This wonderful subject is a picture to us believers of our approach to God-of worshipping God. From it we learn that worship of God must be according to the Word of God, and no other way. We hear people say "go the church of your choice." But the Word of God never gives the believer a choice of ways of worshipping Him. God has one way-the perfect way-Psa. 18:3030As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. (Psalm 18:30). Doctrinal evil is the teaching of that which is condemned by God's Word, an offense to the Lord Jesus Christ. Ecclesiastical evil is the way worship is carried out which is contrary to God's Word, an offense to the Holy Spirit.
Christ's life, and His one act of dying on the cross, fulfilled all the meanings of these offerings.
In His wisdom, God has given us 172 verses in Leviticus, chapters 1-7, to spell out in great detail how each offering was to be carried out.
It is evident that God wishes us to be thoroughly acquainted with their separate meanings. Sad to say it, but many of us are satisfied with understanding only the "sin offering," (and thinking of it as Christ's death for our sins only for salvation). But it forms part of the last of the offerings.
The offerings divide themselves into two main groups:
the "sweet savor" (sweet-smelling) offerings, which were: (A) the "burnt offering" (B) the "meal (or meat) offering," and (C) the "peace offering." These three were voluntarily presented by the people to God. They were like offering praise (or thanks or worship) to God. They had nothing to do with sin. There was no offense to God involved.
the "sin offering" and the "trespass offering." These were required by God from the person who had sinned against Him. (All sin is against God-Psa. 51:44Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalm 51:4)). That person needed to be restored to the position of a worshipper. Neither can we believers today truly worship God when we are disobedient to His Word.
In "the offerings" the blood was poured out on the ground-it was never to be eaten. The blood was the life of the flesh, and God claimed that for Himself. Neither was the fat of the sacrifice to be eaten. It was a picture of the inward and total perfection of Christ for God. (Psa. 40:7,87Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:7‑8).)
The "BURNT OFFERING"
Leviticus, chapter one tells us about the "BURNT OFFERING," and in chapter six, verses eight to thirteen, the priests were given added instructions. The Burnt Offering is a picture, or type, of Christ presenting Himself in His death as a perfect and willing sacrifice to God in this world, where sin is.
This animal sacrifice was completely burnt (except the skin, chap. 7:8). We need always to remember that Christ, first of all, came to die for God and His glory. This "BURNT OFFERING" was a sweet smell to God, for it pointed on to the time when Christ would die on the cross.
In the New Testament we see the "burnt offering" view of the cross in such Scriptures as Phil. 2:88And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8), John 10:1717Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17) and 18, John 17:44I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4), and 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). God now finds His delight in Christ, so the "burnt offering" is God's side of the death of Christ. It comes first in order, thus showing its importance.
John's Gospel presents to us the "burnt offering" view of the cross.
The "Meal (or Meat) Offering"
there was no animal sacrificed, no blood-shedding. The offerer brought to the priest some fine, smooth flour. It is a type (a picture) of Christ in His perfect, even life on earth as a Man. He lived those 33 (about) years to the glory of His Father in heaven. Read John 17:11These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: (John 17:1) and 4, and Matt. 17:55While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5).
From Lev. 6:14-2314And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar. 15And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord. 16And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 18All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. 19And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 20This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. 21In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savor unto the Lord. 22And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the Lord; it shall be wholly burnt. 23For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten. (Leviticus 6:14‑23), we learn that the flour was poured onto the fire on the altar to God. The Lord's life had to be perfect in order to be the perfect sacrifice. The fire (the cross) consumed the flour. Christ's death proved the perfection of His total devotion to God.
Each of the four gospels tells us of His perfect life.
THE "PEACE OFFERING" (Our Fellowship With God and With One Another About What Christ Has Done for God.)
We turn now to the third chapter of Leviticus to learn about the "PEACE OFFERING," and to chapter 7, verses 11 to 34 to see how they were carried out. The offering was brought to the altar at the tabernacle, not for man to get peace with God (not to make atonement for sins), but rather because he had been brought into this blessing.
There were four parts to the offering:
the breast of the animal sacrificed, 7:31. This was for Aaron and his sons. Remember that Aaron is a picture of Christ, his sons a picture of us believers. Together, Aaron and his sons are a picture of all believers as seen in Christ. Christ has His joy in the work which He accomplished on the cross. The breast is a picture of love, 1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19).
The right shoulder (strength), 7:32, 33, was for the priest who offered the sacrifice. See also 10:14, 15. This is a picture of Christ in His strength and our security in Him.
The offerer and all his friends who were clean could eat the rest of the sacrifice, 7:19.
For us today it is a beautiful picture of our intimate sharing with God the delights He now has as to what Christ has done for God. (Not what Christ has done for us only.) We can have the same thoughts about Christ as God has, and we can all enjoy these thoughts with other believers who are clean.
Are we allowing things in our life which hinder these joys? Let us exalt Christ together. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is a lovely picture of this peace offering. The father-a picture of God our Father. The bad son-us. The fatted calf-Christ. Father and son sat down at the same table and enjoyed the fatted calf together. We believers now enjoy with God our Father the delight He has in His Son.
Luke's Gospel presents to us the "Peace Offering." Many chapters mention eating, or a table.
In these three "sweet smelling savor offerings" the offerer came as a worshipper.
"SIN" and "TRESPASS OFFERINGS"
Leviticus, chapters 4, 5, and 6:1-7, tell us about these two offerings, and chapter 6 from verse 25 to chapter 7:7, tell us of how they were carried out. These two offerings were quite different from the previous three.
Israel, surrounding the tabernacle or temple, is always to be viewed as one group of redeemed people through the blood of the lamb in Egypt. The person in our chapters had sinned, had done so "through ignorance." But God in mercy had provided a way to correct this for him-the "SIN" and "TRESPASS" offerings. They are not a picture of salvation from our sins.
Now let us see how this helps us. Firstly, we must realize that when we accepted Christ as Savior, we became children of God, a part of the Church of God, "the one body." We may benefit from looking at the "SIN" and "TRESPASS OFFERINGS" from the believer's standpoint, not as a sinner needing salvation.
We believers are defiled by sin, whether conscious of it or not. But if we do sin, though we don't need to be saved again, yet we are never going to be happy until we are conscious of the fact that we have sinned against our God. We need restoration to Him. The blood of Christ, once shed (poured out) for the sinner, is also the basis of restoration ( 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). But the water of the Word is our means of being maintained in communion with God, and it cleanses us from the soiling brought about by sins (Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)).
In the Old Testament there was no provision made for willful sin (Heb. 2:22For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; (Hebrews 2:2) and 10:26). But though there is provision in the New Testament, it is a dreadful thing for the believer to knowingly and willfullya persist in sin. (We should not try to give such a person assurance of his salvation.)
The Gospels of Matthew and Mark present to us, in a remarkable way, the fulfillment of the "SIN" and "TRESPASS OFFERINGS." (Only in these Gospels do we have the words "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?") May we realize more fully the cost of sin to our Lord Jesus, and the frightful misery it brings into the believer's life.
In Leviticus, chapter 4, the more important the position a person had, the more serious was the sin which he had committed. So it is with the believer today; the more he knows the Scriptures, the more responsible he is.
Numbers, chapters 28 and 29 (a total of 71 verses), give us many sweet thoughts on the "offerings." But notice, that while the "sin offering" occupies 13 verses, there are 58 verses occupied with the "sweet smelling savor offerings" (God's delight in Christ)!
Every believer in the Lord Jesus is a priest before God (1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)). We are asked to present our bodies a living sacrifice (o. t. sacrifices were dead) to God (Rom. 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)). We are a holy priesthood. When we live this truth (Heb. 13:15-1615By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:15‑16)) then we will be enjoying the many-sided views of the wonderful work which Christ accomplished on the cross of Calvary. God will be honored, and we will be enriched.
Norman Berry