"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 'Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord, before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people." This was a most solemn matter; and we may ask what was involved in offering a sacrifice otherwise than in the manner here prescribed. It was nothing less than robbing Jehovah of His rights, and presenting to Satan that which was due to God. A man might say, Can I not offer a sacrifice in one place as well as another? The answer is, Life belongs to God, and His claim thereto must be recognized in the place which He has appointed--before the tabernacle of the Lord. That was the only meeting-place between God and man. To offer elsewhere proved that the heart did not want God. The moral of this is plain. There is one place where God has appointed to meet the sinner, and that is the cross--the antitype of the brazen altar. There and there alone has God's claims upon the life been duly recognized. To reject this meeting-place is to bring down judgment upon one's self--it is to trample under foot the just claims of God, and to arrogate to one's self a right to life which all have forfeited. It is important to see this. "And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord." The blood and the fat belonged to God. The blessed Jesus fully recognized this. He surrendered His life to God, and all His hidden energies were devoted to Him likewise. He voluntarily walked to the altar and there gave up His precious life; and the fragrant odor of His intrinsic excellency ascended to the throne of God. Blessed Jesus! it is sweet, at every step of our way, to be reminded of Thee.