01 Leviticus - Burnt Offering
Notes
Transcript
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4 Therefore let us, study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God.
Looking for Types and Shadows of Christ.
01 Leviticus – Laws for Burnt offerings.
5 Offerings in Leviticus”
1. Burnt Offering – Chapter 1-3
2. Meat (meal) Offering – Chapter 2
3. Peace Offering – Chapter 3
4. Sin Offering – Chapter 4
5. Trespass Offering – Chapter 5
Coming off the Exodus and the building of the Tabernacle, which was built that GOD might once again dwell among His people. In order for God to be the center of our lives there must be a voluntary sacrifice to God. In the case of the Jews, an animal. In our case, our very lives.
V.1 The LORD called Moses – thus Parshah Vayikra
The tabernacle, from which God spoke, was in the center of the camp. God had a desire to dwell among His people. He had to be in the center of the camp even as today HE is to be in the center of our lives.
Before, God spoke to Moses from the mountain, now HE speaks to him from the Tabernacle (Exodus). This is a clear indication the Tabernacle has been completed. It was built that God might dwell among His people, and so He does.
· The whole purpose of the temple was so that God could dwell among the people – …as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16.
· John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
· 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (Why it’s important that God dwell among us. That the power of God might rest upon us).
God is still calling men today and His call is for all those who will hear and heed His voice.
Note: Everything is according to instruction from God; From the Tabernacle to the sacrifices.
V.2 has a bit of a Whosoever will, maycome, ring to it. “If any man of you bring an offering”. The Hebrew word for offering is korban or qorban. It means to draw near.
The offering is an act of worship or drawing near to God. Though the word worship is never used, most everything in Leviticus is about an act of worship –
This is also a picture of man’s free-will. His free will to come and worship GOD.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, perhaps we should define “worship.”
Worship: What is it?
· Noah Webster - Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like.
· We tend to think that it is singing songs of praise to God. That is merely one form of worship.
· The point of worship is to engage God, that is to commune with Him, to express our gratitude for His saving GRACE. The end game being to glorify God.
o Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The sacrifice of Christ was for the glory of God the Father.
What is an act of worship? A sacrifice, unto the Lord, is an act of worship. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.
Our Worship is to be the offering of ourselves:
· Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7:37.
o The response is of course voluntary.
· Jesus said; “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34. That’s a free-will offering of ourself to God.
· You don’t come unless you first believe and thereby desire to worship GOD – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6.
o When you finally believe that GOD is who HE is – you will worship HIM.
Your quiet time is a time of worship as well; your time spent with God in His word.
· Are you neglecting GOD? He desires to spend time with you.
· How would you fare if God treated you the way you treat Him?
Back to V.2 “of the herd, and of the flock”
Before we continue, let me remind you that Abel, Noah, and Abraham, all made a sacrificial offering to God. So, this wasn’t a new thing.
From your own herd: This offering Signifies propitiation for sin and complete surrender, devotion, and commitment to God.
· First animal sacrifice: Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21, first animal sacrifice due to sin. Be sure, it was without blemish.
o Do you think Adam and Eve had to watch as the animal was slain? We may never know.
o There is much Jewish speculation on what animal was used but the Bible doesn’t say.
· First burnt offering – Genesis 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
· Isaac was offered as a burnt offering – Genesis 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
V.3 The Burnt Offering to Atone for Sin – (The Hebrew word for “burnt offering” actually means to “ascend,“ literally to “go up in smoke.”) The burnt offering reveals the person of 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 sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:2.
The Burnt Offering was to make man acceptable to God by the atoning of his sin, even as the offering of the Lamb of God makes whosoever will come, acceptable to GOD. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.
The whole offering was to be laid upon the altar – the whole offering was to be consumed by fire.
“For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24.
The Burnt Offering – (“burnt sacrifice” in verse 3) to propitiate for sin in general. Voluntary. Again, it signifies propitiation for sin and complete surrender, devotion, and commitment to God. Results in our being accepted by God according to the willingness of the heart/sacrifice.
· The unblemished animal was of great value, thus the sacrifice. God expected their best; God expects our best as well.
· “Burnt offering” first appears in verse 4 and is used 53 times in 45 verses.
V.3 The offering is to be without blemish – (Keep in mind that everything God is doing is pointing to Christ.). Like the spotless, sinless Lamb of God – Jesus,
· “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
· 1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
The Offering is Voluntary. [This is a voluntary offering, even a Christ death on the cross was.] But it should cost you something. It should be something of value, given to GOD.
· People give stuff to the Church / God all the time – STUFF THEY NO LONGER FIND OF VALUE! We give out junk and think we’ve done something.
The phrase “before the LORD” first appears in 1:3, then in chapters 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, and 24. It appears 61 times in 59 verses. (I tell you this to show the importance of it, w/ God).
We really need to grasp that this is done “before the LORD” so that we understand just that.
Summery - The offering Requirements:
· From you own herd – God took from His herd
· Without blemish – clearly it was without blemish (1st generation)
· Freely given – God willing gave of His herd and one day He would willing give His Son.
Verses 4-13 – Please, step into the slaughterhouse.
V.4 We see a transference of sin from the individual to the sacrifice – Like Christ. Again, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.
· For the Israelite who should thus lay his hand upon the head of the sacrificial victim a promise follows. "It shall be accepted for him, to make atonement for him.” "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree… 1 Peter 2:24. (The Expositor’s Bible: The Book of Leviticus)
· What is it that we profess to offer unto the Lord? Do you think God finds it acceptable? Of course not. We must come having received and accepting the sacrifice of GOD – His Son.
· “he shall put his hand upon… the offering.” Adam Clarke comments that by placing their hand on the head of the offering the Israelite was acknowledging four things:
1) The sacrifice as his own.
2) That he offered it as an atonement for his sins.
3) That he was worthy of death because he had sinned having forfeited his life by breaking the law.
4) That he entreated God to accept the life of the innocent animal in place of his own.
§ Lunsford, J. (2006). Leviticus 101 (p. 13). Prestonsburg, KY: Reformation Publishers.
V.5 Don’t bring a dead animal; kill it before the Lord. The person bringing the offering must cut the throat of the animal. He must watch as it suffers and dies at his own hand. Without the cost of a life the severity of our sin is diminished.
· There must be witnesses to what we would perceive to be a brutal killing of an innocent animal that we might more fully grasp the cost of our own sin.
o Knowing this, can you watch as Jesus dies by your hands; those which committed sin against God.
o Worst still, what if you were asked to drive a nail into His hand, or to shove a spear into His side. Would that cause you to see the price He paid for your sim?
V.9 “A sweet savour unto the LORD.” (The Hebrew word for “burnt offering” actually means to “ascend,“ literally to “go up in smoke.”)
· The whole offering is burnt unto the LORD – God gets 100%
V.10 It must be a Male – Christ – if it could be either, then we would have women also claiming to be the Messiah, adding even more confusion to the world.
· The female is a life giver, (the man, a life taker more often than not). I cannot help but think that has something to do with the commandment for a male to be sacrificed, AS WELL AS it pointing to Christ. (That of that is why God created the female to bring forth life as opposed to the male.)
V.11 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22.
· C
Verses 14-17 – Making a way for everyone, rich and poor alike.
The wealthy offered bulls, the majority goats and lambs. But what of the poor?
V.14 The offering of birds. HE made a way for the rich and the poor alike.
· Luke 2:22-24 “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
· Any he made a way for you! The great mystery of God was that salvation was available to Jew and to the Gentile! (Colossians 1:26-27).
V.17 “a sweet savour unto the LORD” used 22 times in the KJV; 1st time is in V.9.
· Here we see clearly that God is not a respecter of person. The same offering of the rich and poor are received as “a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
· Sin requires life – you have the choice of what happens with your life.
Closing: There are other scriptures that picture the sacrificial events of Leviticus.
· READ 1 Peter 1:18-21
· Isaiah 53:7 – He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
o He never complained about having to die for you.
· Leviticus 1:3 – 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.
o Have you offered yourself, voluntarily, as a living sacrifice unto the Lord?
· John 10:17-18 – Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
o Jesus laid down His life for each of us.
How did God view the sacrifice of Jesus – Ephesians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 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 sweetsmelling savour.
The sacrifices of our lives should be as a sweet savour unto the Lord. A sacrifice of time, energy, money; a sacrifice of self and the taking up of our cross as we follow HIM.
Our God is an ever-present God who is always watching and listening.
· Does God find Himself at the center of you life?
· What is HE seeing and hearing in your life and is it “a sweet savour unto the Lord”?
· Is God seeing a voluntary act of surrender on your part?
· Which is it you are offering GOD, your spirit or your flesh? Your hands or your heart?
· Let me ask it this way – are you a sweetsmelling savour unto GOD or do you reek of one with a rotting heart?
When Jesus preached, he said, “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” He said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 4:17, 9:13),
Jesus is the God of forgiveness, He is the God of reconciliation, He is the God of restoration and He is the only God who can save you from an eternal damnation if you will but receive Him as the living sacrificial Lamb of God.
Notes:
Leviticus 6:8-13
· Begins in the same manner at Lev.1 – God spoke to Moses
· The fire shall never go out - ?
6:9 Burnt Offering
“These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.”
Where does this go? – Hebrews 10:5-10
Burnt offering
The different animals for the burnt offering were bullocks, sheep, goats, turtle doves, and young pigeons. The person making this voluntary offering, laid his hand on the head of the offering so that it was accepted on his behalf as an atonement, and then slew it. The priests took the blood and sprinkled it around the great altar. In Solomon’s Temple there was a red line half way up the sides of the great altar, and some of the blood was sprinkled above and some below this line. After the blood was sprinkled, the person who brought the offering skinned the animal and cut it in pieces. This was apparently changed later so that it was the priest that performed this task, sometimes helped by others when there were too many offerings, as shown in 2 Chronicles 29:34—“The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.” The entire offering was then burned by the priests. If the offering consisted of a goat, a sheep, or fowls, the ceremony was slightly changed.
The burnt offering was the only offering that was entirely burned. Thus it is sometimes called the “whole” burnt offering (Deuteronomy 33:10; Psalm 51:19). The burning was to be so gradual that it should last from morning to evening, or from one daily sacrifice to the next. It was commanded that the fire on the altar should never go out. The emphasis, however, was not on the fire, but on the continual burnt offering, which symbolized the consecration of the nation unto God.
According to Manners & Customs of the Bible, The burnt offering is described in detail in Leviticus 1:1–17; 6:8–13. The purpose of the burnt offering is not clearly stated in the Bible, but most consider it as a symbol of entire and perpetual consecration to God. It was self-dedication, following upon and growing out of pardon and acceptance with God. (Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & Customs of the Bible (pp. 144–145). [It was what they did when they wanted to re-dedicate their lives unto God, or what one did after repentance.]
[FYI] When the Burnt Offering was offered.
· Every morning and evening (Exodus 29:38-42; Numbers 28:2)
o Someone was always coming
· Each Sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10)
· The beginning of each month (Numbers 28:11)
· At Passover (Numbers 28:19)
· With the new grain/firstfruits offering at the Feast of Weeks (Numbers 28:27)
· At the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah (Numbers 29:1)
· At the new moon (Numbers 29:6)
Sermon Starters/Study Notes (I may or may not use the outlines but clearly, I used Lunsford’s book)
The God-Filled Life
1) God’s Request: Center of Attention (vs. 1)
2) God’s Requirement: Offering (vs. 2-9)
3) God’s Reach: To All (vs. 10-17)
A God-Filled Life is one that honors God’s request, fulfills God’s requirements, and recognizes God’s reach.
1) What steps can I take to ensure that God is the center of attention in my life? In the life of my church?
2) The Israelites were instructed to offer an unblemished animal to atone for their sin. Christ has become our atonement. In what ways can I offer my life in sacrifice to Him?
(Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:12-16, James 1:21-27, I Peter 1:13-21)
3) God purposely chose to make Himself available to every class of people in the nation of Israel. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sin is available to all. What are some of the ways my church can make itself available to the community in which I live?
Lunsford, J. (2006). Leviticus 101 (p. 17). Prestonsburg, KY: Reformation Publishers.