"These typical sacrifices have an interest that nothing can surpass" (J.N. D. Synopsis, Vol. 1, p. 127).
It is the burnt offering that is given the first place in Leviticus. Eight times it is spoken of in chapter one, and 290 times in God's Word. “Nothing can be more worthy of profound. attention... Jesus presents Himself that God may be fully glorified in Him" (p.139). "The word used for burning the burnt offering... is the same as that of burning incense"(p. 145). "We cannot too much study the burnt offering. It is that one act in the history of eternity in which the basis of all that in which God has glorified Himself morally... is laid" (p. 167). "The infinite acceptability of the offering of Christ to God—its intrinsic excellency" (p. 175).
"The most important of the sweet savor presentations was the burnt offering" (W.K., Offerings of Leviticus, p. 6). "It is an offering neither for sin nor for guilt, but God glorified" (p. 7). "One is content then to look at no more than His bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. In itself a most necessary blessing, but assuredly short of appropriating the distinct truth of the burnt offering" (p. 14). 'The stronger the faith, one enjoys God's side as well as our own" (p. 69).
The "Spirit of God begins not with the sinner and his wants... but with Christ in the highest thought of our Lord's death in atonement—the burnt offering. It is exclusively Godward—an aspect which believers are apt to be in no small danger of attenuating, if not losing sight of altogether. There is no child of God that does not see the need of Christ to be a sin offering for him, but far too many stop here.... One deplores the habitual disposition, in looking at Christ's sacrifice, to think of nothing but His adaptation to our wants" (W. K., Lectures on the Pentateuch, p. 224).
The lowest view of the burnt offering is found in the end of the chapter. There turtledoves or young pigeons were to have their heads wrung off and their crop and feathers plucked away. God graciously considers the poor, yet He must reject immature or undigested thoughts mixed with show.
"In the burnt offering... the primary object of Christ's work was Godward exclusively... the highest object was the glory of God... devoted to God... offering Himself without spot to God... a sweet savor" (C. H. M, Notes on Leviticus, pp. 6,7).
"We are too apt to look upon the cross merely as the place where our sins were atoned for" (p.11). "The burnt offering does not foreshadow Christ on the cross bearing sin, but...presenting to the heart of the Father an odor of incomparable fragrance" (pp. 12,13). "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life," John 10:1717Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17). "Offered Himself without spot to God," Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14). "I have glorified Thee on the earth," John 17:44I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4).
It is also blessedly true that through God's wonderful grace we have been "accepted in the Beloved". “For his acceptance, " Lev. 1:33If 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. (Leviticus 1:3) J. N. D. translation. Right here some have made this more important than "the burnt offering... shall be accepted for him" in verse 4.
"Christ as foreshadowed by the burnt offering is not for the sinner's conscience" (p. 16). "Aaron's sons do not represent convicted sinners, but worshiping saints, as priests they have to do with the burnt offering" (p. 21). "The burnt offering gets the first place. It typifies Christ's death as viewed and valued by God alone... It gives us the highest possible aspect of the death of Christ" (p. 25). "Which was to be exclusively for Himself... the heart of God reaps His richest harvest of glory... reason why that type should occupy the leading place—should stand at the very top of the list" (p. 26, C.H.M., Notes on Leviticus).
"Nine out of ten would say, that the first object was to save sinners. Yet that was not the first object... The first object was to accomplish the will of God, and to glorify Him" (R. F. K., Christ as Seen in the Offerings, p. 10).