Then the LORD said to Moses, Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions - Leviticus 6:8-9a NLT

LEVITICUS

LEVITICUS General Instructions for the Israelites regarding Offerings - 1:1-6:7 General Instructions for the Burnt Offerings 1:3-17 General Instructions for the Grain Offerings 2:1-16 General Instructions for the Peace Offerings 3:1-17 General Instructions for the Sin Offerings 4:1-5:13 General Instructions for the Guilt Offerings 5:14-6:7

LEVITICUS Further Instructions for the Priests regarding Offerings - 6:8-7:38 for the Burnt Offerings 6:8-13 for the Grain Offerings 6:14-23 for the Sin & Guilt Offerings 6:24-7:10 for the Peace Offerings 7:11-36 The Conclusion to the Offerings Manual 7:37-38

How can instructions given to Israelite priests nearly 3500 years ago be at all applicable to my life today?

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. - 1 Peter 2:9 ESV

The great new truth Peter states here is the revelation that through Jesus Christ, i.e., through his work on the Cross, every Christian is part of a new priestly order. This truth of the priesthood of all believers was rediscovered and restressed during the Reformation. It means that every Christian has immediate access to God, that he serves God personally, that he ministers to others, and that he has something to give. - Edwin A. Blum

Then the LORD said to Moses, Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the burnt offering. The burnt offering must be left on top of the altar until the next morning, and the fire on the altar must be kept burning all night. In the morning, after the priest on duty has put on his official linen clothing and linen undergarments, he must clean out the ashes of the burnt offering and put them beside the altar. Then he must take off these garments, change back into his regular clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out. For The Burnt Offerings - Lev. 6:8-13 NLT

Since the burnt offering was offered to make atonement to find acceptance into the presence of the LORD, the emphasis on keeping the fire burning must mean that the provision of the atonement must always be available to people. No one should ever come to the sanctuary and find the fire out or the priests unavailable. Perpetual fire signified that the way of access to God by the sacrifice of the burnt offering was always ready and available. - Allen P. Ross For The Burnt Offerings - Lev. 6:8-13 NLT

Although we witness in this offering God s grace by providing this perpetual flame, the reality was that the daily sacrifices were not sufficient since they had to be renewed each morning and evening. This was a constant reminder to the priest and the congregation that a permanent solution to human sin and ritual impurity was needed. The recurring sacrifices indicated to the people that the present arrangement was only temporary and that a final deliverance was yet to come. This is fulfilled in the perfect sacrifice, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross resulted in a complete removal of our sins and a final solution to our guilt. - Kenneth A. Mathews For The Burnt Offerings - Lev. 6:8-13 NLT

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. - Hebrews 10:11-14 NLT For The Burnt Offerings - Lev. 6:8-13 NLT

These are the instructions regarding the grain offering. Aaron s sons must present this offering to the LORD in front of the altar. The priest on duty will take from the grain offering a handful of the choice flour moistened with olive oil, together with all the frankincense. He will burn this representative portion on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Aaron and his sons may eat the rest of the flour, but it must be baked without yeast and eaten in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Remember, it must never be prepared with yeast. I have given it to the priests as their share of the special gifts presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. Any of Aaron s male descendants may eat from the special gifts presented to the LORD. This is their permanent right from generation to generation. Anyone or anything that touches these offerings will become holy. For The Grain Offerings - Lev. 6:14-18 NLT

The major emphasis in this passage is on the priest s reception of the offering. His actions vividly signified to the offerer that God had received the offering, and that God was pleased with it. This was done by burning part of it on the fire. And, second, by receiving it and eating from it in that sacred place, the priest signified that it was a proper offering. The worshipper could go away with the knowledge that the LORD was pleased to receive the dedicatory offering. - Allen P. Ross For The Grain Offerings - Lev. 6:14-18 NLT

Then the LORD said to Moses, On the day Aaron and his sons are anointed, they must present to the LORD the standard grain offering of two quarts of choice flour, half to be offered in the morning and half to be offered in the evening. It must be carefully mixed with olive oil and cooked on a griddle. Then slice this grain offering and present it as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. In each generation, the high priest who succeeds Aaron must prepare this same offering. It belongs to the LORD and must be burned up completely. This is a permanent law. All such grain offerings of a priest must be burned up entirely. None of it may be eaten. For The Grain Offerings - Lev. 6:19-23 NLT

When the priest performed rituals for other Israelites, some of the sacrificial material was for his personal or clan use, but this luxury was not available when he was sacrificing on his own behalf. Everything was to be given to God by burning it completely. This would save the priest from a conflict of interest that would arise if he could have his sacrifice and eat it, too. - David W. Baker For The Grain Offerings - Lev. 6:19-23 NLT

As individual priests in a holy priesthood we must assure worshipers that God accepts faith-full dedication by how acts of dedication are acknowledged, and by how we ourselves live lives dedicated to the Lord. For The Grain Offerings - Lev. 6:19-23 NLT

Priest s Instructions for the Sin & Guilt Offerings (6:24-7:10) Instructions for the Sin Offerings (6:24-30) Instructions for the Guilt Offerings (7:1-6) Instructions for Matters Related to Portion Distribution (7:8-10) For The Sin & Guilt Offerings - Lev. 6:24-7:10 NLT

Then the LORD said to Moses, Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the sin offering. The animal given as an offering for sin is a most holy offering, and it must be slaughtered in the LORD s presence at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. The priest who offers the sacrifice as a sin offering must eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Anyone or anything that touches the sacrificial meat will become holy. If any of the sacrificial blood spatters on a person s clothing, the soiled garment must be washed in a sacred place. If a clay pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, it must then be broken. If a bronze pot is used, it must be scoured and thoroughly rinsed with water. Any male from a priest s family may eat from this offering; it is most holy. But the offering for sin may not be eaten if its blood was brought into the Tabernacle as an offering for purification in the Holy Place. It must be completely burned with fire. For The Sin & Guilt Offerings - Lev. 6:24-30 NLT

These are the instructions for the guilt offering. It is most holy. The animal sacrificed as a guilt offering must be slaughtered at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered, and its blood must be splattered against all sides of the altar. The priest will then offer all its fat on the altar, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These are to be removed with the kidneys, and the priests will burn them on the altar as a special gift presented to the LORD. This is the guilt offering. Any male from a The Priest s Instructions priest s family may eat the meat. It must be eaten in a sacred place, For The Sin & Guilt Offerings for it is most holy. - Lev. 7:1-6 NLT

The same instructions apply to both the guilt offering and the sin offering. Both belong to the priest who uses them to purify someone, making that person right with the LORD. In the case of the burnt offering, the priest may keep the hide of the sacrificed animal. Any grain offering that has been baked in an oven, prepared in a pan, or cooked on a griddle belongs to the priest who presents it. All other grain offerings, whether made of dry flour or flour moistened with olive oil, are to be shared equally among all the priests, the descendants of Aaron. For The Sin & Guilt Offerings - Lev. 7:7-10 NLT

Anyone who defrauds God or his neighbor by causing damage that can be repaired shows evidence of true repentance when they make matters right. - Ken Wilson For The Sin & Guilt Offerings - Lev. 7:7-10 NLT

The priest who offers the sacrifice as a sin offering must eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Any male from a priest s family may eat from this offering; it is most holy. But the offering for sin may not be eaten if its blood was brought into the Tabernacle as an offering for purification in the Holy Place. It must be completely burned with fire. This is the guilt offering. Any male from a priest s family may eat the meat. It must be eaten in a sacred place, for it is most holy. For The Sin & Guilt Offerings - Lev. 6:26; 29-30; 7:5b-6

Priest s Instructions for the Peace Offerings (7:11-36) Instructions for the Three Types of Peace Offerings (7:11-21) Prohibition against Eating Fat or Blood (7:22-27) Instructions for the Priest s Portion of the Peace Offering (7:28-36) For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:11-36 NLT

These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the LORD. If you present your peace offering as an expression of thanksgiving, the usual animal sacrifice must be accompanied by various kinds of bread made without yeast thin cakes mixed with olive oil, wafers spread with oil, and cakes made of choice flour mixed with olive oil. This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the LORD. It will then belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the peace offering against the altar. The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning. For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:11-15 NLT

If you bring an offering to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary offering, the meat must be eaten on the same day the sacrifice is offered, but whatever is left over may be eaten on the second day. Any meat left over until the third day must be completely burned up. If any of the meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, the person who presented it will not be accepted by the LORD. You will receive no credit for offering it. By then the meat will be contaminated; if you eat it, you will be punished for your sin. For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:16-18 NLT

Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up. The rest of the meat may be eaten, but only by people who are ceremonially clean. If you are ceremonially unclean and you eat meat from a peace offering that was presented to the LORD, you will be cut off from the community. If you touch anything that is unclean (whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal or any other unclean, detestable thing) and then eat meat from a peace offering presented to the LORD, you will be cut off from the community. For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:19-21 NLT

Then the LORD said to Moses, Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. You must never eat fat, whether from cattle, sheep, or goats. The fat of an animal found dead or torn to pieces by wild animals must never be eaten, though it may be used for any other purpose. Anyone who eats fat from an animal presented as a special gift to the LORD will be cut off from the community. No matter where you live, you must never consume the blood of any bird or animal. Anyone who consumes blood will be cut off from the community. For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:22-27 NLT

Then the LORD said to Moses, Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present a peace offering to the LORD, bring part of it as a gift to the LORD. Present it to the LORD with your own hands as a special gift to the LORD. Bring the fat of the animal, together with the breast, and lift up the breast as a special offering to the LORD. Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his descendants. Give the right thigh of your peace offering to the priest as a gift. The right thigh must always be given to the priest who offers the blood and the fat of the peace offering. For I have reserved the breast of the special offering and the right thigh of the sacred offering for the priests. It is the permanent right of Aaron and his descendants to share in the peace offerings brought by the people of Israel. For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:28-34 NLT

This is their rightful share. The special gifts presented to the LORD have been reserved for Aaron and his descendants from the time they were set apart to serve the LORD as priests. On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded the Israelites to give these portions to the priests as their permanent share from generation to generation. For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:35-36 NLT

Types of Peace Offerings: If you present your peace offering as an expression of thanksgiving (tôdâ) If you bring an offering to fulfill a vow Or as a voluntary offering For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:12a, 16a, 16b NLT

The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the LORD every day with all their might. Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites, who demonstrated great skill in serving the LORD. They feasted for the seven days of the festival, and were making peace offerings and giving thanks (tôdâ) to the LORD God of their ancestors. For The Peace Offerings - 2 Chron. 30:21-22 NET

On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair by the doorpost of the LORD s temple.) She was very upset as she prayed to the LORD, and she was weeping uncontrollably. She made a vow saying, O LORD of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the suffering of your female servant, remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut. For The Peace Offerings - 1 Sam. 1:9-11 NET

So the woman [Hannah] stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a container of wine. She brought him to the LORD s house at Shiloh, even though he was young. For The Peace Offerings - 1 Sam. 1:24 NET

In sum: praise offerings were given for the Lord s specific acts on the offeror s behalf (although the offeror had not vowed to bring an offering); vow offerings were given for the Lord s specific acts on the offeror s behalf (and the offeror had vowed to bring an offering); and freewill offerings were simply presented voluntarily. - Jay Sklar For The Peace Offerings - Lev. 7:11-36 NLT

These are the instructions for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, as well as the ordination offering and the peace offering. The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai. The Conclusion To The Offering Manual - Lev. 7:37-38 NLT

Principal to apply LEVITICUS 6:8-7:38 As individual priests in a holy and royal priesthood we must live sanctified lives in service to God, teaching others how to find access to God, and facilitating worship among the people of God.

Next Steps for LEVITICUS 6:8-7:38 1. I will rehearse the gospel message with a spouse or friend, in order to ensure that I can direct others to God through the sacrifice of Christ. 2. I will devote 5 minutes each morning this week to reflecting on what my actions as a Christian communicate to a watching world. 3. I will make plans to explore my unique role and responsibilities in regard to how I can best facilitate worship among the people of God.

LEVITICUS