The Law of the Cookout

Brian Branam

Leviticus, The Bible's Weirdest Book • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Leviticus 4:1–5:13

Leviticus 6

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Few things in this world smell better than meat on a grill. If they had a deodorant called rack of ribs I’d use it.

For southerners, grilling isn’t just about cooking food; it’s about getting together. One of my favorite Saturdays IN MY LIFE was at my friend Rod’s lake house grilling out. Rod is a grill master.

It looked like every pig, chicken, and cow in Central Alabama was on Rod’s grill that day. It was delicious food, and it was time well spent. We were together for hours with the grill smoking, eating, and talking. We were telling stories and swapping sauces. It was a fantastic day.

Southerners love cookouts and so does God.

Leviticus 3:1–5 ESV

“If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The differences in the 3 offerings

What southerners call the cookout, Leviticus calls the peace offering (Lev. 3, 7:11-34, 19:5-8). In fact, an Israelite could not butcher and cook an animal without making it a peace offering. Lev 17.

That’s why I call the peace offering the law of the cookout.

The peace offering is the 3rd offering we’ve looked at in Leviticus:

The burnt offering was wholly consumed on the altar (Lev. 1) and it pictures forgiveness.

The grain offering was given to God, with some of it reserved for the priests (Lev. 2). The grain offering expresses thanks to God.

The peace offering was about restored fellowship. The peace offering is the only offering that the offerer could eat. Part of the meat was burnt on the altar before the Lord. Part of the meat was eaten by the priest. The rest of it – burgers and steaks! It became a feast!

You gather around with friends and ate this offering. You “shoot the bull” while you cook the bull.

The joy of forgiveness and fellowship

In the Bible coming together at a table is about more than eating a meal. It’s about sharing life. It’s about building relationships. It’s about restoration.

If you like to eat, the good news for you is that the Bible is full of eating and feasting.

The first sin - was something they ate.

The last thing the children of Israel did before they were delivered from Egypt is they had a meal called Passover.

Think about Jesus. His first miracle was at a feast.

The only miracle mentioned in all 4 gospels is him feeding the multitude with fish and bread.

What did Jesus do on the night he was betrayed? He took bread - he broke it and said, “This is my body.” It was the occasion of a meal that Jesus used to transform the meaning of bread for us forever.

Even after the resurrection, Jesus met the apostles on the shore and had breakfast with them.

The Bible speaks in Revelation about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Our Savior is an eater.

And think about the language of Psalm 34:8-10

Psalm 34:8–10 ESV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Think of how your mind would interpret the meaning of Psalm 34:8-10 if you had experienced the peace offering. Think of what that would have meant if you had been before the Lord, sat with the priests, drawn in close and had a meal together.

Psalm 34:8-10 is a testimony and an invitation. He’s inviting others to share in his experience with the Lord.

It’s sort of like what you invite a friend to one of your favorite restaurants. You invite them and your invitation sounds like an incredible advertisement. It sort of goes like this.

Hey man, you ever been to Maple Street Biscuit? They have these biscuits (big surprise) but they are sooooo good. Dude they have this one called The Farmer, that’s about this tall. In the biscuit there is a piece of juicy fried chicken. Its covered in a layer of pecan-wood smoked chedder. On top of that is 3 pieces of the best bacon you’ve ever tasted. And then, it’s smothered in an apple butter that puts your mamaw to shame.

And you hype it up so much - best ever - so, so good - unbelievable.

But until they get into the restaurant, order their food, sit down at the table and take that first bite - there is really no way to adequately communicate that experience.

There is a long way from hearing to tasting.

And a lot of us have heard about forgiveness. We have heard about God’s goodness. But you’ve never really tasted it.

I can tell you about Maple Street Biscuit because I’ve eaten a lot of meals there. I think I’m on their happy neighbor plan. I’ve downed a lot of chicken, bacon, cheese, apple butter covered biscuits. And I keep going back for more.

And that’s the way it is with your relationship with God. You have to sit down and eat. That’s the principle of the meal offering. God wants some time with you.

Sampling God

We are trying to approach God like we do a Saturday at Costco. You aren’t in there shopping. You went on Saturday morning because you knew they were handing out samples. Don’t lie to me bro!

on a Saturday morning, your wife asks if you want to go to Belk …… nah. She asks if you want to go to Costco and you jump up like a dog looking for a treat.

You didn’t go there because you needed some Kirkland light bulbs. You went over there because you needed some Kirkland peanut butter pretzels, and sausage, and cheese dip, and chocolate, and sno cone mix, and some weird seed crackers, with salsa - like you’ve never had salsa before.

And that’s the way you are trying to do your relationship with God. You’re just snacking. You’re just sampling.

That’s not the principle of the peace offering. The peace offering is about getting with God and staying awhile. It’s about enjoying His presence. It’s about the fellowship.

Low and slow

One of the reasons we snack on God is because we want things quick, pre-packaged and easy. The meal offering teaches us that you will never know the Lord like that.

I mentioned that when my friend Rod cooked out that there is not a chicken, pig, or cow in central Alabama that wasn’t on that grill. He spent a lot of money for that meal, but what made it even better is how slow he cooked it.

Now imagine if he had invited us over for a cookout, opened the grill and there was no smoke. What if instead of savory meat on the grill, it was just bags of takeout from Burger King?

I mean, I would have been thankful I guess. But what made it special was the cost of choice cuts of meat, and the time given to cooking the meat to perfection.

Is your daily time with God fast food or a cookout? Do you fly through some prepackaged devotional that is the fruit of someone else’s time with God, or are you in the Word being careful how you cut it?

Notice how careful Leviticus 4 calls for the sacrifice to be cut. One reason for the instruction is so that they cannot fall into paganism. Notice the call to remove the liver and the call to consume it on the altar. A reason for this may be that Israel’s pagan neighbors would read an animal’s liver in sacrifice looking for omens much like a person might read tarot cards or astrology signs looking for guidance. The people of God are to have nothing to do with this.

We don’t approach the Word of God like we are telling fortunes. We approach the Word of God with “right sacrifices.” Psalm 4:5 tells us to “Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the LORD.”

We want to hear from God - how concerned are we to offer right sacrifices?

We need to reserve time to sit before the Lord and fellowship with Him. Cut it carefully. Offer right sacrifices.

2 Timothy 2:15 is a familiar verse. Paul is giving his young protégée Timothy instruction about his approach to the Word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

The Greek word translated “rightly handling” can also mean to cut it straight. It recalls the work of the butcher preparing the meat. It harkens back to the work of the priest preparing the sacrifice.

Your devotional life should be more like a cookout and less like takeout. Don’t rush it. You’re not trying to “get something out of it.” Your goal is to spend time with God.

Read the Word of God slowly. If you don’t understand parts of what you read, separate it. Write down observations about the parts you do understand. Are there commands to be obeyed? Are there principles to be applied? Are there promises to be believed? Who are the prime actors in the text? How did God respond to them? What are the sins the text calls for you to avoid?

Whatever questions you choose to ask, cut the text and lay it on the grill.

Smoke it slowly.

Spend time praying over what you’ve read. Talk to God about it. One of the best parts of a cookout is the conversations you have while things are cooking. The Bible says in 2 Samuel 7:18 that David “went in and sat before the LORD.” And David got a Word from God that day. If you want to hear from God, it’s going to be at a cookout, not over cheap takeout.

When I read Psalm 1, I smell savory smoke.

Psalm 1:1–3 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

He delights in the law of the Lord. He meditates on it day and night. He cooks it low and slow, and that smoke smells better the longer the Word is on the grill.

And don’t forget. You bring the peace offering with the burnt offering. You are there with a friend. Confess sin. Cleanse your life from the junk of the day. Let God burn it away in the grace of His forgiveness. But bring the peace offering as well.

You and God are good.

He wants to spend time with you.

You are no longer enemies.

Cookouts are best amongst friends.

So, before you go about your day, what do you want from God? I want one of those burgers. I want one of His steaks. I want His Word ruminating in my heart. I want to meditate on it low and slow. I want to hear His voice. I want to sit before my Savior.