LEVITICUS

Introduction: chapters 1-9

Chapter 1-5 contains the five different types of sacrifices.

Chapter 1 contains the instructions for the Burnt Offering - a type of Christ dying for our sins.

Chapter 2 contains the instructions for the meat (meal) offering - a type of thanksgiving offering - a freewill offering given to express a thankful heart.

Chapter 3 contains the instructions for the peace offering.

Chapter 4 contains the instructions for the sin through ignorance offering.

Chapter 5 contains the instructions for the trespass offering.

Chapter 6 and 7 contain the additional information concerning the above five sacrifices.

Chapter 8 contains information concerning the dedication and consecration of the priests.

Chapter 9 contains information as to the actual establishing and beginning of worship of God through the sacrifices.

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CHAPTER 1 - THE BURNT OFFERING

(An offering of Salvation)

I.   This chapter is divided into three parts.

A.     Verse 3-9 - the offering of a bullock. (verse 3, of the herd.)

B.     Verse 10-13 - the offering of a sheep or a goat. (verse 10, of the flock.)

C.     Verse 14-17 - the offering of a fowl.

II.   Here is a burnt offering for people of all wealth stations.  From the very richest to the very poorest.  Christ died for all people, regardless of their wealth.

III.   The procedure for the burnt offering is the same in all cases.  All the wealthy people and poor people must come to Christ in exactly the same manner, by grace through faith - as a little child.

IV.   The types of the offering explained.

A.     Verse 3 - If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

1.       "male without blemish" - because Christ was a male without blemish.  Some people wonder whether God is a male or a female - He is Spirit.  This sacrifice does not typify God, but Christ as He came to die for our sins.

2.       "offer it of his own voluntary will" - Hardshells believe that we are saved apart from our wills.  Freewillers believe that we are saved  because we will to do so.  The truth is that God works with our wills and makes us willing in the day of judgment.  Nobody is saved apart from him wanting to be saved, and we know, of course, that God causes that person to be miserable in his sinful condition and seek the blessed peace that only Christ can give.

3.       "At the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord" - This is not talking about "in church", but before the Lord, or where the Lord is.  A lost person must present himself as a lost person to God Himself.  Nothing else will do.  He can be saved at work, at home, or at play, but he must go before God with his sinfulness.

B.     Verse 4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

1.       "Put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering".  This identifies the worshipper with the offering.  The one that is lost must be identified with Christ who is our saviour.

2.       "and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him" - without the proper identifying with Jesus, no one can ever be saved.  We ought to also note that the animal that dies does not pay for sinful nature of the worshipper.  This is only a type.  The worshipper is not saved because he offers these animal sacrifices.  But because he is saved, he offers the sacrifice.  This shows that the worshipper is looking forward to one who is to come who will fully pay the sin debt.

C.     Verse 5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

1.       Verse 11 - shall kill it on the north side of the altar  - Christ  was crucified on the north side of Jerusalem.

2.       "He shall kill before the LORD".  Aaron's sons do not kill the animal.  The worshipper does this.  Each person that is saved must realize that it was their sins that put Christ on the cross.  It was their sins that caused Christ to die.  It wasn't somebody's else's sins.  This is a very personal thing, nobody can offer an animal for anybody else.  Nobody can be saved for anybody else, we must all be saved individually, we must all stand before God and be judged.

3.       "Aaron's sons sprinkle the blood".  Aaron and his sons (the tribe of Levi) are a type of the priesthood of Christ.  It was Christ that brought His blood before God in the perfect tabernacle in the heavens (Heb. 9).  So the chosen priesthood (the Levities) bring the blood before the Lord.

4.       "sprinkle the blood on the brazen altar".  The altar is a type of the cross of Calvary.  This is picturing that the blood of Jesus would stain the cross.

a.      The altar is not called the Brazen altar, but "the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."  Why?

b.      There must be a "learning through hearing" of religious affairs.  The Jew must learn where the Brazen altar is, and what it is for.  Today, a person must have some religious knowledge before they can be saved.  They must know they are lost, and that Jesus is the only way to be saved.  Knowledge does not save, but the exercise of knowledge does.

D.     Verse 6, And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.

1.       "he shall flay the burnt offering".

a.      "he" is referring to the giver of the sacrifice, not the priest.  See verse 4.

b.      "flay" means to peel, skin, strip.  This is a picture of what our sinfulness has caused Christ to do for us.

2.       "cut up the burnt offering" - This pictures that Christ would be "cut up".  This didn't happen literally, but spiritually.  Our sins caused Christ to be "poured out".  (Ps. 22:14,15)

E.      Verse 7, And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:

1.       "fire on the altar" - They didn't strike a match to do this, or rub two sticks together.  Lev. 9:14 - God Himself sent holy fire from heaven to begin the fire which would never go out.

2.       "Put wood on the fire" - Man's responsibility is not to start the fire, but he does have a responsibility to keep the fire going.  This is done by grace, as he strives to be pleasing to God, continually witness of the goodness of God in the land of the living.

F.      Verse 8,9,  And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

1.       The priests, not the giver of the sacrifice puts the parts on the altar.

a.      Our sinfulness has killed Christ and "poured Him out before all".

b.      As the giver of the sacrifice looks down on the slain animal, he realizes what his sinfulness has done to God.

c.      The priesthood, who stands in the place of Christ, now goes to work, as the giver of the sacrifice steps back to observe.

2.       The body (the cut up parts, the head, and the fat) is burned without being washed - (compare to v. 9) - There is no need to try to cleanse the body for it is full of sin and must be replaced with an immortal body that cannot sin.

3.       The inward parts are washed - The inward parts of men need to be washed by the water of the word.  Not like the Pharisees who cleaned up the outside, but left the inside full of dead men's bones.  The inward parts also typified the wholesomeness of the sacrifice.  When the inward parts are healthy (this is proved by a visual inspection) the whole body is healthy.  When the spirit of man is toward God, the whole life will be toward God.  This will be reflected in the body.  Let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

4.       The burnt offering is a sweet savour unto the Lord - A burning body is not a pleasant scent to men, but it is to God, especially in this worship.  The thought of a blood offering is not pleasing to men, but it is to God, especially when it is the blood of His only begotten son.  Most religions teach that salvation is accomplished by the works of men: whether it is joining the church, being baptized, going to church, teaching Sunday School, preaching, healing, speaking in tongues, witness, working on the church building, or a host of other things.  But only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse our sinful hearts from sin.

V.   The offering of a sheep or a goat, and the offering of a fowl follows exactly the same principle as the offering of a bullock.  It is the same sacrifice for a less wealthy person.

A.     The offering of a sheep.  Verse 10-13, And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish. {11} And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. {12} And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: {13} But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

1.       This is the offering of a person of "middle income".

2.       There are no difference between the sacrifice of the bullock and the sheep.

B.     The offering of a fowl.  Verse 14-17, And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons. {15} And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: {16} And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes: {17} And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

1.       This is the offering of a person of "low income".

2.       He shall cleave (separate) the wings, but not cut the bird into.

a.      It must be remembered that the sacrifices are a type of Christ.

b.      The bird not being cut up (like the other offering) shows us the frailty of human struggles for righteousness.

3.       he shall pluck away the crop with the feathers, and cast them on the east side of the altar with the ashes.

a.      The crop is a saclike enlargement of a bird's gullet, with thick muscular walls in which food is softened for digestion; sometimes called a craw.  The craw or the source of strength for the flesh, therefore it is discarded.

b.      The feathers are removed because it is like the skin.  It is an outward covering.

c.      They are cast on the east side of the altar for they are waste and are to be destroyed, not offered as a sacrifice.