¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

¹⁰ “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.

¹⁸ At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us^[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Procedures for the Burnt Offering

1 The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle^[a] and said to him, ² “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the Lord, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats.

³ “If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you^[b] may be accepted by the Lord. ⁴ Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him.^{[c] 5} Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the animal’s blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. ⁶ Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces.

⁴ For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.