Started

Being a wanna-be songwriter, I’m always ready to trip into something musically and ‘quick! Write it down!’. I record rehearsals. Paper and pencil is always close at hand for me. I have volumes…

A few years ago, I was having a private ‘devotion time’, including some voice-guitar worship. The devotion time was ‘getting deep’, and I was finishing a dear favorite song to the Lord, and… without thinking… I started to sing and play a totally new and fresh and intensely personal song. Chorus, verses, tags, bridges… it developed as the chords jumped from my fingers and lyrics rolled from my lips. Huge emotion in the room. This one was coming up from deep, deep, down.

I could feel the Presence right there, and I had the ‘Eric Liddell Moment’ (look up reff in Chariots of Fire), “when I did that, I felt His pleasure on me”.

‘YIKES! That was amazing’ I thought I. (chuckle here…)

Grabbed for the pencil and paper.

I heard it (audibly). “Nope, that’s Mine!”

Huh? As I started to try and re-collect what just happened musically, I heard it again; “Nope. That’s Mine!”

I stopped. In my personal Bible study that week, I had been looking at the Tent of Meeting, and the sacrificial system God had directed Moses to establish.

I knew about the first stop into the Tent of Meeting; the Altar of Burnt Offerings. In that season, I was learning about burnt offerings, how they worked, and what they meant.

As I was fumbling around, trying to re-capture the song of the moment, I had a strong sense that ‘that ain’t gonna happen, friend’ (different voice…).

Then the Big Voice again, bursting in my heart.

“Those songs are Mine. I’ll keep ‘em. I love those songs. Sing me another”.

I heard the different voice; “you’re a priest, these songs are burnt offerings, they don’t belong to you…”

I sang another.

Up it went, flying up to Heaven…

…It Continues

I’m still singing burnt-offering songs… definitely a couple a month…

Don’t ask to hear one… I stopped trying to remember how they go…

I was recently sharing tacos with a dear friend (and amazing guitarist + fellow worshiper), and telling him about these ‘burnt offering’ songs.

“The best songs I’ve ever written or played… up they went… and they’re gone… totally gone”

Then a truthful moment; “yeah, they are probably terrible, but my Heavenly Father likes my honest mess…”

We had a good laugh. He’s a worshiper and musician as well. He gets it.

…Costly

Yeah, Romans 12:1 sez “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

Yeah, as a committed God-worshiper, I know that it’s about my life and my conduct and my living and my obedience and my actions and other people.

The thing that I’ve found is that God sees my heart and my fiber, and He knows that there’s always music playing in there. There is always a song or a melody or a rhythm. That’s how He wired me.

Always.

True and acceptable and pleasing worship is lifting up the deepest things and handing them over, in gratitude and deep-know that I give Him my everything.

For me, one clear point are the songs inside.

Part of my on-going ‘deep worship’ is the burnt-offering song to my Papa. Clunky and raw and sometimes-outta-tune, and… probably aweful… He stills shows up and listens and lets me know how pleased He is…

written by crisbaj

© 2018-19 by crisbaj/AdoreTheLord.blog  All rights reserved.

All Scripture references from New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

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References:

1 Chron 21:24

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

Eph 5:19-20

…with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 71:22-23

I will praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
    Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.

Psalm 43:3-4

My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
    with the harp I will expound my riddle:

Col 3: 16-17

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Psalm 40:3a

He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 42: 8

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me– a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 56:8 (NAS)

You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

Psalm 98:1-6

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

SELAH

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