Leviticus 1 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a three-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

a) Mainly Giving Thanks

1. Introduction: Lev 1:1,2
2. Burnt offering from herd: Lev 1:3-9
3. Burnt offering from flocks/birds: Lev 1:10-17
4. GRAIN OFFERING of flour: Lev 2:1-3
5. GRAIN OFFERING of cakes baked: Lev 2:4-16 
6. FELLOWSHIP Offerings: Lev 3:1-17

b) Dealing with my Sin

1. SIN Offering – for the Priest: Lev 4:1-12 
2. SIN OFFERING – for everyone else: Lev 4:13-35
3. Specific Sins requiring a SIN OFFERING: Lev 5:1-6
4. SIN OFFERINGS for the Poor: Lev 5:7-13
5. The GUILT OFFERING (1): Lev 5:14-19
6. The GUILT OFFERING (2): Lev 5:1-7

1. Introduction: Lev 1:1,2

1 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.

A. Find Out

1. Who did the Lord speak to? v.1a
2. Where did He speak to him? v.1b
3. Who did He tell him to speak to? v.2a
4. What activity was he to address? v.2b
5. What did He say to bring? v.2c

B. Comment:

Again and again in these chapters we will find reference to the Lord speaking to Moses (see also 4:2, 5;14, 6:1.6:9, 6:19, 6:24, 7:22, 7:28), nine times in all. There is therefore, no question in the writer’s mind that this sacrificial Law originated with God.

The second thing to note is that it was Law for Israel, for God’s covenant people. Making offerings was part of the expression of their relationship with the Lord.

The third thing to note here is that it appears that the Lord is regularizing the habit of bringing offerings. From the preliminary notes you will see that offerings were already something that people in relationship with the Lord did. Where the people wanted to just bring something to God as an expression of their relationship with Him, the Lord tells them to do it in a particular way. There is a sense of reassurance about this because once there is a set way laid down, it means that the person bringing the offering will not be worrying whether what they bring is acceptable to the Lord. In addition, the prescribed way will no doubt leave the Israelite pondering on the significance of what he has done, and that in itself will deepen his relationship with the Lord.

The fourth thing to note is that the offering brought is to be an animal from herd or flock. This will involve putting the animal to death at the doorway of the Tent (Tabernacle), and that also will leave the Offeror with a whole new appreciation of the value of life.

C. Application:

The Old Testament Law of Sacrifice no longer applies to us as Jesus has come and died as the ultimate sacrifice (Heb 7:27, 9:26-28), yet understanding what happened in the Tabernacle on God’s command, will help us appreciate more fully what Christ has done. Ask the Lord to give you understanding of these things each day. 

2. Burnt offering from herd: Lev 1:3-9

3 ‘“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. 4 You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. 5 You are to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 9 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

A. Find Out

1. What was the burnt offering to be? v.3a
2. How is he to come? v.3b,4
3. What is the Offeror to do? v.5a,6a,9a
4. What are the priests then to do? v.5b,7,8, 9b
5. How is this offering finally described? v.9c.

B. Comment:   

Remember we said previously that this offering was given freely. It is therefore to be an expression of an open heart to God, but even that is tested by ensuring that the Offeror conforms to the instructions. For those who come with very full hearts, then give the biggest and the best – a bull with nothing wrong with it (v.3a). This giving will be real! The giver must come with it to the entrance to the Tent where it is checked and approved (v.3b). Once approved the giver himself must put it to death (v.5) after he has placed his hand on its head (v.4a), identifying with it, as if to say, I transfer my sin to it so that it is received as atonement (v.4b), or a substitute taking my punishment due for my sin. Even when bringing a gift to God, there is a reminder of His holiness and our sinfulness. We can’t approach casually.

  The priests, in their official intermediary capacity, take some of the animal’s blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar before the pieces of the animal are cut up and burnt on the altar. The blood represented the life of the animal (Lev 17:11) and so even before the altar is used there is a symbolic marking it with the signs of the life of the substitute. There is no casual use of this altar, it requires the laying down of a life before it can be used to approach God. Even the messiest part of the animal, its legs and entrails are washed before burning, indicating a required holiness of approach. When all this is done, it is said to provide a pleasing aroma to the Lord, simply He is pleased when the person reveals their heart by the obedience in their approach.   

  The priests, in their official intermediary capacity, take some of the animal’s blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar before the pieces of the animal are cut up and burnt on the altar. The blood represented the life of the animal (Lev 17:11) and so even before the altar is used there is a symbolic marking it with the signs of the life of the substitute. There is no casual use of this altar, it requires the laying down of a life before it can be used to approach God. Even the messiest part of the animal, its legs and entrails are washed before burning, indicating a required holiness of approach. When all this is done, it is said to provide a pleasing aroma to the Lord, simply He is pleased when the person reveals their heart by the obedience in their approach.   

C. Application:

We can sometimes forget that God is holy and cannot be casually approached. The only reason we can approach so easily on a Sunday morning or any other time we turn to God, is that Jesus has become our sacrifice to take our sin and open the way to God. Even our desires to bless God have to be sanctified because of their imperfection.  

3. Burnt offering from flocks/birds: Lev 1:10-17  

10 ‘“If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male without defect. 11 You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 13 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

14 ‘“If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He is to remove the crop and the feathers and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes are. 17 He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

A. Find Out

1. What are the offering options? v.10,14
2. What differences are there as to who kills the creature? v.11,15
3. What part is thrown away? v.16
4. Yet what similarities are there? v.13,17

B. Comment:

At first sight there is little difference between the offerings within these verses and the ones that went before. The big and obvious difference, and this is the reason that we pause on these verses, is in the size of the offering presented. It seems that the choice is left up to the Offeror and as we said previously, because this is a freewill offering for no reason other than to bless God, the Offeror is likely to present the largest creature he can afford. Hence the first offering covered was that of a bull. But perhaps the farmer doesn’t own a bull and only has a flock of sheep or goats. That’s all right, they will be acceptable. But perhaps he doesn’t own a herd or a flock and so all he could obtain by catching, breeding or buying, would be a pigeon or a dove. Well that’s all right.

Yet with each offering there is a condition or requirement. For the animals it is that they be without defect but of course with a bird, that is more of a difficult assessment and so the condition is simply that there will be two of them. These are simple requirements which were easy to follow, simple things that required simple obedience. What does this say? It says that anyone could come and bring an offering regardless of their financial standing. No one is to be excluded because they are inferior. Provision is made for all classes of people in the congregation and each one is given some simple instructions to follow.

What these instructions do is lay down simple procedures from God, things that people can do as a sign of coming HIS way.   

C. Application:

There is no room for anyone to feel inferior. Anyone can come to God, regardless of their background, regardless of what they have done in the past. When Jesus died to open the way up to God for us, it was for whoever: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16). Jesus is God’s means of approach for us today. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)