January 18, 2024
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Reading along with us in Leviticus? Here’s today’s reading:
Leviticus 1 (NIV)
The Burnt Offering
1 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.……Continue Reading
Leviticus 1
Here we see the importance of blood in God’s sacrificial system delivered to his people. In blood, there is life…and we clearly see that blood was absolutely required for the atonement of sins. But yet, this system had to be repeated over and over again…it was only an image of the final shedding of blood. For while there is life in the blood, there is ETERNAL LIFE only in the blood of Jesus Christ!
Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
Hebrews 10:12 “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He say down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Leviticus 1
Sacrifice was needed for anyone who broke the law of the covenant. This system of sacrifice was set up by God because it was impossible to live up to the requirements of the law and therefore there had to be a way to atone when you had inevitably fallen short. God knew than as it is still the case today, that no one could perfectly obey the law and so there needed to be a way to deal with sin. Blood was the answer, the life of an innocent animal, setting the stage for the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus’ innocent blood poured out slowly, painfully for our sins.
Leviticus 1
This sounds like a very messy process. I was just thinking about how, in many understandings of end times, that sacrifices will resume and the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. It is interesting to think about when and how this might happen.
Leviticus 1 God is so precise with the burnt offerings and what each step stood for and what animals to use. They had to be perfect animals without blemish, an animal of great value to show the high cost of sin. Sacrifices showed God the faith and commitment Gods people had for him.
Leviticus 1
Leviticus 1
Leviticus the third book of Moses. The Book of Leviticus was the first book studied by a Jewish child; yet is often among the last books of the Bible to be studied by a Christian. However a book referred to about 40 times in the New Testament should be of great significance to every Christian. —-The Book of Leviticus contains extensive revelation concerning the character of God–especially His holiness but also His electing love and grace. Also it provides many rich lessons concerning the holy life that God expects of His people. The theme of Leviticus is the Israelite believer`s worship and walk before the holy God. [ The Bible Knowledge Commentary]. Here is some information that might be helpful to each of us. God bless.
Instructions for the grain offering.
KJV uses the word “meat” instead of “grain” from context it clearly is referring to a plant product, referring to corn, flour, baked, etc.
I looked up the word “meat” in Blue Letter Bible and the meaning is : offering, gift, tribute, present
Chapter 1 uses the word “offering” from the cattle, herd or flock, but chapter 2 uses “meat,” meaning an offering of grain. It’s interesting to see how language has changed.
Thursday night while spending time in Leviticus and reading the commentary [ The Bible Knowledge Commentary] I realized that it wasn`t just the priests that did every thing with a offering. In the case of the Burnt Offering even though the offering was for Atonement ; in the short term it was for dedication. Not only that but it could be brought by any man [ verse 2] and this man would not only bring a male bull without blemish as a voluntary action but would put his hand on the bull`s head and kill it before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Then the priests would take and sprinkle the blood round about the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Then he [ the same man who brought it] would flay the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces. He was also to wash the inwards and legs in water. The priests would lay wood on the altar, and lay all the parts of the bull on the altar and burn the whole bull except for the hide. God would receive the whole offering and nothing would be left for anyone else. It would be a sweet aroma to the Lord. The same would be true for sheep. But if it was a turtledove or a pigeon the priest would do it all. The burnt offering was also a daily, weekly, and monthly offering. As we know that the blood of animals can`t take away sin for only Christ`s full atonement on the cross could do that. It was a reminder to the Jewish people that they needed to bring their sins to God and walk in faith with Him. Therefore the daily devotion to always surrender to the Lord. May we be blessed as we follow Him.
Although these procedures are very foreign to us, just imagine how common it was in Israel and what it says about man and God. We are separate from Him and yet He provides a way for us to be made acceptable. Sin has to be dealt with and it is serious. It cannot be swept under the rug or ignored. Love, by itself, cannot address it. Sin’s compensation is gruesome and costly, a very bloody affair. It speaks of the ugliness of sin and the high price to address it. And God is pleased by it. The aroma isn’t pleasing to God because of the smell, but what the costly sacrifice says about an obedient heart wanting to be cleansed. But he mentions the aroma because we are smellers, and so God talks about a pleasing smell because we understand a pleasing smell and how it gladdens us. And lastly, the worship of God and people being made right with Him would not benefit the rich over the poor. Each would bring what they could afford to sacrifice. So all would sacrifice but in a way commensurate with their income and all is pleasing to the Lord.
Leviticus 1