"...never the less"

"...never the less"

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42

The laws God gave to Moses and the people called for a number of specific kinds of sacrifices or offerings. The objects offered for sacrifice were sometimes brought by the common people and their leaders, but only the priests could perform the sacrifices, which were to be offered to the God of Israel, and to him alone.
Leviticus describes five basic kinds of sacrifices offered by Israel's priests for the people. One type of sacrifice was the "burnt offering. The object to be sacrificed was a bull, male sheep or goat without blemish, or a dove or pigeon for the poor. The reason for this type of sacrifice was to worship God, show devotion to God, and to ask for God's forgiveness; the entire object was burned (Leviticus 1:1-17; 6:8-13; 8:18-21; 16:23, 24). There was the "grain offering". The object to be sacrificed was a mixture of fine wheat flour, olive oil and incense; bread baked without yeast or honey in loaves or wafers or fried in flat wafers; salt added sometimes; sometimes used along with burnt offerings or peace offerings. This sacrifice was meant to worship God by giving thanks; to recognize that God is the giver of blessings and provides good things (Leviticus 2:1-16; 6:14-23). The "peace offerings" was made with the fat and certain inner organs from a bull, cow, sheep, or goat that has nothing wrong with it; various kinds of bread made without yeast. This was to worship God and ask for God's blessing; some of the meat is kept and eaten (7.28-35). 3.1-17; 7.11-36). For the "sin offering" a young bull for the high priest and the whole nation, a male goat for a tribal leader, a female goat or lamb for ordinary people, two doves or pigeons for the poor, two pounds of fine flour for the very poor, two goats and a ram on the Great Day of Forgiveness (one goat carries the sins of the whole nation into the wilderness) were sacrificed. The “sin offering” was made to ask for God's forgiveness; to make amends for specific unintentional sins; to become clean after becoming ritually unclean. (Leviticus 4:1-5.13; 6:24-30; 8:14-17; 16:3-22). The "guilt offering" was the sacrifice to make things right. A ram that has nothing wrong with it, or the price of the ram in addition to paying back what was stolen or destroyed plus twenty percent were the objects to be sacrificed. To make up for cheating the Lord or unintentionally destroying something that belonged to the Lord; to make up for robbing or cheating another person was the reason for the sacrifice (Leviticus 5:14-6.7; 7:1-6).
Notice that the sacrifices that were to be offered to God were to be: “without blemish,” “that has nothing wrong with it.” From this we can conclude that God wants our best. He wants offerings without spot, without wrinkles and without blemishes. He never wants the less. He wants our best.
My friend, God leads by example. Before we thought of giving our best to Him, He gave His best to us. In the Garden of Eden He sacrificed an innocent animal to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness (Genesis 3:21). In the Garden of Gethsemane He prepared a sacrifice for you and me His only begotten son, the innocent Lamb of God, Jesus, to cover our sins. Resolve today to always give Him your best. Your best worship, your best praise. Give Him the best of your life and let’s say like Jesus, “…never the less.”