Hebrew Sacrifices - Part 1: Burnt offering

• Review

• What book of the Torah is the first book that Hebrew children study? At what age did Hebrew children begin to study this book?

• What does “Leviticus” mean? Why is the book named this?

• Being that the book is full of regulations that no one follows (for the most part) today; why is the book of Leviticus important to study?

• Reoccurring theme in Leviticus – “I am the , your .”
• God is portraying that His presence is with the Hebrews – whether they are sacrificing or not.
• God’s presence was to regulate of the life of His people!
• God’s people are called to a higher standard of living.
• God’s visible presence was over the Tent. He wanted to be sure that His spiritual presence was seen through the lives of His people!
  • NOTE: Paul made this comparison for God’s people today. (1 Cor.6:19-20 / Eph.5:18)

2The Ascent (Burnt) Offering

• Leviticus 1:2 begins by speaking of offerings in general.
• Burnt offerings are described first because they are the most common.
• Burnt offerings in general could be bulls, sheep, goats, or even pigeons and turtledoves for the poorer of the people.
• Moses comes before the Lord with this offering. Leviticus 1:3-9
• The process:
  • 1. It is at the door.
  • 2. It is (by laying on of hands) as a sacred offering.
  • 3. It is .
  • 4. It is .
• The regulations:
• The people:
• The priests:
• Moses:
• The Ascent offering must be identified. Leviticus 1:4
  • This signified the offerer’s with the offering.
  • This signified a of something onto the sacrifice.
  • The offerer was saying; “Just as this animal is wholly given to God on the altar, so I wholly give myself to the Lord.”
  • The offerer had to kill the animal himself on the altar’s north side.
  • The worshiper prepared the animal by killing it, skinning it, washing the dirty parts, and chopping it up.
  • The priest caught the blood and sprinkled it over the altar and then placed the meat (not skin) into the fire.
• The Ascent Offering must be wholly consumed. Leviticus 1:10-14
  • This offering expressed the basic desire of the offerers and to the Lord.
  • The New Testament principle of complete devotion is the same. (Can you think of a verse to back this up?)
  • The Lord alone dictated the requirements – they were not open for dialogue.
  • Presenting this sacrifice to the Lord assumes that the offerer is already in living, covenant relationship to God.
  • The offering is to cleanse sinful thoughts that have not become deeds.
    • NOTE: God judges the heart of the offerer and declares an offering to be holy or unholy.
  • Sacrifice is incompatible with an attitude of… “mercilessly nursing enmity, bitterness, or animosity.”
  • -Carson
  • This sacrifice was a “sweet smell” before God. (Leviticus 1:9; 13; 17)
• Jesus’ death on the cross was a “sweet fragrance” to God. Eph.5:1-2
• Our acts of generosity and love toward others are also “sweet fragrance offerings” to the Lord. Phil.4:18
• The “law of the burnt offering” is to complete the sacrifice ritual. Leviticus 6:9-13
  • The fire must .
  • The must be removed from the altar.
  • The ashes must be taken from the camp – but not to the ! Why?

3The Impact of the Ascent Offering

• The most common of offerings had to be powerfully moving occasions.
• The victim had to be a perfect male animal. (3, 10)
• The offerer had to be accepted by the Lord. (3-4)
• with is the goal of the sacrifice – and God lays down the terms.
• One function of the burnt offering was to displace God’s displeasure at a human’s sin. Examples in the Bible:
  • was at the heart of the burnt offering.
  • The impact of the burnt offering was that the worshiper would be ‘wiped clean’ through ‘paying a ransom.’
  • Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the ENTIRE world. (Mark 10:45; Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
• Cleansing is a continual process. 1 John 1:7-9
  • Cleansing came before praise and petition.
  • There was business to be done at the entrance to God’s presence. There is an order to worship before God.
• NEXT WEEK: The Cereal Offering Leviticus 2:1-16