The Burnt Offering, Lev. chapter one Lesson 2
1) The Hebrew word – Olah – Gr. Holocausto - means holocaust.
a. Literally - that which ascends.
b. The whole animal is totally consumed for God, nothing is shared with others.
2) The flesh is not conceived as being destroyed or burned, but rather sent to God in a fuming or incense form. Parts of other sacrifices are consumed by the Priest and the worshiper and his family.
3) The Hebrew words for - burn - katar and saraph.
a. Katar - used of the whole burnt offering.
b. Saraph - used of the sin sacrifice outside the camp.
4) Such fuming stands for the total consecration of the worshiper himself - obviously to God (Gen. 22:2ff).
a. Consecration to God is a prerequisite to all Israel's privileges and duties.
b. The burnt offering gave the spiritual Israelite the opportunity to say to God: as this animal is totally given to you and consumed for your pleasure ,so I want myself to be totally consecrated to your honor and glory.
c. So that which happens physically to the animal is conceived as being the expression of the heart's desire of the worshiper.
The Ritual of the Burnt Offering
1. The Presentation or Pre-sent
A. The Animal belongs to YHWH
2. The Laying on of Hands
A. The laying on of hands is a confession of sins and asking God to accept a substitute. See Leviticus 24:14, Deut. 34:9, Numbers 8:10. In Leviticus 16, the goat is used in a symbolic transfer of the sins of the people. The word is "SAMAK" or to lean on.
B. In Hebrews 6:2, we are told that the "laying on of hands" were part of the "first principles."
C. So, this is a ceremony to symbolize the transfer or communication of something invisible act. In this case, it is clear that the transfer of guilt for sin is intended.
E. Verse 4 says: "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement."
F. Hereby is seen the transfer of the obligation to die because of the sin or sins atoned for.
G. Now the sacrificial victim stands in place of the offender and is treated accordingly - as guilty.
H. Further illustration of this transfer is seen in the place of the first born of Israel.
a. Numbers 8: 5-9 declares all the first born or mine says YHWH.
b. Instead of the first born of other tribes serving God as priests, the Levities are substituted.
I. In the ceremony of the Great Day of Atonement:
a. Lev. 16:21 - Aaron was to lay both hands on the head of Azazel - but not on the goat for YHWH.
b. Aaron confesses over the goat all the sins of Israel.
J. Through faith, we lay our hands on Christ, even today.
a. Atonement - in the root to cover from the Hebrew word Kaphar (see Gen. 6:14).
b. The thought suggest that between the sinner and the Holy One comes the guiltless victim or the innocent substitute.
3. The Slaying of the animal
A. The sinner slays his own substitute sacrifice. Thus, made to realize his responsibility in the death of the innocent.
B. By slaying the animal, the sinner agrees with God's judgment against his sin.
a. It is an admission that I am worthy of death.
b. He agrees that any creature with his sin must die.
c. The individual bringing the sacrifice is to slay the animal before the priest who makes the offering(Shahat). The throat of the animal must be cut. By slaying the victim, the worshiper can see the
result of sin.
d. It is this direct contact with the death of the victim that is mentioned in Hebrews 10: 1-5.
e. Every sinner today participates and even consents to the death of Christ.
f. He was the animal brought before the altar.
4. The Sprinkling of the Blood
A. Now it is time for the priest to work. He now applies the blood as God demands.
1. The sinner has gone as far as he can.
2. The sinner must now depend on the priest to act:
a. according to how much prominence is given to expiation.
b. in the burnt offering and peace offering the idea of atonement is present but not the thrust behind the sacrifice.
3. For instance, in the sin offering the idea of blood and atonement is central, but secondary in the burnt offering.
B. Blood was sprinkled on the side of the altar of burnt offering.
1. This is the most inconspicuous use of blood in all the sacrifices.
2. Remember, the altar was the place where God promised to meet them and bless them (Exodus 20:24).
3. Sprinkling the blood was symbolic of directly presenting the blood to God.
4. The blood stood for life. Life then was required to atone for sin.
5. As in the Passover, God passes over where He sees the blood.
C. Remember the idea of person responsibility. The worshiper himself kills the sacrifice.
5. Skinning and Dividing The Sacrifice Into Two Parts
Read Gen. 15:1-8, Jer. 34: 17-20; Ruth 1:17.
A. Lev. 7:8 - the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered. (cf. II Chron. 29:34).
B. The Red Heifer was nor skinned - the whole body with skin was consumed with fire - Num. 19:5.
C. The sacrifice is divided into two parts by the priest.
a. This is a covenant making ritual
1. KARATH-BERITH (Hebrew means to cut a covenant. II Chron. 7:18; Hag. 2:5 the covenant is BERITH).
b. Gen. 15:9-10, 12-18 illustrates the cutting of a covenant concept.
c. See Jeremiah 34: 17-20, and Israel's covenant with YHWH.
d. The same idea is carried over in the book of Leviticus.
6. Stages Seven and Eight. The Inwards and Legs are washed and the Sacrificial Burning on the altar.
A. The Inwards and the legs are washed with water.
a. removes all that is unclean.
b. removes excess blood - blood cannot be burned on the altar. (The One exception is the Red Heifer, Num. 19:5).
B. The Sacrificial burning on the altar.
a. This is the central act of the sacrifice. "the priest shall burn as incense the whole on the altar for a burnt offering (Lev.1:9).
b. Anything laid on the altar was sanctified by God - Matt. 23: 16:22.
A review of the Steps
1) Presentation
2) Lays hand on head of animal
3) Slaying
4) Sprinkling blood
5) Skinning
6) Dividing the parts
7) Sacrificial burning
Provisions for the Poor Man
A. Two small doves are pigeons.
a. two because they are too small to divide in half. One is placed on each side.
B. The heads are wrung by the priests.
C. Blood is drained on the side of the altar.
D. Feathers and inwards are removed and placed on the east side of the altar.
E. Wings are broken but not divided.
F. It then is fumed to God.
Warren
Rogers