Five Levitical Sacrifices – Burnt Offering

 

 

As I was doing this study, I was reminded of the fact that all Scripture was given to us by God. There is no part of Scripture that does not apply to us in some way. Therefore, I trust that you will find this study to be meaningful.

Burnt Offerings Prior to Leviticus

We will begin with the first offering recorded in Scripture in Genesis 3:21. The offering is not stated as such; I believe it is implied after Adam and Eve sinned. God pronounced the judgment, a curse on Adam and Eve and on the serpent, Satan. Verses 20 and 21 state,

Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Genesis 3:20-21 (NASB)

He did this because they were naked and had tried to use fig leaves to hide themselves. How did God make garments of skin? An animal had to die before He could make garments of skin. I cannot help but believe God made a sacrifice on behalf of Adam and Eve because of their sin and then used the animal’s skin to make clothes for them.

Abel’s Burnt Offering with Fat Portions

The second sacrifice is described in chapter 4. Cain and Abel both presented an offering to God. Verse 2 says,

Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Genesis 4:2 (NASB)

Only Abel had a flock. Usually when we are told Abel had flocks, we think of sheep or goats, but Scripture does not say what kind of animal Abel had.. Cain was a tiller of the soil. He raised crops. Verses 3 and 4 say,

So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering. Genesis 4:3-4 (NASB)

In verse 4 we read of an animal offering taken from Abel’s flock. Note that the sacrifice includes the fat portions. Remember that because the term, fat portions, will come up later in Scripture. This is the second sacrifice recorded in the pages of Scripture. I believe it was a burnt offering.

Noah’s Burnt Offering

Genesis 8 records another offering that occurred after Noah’s flood. We read in verse 20,

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and  offered burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:20 (NASB)

Here we are told explicitly that Noah offered a burnt offering. I believe all of the offerings so far have been burnt offerings because a burnt offering is an atonement for sin. Now what did Adam and Eve do? They sinned. What did Abel do? He gave an offering that may have been for his own sin. There is not any reason for us to say that he committed sin and so had to do that. That is not stated in Scripture; but knowing that everyone sins, I tend to believe that he had sinned prior to bringing an offering to God.

The question is, why did Noah offer a burnt offering, since a burnt offering is an atonement for sin? It could have been for the sins of his entire family committed while on the ark. Before the flood occurred, he may have been in the habit of offering burnt offerings for sin on a regular basis. This would have been his first opportunity after the flood to give a burnt offering.

Abraham’s Burnt Offering of Isaac

Genesis 22 is about the offering of Isaac. Abraham took his son, Isaac, and in obedience to God was going to offer him as a burnt offering. Notice what verse 1 says:

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham . . . Genesis 22:1 (NASB)

Notice that it is a test. God is not seriously going to have Isaac sacrificed. God’s command is a test.

. . . God tested Abraham, and said to him, “ Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a . . . Genesis 22:1-2 (NASB)

What does it say?

. . . a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22:2 (NASB)

Again, a burnt offering occurs in Scripture. If you were to continue through Genesis and Exodus, you would find that burnt offerings keep showing up again and again in Scripture. That is why I believe that what is being recorded here in Genesis is a burnt offering.

Isaac Is a Type of Christ (Typology)

But before I leave Genesis 22, verse 2, where we are told Isaac is going to be a burnt offering, I want you to think about something. Isaac is a type or a symbol of Christ; he points forward to Christ. He is an example of typology. Look at Hebrews 11:17. There are people who just love types in scripture. When an Old Testament person is like Christ, we would say he is a type of Christ; he looks forward to or points forward to Christ. I do not assume someone is a type of Christ unless Scripture tells me that the person is a type of Christ.

We are going to see that Scripture says that Isaac is a type of Christ. Verse 17:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. Hebrews 11:17 (NASB)

In other words, his only son—”his unique one”—is actually the better translation of verse 17. When it says “begotten,” it should say “his unique one” or “his one and only son.”

It was he to whom it was said, “ IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. Hebrews 11:18-19 (NASB)

This is talking about Abraham and Isaac and says that Abraham believed that God could raise people back from the dead. That is why he was willing to go ahead in obedience and kill his son. He even believed that God would raise Isaac back to life. Then notice what it says at the end of the verse. “He also received him back as a type.”

Isaac is a type of Christ and looks forward to Christ. First of all, the births of Isaac and Christ were prophesied. The prophecy that Isaac would be born is in Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 17:19. We know that there were many prophecies of Christ’s birth. So Isaac is like Christ from the standpoint of prophecy.

He is like Christ in another way. Genesis 17:19 names the son that would be born to Abraham. Abraham is told that his name will be Isaac before he is even born. So both Abraham and Sarah become aware in chapter 17 that their son will be named Isaac. Isaac is born five chapters later in Genesis 22.

In Romans 5:6 we are told Christ was born at the right time. Isaac was also born at the right time. In Genesis 12 we learn that Abraham was seventy-five years old when he was told that he was going to have a son. Abraham and Sarah waited twenty-five long years before their son was born.

That is a great reminder that if you ask something from God, it may take a while! It was obvious that God was not in any hurry to answer Abraham’s expectation. God took twenty-five years to give Abraham what he wanted. Originally it was God’s idea, but once He said it, it became Abraham’s desire. So both Isaac and Christ are alike in this manner.

Christ came at the right time. Obviously, Isaac came at the time God wanted him to come—he came at the right time. Both of them had a unique purpose. So when Scripture says he was a type of Christ, that is true. Isaac was also to be a burnt offering.

The Burnt Offering in Leviticus.

So with that, let us go now to Leviticus 1. Leviticus, chapters 1 through 6 describe what a burnt offering is supposed to be. In Genesis and Exodus, we were just told that there were burnt offerings. We were never given the requirements for a burnt offering. Leviticus 1 is the first time in the pages of Scripture where God told the nation of Israel what He expected of or for a burnt offering. We are going to see a burnt offering described. In Numbers 28 and 29, more descriptions are given of burnt offerings.

In Leviticus 2, we will discover what a grain offering is. A peace offering is described in chapter 3. A sin offering is described in chapter 4 through 5:13. Leviticus 5:14 – 6:7 provide the description of a guilt offering. We can say chapter 1 is about the burnt offering. Chapter 2 is about the grain offering. Chapter 3 is the peace offering. Chapter 4 is the sin offering, and chapter 5 is the guilt offering. Our plan in this lesson is to talk about a burnt offering.

Different Levels of Burnt Offerings

So let us read it.

Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. Leviticus 1:1-2 (NASB)

They were allowed to bring an animal from the herd or the flock. The herd would be either steers or cows. The term flock was used for sheep or goats. There is also another option of birds to be used for sacrifices. That will be described in verse 14. Let me just say that “from the herd” was for those who were more wealthy. “From the flock”—that was either sheep or goats—was for those who were less wealthy. Birds were then allowed for the poor. That is why there were three different levels of burnt offerings that were allowed. Why were there three different types of burnt offerings? Leviticus 1:3 says,:

If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. Leviticus 1:3 (NASB)

Now, the word for “burnt” here in the Hebrew is “olah.” Every time I think of it, I think of something burnt to a crisp. That describes a burnt offering – totally burnt to a crisp. The idea was that nothing was left. That is why it was called a burnt offering. The burnt offering was the most common offering recorded in the pages of Scripture. When the worshiper offers this offering, the worshiper chooses the type of offering.

Burnt Offering Must Cost Something

If he was wealthy, the offering was from the herd. If he was middle class, the offering was from the flock. If he was poor, the offering was a bird. There was a choice. Then we are told “a male without defect.” Notice how expensive this animal was because Scripture says it was “without defect.” This means it was the absolute best of the flock. The burnt offering was not to be something you wanted to get rid of. The burnt offering was to be the best. The burnt offering was to have no defect. Now notice something else. In verse 5 it was a young bull.

He shall slay the young bull . . . Leviticus 1:5 (NASB)

A young bull is a male. The male was more expensive than the female because there are fewer of them. So it was a young male without defect. It was a prize animal! So, why would you want to give away your prize animal? God says if you are going to give me an offering, it must be the thing that you want to keep for yourself.

Burnt Offering to Be Given with Respect

As I was thinking about this passage, I could not help but think about Malachi 1:6 which says:

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? . . . “ Malachi 1:6a (NASB)

God is speaking.

“. . . And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name’”? Malachi 1:6b (NASB)

God had this conversation with the priests. Malachi is a very interesting book. God is forever interacting with the priests. He asks a question, and the priests respond. Sometimes God challenges them. Then the priests still respond. There is a continuous dialogue. This makes Malachi a very unusual book. God asks, “Where is my respect, you priests?” Verses 7 and 8 read,

“You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the LORD is to be despised.’ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:7-8 (NASB)

What were they doing? They were offering animals that had defects. They were getting rid of the animals that they did not want. It was as though they said, “Oh, I am going to sacrifice to the Lord, so what do I choose? I will get rid of the ones I do not want to keep. I will get rid of the sick ones, the ones that have defects—those are the ones I will offer to God. I will not give God my best.”

“But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us?” Malachi 1:9a (NASB)

In other words, God is saying, “And now you are going to ask me for a special favor?!”

“With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. “ Malachi 1:9b (NASB)

What an amazing statement!

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar!” Malachi 1:10a (NASB)

Notice the statement “uselessly kindle fire on my altar.” What does that mean? They were giving an inferior sacrifice that was already rejected. It was not even partially accepted. It was not accepted – period!

“I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of hosts, “ nor will I accept an offering from you. For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:10b-11 (NASB)

When will that occur? In the millennial kingdom, way far in the future, everybody will treat the Lord with respect.

“But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ You also say, ‘ My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the LORD of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the LORD. Malachi 1:12-13 (NASB)

What is the message? The message is that they were bringing all the things they did not want. I am amazed that they even stole, they even robbed or stole some of it and gave it to the Lord. I thought the opening statement in verse 13 is incredible. “My, how tiresome….”

They were tired of church. They were tired of worshiping God. They were bored, if I can put it that way. So God rebuked them by saying, “My, how tiresome it is!”

“But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the LORD of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.” Malachi 1:14 (NASB)

Here is the opposite of what God is asking. In Leviticus chapter 1, God said that He wants an animal without defect. Anything less shows Him a lack of respect. It is a convicting statement for us as Christians when we give Him sacrificial service. The question is, what kind of sacrificial service do we give Him? Is it only what is acceptable for us to give to Him?

Do you pick only that which is easy for you to do? The question I am really asking is does your service for God cost you anything? The burnt offering was expensive. It was a young bull, a highly prized animal. That was what they were to give.

Listen to David in 1 Chronicles 21:24. We are told King David said to Araunah,

But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.” 1 Chronicles 21:24 (NASB)

David was going to give God a burnt offering that was going to cost him something and it was going to be expensive. I am not going to give God something that is easy for me to give.

Do you know what happens often in a church when it is time to collect the offering? People give what is easy for them. Then they plan to go out to McDonald’s or another restaurant and spend more there than they gave in the offering. Are we sacrificing to the Lord, or is the Christian life just what is easy for us?

We often do not want to be too encumbered with our time, and do not want too many obligations. We really do not want to deny ourselves very much. God says a burnt offering has to be costly, it has to cost you something. Then God graded it according to income levels. He made it from the herds, to the flocks, to the birds.

Burnt Offering Given at the Doorway

He does take into consideration if people do not have a lot, but He still demands the best of what you have, or the best that you can afford. Then notice what He said:

. . . he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting . . . Leviticus 1:3 (NASB)

What is significant today about the fact that they had to offer it at the tent of meeting? The first principle we have is that whatever we give God, it should be sacrificial for us; it has to cost us something.

Burnt Offering Represents Christ

It has to cost us something because it represents Christ. That is why the burnt offering has to be expensive, because Christ was expensive to God the Father. He was God’s only son! He was the best offering that there ever was. The burnt offering has to be like Christ!

The second principle is that if you were the one offering, you could not just walk into the tabernacle and go right in and talk to God. The tabernacle had the altar placed near the entrance. You went through the gate and then there was an altar, then the laver, then the Holy Place, and lastly the Holy of Holies where God resided. So as you moved into the tabernacle, you were actually approaching God. What we are told here is that the one offering a sacrifice had to offer it at the altar near the entrance of the tent of meeting so that he would be accepted by God before he could approach the Lord.

Burnt Offering Is an Atonement for Sin

Why does he have to offer it at the doorway? Because he is unacceptable past the doorway unless he gives his burnt offering first. What is the burnt offering?

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. Leviticus 1:4 (NASB)

See that word “atonement”? The burnt offering was atonement for sin. The burnt offering was an atonement that brought you into a right relationship with God. So the one bringing a burnt offering could not just go past the doorway. He had to come through the doorway to enter, but he could not go any farther.

Then he did what God required. Notice what happens in verse 4. He lays his hand on the burnt offering. Today sometimes we think that the laying on of hands represents a transfer of power. I do not believe that is the idea here.

The concept of the laying on of hands as described here was one identifying one’s self with an individual or with the animal to be sacrificed as a burnt offering. In this case, the sinner was identifying himself with an animal that was going to die for the sins of the sinner. He was to lay his hand on the burnt offering.

Notice that it then says, “that it may be accepted for him.” The animal would then be accepted on the behalf of the presenter to make atonement for his sins.

The word for “atonement” can be broken up into three syllables. They are “at one ment.” You might have heard that before. It is a good statement. The idea is that the burnt offering makes you at one with God. It gives you peace with God. The concept was that when the animal died, one’s sins were covered.

Burnt Offering Covered Sin Until Jesus

Hebrews 10:1 is a very important passage.

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Hebrews 10:1 (NASB)

Sacrifices were offered in the Old Testament year after year. But they could not make the one who offered them perfect.

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered . . . Hebrews 10:2a (NASB)

In other words, if the sacrifices made the sinner perfect, why did they continue to offer them?

. . . because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? Hebrews 10:2b (NASB)

Verse 3.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:3-4 (NASB)

There is your herd and flock.

. . . to take away sins. Hebrews 10:4 (NASB)

So if the burnt offering that is described in Leviticus chapter 1 did not take away sin, then why did they do it? Turn to Romans 3. Romans 3:23 tells us what is true of every one of us. It says,

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 (NASB)

That is why the burnt offering had to be given. Verses 24-25:

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. . . Romans 3:24-25a (NASB)

In other words, propitiation means that you satisfy the Father’s wrath. The burnt offering satisfied the Father’s wrath also, but not completely. His wrath was deferred. Watch the rest of the verse.

. . . This was to demonstrate His righteousness . . . Romans 3:25c (NASB)

God “ignored” their sin temporarily when the sacrifices were given. Let me give an illustration to help us understand what God did.

Burnt Offering Was Like Charging a Credit Card

I do not know what kind of credit card you have : Discovery, Visa, MasterCard, or perhaps American Express. What do we do with a credit card? You eat out, buy something, or maybe you have your vehicle worked on. You then give your credit card to the vendor and they charge it. They enter a charge of money onto your credit card. Then later you receive it and have to pay it!
What happened in the Old Testament is that when someone sinned, a burnt offering was made. It was like God took your sins and put them on your “sins” charge card. Because notice what it says: “In the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins.” So the person’s sin was forgiven in the sense that it had been put on their “sins credit card” and was waiting for Christ’s death on the cross in order for the debt to be paid.

Jesus Completely Paid the Credit Card Debt

When Christ died on a cross, He paid it off! He paid off your credit card, and your sins then were finally forgiven. It says here,

“in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25c-27 (NASB)

The burnt offering is a type of Christ. The sinner was offering it to make atonement for his sins.

Jesus Is the Most Important Burnt Offering

Let us return to Leviticus 1:5 which says:,

“He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” Leviticus 1:5 (NASB)

So he sprinkled the blood around the altar. The word for “slay” here is a very unique word in the Hebrew. It actually has the idea of ritual killing. Do not now think anything sadistic about it. It apparently was ritual in the sense that it was to make sure that all the blood was drained from the animal. So in some way, they ensured that the blood was drained. Why? The blood then was taken by the priests and sprinkled around the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Verse 6 then reads,

And then He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. Leviticus 1:6 (NASB)

After the blood was drained from the animal and sprinkled around the altar, then the one presenting the offering removed the skin off of the burnt offering. When I was thinking about these sacrifices, I could not help but think about all the blood and gore that happened for one to go through to prepare the offering—at least from our perspective.

How many of us, when we think about the ancient sacrificial system do so seriously? Many do not think about the death and the bleeding, and that the sinner had to kill the animal himself. Here the sinner had to kill the animal, skin it and drain the blood out of it. Then verse 7 says,

The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. ‘Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces . . .’” Leviticus 1:7-8 (NASB)

There is an implication that it has all been cut up. Now, did the one bringing the offering cut it up?

. . . the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. Its entrails . . . Leviticus 1:9a (NASB)

That is, the intestines, his bowels.

. . . and its legs he shall wash with water. . . .Leviticus 1:9b (NASB)

That is, it is to be cleaned. The entrails are the insides, removing all the excrement, everything that would cause a bad odor.

Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:9 (NASB)

That is why it has to be cleaned and all the excrement removed, so that it will be a “soothing aroma to the LORD.”

Verses 10 through 17 describe the offering of goats or sheep, and of birds. I will not repeat it because it gives essentially the same process. Verse 14 describes offering birds. The only unique or different things I found in verses 7-11 is where it says that,

He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD . . . Leviticus 1:11a (NASB)

We are not really sure why that was significant, but it was offered in a different position. In Numbers 28:3-8, it states that burnt offerings were to be offered two times. They were to be offered twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon at the third hour—or at 9 a.m. The ninth hour is 3 p.m.

When did Jesus die? The third hour. Jesus is our burnt offering. Jesus is our atonement. Of all of the offerings, the burnt offering is the most important one and is the most common one in the pages of Scripture. Why? It speaks of Christ. It is the first one that gives us access to Christ. The burnt offering was—symbolic of our forgiveness through Jesus Christ, through His dying on a cross. He was and is our sacrifice!

Numbers 28:9-10 tells us that on the Sabbath day, the burnt offerings were doubled. Then Numbers 28:11 through chapter 29:40 describe burnt offerings for the different festivals. It is interesting that burnt offerings were given on every festival except for two: the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits.

Why were there no burnt offerings on the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits? The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts when Jesus was in the grave. The Feast of First Fruits is when He comes back to life. If you recall, they were only days apart. It makes sense there would not be a burnt offering on those two days.

Conclusion

I discovered one other very interesting fact about burnt offerings. Did you know that the Jews did not allow non-Jews to participate in any sacrifice, except for one? It was the burnt offering sacrifice. Why did that make sense? Why is that meaningful? Because that is where we all have to start. There is no access to God other than through the burnt offering.
I hope this makes the burnt offering meaningful to you. As I was studying this and thinking about the burnt offering, the burnt offering is an example of Christ for us to give our best. That is what God wants from us. He wants our best if we are going to serve Him. If you are involved in ministry for the Lord, what God wants from you is your best. He does not want your second best, your third best, or whatever is convenient. He wants something that costs you something. That is what He wants from you and me.