They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
Summary: In this passage, Paul equates what the Philippians have given to an Old Testament sacrifice.
This verse fascinates because it poses the question, “What is pleasing to God?”
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed on how to make an “acceptable sacrifice.” The concept of a sacrifice was interesting because it formed a bridge between the Israelites and God.
In the Bible, we see the history of mankind played out over millennia. In the beginning, God created mankind in his own image (Genesis 1:27). Then, mankind rebelled against God (Genesis 3:1-13). This rebellion was significant because God had warned, “… you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17).
It turned out that the kind of “dying” God spoke of was both spiritual and inherited. All the descendants of Adam and Eve carry the same defect.
Spiritual death is not something we can fix ourselves. Spiritual death requires a spiritual resurrection, and that is only possible through Jesus Christ.
Since it would be two thousand years before Christ would be born, God used an interim system. He selected Abram to be the father of a nation. He raised up a people to be his own. Then, when Moses came along, he gave his people the Law.
The Law specifies different kinds of offerings. Many are described as a “pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Exodus 29:25).
In Genesis, when Noah comes out of the ark and offers a burnt offering to God, the text says, “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma …” (Genesis 8:21).
Sacrifice is a complicated topic. Animal sacrifices involve the death of the animal, draining the blood, and using the blood to “cleanse” both people and things (Hebrews 9). Burning the sacrificed animal converts the meat to smoke. The aroma would be similar to a modern barbecue. It is easy to understand why this would be an aroma pleasing to both God and man.
Since God is not man, he might find it pleasing for a different reason than we do. In Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, he writes:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Which brings us back to the Greatest Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). God wants us to love him above all else and our neighbors as ourselves. Obedience to these commands requires sacrifice; putting our love for self aside while we put God’s will first.
Isn’t this what the Philippians did when they sent their gifts to Paul?
Application: Think of your service to God and others as an “aroma” that pleases God.
Food for Thought: What happens when we confuse modern-day sacrifice with spiritual “works?”