Sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgiving

Hebrews 13:10-16 

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The sacrifices also provided food for the priests (1 Corinthians 9:13, Leviticus 7:6), except on the day of atonement, but those sacrifices give them no right to eat from the altar of Christ.  The sacrifices for atonement were burned outside the camp, away from the sanctuary, just as Jesus Christ suffered and died outside the camp of Jerusalem, whose blood is brought into the sanctuaries of our regenerated hearts as He suffered and died as a self sacrifice with Himself as High Priest.  The shadow of the Levitical sacrificial system was made clear through Christ’s work as the true sacrifice.  This is why we approach Jesus outside the camp with our sins as He did for us, made holy by that one eternal sacrifice and sharing in His taking on of our sin and His atonement for us.  Since He sacrificed Himself and there is no more sacrifice for the priests to eat at the altar of the old temple, our sacrifices now are praise and thanksgiving for His work on our behalf.  No Levitical high priest can truly atone for our sin; we must constantly remember this and share this good news as we share all we have to bless others as He blesses us.  These good works never earn nor can they change our standing in our High Priest’s righteousness, but are pleasing sacrifices of our hearts and not the outward giving up our prized possessions of animals (as originally given to Adam, Genesis 2:18-19) now to sacrifice, which can never cover sin eternally.  Only Jesus Christ can do that, and our praise and thanks should rise up with the sweet sacrificial aroma of prayer (Revelation 5:8) to Him.