Leviticus 1-7 The Offerings
The offerings commanded by the Lord are lengthy and complicated. They each have their own purpose and procedure.
To help myself, and anyone else who has questions, I’m going to use an outline form for the offerings. I think it will help me see things more clearly. I don’t know how it will fit with the ‘first person style’ we have been walking in. But I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. We will take each offering, one at a time, and line it out. Reason for the offering, what to bring, who does what, and who gets what. Let’s dive in and see what the Lord instructed His people to do.
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Burnt Offering-
Purpose/Occasion: A gift to the Lord; presented morning and evening each day in the Tabernacle and Temple
What brought: Male ox, sheep or goat without blemish. Age not specified; turtledove or pigeon
Roles/Procedure:
*** If ox, sheep or goat offered ***
Presenter: 1) Bring the animal to the gate of the Tabernacle; 2) Put hand on its head in order to have it offer atonement before offering it any farther; 3) Kill the animal inside the outer courtyard and collect the blood; 4) Give the blood to the priest
Priest: 5) Throws the blood against the sides of the Bronze Altar; 6) Flays (skins) and cuts the animal into pieces; 7) Reserve the intestines and hind legs separately; 8) Arrange the wood on the fire; 9) Arrange the pieces on the altar; 10) Wash the intestines and legs and place them too on the altar; 11) Once completely burned, take the ashes and put them beside the altar; 12) After changing out of his priestly robes, carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
***If a bird is offered***
Presenter: 1) Offer the bird to the priest
Priest: 2) Wrings the birds head off; 3) Drips blood on the side of the altar; 4) Removes the crop and throws it with the ashes on the east side; 5) Split the bird open by pulling at it wings until the breast gives way; 6) Lay it on the fire and burn it completely 7) Carry its ashes and crop outside the camp as with any other burnt offering.
Distribution: It has been reduced to ash, as it is left on the fire all night. The priest receives the skin that was removed.
Grain Offering-
Purpose/Occasion: No purpose or occasion prescribed. Given as a free will offering to the Lord. Out of the depts of ones heart; expression of Love or dependance on God
What Brought: Either raw or baked fine flour mixed with oil and salted; frankincense for seasoning the Lord’s portion; NO LEAVEN OR HONEY mixed in or presented
Roles/Procedure:
Presenter: 1) Brings the offering to the priest
Priest: 2) Takes it all before the altar; 3) Takes a handful of what is presented and burns it on the altar with frankincense laid on it.
Distribution: The memorial portion is burned on the altar; the priest receives the rest. It is a most holy offering
Grain Offering of First Fruits-
Purpose/Occasion: Brought at the beginning of harvest. The first portion of the harvest given back to the Lord. An offering of gratitude for all He has provided.
What Brought: The first of your produce, especially grain products. Fresh ears roasted with fire, crushed grain. Honey and leaven may be used in preparing the grain products of first fruits offerings
Roles/Procedure:
Presenter: 1) Brings the first of his harvest and gives it to the priest
Priest: 2) Brings all of it before the altar; 3) Puts a handful of the offering on the altar and burns it with frankincense *** IF honey or leaven are used in the production of the offering, it is NOT burned on the altar***
Distribution: The memorial portion is burned or given to the Lord; the priest receives the remainder.
Peace Offering-
Purpose/Occasion: As a special freewill thanks to the Lord; to mark the fulfillment of a vow/promise; for thanks for deliverance from a time of great need.
What Brought: Male or female cow, sheep or goat without blemish. No age specified. IF for thanksgiving, must bring unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loves of fine flour mixed with oil. If for thanksgiving he shall bring also loaves of leavened bread.
Roles/Procedure:
Presenter: 1) Brings offering before the Lord; 2) Lay a hand on its head; 3) Kill the animal before the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; 4) Collect the blood
Priest: 5) Receive the blood; 6) Throw the blood against the side of the altar; 7) Skin the animal and cut it into pieces; 8) Separate out for the Lord fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys; 9) The Lord’s pieces are placed on top of the burnt offering and burned on the altar. (This burnt offering does not have to come from the same person. Could be placed on the daily burnt offering.)
Distribution: Breast of offering goes to the High Priest; The right thigh to the priest who performs the sacrifice; The remaining meat to the presenter: eaten in one day, unless it is a for a vow. If for fulfilling a vow, must be eaten in two days. One loaf of leavened and unleavened bread given to the priest.
Sin Offering-
Purpose/Occasion: Offered for unintentional sins; a priest’s sin; congregation’s sin; leader’s sin; common people’s sin; one who refuses to speak the truth when he knows it, touches something unclean, or makes a rash oath.
What Brought: An anointed priest- a bull without blemish;
The congregation- a bull without blemish;
A leader- a male goat without blemish;
A common person- a female goat without blemish or a female lamb without blemish;
One who refuses to speak, touches uncleanness, or makes a rash oath- female lamb, or a female goat, or two turtledoves, or two pigeons, or a tenth of an ephah of fine flour without oil or frankincense.
Roles/Procedure:
For the priest sin- Priest: 1) Bring the bull to the Tent of Meeting; 2) Lay his hand on the bull’s head; 3) Kill the bull in the same place where the burnt offering is killed; 4) Bring the blood of the bull into the Tent of Meeting 5) Dip his fingers in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the veil; 6) Put some of the blood on the horns of the Altar of Incense; 7) Pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar of Burnt Offerings; 8) Remove the fat of the intestines, the two kidneys, long lobe of liver, and any of the fat surrounding them; 9) Burn this fat on the altar; 10) Take the rest of the bull outside the camp to the place where the burnt offering ashes are left and burn it there completely.
For the congregation’s sin- Elders of the people: 1) Bring the bull to the Tent of Meeting; 2) Lay their hands on it; 3) Kill the bull and give the blood to the priest
Priest: 4) Bring the blood of the bull into the Tent of Meeting 5) Dip his fingers in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the veil; 6) Put some of the blood on the horns of the Altar of Incense; 7) Pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar of Burnt Offerings; 8) Remove the fat of the intestines, the two kidneys, long lobe of liver, and any of the fat surrounding them; 9) Burn this fat on the altar; 10) Take the rest of the bull outside the camp to the place where the burnt offering ashes are left and burn it there completely.
For a leader’s sin- Leader: 1) Bring the male goat to the Tent of Meeting; 2) Lay his hands on it; 3) Kill the bull and give the blood to the priest
Priest: 4) Bring the blood to the altar for the burnt sacrifice; 5) Dip his finger in the blood and then apply it to the horns of the altar; 6) Pour the rest of the blood against the side of the altar; 7) Remove the fat of the intestines, the two kidneys, long lobe of liver, and any of the fat surrounding them; 8) Burn this fat on the altar.
For a common man- Presenter: 1) Bring the female goat or sheep to the Tent of Meeting; 2) Lay his hands on it; 3) Kill the bull and give the blood to the priest
Priest: 4) Bring the blood to the altar for the burnt sacrifice; 5) Dip his finger in the blood and then apply it to the horns of the altar; 6) Pour the rest of the blood against the side of the altar; 7) Remove the fat of the intestines, the two kidneys, long lobe of liver, and any of the fat surrounding them; 8) Burn this fat on the altar.
For anyone with the special circumstances- Presenter: (female sheep or goat) : 1) Bring the female goat or sheep to the Tent of Meeting; 2) Lay his hands on it; 3) Kill the bull and give the blood to the priest
Priest: 4) Bring the blood to the altar for the burnt sacrifice; 5) Dip his finger in the blood and then apply it to the horns of the altar; 6) Pour the rest of the blood against the side of the altar; 7) Remove the fat of the intestines, the two kidneys, long lobe of liver, and any of the fat surrounding them; 8) Burn this fat on the altar.
Presenter: (bird) Presenter: 1) Offer the bird to the priest
Priest: The birds are killed one at a time in the same manner 2) Wrings the birds head off; 3) Drips blood on the side of the altar; 4) Removes the crop and throws it with the ashes on the east side; 5) Split the bird open by pulling at it wings until the breast gives way; 6) Lay it on the fire and burn it completely
Presenter: (tenth an ephah of flour) 1) Brings the offering to the priest
Priest: 2) Takes it all before the altar; 3) Takes a handful of what is presented and burns it on the altar
Distribution: For the priest’s sin or a congregational sin ALL the animal is burned up. For a leader on down, the priest who performs the duty receives all but the Lord’s portion, even from the flour.
Guilt Offering-
Purpose/Occasion: A breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord; Breaking one of the Lord’s commandments unintentionally; A breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor
What Brought:
Unintentional breach of faith- A ram without blemish “valued in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel”; Make restitution; Add 1/5 of more to the restitution and give it to the priest
Breaking commandment unintentionally- A ram without blemish, or its equivalent in value
Breach of faith against another- Restore FULLY what was taken and add a fifth more to it to the person wronged, and a ram without blemish or its equivalent to the Lord.
Roles/Procedure: In all instances of bringing the bull
Presenter: 1) Bring the bull to the place where the burnt offering is killed; 2) Kill the animal and collect its blood 3) Present the blood and the body to the priest
Priest: 4) Throw the blood of the bull against the altar; 5) Skin and cut the animal into pieces; 6) Burn the fat, the fat tail, the fat of intestines, the two kidneys, the long lobe of the liver, and any fat surrounding these pieces.
Distribution: The restitution belongs to the one wronged. The meat is given to the priest who preformed the sacrifice.
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Are you as thoroughly boggled as I am? Truly, this would have to be written out for me every time I came to the Tabernacle. I didn’t include the “eating of the sacrifice” rules in here. There are many restrictions there too. So much for trying to line everything out.
Did you notice that the guilt offering is the only one that is for ‘mildly intentional’ sin? The person doing the sin is supposed to be ‘unaware of it’ at the time. What happens with the person who willfully sins; repeatedly! Was there a sacrifice for them?
I don’t know the answer to that last question, but I know that Jesus CAN and DOES forgive even “intentional” and “repeated” sins. We are to grow as a result of that forgiveness. And, often, the natural consequences fall squarely on us. But Jesus even forgave those who had condemned Him to die on the cross and those who were carrying out the work. You cannot convince me that their actions were ‘unintentional’. They didn’t realize the gravity of what they were doing, but they KNEW they were performing these acts. Maybe they could claim, they didn’t ‘realize it was sin’ at the time. The apostle Paul would ‘wake up’ to his sin against the Lord.
Father God, I’m SO glad I live on this side of Jesus’ work! I don’t know what kind of relationship we would have if I had lived during Moses’ time. I pray that I have not made light of, or provided confusion to Your Laws that You gave the people. I can’t even imagine the magnitude of having to continually bring an animal to atone for my sins; to have to kill it in my own stead.
Thank You Jesus, that You wash me completely clean. The only ‘blood’ on me is Yours. And I NEVER want to wash it off!
