Introduction to the Sacrificial Regulations. Burnt Offering Regulations. Animal from the Herd. Animal from the Flock. From the Birds.

Transcription

1 1 Introduction to the Sacrificial Regulations Burnt Offering Regulations Animal from the Herd Animal from the Flock From the Birds Leviticus 1:1-17

2 2 Text: Introduction to the Sacrificial Regulations Leviticus 1:1-17, Burnt Offering Regulations Animal from the Herd Animal from the Flock From the Birds 1. Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent: 2. Speak to the Israelites and tell them, When someone among you presents an offering to the Lord, you must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock. 3. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the Lord. 4. He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5. Then the one presenting the offering must slaughter the bull before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must present the blood and splash the blood

3 3 against the sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 6. Next, the one presenting the offering must skin the burnt offering and cut it into parts, 7. and the sons of Aaron, the priest, must put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8. Then the sons of Aaron, the priests, must arrange the parts with the head and the suet on the wood that is in the fire on the altar. 9. Finally, the one presenting the offering must wash its entrails and its legs in water and the priest must offer all of it up in smoke on the altar it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 10. If his offering is from the flock for a burnt offering from the sheep or the goats he must present a flawless male, 11. and must slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, will splash its blood against the altar s sides. 12. Next, the one presenting the offering must cut it into parts, with its head and its suet, and the priest must arrange them on the wood which is in the fire, on the altar. 13. Then the one presenting the offering must wash the entrails and the legs in water, and the priest must present all of it and offer it up in smoke on the altar it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 14. If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering from the birds, he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young pigeons.

4 The priest must present it at the altar, pinch off its head and offer the head up in smoke on the altar, and its blood must be drained out against the side of the altar. 16. Then the priest must remove its entrails by cutting off its tail feathers, and throw them to the east side of the altar into the place of fatty ashes, 17. and tear it open by its wings without dividing it into two parts. Finally, the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is in the fire it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. (NET) Introduction: I. In the opening words of Leviticus a pattern is set. A. Many times over we will read, The LORD spoke to Moses Speak to the Israelites... II. We think of Moses as the great leader who defied Pharaoh and led the captive Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and eventually to the border of the Promised Land, and well we should. A. However, Moses most enduring work is the writing that he did during those forty years. 1. Here we are four thousand years, many hundreds of cultures and six thousand miles removed from the events and regulations that Leviticus discusses, and we are transported to that ancient time and place because of Moses tedious work of writing it all down for us!

5 Paul s evaluation of this is stated in Romans 15:4, For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. (NET) B. Not only did he preserve these laws and events, but we owe Moses for all the Pentateuch/Torah that we know more commonly as the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). 1. Deuteronomy 31:9, Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord s covenant, and to all Israel s elders. (NET) 2. The first five books of the Bible are commonly called, The Books of Moses, the servant of the Lord. a. There are seven passages within the Torah that mention Moses as the writer. i. Exodus 17:14, The Lord said to Moses, Write this as a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in Joshua s hearing; for I will surely wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. (NET) ii. Exodus 24:3, 4, Moses came and told the people all the Lord s words and all the decisions. All the people answered

6 6 together, We are willing to do all the words that the Lord has said, and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. (NET) iii. Exodus 34:28, So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (This apparently refers to the laws which God has just given in Exodus 20:21-23:33.) (NET) iv. Numbers 33:2, Moses recorded their departures according to their journeys, by the commandment of the Lord; now these are their journeys according to their departures. (NET) v. Deuteronomy 31:9, Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord s covenant, and to all Israel s elders. (NET) vi. Deuteronomy 31:22, Moses wrote down this song on that day (NET) vii. Deuteronomy 31:24, When Moses finished writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety, 25 he

7 7 commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord s covenant, 26 Take this scroll of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you (NET) b. While the way in which the history recorded in Genesis came to be written may be in some question, most Bible believers attribute its final form to Moses. i. However, beginning with Exodus, Moses is clearly the one writing all this history. ii. The last few verses of Deuteronomy were, of course, written after Moses death and probably written by Joshua. Note: This scribe felt there was a need to make for some explanation since the phrases, The LORD called Moses and told him to speak these words to the Israelites, occur so often. III. Now, let s have a word about the Meeting Tent. A. Before the construction of the Tabernacle, there was a special tent where meetings were held to inquire of the LORD. 1. You can read about it here: Exodus 33:7, Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at

8 8 Commentary: a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone seeking the LORD would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. (NET) 2. By the time Leviticus was being written, the Tabernacle has been completed and the Meeting Tent constantly being referred to is the Tabernacle, including its outer court and brazen altar and laver. Leviticus 1:1-3, Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent: Speak to the Israelites and tell them, When someone among you presents an offering to the Lord, you must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the Lord. (NET) I. With this background in mind, let us look at the first chapter of Leviticus and its depiction of the burnt offering. A. Some portion of every offering was burned on the altar, it seems, but this one was completely consumed! II. The first verse mentions the herd or the flock. A. These would be either cattle (herd) or sheep/goats (flock).

9 Not all families cultivated the same kinds of animals, so provisions are made for each. 2. In verses 3-9, standards for acceptable sacrificial animals are set and the procedure is spelled out. a. Leviticus 1:3-9, If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the Lord. He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. Then the one presenting the offering must slaughter the bull before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must present the blood and splash the blood against the sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. Next, the one presenting the offering must skin the burnt offering and cut it into parts, and the sons of Aaron, the priest, must put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then the sons of Aaron, the priests, must arrange the parts with the head and the suet on the wood that is in the fire on the altar. Finally, the one presenting the offering must wash its entrails and its legs in water and the priest must offer all of it up in smoke on the altar it is a burnt

10 10 offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. (NET) 3. Verses make allowance for those who do not raise sheep or cattle and cannot afford to buy such for the sacrifice. a. Such persons can bring an offering of birds, a dove or a young pigeon. i. Leviticus 1:14-17, If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering from the birds, he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young pigeons. The priest must present it at the altar, pinch off its head and offer the head up in smoke on the altar, and its blood must be drained out against the side of the altar. Then the priest must remove its entrails by cutting off its tail feathers, and throw them to the east side of the altar into the place of fatty ashes, and tear it open by its wings without dividing it into two parts. Finally, the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is in the fire it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. (NET) 4. Regardless of the chosen animal, it must be a flawless male.

11 11 III. Imagine the almost countless number of bulls & goats (an expression used in the New Testament book of Hebrews 9:13; 10:4, For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (NET)), each one a flawless male that shed his blood in front of that brazen altar that stood between those who would approach God and the Tabernacle with its Most Holy Place, where His presence was to be experienced! A. Fifteen hundred years came and went from Sinai to Calvary, each one with a Day of Atonement and daily offerings from the families of Israel. 1. No wonder THE LORD had them move the camp and The Tabernacle ever so often! a. The sheer numbers are astounding! 2. However, in spite of the mind boggling numbers, they all had one thing in common each one was a flawless male. 3. Each one was a picture of God s sinless Son who would offer himself on that altar on Calvary that stood between those who would approach God and His Holy Presence represented by the Most Holy Place in the Temple in Jerusalem.

12 12 a. You can read the dramatic story in Mark 15: But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, Truly this man was God s Son! (NET) b. Just as the death of the flawless male animal granted access to God s grace in the wilderness and later in the Promised Land, so the death of God s Sinless Son granted us access to God s grace and presence once for all! i. Hebrews 9:25-26, And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice. (NET) c. Not only so, but, just as the burnt offering was completely consumed, so our Lord was utterly consumed in the task of redemption! i. This seems to be the theme of Philippians 2: 6-8, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God

13 13 something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! New English Translation (NET) d. We are barely three verses into Leviticus and already Jesus and the gospel are being introduced! i. The Bible is one book about one thing God s plan and efforts to redeem and regain His world and His children that He created! Leviticus 1:4, He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. (NET) I. The laying on of hands was and is a common symbolic way of passing some spiritual thing from one person to another. A. Acts 8:17-19, Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles hands, offered them money, saying, Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit. (NET)

14 14 B. 1 Timothy 4:14, Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, given to you and confirmed by prophetic words when the elders laid hands on you. New English Translation (NET) C. In Leviticus it is guilt that is being passed on by the laying on of hands! 1. The one making the sacrifice places his hands on the head of the sacrifice and his guilt is transferred to the animal whose blood is then shed and whose body is offered to God on the altar. 2. Bringing a person s flawless male animal to the priests and transferring that person s guilt to the bull by the laying on of hands did not excuse that person to now go home absolved of his sins. a. The priests have some important duties that can only be done by a duly ordained priest, but the supplicant is not yet done! b. God expects more than just a contribution that cost money (such as a flawless animal from the flock or herd); observe the participation that is required of the one who brings the sacrifice. Leviticus 1:5-6, 9, You are to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. You are to wash the

15 15 internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. (NET) I. Why this heavy involvement in the sacrifice, we may ask? A. Perhaps to teach the one who brought the offering the seriousness of sin! B. He not only has just brought his best young bull to the priest for an offering to God, but with his own hands he has slaughtered, gutted, skinned, cut it into its proper cuts, but instead of cooking and eating it, he must watch as the priest burns it completely on the altar. 1. Neither he, his family nor the priests benefit by this offering. 2. The cost of sin is great indeed! Leviticus 1:7-8, The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. New English Translation (NET) I. The priest s part in the burnt offering is described in verses 7 & 8.

16 16 Leviticus 1:9-17, Finally, the one presenting the offering must wash its entrails and its legs in water and the priest must offer all of it up in smoke on the altar it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. If his offering is from the flock for a burnt offering from the sheep or the goats he must present a flawless male, and must slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, will splash its blood against the altar s sides. Next, the one presenting the offering must cut it into parts, with its head and its suet, and the priest must arrange them on the wood which is in the fire, on the altar. Then the one presenting the offering must wash the entrails and the legs in water, and the priest must present all of it and offer it up in smoke on the altar it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering from the birds, he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young pigeons. The priest must present it at the altar, pinch off its head and offer the head up in smoke on the altar, and its blood must be drained out against the side of the altar. Then the priest must remove its entrails by cutting off its tail feathers, and throw them to the east side of the altar into the place of fatty ashes, and tear it open by its wings without dividing it into two parts. Finally, the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is in the fire it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. (NET) I. The rest of the chapter describes the rituals for sheep, goats and birds.

17 17 A. Birds were allowed for those Israelites who had no flocks or herds and were too poor to buy such for sacrifice. B. As one finishes reading the chapter he will note that, regardless of the animal, the requirements and the rituals are the same. C. The ceremony for birds is only different because of the difference in the anatomy of the sacrifice described.

18 18 Questions on Leviticus 1: What was the Tent of Meeting spoken of in the opening verses of Leviticus one? 2. Describe the importance of Moses written records of the history we call the Books of Moses. 3. How did the Apostle Paul explain the importance of the writings of Moses and the others who contributed to what we know as the Old Testament Scripture?

19 Describe the Tent of Meeting that preceded the one mentioned in verse one of Leviticus. 5. What are the four categories of animals that could be brought for this particular offering? 6. Regardless of the breed of clean beasts brought to the priest for a burnt offering, what did they all have in common? 7. What is the significance of the one who brings the offering laying his hand on its head?

20 Cite some other significant instances of the laying on of hands and tell what was passed on on these occasions. 9. Once the supplicant and his offering arrived at the entrance to the Tabernacle court, describe what happened to the bull or goat. 10. List the things that the one bringing the offering must do to prepare the bull or goat for this particular sacrifice. 11. Describe the priest s function in the burnt offering.

21 In your opinion, why is this offering completely consumed? 13. Cite and quote a New Testament passage that may be connecting Jesus to this particular offering. 14. Give your interpretation of the rending of the veil of the Temple at the death of Jesus as related in Matthew 27:50-54; Mark 15:37,38 and Luke 23: How does this story from the crucifixion of Jesus relate to the offerings being described in Leviticus chapters 1-7?

22 Contrast the daily and yearly sacrifices with the offering of Christ on the cross as described in Hebrews 9: What effect, do you suppose, this waste of a fine animal had on the supplicant? Did he go home rejoicing? 18. What sacrifices have you made for the cause of the Lord that have brought you no reward that you can determine? 19. What could God have done or said that would have helped the Israelites understand the distant picture that they were creating? Would such an explanation have caused those ancient people to rejoice in this ritual?

23 List some things that God requires of us today that you don t understand. Does Leviticus one shed any light on these mysteries?