Leviticus 1

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The Offerings
Leviticus 1 – 7
 
Study of the Offerings. Why study the offerings? Should we occupy ourselves with things which were only a “shadow of good things to come” (Heb. 10:1)? The Old Testament provides many details which, when viewed in the light of New Testament truth, give a deeper and richer understanding of New Testament truth. We need to get our principles from the New Testament, but the illustration of those principles is often found in the Old Testament. None of the offerings can give the full picture of all that was present in Christ’s Person and work. This could be why the Spirit of God presents several offerings!
 
What the Offerings Mean. The New Testament clearly shows us that the offerings are typical of the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour” (Eph. 5:2). The offerings were brought by individuals either as a free will offering or as obligatory because of some sin. However, the none of the offerings were handled by the great high priest, except for a few exceptions (the high priest’s personal sin and the great day of atonement, where he changes his garments). The offerings were offered by the sons of the priests, who represent believers. The offerings therefore represent the handling of Christ in the soul in various aspects, or the multivarious presentation of Christ to God in worship.
 
Five Types of Offerings. If we notice in the first seven chapters of Leviticus, we find that there were four main offerings, but five in total. The offerings themselves are described in Leviticus 1:1 – 6:7, and then the “law” of each offering (specific instructions for the priests) is given in Leviticus 6:8 – 7:36. The five offerings are:
  1. The burnt offering
  2. The meat or meal offering
  3. The peace (or prosperity) offering
  4. The sin offering
  5. The trespass offering (part of the sin offering, although distinct).
  Burnt Offering Meal Offering Peace Offering Sin Offering Trespass Offering
Main Description Lev. 1:1-17 Lev. 2:1-16 Lev. 3:1-17 Lev. 4:1-35 Lev. 5:1 – 6:7
Law of the Offering Lev. 6:8-13 Lev. 6:14-23 Lev. 7:11-36 Lev. 6:24-30 Lev. 7:1-7
Additional Details Lev. 7:8 Lev. 7:9-10 – – –
 
Voluntary and Obligatory. The offerings can be divided into two groups.1 The first three offerings were offered of the voluntary will of the offeror. He was not required to offer them, but did so as an approach to God. These offerings were “for his acceptance” but not because of this or that sin. The first three are also “sweet savor” offerings. The final two offerings, the sin and the trespass offerings, were obligatory offerings. They had to be offered as sin was in question, in order that the sin might be forgiven or passed over by God. The voluntary offerings speak of worship, while the obligatory offerings speak of the putting away of sin. 
 
The Burnt Offering
Leviticus 1
 
The Burnt Offering. The first offering given in Leviticus is the burnt offering. The characteristic feature of the burnt offering was that it was “wholly burned”, meaning the entire sacrifice was consumed as an offering to God.2 The burnt offering was not a new thing with the giving of the law. Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Job offered what are described as burnt offerings, although the truth concerning them was not stated.3 The law expanded on the burnt offering and gave specific instructions concerning it.
 
Highest and First. The burnt offering is mentioned first for an important reason. From the perspective of man’s need, the sin offering might have been given first, because we need our sin put away, and require the blood of Christ for that. But what is highest and first in the work of Christ is what is for God’s appreciation.4 When the Lord Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, He did so first and foremost in willing obedience to the Father’s will (Phil. 2:8), and for the satisfaction and glory of God. Thus, it was a sweet savor to Jehovah (Eph. 5:2). Hence He could say, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life…” (John 10:17-18). Christ as the perfect Lamb of God, having proved His absolute perfection in His pathway, went to Calvary and “offered himself without spot to God” (Heb. 9:14).56 The burnt-offering is that which Christ did for the satisfaction and glory of the entire Godhead, including the Father, the Spirit, and in a sense, Himself. The priest was to keep the skin of the burnt offering, which perhaps is a picture of Christ’s satisfaction in His own work!7
 
The Burnt Offering and Propitiation. There is some similarity between the burnt offering (or what the burnt offering represents) and propitiation, the Godward aspect of atonement. For instance, when it comes to propitiation, it is the offering of Christ Himself, His whole Person, up to God to satisfy and glorify Him. However, propitiation is really part of the sin offering, represented by the Lord’s goat (killed) on the day of atonement, while the people’s goat (let free) represented substitution. The two goats on the day of atonement are called one sin offering. A separate burnt offering was brought by the priest, showing that propitiation is really an aspect of the sin offering, though – like the burnt offering – it is a Godward thing.
 
The Burnt Offering in John’s Gospel. The Gospel of John gives us the burnt offering character all through. We do not find the garden of Gethsemane in John’s gospel as in Matthew, Mark and Luke, although of the four evangelists only John was present to witness it. Nor does John mention the three hours of darkness. Why? Because his whole gospel brings out the burnt offering character of Christ, that His sacrifice was primarily for God.
 
The Whole Burnt Offering. In Leviticus 1 we find the animal was to be flayed, cut into pieces, and parts of it washed, before it was burned. The skin could be kept by the priest who offered it. The flaying, cutting, washing, etc. speak of the outward demonstration of the perfection of Christ. But there are several instances in scripture of a “whole burnt offering”. See Exodus 29:18, Deut. 33:10, 1 Sam. 7:9, and Psalm 51:19. These “whole burnt offerings” were not manipulated by a priest. This speaks of how there was no real need on God’s part to investigate the inward condition of Christ. With Him, there was absolute purity in the inward parts (Psa. 51:6). It is God’s grace to man to demonstrate the perfection in the Person of His Son, which He knows perfectly! Further, it suggests that our appreciation of Christ’s perfections, as offered up wholly to God, falls very far short of the full perfection that God only knows!
 
 

A Voluntary Offering (1:1-2)

CHAPTER 1
1 And Jehovah called to Moses and spoke to him out of the tent of meeting, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any man of you presenteth an offering to Jehovah, ye shall present your offering of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock. 
 
vv.1-2 A Voluntary Offering. The burnt-offering was a free-will offering, meaning the offeror was not obligated to bring it because of this or that sin. “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:18). The burnt offering is the highest and first aspect: Christ presented to God as an offering wholly for God’s satisfaction and glory! The offering could be of the herd (cattle), of the flock (sheep or goat), but later we find it could be of fowls (birds). For the sin offering, individuals had no choice in selecting what they preferred to bring. A ruler was required to present a specific type of offering, while a different offering was prescribed for a member of the common people. All of this pictures an unburdened heart presenting something to God in joy.8 The law of the burnt offering (Lev. 6:8-13) gives more details on the burnt offering.
 

Burnt-Offerings of the Herd (1:3-9)

3 If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall present it a male without blemish: at the entrance of the tent of meeting shall he present it, for his acceptance before Jehovah. 4 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall slaughter the bullock before Jehovah; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood round about on the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it up into its pieces. 7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire; 8 and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar; 9 but its inwards and its legs shall he wash in water; and the priest shall burn all on the altar, a burnt-offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour. 
 
vv.3-9 Details for Cattle. If the sacrifice was of the herd, it must be “a male without blemish”. This speaks of the spotless perfection of the blessed Lord Jesus, demonstrated in His pathway here below for man to see (John 8:46), but fully known to the eye of God. The three great New Testament writers all attest to the sinless perfection of Christ. Peter was a man of action, and he said, He “did no sin!” (1 Peter 2:22). Paul was a man of intellect, and he said, He “knew no sin!” (2 Cor. 5:21). John was a man of intimacy, and he said, “In Him was no sin!” (1 John 3:5). Not only was our Lord sinless, He was incapable of sin (John 14:30).
 
The offeror would present his offering “at the entrance of the tent of meeting”, which was just before the brazen altar, where the burnt offering was killed and burned. The offering was “for his acceptance before Jehovah… to make atonement for him”, which is the only sense where sin comes in, and only as a backdrop. The “atonement” here is not that of the cleansing of sin, as in the Day of Atonement (there it was a sin offering), but in the sense of the offeror being covered by the sweet savor of the offering. We in our natural state are not acceptable to God, but because of the work of Christ, we have been accepted in all the “sweet savor” of His Person (Eph. 1:6)! The offeror would “lay his hand on the head of the burnt-offering”, not to transfer guilt to the sacrifice as with the sin offering, but so the acceptability of the sacrifice might be transferred to the offeror! Yet death was required, and so the offeror “shall slaughter the bullock”. It was the priest’s work to handle the blood, which was “presented” and “sprinkled” on the altar of burnt offering, because “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
 
Then we find that he was to “flay the burnt-offering, and cut it up into its pieces” and that “its inwards” (motives) “and its legs” (practical walk) “shall he wash in water”. The removal of the skin, the dissection, the washing, etc. was to openly demonstrate the perfection of the sacrifice, that it was without blemish on the inside as well as the outside. See the law of the burnt offering for more details about the skin. Special mention is made of the fat, the reserved energy of the animal which it may rely on. The fat was always for Jehovah, and never for man to eat. It speaks of inward energy of the Lord Jesus, His devoted obedience, which was all for God!
 
All was to be burned on the altar, “an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour”. With meat and peace offerings, a part of the offering was burned, but with the burnt offering it was all burned up. This shows that the aspect of the work of Christ in view is that which was totally for God. If we always approach God from the side of the sin offering, which is a necessary and vital aspect of the cross, it tends to promote a focus on self, where God is merely a philanthropist, there to meet my needs. When we approach God from the side of burnt offering, it takes me outside of myself, and gives me to see God’s appreciation and glorification in the Person and Work of His Son! This allows me to have common thoughts with God on a higher level, and worship that flows as a result!
 

Burnt-Offerings of the Flock (1:3-9)

10 And if his offering be of the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt-offering, he shall present it a male without blemish. 11 And he shall slaughter it on the side of the altar northward before Jehovah; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood on the altar round about. 12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, and its head, and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar; 13 but the inwards and the legs shall he wash with water; and the priest shall present it all, and burn it on the altar: it is a burnt-offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour. 
 
vv.10-13 Details for Sheep and Goats. Though a smaller animal, the offering of the flock was to be handled the same way as the offering of cattle. The whole animal was offered up as “a burnt-offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour”.
 

Burnt-Offerings of Fowls (1:14-17)

14 And if his offering to Jehovah be a burnt-offering of fowls, then he shall present his offering of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it near to the altar and pinch off its head and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be pressed out at the side of the altar. 16 And he shall remove its crop with its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east, into the place of the ashes; 17 and he shall split it open at its wings, but shall not divide it asunder; and the priest shall burn it on the altar on the wood that is on the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour. 
 
vv.14-17 Details for Birds. Now we come to a class of animals that is significantly smaller in size. Consider the difference in size between a bull and a pigeon! It was a wonderful provision of the law for any soul, even the poorest in Israel, to bring a burnt offering of his own voluntary will to Jehovah. Despite its diminutive size, it is still said that the turtle dove or young pigeon when presented in the duly described manner was “a burnt-offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour”. What grace! Yet the burnt-offering of the fowls was a lesser offering, and as it was a poor man’s offering, it speaks of a lower character of understanding or faith. The details bear this out. While the offeror was to kill the offering in the case of the herd or flock, with the fowls the priest would kill it. The blood was pressed out at the side of the altar, but not sprinkled as before. Further, more of the animal was to be removed. The crop and feathers were to be removed and cast aside before the animal was burned. The crop or gizzard is a digestive organ that holds undigested food and small stones which grind the food into smaller pieces through muscle movements. The crop therefore speaks of spiritually undigested food, perhaps the knowledge of Christ that is only intellectual. The feathers formed the exterior of the bird, and represent that which is outward and showy. A bird with its feathers plucked is much smaller and quite unattractive. Those things have no part in the burnt-offering. They were to be placed “beside the altar on the east, into the place of the ashes“, which were later brought outside the camp of Israel. The bird was to be split open at the wings, but not divided completely. This would expose the inwards to a certain degree. It again speaks of the perfection of Christ, while maintaining the oneness and inscrutability of His Person! Even the burnt offering of fowls, though smaller in size, was a sweet savor to the Lord and was pleasing to Him as it pictured Christ.
 
Two Hebrew Words for “Burn”. There are two different Hebrew verbs translated to our English verb “burn”. The first is used in connection with the sweet savor offerings burned on the altar of burnt offering (brazen altar), and that word is ‘qatar’ (H6999) and is the idea of burning incense. The second is used with the body of the sin offering burned outside the camp, and that word is ‘sarap’ (H8313) and is the idea of kindling a fire. With the burnt offering, the word used is that for burning with a view to causing fragrance to come out!
 
A Sweet Odor. The expression “an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour” comes up repeatedly with the voluntary offerings. The smell of a burning body is quite undesirable to the human senses, but we must understand that it was a sweet savor to the Lord.
 
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  1. There are two classes of sacrifices: those made by fire for a sweet savor; and the sin and trespass offerings (pretty much the same thing), which were not for a sweet savor, though the fat of them was burnt on the altar. The three sacrifices of sweet savor are, the burnt-offering, the meat (or meal) offering, and the peace-offering. “Peace-offering” is a bad name: “sacrifices de prospérite” they are called in French. – J.N. Darby. Hints on the Sacrifices in Leviticus, Bible Treasury: Volume 9
  2. A precise translation of this word is holocaust, which originates from a Greek word meaning “burnt whole.”
  3. It is striking enough, that until you come to the institution of the law, you never get sin-offerings, except in the case of Cain, of which I do not doubt myself (though I know it is a question of interpretation), that it is, “a sin-offering lieth at the door.” Sin and sin-offering is the same word; that word is never used again in that way, till the law – we get burnt-offerings and peace-offerings often. – J.N. Darby. The Burnt Offering.
  4. The gospel as presented in Acts begins with man’s need (Peter prominent) but in Romans Paul begins God’s glory in His beloved Son and in the work that He did. This is the difference between the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4) and the gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20). The gospel of the glory is the burnt offering character.
  5. “… in the burnt-offering He was a sweet savour to God, but it was positive propitiation or atonement as glorifying God in righteousness, love, majesty, and everything He was, in the place of sin, as for sin…” – J.N. Darby. Letters : Volume 2, number 83
  6. It is that aspect of His sacrifice which goes exclusively God-ward — an aspect which believers are apt to be in no small danger of attenuating, if not losing sight of altogether. … Hence we here commence with the type of the burnt-offering, the sweet savour of Christ to God for us … Had there been no sin in man, or death through it, we could scarce conceive of a burnt offering. Yet it is an offering neither for sin nor for guilt, but God glorified where sin was by a victim, the blood of which covered it from God’s eyes, as the fire consumed it and brought out nothing but sweet savor. … It was for the offerer’s acceptance, and it made atonement for him; which could not be without death and the shedding of blood… A sinful man can approach God on this ground only. … The burnt-offering exhibits the absolute devotedness of the Lord Jesus atoningly to death for the glory of God the Father. It is allowed fully that there is nothing here which seems to make blessing to man prominent. Were there no sin, there could be no burnt-offering, nothing to represent the complete surrender up of self to God, even to death. – W. Kelly. The Burnt Offering.
  7. Is the priest’s having the skin the satisfaction of Christ in His own work? Perhaps so. – J.N. Darby. Hints on the Sacrifices in Leviticus, Bible Treasury: Volume 9
  8. God would make no burden of that which should be a joy. It was the heart giving to Him what it might otherwise value, but what expressed at any rate its value for the Lord. – W. Kelly. The Burnt Offering.