The saints are told three times to “fret not” (Psalm 37:1,7-8). <em>Fret</em> comes from a root word meaning <em>to eat</em> or <em>to devour</em>. We will find that Jesus Christ is the only solution to the disease of a fretting heart.
We look on service today as something beneath our dignity. However, Jesus said, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant”. And here, in this passage, a temporary servant becomes a lifetime servant of his own free will. What is the Lord trying to teach us?
The Levitical sacrificial system had five separate and distinct offerings that could be made to the Lord. They mark a progression of closeness with the first offering mentioned being the closest to God and the last one being the first step in approaching God. This seemingly backwards approach is not unusual in the Bible. God usually begins from His perspective, not ours. He describes the furniture of the most holy place first and then proceeds to the holy place and the courtyard. He creates heaven and then earth (Genesis 1:1). Notice the following table with the offerings given in reverse order and their symbology explained.Table:>
