Burnt Offering
Leviticus 1
The sacrifices, as a whole, pointed to the person, life, and work of the Lord Jesus; but when examined in detail, they will be found to yield precious instruction and abundant material for the meditation and worship of the believer.
The burnt offering is the first in Divine order and the highest in character of all the sacrifices. But our apprehension of these sacrifices and their adaptation to our need is uniformly opposite to the order of their institution (2 Chron. 29, etc.). As sinners, we first know Christ as the trespass offering “delivered for our offences”; and as led on by the Spirit in the fuller revelation of Christ and His precious work and person, we travel upward till we stand as worshippers around the altar of burnt offering, and wonder and adore as the ascending flame laden with the divinely-prepared perfume goes up to Jehovah for the satisfaction and rest of His heart. Most blessed it is, however, that God in the order in which these offerings are presented would teach our souls that the self-same sacrifice in which He finds present and eternal delight, is the answer to our need as sinners and our communion as saints. Atonement could be effected by the burnt offering and the various classes of sin offerings, but not by either meat or peace offerings.
This sacrifice points to the voluntary surrender, to the freewill offering of Jesus to accomplish in death the Divine will, as written of Him in the volume of God’s eternal counsels: “Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:77Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:7)). It is that aspect of the sacrifice of Jesus which directly and exclusively regards God “who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God.” In the sin offering there was atonement (Heb. 4; 5) as in the burnt offering; but with this profound difference, that in the former it was to secure forgiveness — hence the frequent recurrence of the phrase, “it shall be forgiven him” — while in the burnt offering it was atonement for the acceptance of the person. Is it not therefore of priceless value to us that Christ, in the absolute devotedness of a will wholly set upon His Father’s glory, gave Himself up to God on the altar, and there in the scene where man had so terribly dishonoured God and trailed His glory in the dust — yea, in the place of sin-bearing itself, the fire of Divine judgment was kindled and all went up to God as a sweet savour, and in that we are accepted.
The unblemished animal was killed, flayed, and cut in pieces. The parts enumerated are the “head,” the “fat,” the “inwards,” and the “legs” — denoting the intelligence, will, motives, and walk of the blessed One in thus offering Himself — a whole Christ and an intelligent surrender to the glory of God. All were laid upon the altar and subjected to the fire — the searching judgment of God. “The priest shall burn all upon the altar to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord.” What the offering was ceremonially, being washed in water, that Jesus was intrinsically. The fire of Divine judgment searched Him inwardly and outwardly; the motives and springs, as well as the walk and ways — and in result all went up to God as a sweet savour.
We, through Divine grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit, identify ourselves with Jesus thus so thoroughly glorifying God — entering into its blessedness, knowing our acceptance in His most precious acceptance, and as thus set down in the holiest of all, in all the value of Christ’s person and work. All this is significantly expressed in the identification of the offerer and the victim: “And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering (this significant act only stated in the case of the ‘herd,’ Lev. 1:44And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Leviticus 1:4)), and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” God’s eternal delight in Jesus as the burnt offering is beautifully told out in the words: “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out” (Lev. 6:1313The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. (Leviticus 6:13)).
The reader’s careful attention is called to the distinction between the sweet savour offerings in which the saint is identified in all the Divine acceptance of the sacrifice, and the sin offerings in which the sinner is identified in the judgment of the victim.
Meat Offering
Leviticus 2
This is another of the “sweet savour offerings” in which God’s portion and delight in Jesus is fully brought out. True in one sense all that Jesus did, all that He was in life and death was “for us”; but His work to God for the expiation of sin is surely a different thing from His work to God for the acceptance of the offerer. In the former, God’s hatred to sin and outpouring of wrath upon the sinner’s Substitute is expressed; in the latter, God’s delight in holiness and in the infinite perfection of Christ in His person and work. “Christ made sin for us,” characterize the various sin and trespass offerings. Christ giving Himself for us “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour,” describe the distinguishing feature of the other sacrificial offerings.
If the burnt offering sets Jesus before us coming up to the altar — the cross — of His own free will, and there, in the place of sin, and where only it could be expiated, offering Himself to accomplish the will and glory of God in death; the meat offering presents Him offering a whole unblemished life to God, and that too, in the place of sin and sorrow. The material of which it was composed was “fine flour” — humanity in perfection; its adjuncts were “oil” — the Holy Spirit; “frankincense” — the moral graces; and “salt” — incorruption and perpetuity. What was forbidden was “leaven” (save in one marked exception), figure of evil; and “honey,” type of mere human affection. The “oil poured” upon the offering is the expression of Christ’s anointing by the Spirit and power, as in Acts 10:3838How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38); while the offering mingled with oil sets forth the profound teaching of Matt. 1:2020But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:20) — ”conceived of the Holy Ghost.” This “most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire,” was brought to the priests; a handful taken out with all the frankincense and burnt upon the altar. Thus Jesus in all His blessed life, His words, His ways, His actions, and in all the moral graces and beauties and lovely traits of that wondrous path, trod to the glory of God, was subjected to the trial of fire. And what was the result? A sweet savour of rest to God. That part of the offering not put upon the altar, became the food of the priests. Thus we enjoy communion with God in His expressed delight of His Beloved One as a man on earth. Wondrous privilege!
Neither leaven nor honey were to be burned on the altar (Lev. 2:1111No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire. (Leviticus 2:11)). The meat offering of first fruits being baked with “leaven” (Lev. 2:1212As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the Lord: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor. (Leviticus 2:12); see Lev. 23:1717Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:17)), was an exception, but this, as setting forth the church at Pentecost, sanctified and presented to God by the Holy Spirit, could not be “burnt on the altar,” for the simple but weighty reason that there was “leaven” or sin there; hence, when the “meat offering,” typical of the church was offered, the loaves made of fine flour were baken with leaven, but there was also offered with them a sin offering, to meet the actual state of the church, which, of course, on this side of glory is necessarily one of imperfection (Lev. 23:15-2115And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. 17Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord. 18And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the Lord. 19Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. (Leviticus 23:15‑21)); for the meat offering representing Christ personally — in which there was the most careful exclusion of “leaven” (see Lev. 2:1-101And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: 2And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord: 3And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire. 4And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. 5And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. 6Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering. 7And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the Lord: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar. 9And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. 10And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire. (Leviticus 2:1‑10)). The vital connection between the God-glorifying life and death of priceless worth, of Jesus, was carefully maintained by an abiding statute when the people were settled in the land, every burnt offering (death of Jesus), was to be accompanied with a meat offering (life of Jesus) (Num. 15:8-118And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the Lord: 9Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil. 10And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. 11Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid. (Numbers 15:8‑11)).
We would again call attention to the interesting and important distinction in these offerings. The four classes of sacrifice were the burnt, meat, peace, and sin offerings, the three former specially expressive of God’s delight therein, while the latter expressed His judgment upon sin.
Peace Offering
Leviticus 3
The essential character of the peace offering being communion, a female animal could be offered. In the Church’s communion there is necessarily a measure of imperfection and weakness. This seems to be set forth in the “female.” But “without blemish” is an indispensable requisite here as in all the sacrifices. God cannot deny Himself. Holiness is an absolute necessity of His nature.
We can readily understand and appreciate surely, in our measure, the appropriate place of this sacrifice as coming after the two already named, the burnt and meat offerings. Our communion in the person and work of Jesus is not only based upon His sacrifice, but partakes of the character of what has already been presented to God, and what He has accepted. Jehovah has already fed upon that which represented Christ in death and life, and according to His delight therein our souls are maintained in communion. We are thus privileged to feast and joy in common with God, with Christ, and with each other. What an exalted privilege! The portions which Jehovah claimed, here called “food of the offering,” were all the “fat” and the “inward parts,” that is, the excellency and energy of will, and the feelings, motives, and affections of the Blessed One, which none but God could fully appreciate. All was proved by fire; everything in Jesus was divinely tested, and the trial only brought out His deep perfections. Hence all went up to Jehovah as a sweet savour; yea, more, God fed upon it, found delight and rest in every movement of the heart and will of His Beloved One. In connection with this sacrifice God claimed as a perpetual statute, the “fat” and the “blood,” the will and life.
As nothing, in all connected with the Jewish sacrificial ritual, was left to the imagination of man, but all carefully, minutely, and divinely prescribed, so they, as we, have only to obey, hence the importance of attending to the law regulating the observance of these sacrifices (Lev. 6, 7). In this latter chapter we are told what was done with the rest of the animal. The “breast,” the devoted love of Jesus, was fed upon by Aaron and his sons, that is, Christ and His people. The “right shoulder,” the mighty strength of Jesus, was the special portion of the priest who offered the blood and burnt the fat. Who could be thus typified save Jesus? He is both sacrifice and priest, offerer and victim. The rest of the sacrifice was eaten on the day or day after it was offered by the offerer and his friends. On the third day whatever remained must be burnt with fire, setting forth the weighty truth that communion cannot be prolonged beyond the measure of one’s spiritual power and capacity. Working oneself into fellowship with God, or the fleshly effort to maintain communion, is most certainly an abomination to the Lord (Lev. 7:1818And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 7:18)). The peace offering presents a truly wonderful sight; God, Christ, the Christian, and the Church together feeding — together delighting in Jesus, and in His love, person, and work.
Precious Saviour, Thou joy of our hearts, Thou infinitely Blessed One, maintain our communion uninterrupted until we see Thee face to face.
Sin Offering
Leviticus 4
The various sin offerings being identified with that which was in itself abhorrent to God, were not burnt on the altar, but were wholly consumed “outside the camp”; God thus marking His sense of the terrible character of sin, even when laid on Jesus — His soul’s delight — who “suffered without the gate,” saying, as the expression of His soul’s agony in that awful hour, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” But let it ever be remembered, that even in those sacrifices which represented Jesus made sin for us, and thus only on the cross, officially obnoxious to God, that personally He never was more dear to His God and Father; for the blood (the life) was sprinkled before Jehovah, and in certain cases put upon the horns of the golden altar — worship; and upon the brazen altar — approach; while all the fat was burnt upon the altar, ascending to Jehovah and heaven as a sweet savour.
The various grades in the offerings express the various measures of apprehension found amongst God’s people in respect to the one sacrifice of Christ. If we have measures of apprehension, we have also degrees of sin, and this latter is specially pointed out here. The gravity of sin must be measured by the dignity of the offended One, and the relative position of the offender. First, then, we have the sin of the anointed priest (verses 3-12); secondly, of the whole congregation (verses 13-21); thirdly, of the ruler (verses 22-26); fourthly, of any of the common people (verses 27-35). If the priest, who represented the people before Jehovah, or the congregation, sinned, the blood — the witness of death — was sprinkled seven times (spiritual perfection) before the Lord, and also put upon the horns of the golden altar; this latter use of the blood was in order that the worship and communion of the redeemed congregation might be righteously and holily maintained, or, if lost, restored; but when a prince or ruler, or one of the common people transgressed, the worship of the Lord’s host was not necessarily interrupted, and hence, in their case the blood was merely put upon the horns of the brazen altar. The sin of the anointed priest, and the corporate sin of the whole congregation, were the most serious cases of any; on their sin the judgment of God rested more heavily than in the other cases, for in theirs only is it said that the sin offering was to be wholly burned outside the camp. It may be remarked, that so thoroughly is this aspect of the death of Jesus identified with the sin of man, that in the original it is the same word for ‘sin’ and ‘sin offering.’
All these sacrifices and the teachings based thereon have a solemn voice to us, and read us deeply impressive lessons, which may God grave upon our hearts.
Trespass Offering
Leviticus 5 and 6:7
The distinction between sin and trespass may here be pointed out. Trespass refers to acts done against God or man, sin to the root from whence these acts proceed. It will be observed that in the sin offerings, particular acts are not specified, as the immediate object is the condemnation of sin itself, there the man is regarded as a sinner, but in the various trespass offerings particular offences are carefully enumerated, and the man regarded as a transgressor. All transgression is sin, but all sin does not necessarily partake of the character of transgression. In the sin offerings the victim and the offerer are identified, the laying on of hands on the head of the victim being the fit expression of this identity; but this was never done in cases of trespass, although confession, full and ample, was required. Thus in the sin offerings the condemnation of sin is the great point, while in the trespass offerings the confession of sin is a necessity.
It is of profound importance to note carefully that sin is not measured by conscience or knowledge of what is evil, but by the holiness of God. Thus sins of ignorance were not excusable or passed lightly over, but had to be provided for in the most solemn manner possible (Lev. 4).
In the trespass offerings, to meet offences done against the Lord, whether known or unknown, the blood of a victim alone could suffice, besides the offender making ample amends for the harm done. In the first thirteen verses of chapter 5, the prescribed ritual is to meet sin and trespass together.
In cases of trespass against one’s neighbor, restitution for the wrong done must be full and ample, the principal had to be restored and a fifth part added. This would satisfy man’s claim, but even in these cases, forgiveness and atonement, as always, can only be obtained through the death of another, “for without the shedding of blood is no remission.” After these sacrifices had been duly instituted, and the laws regulating their due observance been established, the consecration of the priesthood naturally follows, which we do not enter upon here. Sacrifice necessarily precedes priesthood; yea, more, is the basis of all true acceptable worship, and the ground of the priestly grace of Jesus.