Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus symbolizing the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. God expressly directed that every offering presented for the service of the sanctuary should be "without blemish." Exodus 12:5. The priests were to examine all animals brought as a sacrifice, and were to reject every one in which a defect was discovered. Only an offering "without blemish" could be a symbol of His perfect purity who was to offer Himself as "a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:19. The apostle Paul points to these sacrifices as an illustration of what the followers of Christ are to become. He says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1. We are to give ourselves to the service of God, and we should seek to make the offering as nearly perfect as possible. God will not be pleased with anything 353 less than the best we can offer. Those who love Him with all the heart, will desire to give Him the best service of the life, and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power of their being into harmony with the laws that will promote their ability to do His will.

Hver morgen og aften blev et årgammelt lam brændt på alteret sammen med det tilhørende afgrødeoffer som symbol på folkets daglige indvielse til Gud og deres stadige afhængighed af Kristi forsonende blod. Gud sagde udtrykkeligt, at ethvert offer, der blev skænket til helligdomstjenesten, skulle være "lydefrit". 2. Mos. 12, 5. Præsterne skulle undersøge alle de dyr, der blev bragt som offer, og de skulle kassere hvert eneste dyr, som de fandt fejl ved. Kun et "lydefrit" offer kunne være symbol på hans fuldkomne renhed, der skulle ofre sig selv som "et lam uden plet og lyde". 1. Pet. 1, 19. Apostlen Paulus henviser til disse ofre som et billede på, hvordan Kristi efterfølgere skal være. Han siger: "Så formaner jeg jer da, brødre! ved Guds barmhjertighed, til at bringe jeres legemer som et levende, helligt, Gud velbehageligt offer; dette er jeres åndelige gudsdyrkelse." Rom. 12, 1. Vi skal vie os selv til Guds tjeneste, og vi bør søge at gøre dette offer så fuldkomment som muligt. Gud finder ikke behag i mindre end det bedste, vi kan give. De, der elsker ham af hele deres hjerte, vil nære det ønske at yde ham deres bedste tjeneste, og de vil stadig søge at bringe hver eneste evne i harmoni med de love, der kan gøre dem bedre skikket til at gøre hans vilje.