Now in our daily reading (Leviticus01-03) we see the
The book of Leviticus is a book that pertains to the Levites, hence the name Leviticus. This was a book that was written for the priests (who are from the tribe of Levi) as a guidebook to show them how to lead the nation in worship, service & obedience to a holy God.
This book is also called “Torah Kohanim” which means the Law/Book of the Priests.
Leviticus was traditionally the 1st book of the Torah (the 1st five books of the Bible) that Jewish children are taught. The reason for this was so that the pure would be engaged in the study of purity. This book is quoted or referred to about 100 times in the New Testament.
Jesus tells us that Moses wrote this book (Matthew08.04 & Mark01.44). Paul also tells us the same in Romans10.05.
The period of time that this book covers is only about a month & it tells the children of Israel how they are to act towards the rest of the world.
1 Peter 1:15, 16 “15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.””
Sacrificial offerings were originally created by God to provide a picture of atonement for sin so that people could approach Him.
Atonement used 51 times in Leviticus. Atonement is the Hebrew word “kaphar” which means “to cover, to expiate, to placate or cancel, appease, to make atonement, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge away, put off, make reconciliation.
Same word that is used in…
Genesis 6:14 “14 “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark w/rooms, & shall cover (kaphar) it inside & out w/pitch.”
That shows us that God covered Noah & his family!
The animal’s life is presented as a substitute for the life of the one offering the sacrifice.
Leviticus 17:11 “11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, & I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’”
Hebrews 10:4 “4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls & goats to take away sins.”
1 Peter 1:19 “19 but w/precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished & spotless, the blood of Christ.”
1 John 1:7 “7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship w/one another, & the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Hebrews 9:12 “12 & not through the blood of goats & calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Colossians 1:20 “20 & through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
The Old Testament sacrifices provided a covering of our sins until Jesus came to wipe our sins completely clean.
Isaiah 1:18 “18 “Come now, & let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”
1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful & righteous to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So quickly lets look at the burnt offering we read today in Leviticus01
The Burnt Offering
Leviticus 1:4 The sinner is to lay his hands on the animal. Thus symbolizing the transference of their sins onto the animal. The whole sacrifice was to be completely consumed by fire, & regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this was wholly burnt, a “whole burnt offering.” Since the whole sacrifice was to be completely consumed on the altar, it represented the fullest form of worship. It was to express a person’s total dedication to the LORD.
It was the most frequent form of sacrifice, & the only one mentioned by name in the book of Genesis.
This is the first offering by name that is mentioned in Scripture.
Genesis 8:20 “20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, & took of every clean animal & of every clean bird & offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
In fact, the LORD instructed Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
Genesis 22:2 “2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, & go to the land of Moriah, & offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.””
In this voluntary offering, a whole animal was consumed on the altar, which symbolizes the complete & voluntary consecration & worship of the Israelites.
Paul has this picture in mind in…
Romans 12:1 “1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living & holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Leviticus 1:5 The burnt offering was to be offered daily by the priests (Leviticus06.12) to remind the people that they, & now we are to daily yield our lives to Him if we are to have a meaningful & effective spiritual walk.
It was to be done in the morning & in the evening. An ideal way to start & end a day, worshipping God!
Leviticus 1:6-8 So the person offering the burnt offering was to skin the offering.
Jesus was whipped 39 times before going on the cross.
Isaiah 50:6 “6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation & spitting.”
Isaiah 53:5 “5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.”
Matthew 27:26 “26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”
1 Peter 2:24 “24 & He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin & live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
A sweet offering (Leviticus01.09, 13, 17)
Leviticus 1:9a Now the one who is presenting the burnt offering is to wash the intestines & the legs of the bull. So he is cleaning the blood off of the legs of the bull.
When Jesus was on the cross, Pilate gave the order to break the legs, which would hasten the death of those on the cross. But when they came to Jesus they saw that He was already dead.
John 19:31-33 “31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, & that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came, & broke the legs of the first man & of the other who was crucified w/Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.”
So then to be sure that He was dead…
John 19:34 “34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side w/a spear, & immediately blood & water came out.”
This wasn’t just the piercing of His side. What surrounds the heart is a sac called the pericardium. That was pierced as well as His heart, & the blood & water went down His legs.
Leviticus 1:9b The smell of barbeque was pleasing to the LORD! It’s the full commitment of God’s people to Him that blesses Him.
Paul tells us about Jesus in…
Ephesians 5:1, 2 “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 & walk in love, just as Christ also loved you & gave Himself up for us, an offering & a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
Leviticus 1:10 Not everyone owned a bull. The bull was a rich man’s offering. For the common man they could offer a sheep or a goat. God doesn’t want anyone to be excluded from worshipping Him.
Leviticus 1:11a This is interesting because where Jesus was crucified at was north of the Old City of Jerusalem, north of where He was tried before Pilate. So when Jesus carried the cross beam, He was going to the north.
Leviticus 1:11b-13 We have already covered all of this in detail.
Leviticus 1:14 Now this was the offering of the poor people.
Hebrews 4:16 “16 Therefore let us draw near w/confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
Leviticus 1:15-16 So they are to pluck out its feathers.
Jesus had His beard plucked out.
Isaiah 50:6 “6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation & spitting.”
People in this area, still to this day, hold high regard for a man’s beard. So to have it plucked out is a major insult! (2Samuel10).
Leviticus 1:17 No bones were to be broken. Just as none of Jesus’ bones were to be broken.
John 19:36 “36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.””
The Jews had no idea that all that they did for this sacrifice was foreshadowing what Jesus was going to do on the cross. We have the advantage to look back.
We please God when we worship Him & live a holy life.
The burnt offering was the only offering that a non-Israelite was allowed to bring. This is awesome because it means that EVERYONE can come & worship the LORD.
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