Session 10: Leviticus 1-7 (Offerings)

REVIEW

Reading the Bible is essential to ‘Thinking through the Bible’. If you’re struggling to read the Bible as God’s Story, you’ll struggle to appreciate the insight given by others in our sessions. Remember what R. W. Barbour wrote: “He who has not felt what sin is in the Old Testament knows little what grace is in the New. He who has not trembled in Moses, and wept in David, and wondered in Isaiah will rejoice little in Matthew, rest little in John. He who has not suffered under the Law will scarcely hear the glad sound of the Gospel.” We’re not getting bogged in rules, rituals and regulations by camping at the base of Mt. Sinai as we hear God’s words from Leviticus. We are learning that holiness is greater than our sinfulness. God is merely setting boundaries to protect us from a life of sin.

The theme of Leviticus is ‘holiness’. Time and time again, Yahweh tells Israel in one way or another, “I the Lord your God am holy, and if I am going to live among you, you shall be holy.” The foundation of this is established in Exodus 19:6: “…you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Yahweh takes thirty days at the base of Mt. Sinai to instill this in the nation. The expression of holiness is found in relationships. For this reason, before any command to love God with their hearts, Israel was told, “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). In essence, this command is saying that you already love yourself; now learn to love your neighbor.

Sharing:

• Maybe some of you remember reading stories to your children, and you deliberately tell them something different in a story they are familiar with. They are usually quick to correct us, telling us how the story really goes! God, our Father, is telling us a story of who He is and what He is doing with us. We need to know the story – the story is the theme of what we are reading. If you start wondering about any ‘legalism’, keep reading the story as we are doing in this study, and as we move forward we can look back to appreciate what was happening.

Yahweh takes the time to prepare the people for expressions of holy living through prescribed offerings and feasts.

OFFERINGS

Israel needed to remember that anyone who worshiped needs two things: a ‘sacrifice’ and a ‘priest’ (‘mediator’). They could not be their own sacrifice, and they could not become their own priests – if that were possible there would be instant death and total corruption would enter worship.

“Get right,” say the five offerings in Leviticus:

Burnt-offering Grain-offering (meal- or cereal-offering) Peace-offering (fellowship- or covenant-offering)

Sin-offering (purification-offering) Trespass-offering (guilt- or reparation-offering)

Think of standing next to an Israelite in worship as the sacrifices were turned into reality. It exposed every need before Yahweh. The worshiper expressed:

 (1) What I Am: Worship is an offering between me and God because I am a sinner needing my sin to be covered. Read the details of my free-will (voluntary) ‘burnt offering’ in Leviticus 1:2-17 (NLT also used).

These are the requirements for me:

• I must be aware that I am passing on my sin to the animal: “Lay your hand on the animal’s head.”
• I must slaughter it before the Lord: “…in the Lord’s presence.” No one else can worship for me. I must “kill” the animal before Yahweh. This slaying is done in the realm of the sacrifice ritual. This word appears as ‘slaughter’, ‘kill’, ‘slay’ and is used thirty five times in Leviticus. The worshiper clearly understood that when he comes into the presence of God he never comes empty-handed. ‘Nothing in my hands I bring’ would be a concept unknown to the Israelite.
• I must prepare the sacrificed animal: “…skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces”. There is no personal profit from my sin offering – the skin is for use by the priest (Lev.7:8).
• I must see my life being spared while another life becomes the sacrifice for my sins: “…the priest shall burn all the meat on the altar as a burnt sacrifice.” I see this as “a sweet [satisfying] aroma to the Lord.”
  

These are the requirements for the animal:

• The offering must belong to me: “…take it from your herd.”
• I must bring it: “…you shall bring your offering.”
• It must be expensive: “…it must be a male.” Only domesticated animals were allowed, since wild animals cost me nothing, and a male increased my herd.
• It must be perfect: “…with no defects.” It can’t be something I’d normally discard.
• It must be something I can afford: “…the young bull… a sheep or a goat… the turtledove or a young pigeon.” No matter how poor I am, I am never excluded from bringing an offering.

Sharing:

• Does a ‘man’ (male) have to perform the sacrifice? So far in the story, we’ve seen the patriarch as the one who represents his entire household. ‘Man’ can be generic. We’ve also seen that Moses would be dead if it were not for a woman. His life starts with his mother and sister caring for him. His wife spared his life by circumcising their son, which Moses had neglected to perform. So far in the offerings there are only male animals!
• We easily have someone else make our offerings (worship). We want to blame someone else for the situation we are in. While growing up it was easy to blame my dad for my failure in worship. We are not worshiping if we do not acknowledge our sinfulness.

(2) What I Have: Worship is an offering between me and God because all I have comes from Yahweh. Read the details of my free-will ‘grain-offering’ (also known as ‘meal-offering’; ‘cereal-offering’) in Leviticus 2:1-16.
When I present a grain offering:

• The offering must consist of choice flour.
• I am to pour olive oil on it, sprinkle it with frankincense, and bring it…
• The priest will burn a representative portion on the altar.
• It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
• The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons.
• This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the Lord.
• If my offering is a grain offering baked in an oven, it must be made of choice flour, but without any yeast.
• If my grain offering is cooked on a griddle, it must be made of choice flour mixed with olive oil but without any yeast.
• If my grain offering is prepared in a pan, it must be made of choice flour and olive oil.
• No matter how a grain offering for the Lord has been prepared, I must bring it to the priest, who will present it at the altar.
• The priest will take a representative portion of the grain offering and burn it on the altar.
• It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
• I must season all my grain offerings with salt to remind me of God's eternal covenant.
• I must never forget to add salt to my grain offerings.

All of this is done so that I make provision for those who minister to me spiritually. The priests should be nourished without being distracted from the spiritual responsibilities that Yahweh assigned to them.

Sharing:

• Why is a sacrifice necessary? A life has to be offered and blood spilled. God would have destroyed all Israel if they didn’t sacrifice. As we continue with the story we may received more insight into the reason why we need to sacrifice.

(3) What I Want: Worship is an offering between me and God because my family and I need to celebrate our blessings received from Yahweh. Read the details of my free-will ‘peace-offering’ (also known as ‘fellowship-offering’; ‘covenant-offering’) in Leviticus 3:1-17.

When I kill the animal before the door of the tabernacle I confess that it is my own sinfulness that caused the death of an innocent sufferer. It is on this ground that I have peace with Yahweh, and draw near in fellowship with Him.

The description of the peace-offering is in two sections dealing with sacrifices from the herd, that is, cattle (Leviticus 3:1-5), and from the flock, that is, sheep and goats (Leviticus 3:6-17). The worship is similar to that of the burnt-offering, except that here only parts of the animal, namely all the fat and the two kidneys, were to be burned on the altar. The thigh and the breast went to the priests (Leviticus 7:28-36). The rest was probably eaten in a fellowship meal with those invited by the worshiper (suggested in Exodus 18:12).

The difference between this worship and other offerings is that in the burnt-offering, the whole animal was burned up, and in the grain-offering, a handful of the offering was burned on the altar and the rest was given to the priests. In the peace-offering, something is given to me as the worshiper.

This worship was performed during public gatherings to mark the conclusion or renewal of a covenant, or the induction of a ministry, such as the inauguration of the priestly ministry in Leviticus 9:18. This was once again a free-will offering so that I as the worshiper am able to express thanksgiving to Yahweh. Eating meat is a luxury in ancient Israel. All meat came from animals given by worshipers. In the peace offering, Yahweh gives some back to worshipers.

In the Old Testament neither blood nor fat may be eaten (Leviticus 7:22ff). Blood was forbidden because atonement is made through it (Leviticus 17:11). It is suggested that the reason for prohibiting that fat be eaten is because it was thought of as specially belonging to Yahweh. Fat in the Old Testament can be synonymous with ‘the best’ (Genesis 45:18).  The worshiper gives the fat because he gives the best of the animal to Yahweh. The “kidneys” and “entrails” are referred to in the Old Testament as the ‘seat of the emotions’. The heart is primarily the mind and the will. Because the peace offering was often presented in emotional situations, it is possible that offering the kidneys and internal fat symbolizes the dedication of the worshiper’s best and deepest emotions to Yahweh.

Sharing:

• Why did ‘fat’ belong to the Lord in the offerings? When Pharaoh told Joseph and his family that they would live off the ‘fat of the land’ (Genesis 45:18) it actually means you will they would have the choicest produce. The ‘fat’ represents what is best. Fat is the choicest part of the animal. We should look beyond our society’s view of what ‘fat’ means and consider that it may have other connotations. The Hebrews may have understood the ‘fat’ as something good that belonged to the Lord.
• Why was leaven (yeast) and honey forbidden in the grain-offering (Leviticus 2:11)? Leaven goes back to the Passover in Exodus and always represents sin. Both leaven and honey cause fermentation, which suggests corruption.

(4) What I Need: Worship is an offering between me and God because I need forgiveness for my unintentional sins. These are not deliberate, pre-meditated sins, since they do not spring from a spirit of rebellion against Yahweh. Read the details of my mandatory ‘sin-offering’ (also known as ‘purification-offering’) in Leviticus 4:1-5:13.

Whenever there was unintentional defilement of those things set apart for Yahweh’s use, the clean was made unclean. Boundaries were set that structured life between Yahweh and Israel, between fellow Israelites, and between Israelites and the world of nature. Whenever there was unintentional defilement of those things set apart for Yahweh’s use, the clean was made unclean.

The types of the animals differ, but the general outline of the offering is the same in each case. The most important aspect of this offering is the sprinkling of blood on the altar or the veil. Where the blood was sprinkled depended on the worshiper’s social status. The result is the forgiveness of sins.

Accidental sins are dealt with in such a way that no one is excluded:

• The first accidental sin dealt with those committed by the “anointed priest” (Leviticus 4:3), as he represented the whole community. Others are apt to be led astray by the example of teachers who sin. Someone said: “The sins of teachers are teachers of sin.”
• The second accidental sin dealt with those committed by “the whole congregation of Israel” (Leviticus 4:13). The universality of a practice is no excuse if it is contrary to the Word of God. When the sin is realized, the local assembly has to deal with it as a sin of the whole, yet with each one recognizing their own part in it. The elders confess the sin and present the sacrifice (Leviticus 4:15).
• The third accidental sin dealt with those committed by a “leader” (“ruler”) (Leviticus 4:22). A sin by a leader of a tribe or clan did not penetrate the tabernacle sanctuary like that of the priest, but only that of the outer altar. The leaders of ancient Israel occupied a privileged position which the law attempted to protect. But their position of leadership meant their sins were correspondingly more serious than those of the community of people, requiring them to offer more valuable animals in worship.
• The fourth accidental sin dealt with those of the “people of the land” (“common people”, Leviticus 4:27). A sin by an individual in the community did not require such a valuable offering to atone for his sin as one of the leaders or priests. Even the poorest of people were able to confess their sins by bringing “two quarts of choice flour for your sin offering” (Leviticus 5:11, NLT).

The purification-offering began in the same way as the other sacrifices. As the worshiper, I bring my animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting, lay my hand on its head, state why I brought the sacrifice, and then kill it. Some of the blood is caught in a basin and the rest is poured away at the foot of the altar. The blood set aside is used in a variety of ways depending on my social status as a worshipper.

If the worshiper was the anointed priest, the blood was sprinkled seven times on the veil of the sanctuary, which was the curtain used as the door into the holy of holies, the innermost part of the tabernacle. Some blood was also smeared on the horns (projected corners of the altar) of the incense altar that stood in front of the veil. These activities took place in the second most holy part of the tabernacle, the holy place, where only priests entered. If “leaders” or “people of the land” offered a purification-offering, the blood was not taken inside the tent of meeting but was smeared on the horns of the large altar of burnt offering that stood in the open court.

A wider variety of offerings was allowed for the purification-offering than for others. Bulls, goats (male or female), lambs (female), doves, and pigeons are mentioned. It is the blood-sprinkling actions that are the principal focus of attention in the purification sacrifice. When a priest offered a purification-offering, the rest of the animal, including its skin, flesh, head, legs, entrails, and dung, was taken outside the camp and burned “where the ashes are poured out” (Leviticus 4:12), referring to a place clean enough for priests not to be defiled, instead of other places impurities were discarded. If one of the ordinary people brought a purification-offering, only the fatty parts were burned and the priest could eat the rest. If the worshiper was too poor to bring even a bird as a sacrifice, he may offer “one-tenth of an ephah [about 2 quarts/liters] of fine flour” (Leviticus 5:11). A memorial portion was burned on the altar, and the rest was eaten by the priests.

As a worshiper bringing my sin-offering, I am admitting that someone else could not take responsibility for my sin, just as no one else could sin on my behalf. The elements in all the sacrifices function to hold me accountable for my actions. I am taking my sin seriously.

Sharing:

• I have always wondered what provision was made for ‘intentional’ sins. The Law was ‘do or die’; there is no mercy or grace in the Law. Anyone who deliberately sinned could plead God’s mercy, which would be to ask Him to withhold what I truly deserve.
• The ‘people of the land’ included foreigners included in the community, for it does not say offerings are not restricted to Israelites. It just says you have to bring the mandatory sin-offering. It literally means ‘everyone’. Instructions for worship are given ‘for the whole world’.
• Did the worshipers of that time have a full understanding of ‘atonement’? It was the ‘covering’ of sin, but did they know about it becoming the ‘removal’ of sin? Whatever they understood about the sin-offering, it would take faith to believe that God would take care of their sin through an offering. God was really telling them to ‘trust Me’ through this offering. Looking at the word ‘atonement’, it shows ‘at-one-ment’; it ‘meant’ being ‘at one’ with God.

(5) What I Owe: Worship is an offering between me and God because I am personally required to deal with my own heart in public worship. Read the details of my mandatory ‘trespass-offering’ (also known as ‘guilt-offering’; ‘reparation-offering’) in Leviticus 5:14-6:7.

This mandatory offering is occasioned by a breach of faith (violation of an agreement) against Yahweh. There are three types of sins requiring trespass-offerings:

• Misuse of the holy things of the Lord, which includes not giving what you promised (Leviticus 5:15).
• Unknowingly break one of the Lord’s commands (Leviticus 5:17).
• Deceiving, robbing, cheating, or threatening your neighbor (Leviticus 6:2-3).

The focus is on those times that would require a reparation-offering and not on the details of the worship itself. All that is said is that the priest shall make atonement for him (Leviticus 5:16, 18; 6:7). The section is divided into two parts:

(1) Leviticus 5:14-19, where two cases are discussed in the first part:

Leviticus 5:14-16: The first case involves a person who unintentionally does something against the holy things of Yahweh. Only Aaron and his family could use these ‘holy’ things’. If, for example, a person ate a sacred offering by mistake, that person would be punished severely. However, the severity of the offence could be reduced if the offending party felt guilty about what was done. The confession itself did not remove the offence but reduced it to an unintentional error that could be forgiven if a reparation offering was made. Through this offering the Lord provides an answer for a person in torment because of a guilty conscience over an error committed or suspected.

The material for the reparation is a ram without any defect valued in silver shekels, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel (Leviticus 5:15). In addition, the person should replace what was damaged and supplement it with an amount equal to one-fifth of the value of the damaged holy things. When these were given to the priest, he would perform the sacrifice with the ram and the person would be forgiven.

Leviticus 5:17-19: The second case concerns a person who violates God’s commandments not only in regard to holy things but also in relation to any area of life. Such a person may come to feel that he or she may have done something God forbids, and feels guilty about it. In this case a guilt-offering is in order if the offence is to be forgiven. Once again a ram without blemish (Leviticus 5:18) of the proper value was brought. There is no mention of restitution and the addition of twenty percent of the value of the defiled life. No one could replace a defiled life or give one-fifth of one’s life to a priest. The only way to do so was through death. Instead, the offending party survives purely through God’s mercy and grace, which is extended upon completion of the sacrifice.

(2) Leviticus 6:1-7, where a person acts inappropriately toward a fellow human being. Such actions are also regarded as a breach of faith against Yahweh because they involve lying and deception. In ancient Israel, oaths were made in the context of worship. Therefore, to break such a promise was to violate the covenant and break faith with God. Three examples are given:

• A person may lie about property that was entrusted to him. Those entrusted with the property may eventually claim that it is their own.
• The second example of lying is that of a person may claim to be the owner of property that was stolen or obtained by fraud.
• The third example is where a person finds something that was lost and then claims to own it.

Here are the general principles in Israel’s law coming from these texts:

• In criminal justice, the focus of concern was the victim, not the person responsible for the wrongdoing.
• Restitution rather than revenge is predominant.
• Voluntary confession of a wrongdoing before repentance over the sin reduced deliberate and premeditated wrongs.
• Through confession the negligent person righted matters by accepting fault.
• Through restitution (amends) they restored proper social relations, and through the payment they repaired their relationship with God.

Sharing:

• Essential to worship is dealing with our pride, which is the greatest trespass!

These offerings are much more than rituals; they draw attention to Yahweh’s dwelling among His people and what He was doing for them.

In preparation for our next session, read Leviticus 8-27 and think about God’s Story that prepares the nation of Israel for the priesthood, their worship through the Feasts, and the conclusion of the Book that gives a summary of the Law, describing the blessing of obedience and retribution of rebellion.