Leviticus 6

Leviticus 6:1-30

Leviticus 1:1-17; Leviticus 2:1-16; Leviticus 3:1-17; Leviticus 4:1-35; Leviticus 5:1-19; Leviticus 6:1-30; Leviticus 7:1-38I. The Law of the Offerings-Dedication-The Way to God Through Sacrifice(Leviticus 1-7) These chapters deal with the offerings themselves (Leviticus 1:1-17; Leviticus 2:1-16; Leviticus 3:1-17; Leviticus 4:1-35; Leviticus 5:1-19; Leviticus 6:1-7) which include the Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1:1-17), the Meat or Meal Offering (Leviticus 2:1-16), the Peace Offering (Leviticus 3:1-17), the Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-35), and the Trespass Offering (Leviticus 5:1-19; Leviticus 6:1-7). The laws governing these offerings are then dealt with in Leviticus 6:8-30; Leviticus 7:1-38. If the following order of the offerings and their laws is observed, it will materially assist in an understanding of this section. The location of the offerings and their laws is as follows: The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1:1-17) and its laws (Leviticus 6:8-13). The Meal Offering (Leviticus 2:1-16) and its laws (Leviticus 6:14-23). The Peace Offering (Leviticus 3:1-17) and its laws (Leviticus 7:11-34). The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-35) and its laws (Leviticus 6:25-30). The Trespass Offering (Leviticus 5:1-19; Leviticus 6:1-7) and its laws (Leviticus 7:1-7). Note that the directions about offerings are addressed “ to the people” (Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 4:2); and the directions regarding the laws, “ to the priests” (Leviticus 6:9; Leviticus 6:25).

1. The Offerings Themselves (Leviticus 1:1-6:7) (a) The Purpose of the Offerings The consciousness of sin Then was in that day, as in this, a need that the people should understand the awful reality of sin. Such a lesson is no less needed today when sin is so frequently excused, misconstrued, or denied. We need to keep ever before us the consciousness of sin, as did David when he said, “ My sin is ever before me” (Psalms 51:3). In a fit of anger a man once struck his son. So great was the force of the blow that the son was thrown backward and fell down the stairs, injuring his spine, so that ever afterwards he was a hunchback. Every day as the father looked upon his son he was reminded of his own sin. There was a consciousness of sin every day. So was it with the daily offerings; there was a constant remembrance of sin (cf. Hebrews 10:3). Sin exposes man to penal consequences No man can sin with impunity. Every sin carries with it its own punishment. Even a sin confessed and forgiven carries with it its penalty. A confessed sin is forgiven, but must receive its penalty. “ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:30-32). Sin calls for expiation Sorrow, confession, anguish, and the shedding of tears over sin are not enough, nor can such manifestations alone remove the guilt of sin. It must be remembered that sin inflicts an injury on the holiness of God which calls for expiation. “ And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). The Holiness of God God is of too pure eyes to behold evil. The sinner cannot draw near to God. Sin separates from God now just as surely as it separates from Him in the future. Man must be taught this lesson. There is always the danger of irreverence in our approach to God. The construction of the Tabernacle emphasized the truth of the apartness and holiness of God. From the brazen altar at the door of the court of the Tabernacle even to the most holy place where the ark dwelt, as it were, alone and in the dark-everything testified to the fact of God’ s holiness and the need of reverence in approach to Him. A divinely appointed way for sinful man and a holy God to meet There can be no communion or fellowship between God and the sinner unless the fact of sin has been dealt with and settled. Reconciliation must take place before there can be communion. The divine way by which man, who is a sinner, can enter into communion and fellowship with God, who is holy, is the way of sacrifice. This is not a priest-made but a God-made way. We should not dwell on what some call the arbitrariness of God’ s way, or the must of approach. We should rather be grateful for the privilege of the way and rejoice that we may draw near to God. God’ s way is a narrow way, but it is effective and the only way. Figures or types of Christ’ s redemptive work The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. These sacrifices were valuable particularly in that they looked forward to the coming and complete work of Christ. The Jews in Levitical times were saved by looking forward to a hope-the cross of Christ-just as we, in this day, are saved by looking backward to a fact-the cross of Christ. Everything in connection with the offerings was fulfilled in Christ. The offerings cannot be understood except in the light of the finished work of the Savior. In the transfiguration story Moses, representing the Law, and Elijah, the Prophets, vanished out of sight; Christ alone remained.

Christ is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), and our Sweet Savour Offering (Ephesians 5:2). The sacrifices of Leviticus were symbolic, not saving (cf. Hebrews 10:4). They were temporary, pointing to Christ. (b) The Number of the Offerings There are five. It may be difficult, if not impossible, to say why there are just five offerings and no more. It may be that we have here five pictures of Christ, just as we have four gospel accounts of the life of Christ. Do we ask why there were four gospel accounts? The answer is, because that number evidently was necessary to give a complete picture of the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So it is probable that five offerings were necessary in order to adequately describe the perfect Savior, the complete deliverance of the sinner from his sin, and the bringing of the separated soul into communion and fellowship with God. The offerings seem to be divided into two groups of three and two. The first group of three, the Burnt, Meal, and Peace Offering, may be said to set forth the perfect life of Jesus Christ. They are Sweet Savor Offerings, and as such doubtless present to us a picture of the complete and perfect obedience and surrender which characterized the life of our Lord Jesus. The second group, the Sin and Trespass Offering, doubtless typifies and sets forth the offering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ in both the active and passive sense, and as rendering perfect satisfaction to God and to man. In the first group, called the Sweet Savor Offerings, Christ may be considered as giving Himself as an offering to God. It is to be noted in this connection that the offerer came as a worshipper.

In the second group, called the Sin Offerings, Christ is represented as giving Himself for the sins of men. Here the offerer came as a sinner having guilt upon him which must be judicially dealt with. (c) The Grades of the Offerings The offerings ranged, as to their nature, all the way from a handful of flour to a bullock. This arrangement was doubtless to teach the people that no poverty could debar anyone from availing himself of presenting an offering to God, just as it is true today that no poverty of soul can debar any penitent man from finding pardon and forgiveness. “ This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). Some have thought that the different grades of offerings indicated the offerer’ s appreciation of the value of Christ’ s redemptive work. Can this be true? Is it my appreciation of Christ and His work that saves me? Or is it the work of Christ itself?

Is not a little faith real faith, just as much as great faith? Is not the dewdrop just as much real water as the great torrent of Niagara? Is not a spark just as much real fire as the flames that belch from the volcano? After all, is it not Christ, rather than my faith that saves? Others have suggested that the different grades of offerings indicate the different grades of acceptance of the offerer. Can this be true?

Are not all souls equally forgiven if they are forgiven at all? Are not all souls equally accepted in the Beloved if they are accepted at all? Still others intimate that the different grades of offerings indicate different aspects of the value of Christ’ s offering in the sight of God. Can this be? Was not every aspect of Christ’ s redemptive work accomplished in the same spirit of joyful and glad surrender? One thing in connection with the grade of offerings that is constantly insisted on is that, whether great or small, whether offered by rich or poor, they shall be without blemish and without spot. The reason for this is that each offering represented Christ in some phase of His redemptive work. The absolute perfection of Christ in person and work demanded, therefore, that any offering which typified that work should be perfect and without blemish (cf. 1 Peter 1:18-19). (d) The Order of the Offerings There are two ways of viewing the order of the offerings: Christward, and Manward; from the view-point of Revelation, and Presentation. The order in which the offerings were delivered to Moses began with the Burnt Offering first, because the offerings are looked at from the divine side as typifying the work of Christ. The order delivered to the people and the priests is that of the Sin Offering first, because the manward and human aspect of the offerings is prominent. From the standpoint of Revelation the order of the offerings presents us with the divine arrangement, those which deal with the person of Christ being placed first, those dealing with the redemptive work of Christ, second. This is necessary when we consider that no redemptive work dealing with the problem of sin can be efficacious unless accomplished by One who Himself was divinely sent, absolutely perfect in nature and character, and perfectly well-pleasing to the Father. So the first three offerings, viewed Christward, represent our Lord Jesus Christ who, in the absolute surrender of His perfect life unto the Father-it was such an One who made peace. The offerings of this group are called Sweet Savour Offerings. They were well-pleasing to God. If God were not well pleased with Christ, then there would be no use of the offerings which follow. In the second group of offerings, the Sin and Trespass Offering, Christ is presented as our sin bearer (Sin Offering) and as One who makes full restitution and satisfaction to God and man (Trespass Offering). Viewed Manward and with the thought of Presentation, the sinner approaches God by means of the Sin and Trespass Offering and thus through the offering for sin is led to the Sweet Savour Offerings, indicating obedience, surrender, and acceptance with God. The Sin and Trespass Offering make expiation for sin. The Burnt Offering opens the way for full surrender, while the Peace and Thank Offering show that expiation and full surrender are followed by sacrifices of peace and joy. Christ, the fully consecrated One, makes propitiation for the sins of man, while man, through that propitiation, is led to the consecration of his life to God.

Leviticus 6:8-30

Leviticus 6:8-30; Leviticus 7:1-382. The Laws of the Offerings (Leviticus 6:8-30; Leviticus 7:1-38) “ The laws of the offerings” are found as follows: The law of the Burnt Offering (Leviticus 6:8-13); of the Meal Offering (Leviticus 6:14-23); of the Sin Offering (Leviticus 6:25-30); of the Trespass Offering (Leviticus 7:1-7); of the Peace Offering (Leviticus 7:11-34). The laws of the offerings concern themselves, first, with the sacrifices known as the bloody offerings, namely, the Burnt, Peace, Sin, and Trespass Offering. Our attention is drawn to two main thoughts regarding these offerings: first, the kind; second, the process of the offering. (a) The Law of the Bloody Sacrifices They may be of the cattle, the flocks, or from among the fowls. All those animals which live by the death of others, the carnivora, are excluded from these sacrifices, for they could not in any sense represent and typify our Lord Jesus Christ. The animals offered must be clean and without blemish. The reason for this also is because they represent Christ (Hebrews 9:14). Further, we should not offer to God what we cannot use ourselves. It is a fault as serious as this that God finds with the people of Malachi’ s time (Malachi 1:6-13). Even in the unbloody offering when wheat was presented, it must be the best of the product-of fine flour. Only those animals among the clean animals which were domesticated could be offered, thereby indicating that we should offer to God that which has cost us care and love. So is it in the Meal Offering-not that which grows spontaneously, but that which is of cultivated growth and requires labor is allowed to be offered. Attention is drawn to the fact that there are different grades of offerings. No one is so poor as not to be able to bring an offering. No poverty can debar anybody from availing himself of God’ s offer of redemption. (b) The Process of the Offerings (cf. Leviticus 1:1-17) This process consists of five steps: First. The presentation of the offering. The offerer must bring his own offering and present it himself (Leviticus 1:2-3). There were other parts of the ceremony which could be performed by proxy, which the priests could perform in place of the offerer, but the victim must be brought by the one offering it. The presentation must be in faith. It is to be “ accepted for him” or in his place. Further, it must be presented at the door of the Tabernacle (cf. Leviticus 17:3-5; Leviticus 17:9), that is to say, it must be presented publicly. Death was the penalty for presenting the offering elsewhere. The lesson we learn from the presentation of the offering is that every man must accept Christ personally for himself. He must, by faith, look upon Christ as the One provided as his substitutionary offering. He must not only receive Christ personally, but must also make public confession of that acceptance. Second. The laying of the hands of the offerer upon the head of the sacrifice (Leviticus 1:4). No proxy was allowed in this act. It must be the offerer’ s own hands that are laid upon the offering, thus signifying his identification with the victim, and the transference of his sin and guilt to the innocent victim (cf. Leviticus 16:21; Psalms 88:7). Such an actual identification was necessary in order to make atonement, that is, to cover the sinful offerer from the gaze of God who is of too pure eyes to behold evil. The eye of God then rests upon the victim and not upon the offender. So in Isaiah 53:6 -“ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” -we are taught that Christ is the One on whom our sins were laid (cf. Psalms 88:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21). My faith would lay her hand on that dear head of thine; While like a penitent I stand, and there confess my sin. I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God; He bears them all and frees me from the accursed load. Third. The killing of the offering. The offerer must kill it himself (Leviticus 1:5-6). On the victim with which he has identified himself must the stroke fall. Shall we ever see Christ as our own personal Savior until we have realized that it was our personal sin that nailed Him to the cross? Not so much the sins of the world, nor the sins of others, but my sin nailed Him to the cross. We are crucified with Him. Fourth. The sprinkling of the blood (Leviticus 1:5). This was the work of the priest. The work of the offerer was done when the sacrifice was killed. It was necessary, however, that the blood of atonement be sprinkled on the altar, and thus the blood, which represented the life, be brought into the presence of God. This the priest alone could do, for the way into the holiest was not yet made plain for all men. So is it with us. Having become by faith identified with Jesus Christ as our sin-bearer, we must then leave it to our great High Priest to intercede for us in the holy place into which He has entered with His own blood. Fifth, and finally. The burning of the offering (Leviticus 1:6-9; Leviticus 7:13; Leviticus 7:17). The burning indicated the complete consecration of the victim and the life to God, such a consecration as is always absolutely necessary to true worship. The burning was, in a sense, God’ s acceptance of the offering. In the Burnt Offering the entire sacrifice was burned; there was nothing left for offerer or priest; everything was for God. The burning indicated also that the offering had passed even beyond the recall of the offerer.

So God accepted Christ’ s work for us, the proof of which lay in the resurrection from the grave, the exaltation to His own right hand, together with the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal of the acceptance of Christ’ s work with God (Acts 2:32-34; Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14).