Leviticus (written)

Leviticus 6:1-30

The Mediator’s Duties, Part I

The book of Leviticus gives lots and lots (and lots) of rules for the priests to follow. And when speaking of the duties of the high priest, it will often note that the same duties will devolve to the next high priest who is anointed to assume the duties of the previous high priest.

What is implied there is that the high priest was limited to a certain term which was due to end at his death. As this is the case, then it tells us that the high priest was not immune from death, nor would he ever be capable of being immune from it. If it was possible, then the Bible would have said as much.

But in speaking of the ordination and carrying on of the duties of the high priest by another generation, the implication is that death was a certainty. As the Bible clearly shows from its first pages that death is the result of sin, then we can easily deduce that the law could not cure the sin problem.

If the law is the super duper thing that Israel, even Israel of today, seems to think it is, then the law would be able to take care of the whole “I’m destined to die” thing. But nobody ever talks about being exempt from death because of the law.

Christians, on the other hand, talk about it all the time. While at the same time as expecting our end because of inevitable death, Christians also have the hope of actually never tasting death. If that is available to Christians, and it is, then that means that the sin-generated death problem is already fixed. The plan just has not yet been fully put into place.

Text Verse: “Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. ²⁴ But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:23-25

God did something marvelous in Christ Jesus. He fixed the death problem for us, by having Someone die who could not stay dead. Think about that for a moment. When someone offered a sacrifice for sin in Israel, the priest would eat of that person’s sacrifice because he was bearing the sin of that person as the mediator between him and God.

However, when a priest sacrificed for himself, he could not eat of the sacrifice because it would be as if he was taking his sin back upon himself again. But in Christ, we have a High Priest who is always alive. He died for our sin, but not His own. There was no sin that could come back to Him. And so for us, there is now no sin that can come back to us as well.

The sinless One is there mediating for His people, bearing their sins, but not facing death because of His own sins. The law which stood opposed to us was nailed to His cross. It died with Him, and so now we can live to God through Christ. It really is an amazing thing which God has done.

As we go through the many verses today, think about the symbolism as it looks forward to Christ. Some of it will be explained, some of it will be reexplained, and some of it should be well known enough to you already where it doesn’t need to be explained, but it is all about Jesus, and it is all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Trespass Against the Lord (verses 1-7)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

These words were last seen in verse 5:14. They are brought in now to signify a new train of thought is being introduced. The previous section dealt with things holy to the Lord; this now deals with offenses against one’s neighbor. Something you should know is that the division of the Hebrew Bible is different than how we divide it. Charles Ellicott explains this for us and it is well worth remembering –

“It is repeatedly stated, in some of our best commentaries, that Leviticus 6:1-7 form part of Leviticus 5 in the Hebrew Bible, and that our translators unfortunately adopted the division of the Septuagint, instead of following the Hebrew. Nothing can be more erroneous than this statement. The Hebrew Scriptures in manuscript have no division into chapters at all. The text is divided into sections, of which there are no less than 669 in the Pentateuch. The book of Leviticus has ninety-eight of these sections, while in our Authorised Version it has only twenty-seven chapters. The divisions into chapters, now to be found in the Hebrew Bibles, were adopted in the fourteenth century by the Jews from the Christians for polemical purposes, and the figures attached to each verse are of a still later period.”

In other words, the Jews of the 14^th century illogically divided the Scriptures as a means of attacking the divisions of the Christian Bible, but the Christian Bible follows the divisions of the Greek translation of the Old Testament which predates even Christ’s coming. The words of this first verse of chapter 6 show us that this is an entirely separate thought from that of verse 5:14, and therefore, the new chapter division is appropriate.

² “If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord 

The same word, maal, which was introduced into the Bible in verse 5:15 is used here again. It indicates committing a trespass, or dealing treacherously. In both verses, it is called a trespass against the Lord, even though this offense is against a neighbor.

The idea is that when someone defrauds or steals from a neighbor, it subverts social life. As the social life of the Israelites is established by God in His law over them, then to act against a neighbor is an insult to God. Thus, the sin is against the Lord, even if it is the neighbor who has been violated.

^2 (con’t) by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor,

The word for “lying” here is kakhash. It has only been used once so far, in Genesis 18:15 when Sarah denied that she laughed when the Lord said she would bear a child. It is a lie of denial or deception. This lying is said to be to the person’s amith, or neighbor. This is a new word in Scripture which will be found only in Leviticus with one exception which is Zechariah 13:7. It gives the sense of an associate or a companion.

Each of the things which involve lying to the neighbor are based on rare Hebrew words, or words which are now introduced for the first time, or even the only time. The words then, like those of any judicial instruction, are specific and precise. When one listens to a court proceeding, they may hear words which they have never heard before, but the law carries the need for precision which is often meant to explain the regular evil-doing of man in a way which intimately describes the actions he is involved in.

What is being relayed in this verse concerns the normal way things were done in Israel. If a person was going on a journey perhaps, they would need their things taken care of while gone. Suppose they had animals which needed to be tended to. They would be given over as a piqadon, or a deposit. The intent was that the thing would be kept safe for the individual.

The next example might be something precious which needed to be kept. The term is bitsumet yad, or a security (in) hand. This would be something small and precious, like money or jewelry. It would be handed to another for safekeeping. This is an offense which has already been explained, at least in part, in Exodus 22 –

“If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. ⁸ If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.” Exodus 22:7, 8

The third example is of a gazel, or robbery. It is something taken by violence. And the final example is that of ashaq. This is extortion or taking through oppression. Each of these was wrongdoing against one’s neighbor, but it is an offense within society, and thus offensive to God.

³ or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it,

This is a fifth thing which falls under the same major category, finding something which was lost by another and lying concerning it. Exodus 23:4 specifically speaks of an enemy’s ox going astray which is found by someone. Even in such a circumstance, they were to acknowledge that which they found and return it to its rightful owner. Thus the enemy of Exodus 23:4 must be considered as the amith, or neighbor, of this verse for sake of the law.

^3 (con’t) and swears falsely—in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins:

The swearing falsely here covers all of the previous five categories. One may lie about a deposit, a pledge in hand, about robbery, extortion, or finding something which didn’t belong to him. Each of the categories against another man unites in the one idea of it being sin against God.

The question we should stop and ask ourselves at this point is, “Have we ever done any such thing?” Even if the answer is, “No,” we have probably thought of doing one or more of them many times. The law is intended to bring out of us a sense of the state of wrongdoing that exists deep in the human heart.

⁴ then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found,

The idea here is that the person willingly admits his guilt through a sense of remorse or a nagging conscience. It is not to include being caught and being convicted without a confession. This is certain because of the penalty which is imposed in the next verse. For someone who is guilty without confession, the penalty has already been established in earlier Exodus verses, one of which I cited a minute ago. For this, the first thing he is to do is to restore the thing which was involved in the offense.

⁵ or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering.

The person who was defrauded is to receive the restoration and accept one-fifth of the value added to it by the offender. What is implied, is that it is to be accepted. There is nothing stating that he has either a right to deny it or to request more. The matter is to be considered as settled. If one looks at it from this viewpoint, it is as much a protection for the one who is trying to make right, as it is for the person who was defrauded in the first place.

From here, he is then to also give his trespass offering. The two were to occur one immediately after the other. The restitution to the aggrieved party was not considered sufficient for the offense. A trespass offering was required as well. It was to be a sign of sorrow for his transgression against another, against society, and against God. The penalty of this offering, and its accompanying ritual are the same as for the offenses noted in chapter 5 as is seen next…

⁶ And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering, to the priest.

The difference between this trespass and one directly against the Lord is that the one who is offended receives the additional one-fifth value for the wrong done toward him. Whereas in an offense against the holy things of the Lord, the one-fifth value was given to the priest. Other than that, the same ram is required as before.

⁷ So the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these things that he may have done in which he trespasses.”

This verse corresponds to 5:16. In both instances, the priest makes atonement for the offender, and he is forgiven for the wrong he has done. Again as in the previous chapter, the entire process looks ahead to the work of Christ for all of these same offenses which we have committed against our fellow man, our society, and our God. In the end, our offenses are ultimately offenses against Him.

I defrauded my neighbor, but have taken it to heart
I did him wrong, when I should have been upright
Now it is time I make a new start
A new day now ends the anxious, sleepless night

No more will I swear falsely, I will pay for what I have done
And to the Lord I will offer a ram to set things right
Against Him I have sinned; He the offended One
But my offering will end this miserable plight

My High Priest will make atonement for me
I will be made right because of my Lord
I am trusting in Jesus to once and forever set me free
I have faith in the truth of His marvelous word

II. The Law of the Burnt Offering (verses 8-13)

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Again, after just a few verses, an entirely new section is introduced which will include the laws for the burnt, grain, sin, trespass, and peace offerings which have all been laid out already. One might wonder why these are detailed now instead of in those chapters.

The reason is that up to now, the details showed the people the circumstances which necessitated bringing an offering, and how it was to be done. Now the directions are given for how the priests are to actually conduct their duties on behalf of the people.

Many scholars claim that this is where the chapter should actually begin, and that verses 1-7 should belong to chapter 5, but there is no reason to conclude this. Verses 1-7 were their own section. Their placement here is therefore not at all uncalled for. The divisions are logical and orderly as they are compiled in the Christian canon.

⁹ “Command Aaron and his sons, saying,

The directions from the Lord now are to be relayed as a commandment to Aaron and his sons. The intent is that until the next major section, everything that will be spoken is a responsibility of theirs. This section will take us all the way to verse 7:21 when the children of Israel are again the addressees.

^9 (con’t) ‘This is the law of the burnt offering:

The term, “This is the law of” will be seen at the beginning of each section right through verse 7:21, all of which are spoken to Aaron and his sons. After that, instructions will be spoken again to the children of Israel. Each section is a part of the larger set of instructions which the Lord is giving.

^9 (con’t) The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.

This first type of offering, the burnt-offering, is the one detailed in Exodus 29. It is the daily lamb offerings which were offered in the morning and then in the afternoon at a time known as “between the evenings.” They were to be offered every day without fail, and they pointed in a marvelous way to the work of Christ on the day of His cross. If you missed that sermon, or if you have forgotten it, it’s time for you to brush up by re-viewing it once again.

The last sacrifice upon the altar each day was one of the lambs of this burnt-offering, and the first offering upon the altar each next day was, again, to be this daily lamb offering. It was to be kept burning all night, right up until morning, and then the next offering was to be made. The fire was never to go out, but was to be kept burning perpetually. The reason for this is that the fire was sanctified by the Lord at the consecration of the altar. After that, the same fire, sanctified by Him, was to consume all sacrifices from then on out. This will be seen in just a few more chapters –

“Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, ²⁴ and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” Leviticus 9:23, 24

This then is a picture of the eternal fire of the Lord, consuming the sin of man. Either it is done on behalf of man by Christ, or it is done to man in the Lake of Fire. Either way, sin will be judged, and the fire is that from the Lord Himself.

¹⁰ And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen trousers he shall put on his body, and take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

The specificity for the priest to put on his linen garments is not unnecessary. The ashes were a part of the holy offering of the daily sacrifices. Therefore, the person doing the labor of removing the ashes was to be attired properly for the task. The linen garment he is to wear is described by a new word in Scripture, mad. It would be a full length robe. The “trousers” are undergarments which come from a word which gives the sense of “hiding.”

The linen they are made of in Hebrew is bad. It is probably from the word badad, or “shoots.” Thus one gets the idea of divided fibers that are woven together. The nakedness of the priests was to be covered in order to reflect purity and holiness instead of indecency. A sense of the holiness of the duties was to be reflected in the wearing of this attire. In these garments, he was to gather up the ashes of the burnt-offering, and then place them by the altar.

¹¹ Then he shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.

The holy garments were to be worn in the sanctuary and for holy duties. However, he was not to go outside the sanctuary with them. And so after gathering the ashes of the fat, he was to change into common garments where he would then carry them outside of the camp to a place which was not defiled in any way. No carcasses, dung, or any other thing which caused defilement was to be found in the place where the ashes of the fat were disposed of.

¹² And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it;

These words are given as a stern warning that while the ashes were being removed, the priest was to ensure that the fire would not be quenched during the process. He was not to knock the still-burning pieces of the offering which were the fuel for the fire and thus cause the fire to go out. And then to stress this it says…

^{12 (con’t)} it shall not be put out.

The word for “shall be put out” is a new word in Scripture, kabah. It means to extinguish. The same thought is restated in a new way. The fire was not to go out, but was to be kept burning always.

^{12 (con’t)} And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.

The fire that was left from the previous night was to be rekindled with wood each morning in preparation for the morning offering. When that lamb was sacrificed, it was then laid on the wood in its regular order as prescribed, and any time peace offerings were offered, the fat of those, as previously detailed, was to also be burnt on it. The fire then was to be continuously fueled by the fire provided by the congregation, and by the sacrifices of these daily offerings. And then, once again, the strict warning is given…

¹³ A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

There is no exception. When the altar was moved, the fire was to be kept burning. From day to day and year to year, the same fire that was first sanctified by the Lord was to burn. It is His fire of judgment, and only His fire. No strange fire was to be introduced, because only the Lord’s judgment upon sin is acceptable.

The repetition is intended to show us this truth. All judgment is of the Lord. His judgment upon our sin in Christ is eternally effective, or His judgment upon man’s sin will be eternally applied. This is seen in Isaiah 66 where the same word, kabah, which was in both verse 11 and 13 is seen there –

“And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” Isaiah 66:24

A lamb precious and pure is given
For to my God I desire to provide my very best
He has brought me to the place of abundant livin’
And to please Him is my heart-filled quest

How good and pleasant it is to offer the lamb
I pray that He is pleased with the condition of my heart
I love my Lord God, the great I AM
And so to Him this precious lamb I do impart

May the Lord accept this offering in my place
And look with favor upon me as I go my way
May the Lord turn to me His glorious shining face
And may He bless my steps each and every day

III. The Law of the Grain Offering (verses 14-23)

¹⁴ ‘This is the law of the grain offering: The sons of Aaron shall offer it on the altar before the Lord.

The directions here are a close repeat of Leviticus 2:1-3, but with some additions as well. The Hebrew says that the grain-offering was to be offered before the Lord and before the altar, not “on the altar” as the NKJV reads. Further, conducting this duty was limited to the sons of Aaron, meaning any of the descendants of him from that point on who were ordained to be priests.

¹⁵ He shall take from it his handful of the fine flour of the grain offering, with its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the grain offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma, as a memorial to the Lord.

These words are a close repeat of Leviticus 2:2, all of the symbolism as we saw points to Christ. The fine flour, the oil, the frankincense, all of it is given as anticipatory pictures of the coming work of Christ. It is He and His work which is ultimately the true sweet aroma and memorial to the Lord.

¹⁶ And the remainder of it Aaron and his sons shall eat; with unleavened bread it shall be eaten in a holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of meeting they shall eat it.

The word “with” does not belong here. The remainder of the grain-offering was not to be eaten “with” unleavened bread. Rather, it was to be eaten “as” unleavened bread. If your Bible says “with,” make a note. The grain-offering was to be made into unleavened cakes and then eaten in a holy place. Only males could eat this as it was deemed as a most holy offering. However, any male who ceremonially defiled could not partake of this offering.

¹⁷ It shall not be baked with leaven.

This shows that the word “with” in the previous verse is incorrect. The remainder of the offering was not to be baked with leaven. It was to be eaten as unleavened bread. The reason is…

^{17 (con’t)} I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, like the sin offering and the trespass offering.

Notice the use of the first person. The Lord claims this offering as His, but He gave it to the priests as their portion. Thus it is considered qodesh qadashim, or holy of holies. As leaven pictures sin, there was to be no leaven mixed with this most holy offering.

¹⁸ All the males among the children of Aaron may eat it. It shall be a statute forever in your generations concerning the offerings made by fire to the Lord.

The words are specific and exclude any female, and they also exclude anyone outside of the priesthood of Aaron and his sons from partaking of this offering. This was to be a statute forever according to the time of the continuance of the covenant. The term, “forever” simply means “to the vanishing point.” It does not mean eternally. In Christ, the law is ended, and the prohibitions no longer apply. However, as there are seven years left for Israel under the Old Covenant according to Daniel 9, then this prohibition will be in effect during those final seven years.

^{18 (con’t)} Everyone who touches them must be holy.’”

There are two views on this. The first is that only someone who was holy, or set apart, could touch these offerings. The second is that if someone touched them, they became holy. If the latter is true, and which seems to be the case, it means that any common person who touched them would become devoted to the Lord. As they had no right to the priestly privileges, it would mean a life filled with inconvenience because of their transgression.

¹⁹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

This introduces a new section within “the laws of” which began in verse 9, and they continue the laws of the grain offering, but the instructions are solely for the anointed priest concerning the grain offerings which apply to him, not to those of the general congregation.

²⁰ “This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the Lord, beginning on the day when he is anointed:

The wording here needs a moment of explanation. Aaron was anointed, and the ordination process took seven days to complete. During that time, this offering wasn’t made. It only took effect upon the completion of his ordination, and from that time forwards. The term “on the day” then is speaking of the time-frame of the ordination. Upon the completion of that time-frame, the offerings were to be made day by day.

^{20 (con’t)} one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a daily grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at night.

One-tenth of an ephah is an omer, or as much as a person would eat in a single day. This was to be offered each day as a grain-offering to the Lord, and it was to be divided into one portion in the morning, and the second in the evening. The term here for “night” is not the same as the time of day that the lamb was sacrificed. This word means precisely, “in the evening.”

²¹ It shall be made in a pan with oil. When it is mixed, you shall bring it in. The baked pieces of the grain offering you shall offer for a sweet aroma to the Lord.

The wording here is very precise, and it was solely the responsibility of the high priest to accomplish this task each day. He was to use a flat pan, like a griddle, mix it with oil, and bake the pieces before offering them to the Lord on the altar. Jewish tradition says he made six pieces in the morning and six at night, being the same number as the bread of the Presence, but this is not included as part of Scripture.

The word for “mixed” here is rabak. It is found just three times in Scripture, and all three are pertaining to this same process. It gives the sense of soaking bread in oil for the purpose of frying it.

²² The priest from among his sons, who is anointed in his place, shall offer it. It is a statute forever to the Lord.

The meaning here is that this duty each day rested solely with the high priest. Whoever succeeded him would then assume this particular duty. This is the meaning of “who is anointed in his place.” There was but one anointed priest at at time. Nothing is said about what was done if the high priest was sick or incapacitated. And this verse does not seem to give the high priest any chance of going on vacation, even for a weekend.

The duty was his, it was done twice a day, and it was done by him until he was succeeded by a new high priest. This was to continue on as long as the law remained in effect. As Christ is the fulfillment of this practice, and the Initiator of the New Covenant, the words “forever to the Lord” point to Him having accomplished this now, once and forever.

^{22 (con’t)} It shall be wholly burned.

The other grain-offerings brought by the people had a memorial handful taken out and presented to the Lord on the altar. After that, the rest belonged to the priests for their use. On the other hand, this offering had to be kalil taqetar, or wholly burned (as incense). The reason for this is that it would be unseemly to make an offering to the Lord and then partake in it. And, as he was the highest official, the offering could not be passed down to a lower station from Him. It was solely the property of the Lord, and it was to be wholly burnt up as an aroma to Him.

This offering which is not a bloody offering was not intended for expiation of sin, but was rather a type of the fruits of sanctification. Again, it looks forward to Christ. As the daily sacrificed lamb was a type of His cross as a perfect sin-offering, this is a type of His perfect life, lived wholly to God.

²³ For every grain offering for the priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

Again, the prohibition is repeated as a type of emphasis. The grain-offering of the priest belonged to the Lord, not to the priest. In picture, it is the priest living for the Lord, not for himself. As he is a type of Christ, it is emblematic of Christ living for God and not for Himself. He yielded His life to the Father, being literally saturated in the Holy Spirit, just as this bread was saturated in oil. This is what is seen in this daily grain-offering of the high-priest.

What will it take to please the Lord; how much work will do?
When will my deeds be enough?
I think I have satisfied Him through and through
But then I ponder about my life… all the bad stuff

And then I see that the bad outweighs the good
And so I do a bit more hoping it will be enough
But the nagging sensation makes it understood
That doing wrong makes the good disappear like a puff

And then I heard that He had done it all for me
Jesus’ works were perfect; God deemed it enough
Like frankincense, His life was accepted. How can it be?
His works are sufficient to cover all of my bad stuff

IV. The Law of the Sin Offering (verses 24-30)

²⁴ Also the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The word “also” here is inappropriate. It is the exact same words as have been seen at the beginning of each section. It should simply read, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,” just as it has each time. However, though it is a new direction from the Lord, it still continues the same major section which began in verses 8 and 9 which are commandments directly to Aaron and his sons. This section expands on the instructions given in Leviticus 4.

²⁵ “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the Lord. It is most holy.

The place where the burnt-offering is killed is specified in Leviticus 1:3 as being at the door of the tent of meeting, but this properly means, at the altar, and specifically on its north side (1:11). It is the sacrifice at the altar which allows entry through the door. The two are linked together as one. A sin offering is considered one which falls into the class of most holy offerings. As Albert Barnes notes about this term being applied here –

“The flesh of the victim, which represented the sinner for whom atonement was now made, was to be solemnly, and most exclusively, appropriated by those who were appointed to mediate between the sinner and the Lord. The far-reaching symbolism of the act met its perfect fulfillment in the One Mediator who took our nature upon Himself.” Albert Barnes

²⁶ The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it.

The symbolism here is that the priest thus bore the sin of the person that brought the offering. This is explicitly stated in Leviticus 10:17. Thus, it looks forward to Christ bearing the sin of His people. In practical day to day life, it also was a means of providing for the priests who had no inheritance of their own. Unfortunately, this symbolism of the priests bearing the sin of the people was abused by them when they went on to revel in their own sins. This is seen in Hosea 4 –

“The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
I will change their glory into shame.
⁸ They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their heart on their iniquity.
⁹ And it shall be: like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And reward them for their deeds.” Hosea 4:7-9

^{26 (con’t)} In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting.

The court is everything outside of the tent itself, but within the hangings which surrounded the tent, forming the courtyard. The priests would have a place set apart where they would gather and eat their meals within this courtyard.

²⁷ Everyone who touches its flesh must be holy. 

The same terminology is used here as before. Either the person touching the flesh must be holy, or the person who touches the flesh will become holy, meaning devoted to the Lord. Scholars punch it out over which is correct, but the latter does seem to be more likely. This seems even more so because of what is next said about the blood.

^{27 (con’t)} And when its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled, in a holy place.

Any blood which was inadvertently sprinkled on any garment needed to be washed off, there in a holy place designated for such things. This was done to show the high and precious value of the blood of the sacrifice which was not to be taken into any profane place, or among anything common or unclean. The blood of the sin-offering is typical of the precious blood of Christ which is to be treated with the highest respect and regard for what it signifies in the life of the believer.

²⁸ But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken.

The kheres, or earthen vessel, is introduced here. It is any pot or potsherd made of earthenware. If such a vessel was used for boiling the sacrifices, it was to be broken, because it could absorb the fat of the offering into it. Later in Leviticus, the exact opposite will necessitate the breaking of earthen vessels. If they touch anything defiled, they were to likewise be broken.

In the Bible earthenware jars are used at times to symbolize people and the Lord is the Potter. The lesson should not go unlearned. The holy is not to be mixed with the profane, and we, as earthen jars, are to be filled with that which is holy. After that, we are to keep ourselves from being mixed with that which is profane.

^{28 (con’t)} And if it is boiled in a bronze pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water.

A pot of bronze would not be subject to soaking up defilement, and so it would need to be scoured and then rinsed to purify it. Both words, scour and rinse, are introduced here. One gives the sense of polishing, the other gives the sense of overflowing with water in order to cleanse. As bronze signifies judgment in Scripture, there is a picture of sin being judged and cleansed away. In such a case, the bowl could be reused. Such was not the case with a vessel of clay.

The typology is impressive, and it shows that the Lord has our sanctification and holy living on His mind, even with the vessels used in the sacrificial rites and customs.

²⁹ All the males among the priests may eat it. It is most holy.

The meat of the sin-offering was allowed to be eaten not only by the officiating priest, but by any of the priests, and any of their male children. Despite the high honor of this for the priests, the New Testament says that believers in Christ have an even higher honor in that we have an altar from which those who served at the tabernacle have no right to eat. We have partaken of what these types and shadows only prefigure in the Person and work of Christ.

*³⁰ But no sin offering from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of meeting, to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the fire.

This takes us back to the sin offerings for the high priest, or of the congregation as a whole, which were seen in Leviticus 4, and which will be seen for the sin offering of the Day of Atonement rites of Leviticus 16. Any such sin offering had its blood brought into the holy place of the tent of meeting. There atonement was made by sprinkling seven times, and upon the horns of the altar of incense before the Lord. Such an animal was not to be eaten by the priests as it would then symbolize the sin returning to the one who needed atonement in the first place.

Again as we keep seeing, the verses show us of the fallible nature of the law. Not because the law was with fault, but because man is with fault, and the law is above man’s ability to to meet its requirements. The symbolism keeps showing us this.

Each step of the process shows the fallible nature of the common people, and the fallible nature of the priestly class as well. Anyone who has to sacrifice for himself is in need of that sacrifice. And any sacrifice that cannot be partaken of by the offeror implies that what has occurred with that sacrifice becomes beyond the holiness of the that same offeror.

In order for perfection to be realized under the law, there must be One who is already perfect. Thus He would need no sacrifices for His own sins, and He could then fulfill the law in this capacity. In fulfilling the law, then He could give His life in exchange for the sins committed under the law, not as an offering for Himself, but as an offering for others.

And as sin under the law brings death, but because He had no sin of His own, then death could not hold Him. One receives wages for what He has earned. If He did not earn the wages of death, then death could not be a final payment for His works. The state of death must release Him. And in His release, our release would also be realized because He had died in exchange for our sins. If you just think each step through to its logical conclusion, it is more than amazing… it is perfect. What God has done in and through Jesus Christ is absolutely perfect.

And it is ours to be received by a mere act of faith. This is the most marvelous part of the entire deal. The work is done and it is fully effective to complete the task of reconciliation for us, and all God asks for is simple faith. “I believe that what You have done is all-sufficient for what I need. I receive it by faith.” In that act, you are set on a new path, and are freed from the constraints of the law which could save no one.

I would hope that you are seeing this more and more with each new passage we look at. God has been doing something absolutely marvelous in the stream of human existence, all leading up to the glory which was revealed in Christ Jesus. And now that is leading up to a new glory which lies ahead for those who have received this marvelous offer. Call on Christ, and be reconciled to God today through His shed blood.

Closing Verse:  “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26

Next Week: Leviticus 7:1-21 More things for the priests to do… (The Mediator’s Duties, Part II) (9^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Mediator’s Duties

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words he was relaying

If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord
By lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him
For safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery
Or if he has extorted from his neighbor; an action quite grim

Or if he has found what was lost
And lies concerning it, and swears falsely
In any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins
Then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty

That he shall restore what he has stolen
Or the thing which he has extorted
Or what was delivered to him for safekeeping
Or the lost thing which he found, when it went unreported 

Or all that about which he has sworn falsely
He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it
And give it to whomever it belongs
On the day of his trespass offering, as to you I submit

And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord
A ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation
As a trespass offering, to the priest
Such is the set determination

So the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord
And he shall be forgiven for any one of these things
That he may have done in which he trespasses
When upon himself guilt he brings

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
This he next began relaying

Command Aaron and his sons, saying
This is the law of the burnt offering, as I to you submit
The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night
Until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it

And the priest shall put on his linen garment
He shall do this thing
And his linen trousers he shall put on his body
And take up the ashes of the burnt offering

Which the fire has consumed on the altar
And he shall put them beside the altar; in this he shall not falter

Then he shall take off his garments
Put on other garments; yes the others he shall replace
And carry the ashes
Outside the camp to a clean place

And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it
It shall not be put out, so to you I submit
And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning
And lay the burnt offering in order on it

And he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings, no doubt
A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out

This is the law of the grain offering; according to this word
The sons of Aaron shall offer it on the altar before the Lord

He shall take from it his handful of the fine flour of the grain offering
With its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the grain offering
And shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma
As a memorial to the Lord, so shall be this proffering

And the remainder of it Aaron and his sons shall eat
With unleavened bread it shall be eaten in a holy place
In the court of the tabernacle of meeting they shall eat it
It shall not be baked with leaven; such shall be the case

I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire
It is most holy, like the sin offering and the trespass offering too
All the males among the children of Aaron may eat it
Follow now as I am instructing you

It shall be a statute forever in your generations
Concerning the offerings made by fire to the Lord
Everyone who touches them must be holy
So shall it be according to this word

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These words the Lord began relaying

This is the offering of Aaron and his sons
Which they shall offer to the Lord
Beginning on the day when he is anointed
On that day according to My word

One-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a daily grain offering
Half of it in the morning and half of it at night shall be this proffering

It shall be made in a pan with oil
When it is mixed, in it you shall bring
The baked pieces of the grain offering you shall offer
For a sweet aroma to the Lord, such is this offering

The priest from among his sons
Who is anointed in his place, shall offer it
It is a statute forever to the Lord
It shall be wholly burned, as I to you submit

For every grain offering for the priest shall be wholly burned
It shall not be eaten: follow these instructions you have learned

Also the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These continued words He was relaying

Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying
This is the law of the sin offering; according to this word
In the place where the burnt offering is killed
The sin offering shall be killed before the Lord

It is most holy
This is how it is to be

The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it
In a holy place it shall be eaten, so shall it be
In the court of the tabernacle of meeting
Everyone who touches its flesh must be holy

And when its blood is sprinkled on any garment
You shall wash that on which it was sprinkled, in a holy place
But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken
Such instructions shall be the case

And if it is boiled in a bronze pot
It shall be both scoured and rinsed in water, so shall it be
All the males among the priests may eat it
It is most holy 

But no sin offering from which any of the blood
Is brought into the tabernacle of meeting
To make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten
It shall be burned in the fire, of them there shall be no eating

Lord God, in ourselves we are not acceptable to You
But You have made a way for it to come about
Through the offering of Your Son who is faithful and true
We can approach You without fear or doubt

We now can come home to You once again
We are reconciled through what Christ alone has done
May we be willing to share this marvel with all men
That God has given us new life through His Son

Praises to God who has done this most marvelous thing for us!
All praises to God, through our glorious Lord Jesus!

Hallelujah and Amen

Leviticus 5:1-19
The Trespass Offering

Have you ever been pulled over for speeding and had no idea you were 10 miles an hour over the posted speed limit? Since you had gotten onto the road, there was no speed limit sign. And it just happens that the last sign was posted one road BEFORE you turned onto it. How can it be your fault when something like that happens? Well it is. Ignorance of the law is _________?

The same is true with going to another state and finding out that something you are doing is against the law, whereas you do it in your state every day, and twice on Sunday. Too bad; so sad. Pay the fine, and dontchew whine.

This is the idea behind the passage today. There are things which caused the people to become guilty, even if they didn’t realize it. There are a variety of ways this could come about, but the fact that they did come about is all that matters. When the person discovered their transgression, they were considered guilty.

From there, they were to confess their guilt and then make an offering for atonement, or covering over, what they had done. This is what was expected of them. During times when people actually cared about their wrongs, the stream of blood from the sacrifices must have gone on and on.

I can look back on my life and think of countless times that I did something I later realized was not legal. Add in the times that I knew I was doing wrong, and the list would go on pretty much continuously. You do realize that the speed limit from here to my house has been set too low, and so it’s not really my fault that I go 60 instead of 40 most of the way.

Text Verse: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19

God has a standard, and that standard is the law. The law has expectations and demands which must be met, and it is the truly foolish person that would think, even for a moment, that they believed they perfectly met all of those requirements. And yet, there’s a guy in Sarasota, even right down the road from where we are now, that has the folks in his synagogue believing the he has done exactly that. A friend of mine attends there and he told me once that his rabbi perfectly meets all 613 of the law’s commands.

Well, I could probably show him at least a hundred that it is impossible for him to meet because there is no temple and there are no sacrifices, and so what he claims cannot be true. But even apart from that, nobody will ever tell me that they have never coveted. If they were to do so, I’d say then that they were also a liar… oops, there’s two. We could go on, but there is no point. We are told in Leviticus that the man who does the things of the law will live.

The unstated, but obvious implication is that the man who does not do the things of the law will die. One final command in the law which is kind of the death knell for this rabbi concerns that of the Prophet. The Lord told Moses, who then told the people that He would raise up a prophet like Moses who would speak the word of the Lord to people. He then said that whoever would not hear His words which He spoke in the Lord’s name, well it would be required of Him. That prophet is Yeshua, and this guy ain’t listening to the Lord through Yeshua. I would pray that he realizes the err of his ways before that great Day of judgment comes.

But for those of us who know Him, Yeshua, or “Jesus,” our debt is paid, our transgressions are covered over, and we have peace with God once again. Instead of many sacrifices for many infractions, we have one for all of them. Thank God for Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of everything pictured here in Leviticus. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Hidden Thing that Becomes Known (verses 1-13)

‘If a person sins

The last chapter dealt with the sin-offerings to be presented for various groups. There was one for the high-priest, being the spiritual head of the people. There was one for the whole congregation. There was one for a ruler of the people. And finally, there was one for the individual members of the congregation.

Now, specific instances of sins which are committed are identified. They are of a type which is of less magnitude than those mentioned in chapter 4. In the committing of these sins, there must be an offering for atonement to come about. In the Hebrew, the word nephesh, or soul, is used for “person” here. “If a soul sins…” It indicates that there is a will and a desire which drives the person, and it is that part of the person which is being highlighted. In all, three particular types of sin will be mentioned.

^{1 (con’t)}  in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—

The word here for “oath” is alah. It indicates a curse, cursing, an oath, swearing, etc. For this reason, some tie the offense being described in with a curse against another person, as in a verbal attack. However, this is not the intent of what is being said.

Rather, the main idea is that of a person being asked by the civil authorities to answer on oath, but subsequently refusing to tell what is known concerning the matter being looked into. The word is used in Psalm 10, where it is translated as “cursing.” But if the context is looked at, it is a cursing which is not a verbal attack on another, but rather one which is tied into deceit and oppression –

“His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.” Psalm 10:7

If one were to use the word “oath” instead of “cursing” there, the sense of the offense is better understood. “His mouth is full of oaths and deceit and oppression…” In other words, it is speaking of the kind of person who voluntarily makes oaths which are deceitful and harmful to others. “Mark’s money was stolen, did you know anything about this John?” “No, I swear I didn’t know a thing about it!”

As Israel is a society of people which forms a whole, it was an individual’s duty and responsibility to provide whatever the authorities needed to maintain the integrity of proper functioning of the society which was ultimately guided by God’s divine law.

There are times where a matter was being looked into, and an answer to the offense could not be found. In such an instance, it may be that the authorities would ask an entire congregation of people to make a vow, stating that they did not know anything about the offense which occurred. In this, if one of the people was aware of what occurred, but did not speak up, he was guilty.

The law of the unsolved murder of Deuteronomy 21:1-9 might be such an instance. If anyone aware of the offense did not come forward to speak during that rite, he was actually considered in the Lord’s eyes to have participated in what occurred. This had to be remedied. Until the matter was cleared up, it was an offense which carried its own burden…

^{1 (con’t)}  if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

The weight of the guilt was laid upon him. It is a matter of his conscience. He has committed a crime, and he is conscious of the sin he bore. This is evident because if he wasn’t conscious, there would otherwise be no reason to bring a sacrifice as will be prescribed in the coming verses. This is a willful concealing of a matter which affects some other part of the Lord’s overall control of the people through His law. Of this type of oath which is demanded of another, an example is found in the New Testament, at the trial of Jesus.

And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” ⁶³ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

⁶⁷ Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, ⁶⁸ saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?” Matthew 26:62-68

Jesus was placed under oath by the high priest. Because of the position of the high priest, He was bound by the Law of Moses, which He gave to Israel, to tell the truth. He did, and therefore He remained without guilt in the matter. There is an irony that runs through the Bible that is astonishing when properly considered.

² ‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing,

The second type of trespass is for that of defilement due to touching something unclean. Here the noun tame, or unclean, is used for the first time. It comes from the verb tame which is the act of defilement, such as when Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, was defiled by Hamor the son of Shechem in Genesis 34. It is a word which will become common in the Hebrew society from this point on. If a person came into contact with something defiled, they took on that state of defilement until it was dealt with. There are a host of things which would make one unclean in this way, such as…

^2 (con’t) whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things,

The word nebelah, or carcass, is introduced here. It indicates what is left after death; a corpse. In touching a corpse, defilement was transferred to the person who touched it. Three categories are given to show what corpse was included. The carcass of an unclean beast would be something like a pig. The carcass of unclean livestock might be a donkey, and the carcass of unclean creeping things would be something like a reptile. The general categories are given to signify all unclean animals in regards to dietary laws.

^2 (con’t) and he is unaware of it,

There are four likely reasons why a person would be unaware of his defilement. The first would be because he simply didn’t know he had touched something dead. The second would be because he was unaware of the requirement of the law which told him of his defilement. The third would be that he forgot he had touched something dead. And the fourth would be that he willingly ignored the offense. An example of someone doing this is given in Judges –

So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. ⁶ And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

⁷ Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. ⁸ After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. ⁹ He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. Judges 14:5-9

Samson was certainly aware of having touched the defiled animal, but he may have been unaware of the law, which is unlikely, or he may have simply ignored the command of the law. The parents became guilty through the act of eating the honey as well, but they were at this time unaware of the defilement. In all three cases, they were required to follow the procedures of the law given here when the trespass became known.

The matter extending to that which is unknown is important in that it shows that those who are even unaware of their defilement are still guilty. It is an exhortation then to be aware of one’s surroundings, and to not simply assume that passing through life is an excuse for one to not pay heed to what is going on around him. This is made explicit with the following words…

^2 (con’t) he also shall be unclean and guilty.

This, by default, is a ceremonial, not a moral guilt. The conscience is not naturally defiled by touching a carcass. However, because this is a part of the ceremonial law, a person is considered defiled ceremonially, and thus they bear guilt until they take the necessary action to have the guilt removed.

³ Or if he touches human uncleanness—

This is another new word, tum’ah. It is uncleanness which comes from being unclean. In other words, a human that is unclean because of defilement is in a state of defilement. A woman in the time of her period is in this state. A person who has a discharge is in this state. And so on. If any person touches such uncleanness, they too become defiled. This word is used in the instructions to Samson’s mother for the rule and conduct of his life –

So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. ⁷ And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’” Judges 13:6, 7

^3 (con’t) whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.

As with defilement of the previous verse, so it is here. The person is considered defiled whether they realize it or not. Once realized, they were to consider themselves guilty because they were guilty.

⁴ ‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips

Now a third way of becoming guilty is introduced. It is through the act of speaking in a certain manner. The word “swears” here is not meant in the way we use it today, such as in using a bad word. Rather it is swearing as in an oath or a vow. When a person so swears through speaking thoughtlessly, then guilt may come about. The words “speaking thoughtlessly” are a single word in the Hebrew, bata. It is a rare word, found only four times in the Bible. It means “to babble.” From that comes the idea of speaking rashly or unadvisedly. It is used in the psalms when speaking of Moses –

They angered Him also at the waters of strife,
So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
³³ Because they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips. Psalm 106:32, 33

So what we have in this verse is a person who speaks an oath in a rash manner to do something, but they don’t consider the oath afterwards, forgetting it when the trouble has subsided. A perfect example of this is found in 1 Samuel 25 –

Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. ²² May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.” 1 Samuel 25:21, 22

David made the vow to kill all of the males of Nabal’s household, but Nabal’s wife, Abigail, came to pacify David over the rude treatment he had received. David was, in fact, pacified. He never followed through with his vow, but he was now guilty because of it. If it was brought to his memory, he needed to rectify the matter.

Another such vow is found in Acts 23 where a group of Jews made a vow not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. It was less rash, than pre-planned, but it was still a vow which was not fulfilled. Unfortunately for them, Christ had died in fulfillment of the law. Thus, any sacrifice they made would have been unsuccessful in removing their guilt. Only in coming to Christ could they hope for their guilt to be removed.

^{4 (con’t)} to do evil or to do good,

This is an idiom which is all-encompassing concerning matters which fall under the extremes of good and evil, and thus it represents all human actions. If a vow is made from one extreme to the other, or anywhere in the middle, it is to be performed. If it is not, or if it was a rash vow that should not be performed, one is still guilty for the vow which had been made.

^{4 (con’t)}  whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

Again, as before, once the matter was brought to the attention of the offender, the person was guilty before the law. In being guilty, he would then need to seek pardon through the required sacrifices which are to be prescribed.

⁵ ‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing;

This covers all of the offenses noted so far – 1) remaining silent in hearing the utterance of an oath; 2) touching something unclean which brings about defilement; and 3) making a rash oath. In any such instances, when the matter is brought to mind, the person becomes guilty through the offense. When that happens, then the matter needs to be confessed as sin, because he has, in fact, sinned.

The necessity to confess shows that the offering itself is not sufficient without the confession. This is an advanced taste of the gospel itself. Jesus Christ is our sin-offering, and yet, without confession of one’s need for Jesus, the offering is not accepted on his behalf. In other words, there is no such thing as universal salvation. Atonement is unlimited in its potential scope, but it is limited in actuality. This is built upon by Paul in Romans 10 –

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10.8-10

Confession, whether of sin or for salvation, is necessary for things to happen.

⁶ and he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord 

The verb asham, which speaks of being guilty, was seen in chapter 4, and in verse 2 of this chapter, is now changed to the noun form, asham, which indicates the offering for that guilt. Here it is called a trespass offering. This is what is required for the committed sin which is now realized. It is, in essence, a fine which has become due for one who is guilty. Without the payment of the fine, the guilt remains. It is an anticipatory look to Christ, who is said to be our asham, or sin-offering in Isaiah 53 –

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin, (asham)
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Isaiah 53:10

As each offering unfolds and is explained, we continue to find hints of Christ to come, who alone could fulfill these countless types and pictures which were given to Israel until His incarnation.

^6 (con’t) for his sin which he has committed,

The words in Hebrew say, “for his sin which he has sinned.” To understand why I mention this now, stay tuned for verse 7.

^6 (con’t) a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering.

In chapter 4, the required offering for the sin of one of the common people was to be a female hairy goat, or a male lamb. Here, the same two are required. The only difference is that both, either lamb or goat, were to be females of the flock. The lesser valued of the species was specified most likely because these are sins of ignorance which have come to mind. Therefore, the Lord is granting an allowance for their now-realized transgressions.

^6 (con’t) So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

Through confession and offering, the atonement would then be handled by the attending priest, and the sin would be covered. It is, as with all such things, looking to the final work of Christ who is both our offering, and the One who offers the offering. The entire process of our atonement is of, by, and from Him. We simply need to confess and to receive what He has already done. It is not a difficult thing in one way, and yet it is something which is immensely difficult in another, because it requires faith.

⁷ ‘If he is not able to bring a lamb,

The Hebrew here forms a metonymy which says, “And if his hand is not able to reach what is sufficient for a lamb.” In other words, the hand is used to describe what the hand acquires. It would be like saying, “Sam’s head is not able to attain what is necessary for a degree.” The head is being used to signify the knowledge required for the degree. Here, the words are intended to mean that the person is too poor to be able to afford one of these two animals. In such a case, provision was made for him…

^{7 (con’t)} then he shall bring to the Lord, for his trespass which he has committed,

The words here say, “for his trespass which he has sinned.” Verse 6 said, “for his sin which he has sinned.” Different words from verse 6 are used to describe the same offense. Thus, the words “trespass” and “sin” must be considered synonymous in this context.

^{7 (con’t)} two turtledoves or two young pigeons:

These are the same offerings allowed for the poor which were seen in Leviticus 1:14. The Lord is granting allowances for the poor so that none are excluded from His mercy. Despite their lowly state in the society, they were of no-less value in the eyes of the Lord.

^{7 (con’t)} one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

Here, there is a difference between the birds and the other animals. One was to be for sin, the other was to be a burnt offering. It may seem curious at first, but it becomes obvious when considering the size of the birds. Because the fat parts of the bird could not be separated from the bird as with the other animals, and it was the fat part that was to be burned on the altar, and further because burning the bird completely on the altar would then destroy the nature of the trespass offering by making it a whole burnt-offering, two separate birds were used. The first would represent the Lord’s portion which would be burnt on the altar, while the second one would become the priest’s portion of the offering.

⁸ And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it completely.

This is similar to the procedures of Leviticus 1:15. Between those two verses are found the only uses of the word malaq in the Bible. It is a word which appears to mean “wringing the neck.” The head is wrung off, but it is not to be completely divided from the body.

⁹ Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar.

The wringing of the bird’s neck, and the sprinkling and pouring out of the blood give us the same picture as for the other animals. Christ’s death was violent, but it was offered for the sins of the richest even to the poorest. Each sacrifice has its own typical fulfillment in the work of the Lord.

^{9 (con’t)} It is a sin offering.

This is called a sin-offering, but nothing has been instructed about the blood being applied to the horns of the altar as was mandated in chapter 4. This and several other variations in the details show that the priest was to be attentive to the specifics of each offering, carefully ensuring that they were minutely fulfilled.

¹⁰ And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

The words, “according to the prescribed manner” are given to direct the priest’s attention back to the original instructions for the burnt-offerings which are detailed in chapter 1. In following those already-set guidelines, the priest would make atonement for the offender, and the sin would be considered forgiven.

¹¹ ‘But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering.

For the very poorest of the land, an even more merciful hand was extended. They were allowed to bring one tenth of an ephah, or less than one half a gallon, of fine flour. This was to be considered their acceptable sin-offering.

^{11 (con’t)} He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

As was seen in the grain offering, the flour pictured Christ, oil symbolizes the presence of the Spirit, and frankincense pictures works. All of these were offered in the grain offering, but only the flour is offered here. This is a sin-offering, intended for atonement. It demonstrates to us that God finds sin offensive and detestable. When sin is present, the Spirit is quenched and our works are unacceptable. Only in the offering of Christ can the sins be removed and atonement result.

¹² Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. It is a sin offering.

The procedure is similar to Leviticus 2:2, only that there was to be no oil or frankincense in the handful. Rather, the fine flour alone would be burnt as a memorial portion of the whole as an offering for sin. Though it is an offering without blood, it is still considered as a blood offering on behalf of the poor sinner. The burning of the flour still gives the needed picture of the sufferings of Christ.

¹³ The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’”

“In any of these matters” is speaking of one of the three types of offenses mentioned in verses 1-4. This non-blood grain offering has been accepted as a blood offering. Christ is our Bread of life, and He gave His body for us. Despite there being no death in reality at the altar, there is death in picture for us to consider and be thankful for. Even the poorest of all sinners has a suitable, merciful offering to God in Christ Jesus.

It is the law of the Lord
The standard by which our judgment will come
And any single infraction of the word
Will mean the sounding of the condemnation drum

How can I ever meet these commands?
Many speak of things I didn’t even know I’d done
The bar is too high, I cannot attain to His demands
I’ve transgresses so many, and all it takes is one

But now I understand what I had before not understood
I can be deemed as if justified in every precept, as if not failing one
What I thought was against me was for my good
Because every detail has been fulfilled in His Son

Through a simple act of faith, I am restored and whole
Now there is no condemnation; I am entered on heaven’s roll

II. The Holy Things of the Lord (verses 14-19)

¹⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

These are the exact same words, letter by letter, as were last seen in Leviticus 4:1. A new thought is now being introduced to consider.

¹⁵ “If a person commits a trespass,

A new type of offense is now introduced. It is the word maal which comes from a primitive root, and it essentially means, “to cover up.” It is used in a figurative sense as in acting covertly, and thus treacherously.

^{15 (con’t)} and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord,

“The holy things of the Lord”” is generally considered to mean things like neglecting to redeem the first-born, not observing the law of the tithe, failing to offer the firstfruits, and the like. It is a defrauding in spiritual matters. The intent of the words “sins unintentionally” is the same as before. When the matter is brought to the offender’s attention, it was to be rectified. Withholding such holy things was considered stealing from God and was an offense to Him. This is recorded in Malachi 3 –

“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8

^{15 (con’t)} then he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.

The Hebrew is obscure enough here where it can mean one of two things. It might mean the ram is to be valued and then a fifth is added to its price, or the value of the holy thing which he defrauded was to be set. Then a fifth was to be added to its price to make the total fine, and then a ram was to be added in for the satisfaction of the offering. The ram being worth a set price according to the shekel of the sanctuary. The latter makes more sense. It wouldn’t seem reasonable to have to only pay a ram when the tithe may have included rams, goats, oxen, and grain… or even more. This appears to be borne out by the next verse.

The ram is a symbol of strength. It is a defender of the flock as it can butt with its horns. The symbolism here fits Christ, in that these holy things of the Lord were to be provided for those who had no inheritance of their own, or who were living in poverty. This is true with priests in that they had no inheritance of land and were dependent on the people’s offerings for their livelihood. As far as the poor, this was especially true with the tithes. These things were there to provide for them –

“At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. ²⁹ And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” Deuteronomy 14:18, 29

Like the ram who defends the flock, the Lord is said in the 68^th Psalm to be a Father of the fatherless and a defender of widows. The symbolism is seen in the ram offering.

¹⁶ And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest.

This seems to lean to the thought that it is not the ram to which a fifth is added, but to the original amount defrauded. As I said, it would otherwise not make sense. The amount defrauded could be enormous in comparison to a mere ram. Once that was taken care of, then the ram would be presented.

^{16 (con’t)} So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

The procedures for the ram of the trespass offering are found in Leviticus 7, and they closely match those of the sin-offerings with a few exceptions.

¹⁷ “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.

In verses 17-19, we have a partial repeat of what was just seen in verses 14-16. The difference is that those in 14-16 were a matter of certainty. The offense was known, the amount could be set, and restitution had to be made. Here, however, there is a doubt in the matter. A person may have forgotten the details of his error, or he may feel that he has erred without really even knowing why. In such a case, even though he is unsure of his guilt, he is still guilty. I would call this, the state of constant stomach problems. It is as if the person is getting ulcers from the nagging guilt on his mind and he needs to have it taken away.

¹⁸ And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering.

When the person who feels he is guilty comes to the priest, he is to bring a ram without blemish, just as with the one of certain guilt. The valuation was to be set by the priest, just as before, but nothing is said of the one-fifth addition. The person has come forward over a matter he is not even sure of, and is not being penalized for his acknowledgment. Instead, the ram itself will be the only addition, and which is meant for atonement…

^{18 (con’t)} So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.

The life of the ram is sufficient for the sin of ignorance where the person erred and didn’t even know it. He stands forgiven because of the substitute. The picture of Christ’s work for us is marvelous. We have certainly offended God in ten million ways that we have forgotten about. And yet, the debt is paid and we stand justified before the Lord despite those sins known but to Him.

*¹⁹ It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”

asham hu ashom asham l’Yehovah – “Trespass offering it (is); trespassing, he has trespassed against Yehovah.” The intent here is that despite not having the fifth part added in, it is still considered a trespass-offering. In ignorance of the law, or whatever reason existed that brought the matter to mind now, there was no excuse for an infraction against the Lord. The sacrifice was necessary, and it was accepted as such by the Lord.

The special significance tied to this trespass-offering, is that there is a need for the satisfaction of such offenses against the Lord, and that these types and shadows lead to the Antitype which is found in Christ. He is the final, fully-sufficient, perfect, and complete, satisfaction for the sins of the world. Nothing needs to be added in, and all debts are paid in Christ Jesus.

And speaking of debts, a friend who watches theses sermons asked about the sin offering requirements of last week. In them, the least valuable offering authorized for a layman is a female lamb. He asked, “What about a poor person? If they could not afford a sin offering, wouldn’t that be a detriment for them as there was no other way, at that time, to make themselves right with God?”

I told him that the trespass-offerings we would look at this week would do just that. The severity of the sin offering though required a lamb. If a poor person couldn’t afford one, they could have someone else pay for their offering, something seen in the book of Acts concerning the paying of a vow for another. There was also the Day of Atonement which was given to cover their sins.

And also, this is what the tithing system was set up to do. It was there for the poor of the land to use, as prescribed in Deuteronomy. And finally, if they had no access to help by a friend, or from the collection of tithes to pay their sin-offering, they could always sell themselves for the money in order to pay the offering.

A Hebrew slave was to be given exceptional treatment during his time of servitude, and he was to be given provision when that time of slavery ended, which was at set intervals prescribed by the Lord. The question is, “Would a person be willing to sell himself into slavery in order to be obedient to the law of the sin offering?”

If so, then it showed his priorities were on the Lord and not on himself. In the end, we are all slaves to something. If we are a slave to sin, we cannot be a slave of the Lord. And if we are a slave of the Lord, then we are free from the condemnation which arises from sin.

The law was exceptionally gracious in its treatment of the people, and in the end, it is merely a reflection of the even more exceptional treatment which is found in Jesus Christ.

Closing Verse: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 2

Next Week: Leviticus 6:1-30 This will hopefully be a load of fun… (The Mediator’s Duties, Part I) (8^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Trespass Offering

If a person sins in hearing the utterance
Of an oath, and is a witness; yes, the truth is spilt
Whether he has seen or known of the matter
If he does not tell it, he bears guilt

Or if a person touches any unclean thing
Whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast
Or the carcass of unclean livestock
Or the carcass of unclean creeping things, from greatest to least

And unaware of it is he
He also shall be unclean and guilty 

Or if he touches human uncleanness
Whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled
And he is unaware of it
When he realizes it, then he shall be guilty
——— needing to be reconciled

Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly
With his lips to do evil or to do good
Whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath
And he is unaware of it; it was not understood

When he realizes it, so shall it be
Then in any of these matters guilty shall be he

And it shall be, when he is guilty
In any of these matters at hand
That he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing
That he does not understand 

And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord
For his sin which he has committed in this thing
A female from the flock
A lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering

So the priest shall make atonement for him
So shall it be concerning his sin

If he is not able to bring a lamb
Then he shall bring to the Lord
For his trespass which he has committed
Two turtledoves or two young pigeons, according to this word

One as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering
Such shall be his proffering

And he shall bring them to the priest
Who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, you see
And wring off its head from its neck
But shall not divide it completely 

Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood
Of the sin offering on the side of the altar, he shall do this thing
And the rest of the blood shall be drained out
At the base of the altar. It is a sin offering 

And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering
According to the prescribed manner; a task somewhat grim
So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf
For his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him

But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves
Or two young pigeons, he cannot bring
Then he who sinned shall bring for his offering
One-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering

He shall put no oil on it
Nor shall he put frankincense on it
For it is a sin offering
This to you I now submit

Then he shall bring it to the priest
And the priest shall take his handful of it, according to this word
As a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar
According to the offerings made by fire to the Lord

It is a sin offering
Such is to be this proffering

The priest shall make atonement for him
For his sin that he has committed in any of these matters
——- any such thing
And it shall be forgiven him
The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words he was then relaying

If a person commits a trespass
And sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord
Then he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering
A ram without blemish from the flocks, according to this word

With your valuation in shekels of silver he shall bring
According to the shekel of the sanctuary
As a trespass offering 

And he shall make restitution
For the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing
And shall add one-fifth to it
And give it to the priest; so shall be his offering

So the priest shall make atonement for him
With the ram of the trespass offering
And it shall be forgiven him
The Lord shall forgive his trespass in this thing

If a person sins, and commits any of these things
Which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord
Though he does not know it
Yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity; so stands the word

And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock
With your valuation, as a trespass offering
So the priest shall make atonement for him
In which he erred, his ignorance this thing regarding

And did not know it
And it shall be forgiven him as I to you submit

It is a trespass offering; so understand the word
He has certainly trespassed against the Lord

Lord, how many countless times have we offended You
In things we have done, and those things left undone as well
We have hidden our hands from what is right
And have earned a one-way path to hell

And yet through one marvelous offering
The sins of all the world are taken away
If we but come to Jesus
If we to Him call out and pray

Marvelous are You O God for what You have done for us
You have come in human flesh; You have come O Lord Jesus
Thank You for being our Substitute; now hear our praise
Thank You O God Almighty; we sing to You now and for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 4:13-35
The Sin Offering, Part II

For as long as 3000 years, there has been in India what we would call the Caste system. The word is actually derived from the Portuguese word casta which means “race, breed, lineage” and the like. That was derived from an earlier concept meaning “pure” or “unmixed.”

The actual words used to describe the Caste system are Varna and Jati (Jaytee). Varna means “color” and is used as a framework for grouping people into classes. Jati means “birth.” This is considered to have its basis in religion. In the end, this is not uncommon in the world. Religion often finds ways of oppressing people. In the case of the Indian Castes, there are five major groups. At the top are the Brahmins, and at the bottom are the Dalits.

None of the Castes are to intermarry, but the poor Dalits, or untouchables, aren’t even be spoken to or looked at for the most part. As a Caste, they are considered so low that they aren’t even considered a Caste. They were excluded from the four-fold Varna system and simply formed into the unmentionable “Fifth Varna.” And so they are a Caste that isn’t a Caste.

Although there are high-ranking and low ranking people within the Hebrew society, there is the underlying truth that all humans are created in God’s image and are of equal worth. This may not always be the idea which comes forth out of many Jewish sects today. Some of the religious sects look at the Gentile world as “far below them.” They are the righteous and favored, the Gentiles are the dogs. Such is life for those who reject the truths of the Bible, or who selectively pick and choose certain verses to merge with a presupposition about others.

Even in Christianity, there have been those who have used the Scriptures to justify the notion that one group of people is less valuable than another. Slavery, subjugation of other people groups, and a diminishing of the value of life grows naturally out of a liberal view on humanity.

However, the more biblically fundamental a person is, and the more conservative they are in their life, political, and work ethic, the more a true sense of value for human life is realized. The notion of abortion becomes abhorrent, the concept of euthanasia is seen for the evil that it truly is, and the equality of all men is brought into its highest place. Why is this? It is because the ground is level at the foot of the cross.

There is but one offering by which all must come to God the Father. The richest person can offer no more, and the poorest person can come with no less. The cross is, above all, the great equalizer. No wonder the lower Castes in India love the message of the gospel, and the higher classes shout to have it banned.

The Old Testament focuses almost solely on the Hebrew people and their relationship with God, with but a few exceptions. The outside nations did their own thing, and they were, for the most part, regarded in a negative light, but the value of the individual – whether Hebrew or Gentile – is actually quite prominently on display.

However, if we were to just look at the dealings within the Hebrew society, and nowhere else, we would note that there is no such thing as a Caste system. There were Hebrew slaves, but they became that way for a reason, and they were to be given their freedom after certain intervals of time, or if certain other occasions required it by law.

There were also nobles within the society, but they were bound under the exact same laws as everyone else. In the end, one cannot find a system where the poor, or certain other groups, were intentionally kept subjugated by the framework for the society which is the Law of Moses. In fact, just the opposite is true.

Text Verse: “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20, 21

The sin offerings of Israel highlight the fact that all were bound under the law, all had to come to God for forgiveness when they transgressed the law, and all were given equal forgiveness when they came forward for it. But within the sin offerings, there are clues that God actually exalted the lowly. The terminology used in the verses today highlights the offerings of the poor people in a way that is not highlighted for the high priest or the ruler who sinned. These things need to be highlighted, because they show that God looks on the poor and lowly and regards them.

He doesn’t look more favorably on some and less on others just because of their looks, the size of their pocketbook, or the type of car they drive. Instead, he looks on the heart and determines the value of the person. As I said, at the foot of the cross, the ground is level. What a wonderful God to allow all who will come, to come.

If you have bad breath because you can’t afford to go to the dentist, or if you make minimum wage and live with your parents because there is no other place you can afford, that in no way means that you are lacking worth in God’s sight. If you have called on Christ, you are well-loved and highly favored. Paul writes about that a lot in the New Testament. We’ll get there soon enough, but it’s even evident here in the Old. Yes, these things are all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Sin of the Congregation (verses 13-21)

¹³ ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally,

As was saw in the previous sermon, the words of verse 3 which say, “…if a person sins,” is speaking of each of the categories that will then be listed. The first was a sin of the high priest. The next category is now given which deals with the entire congregation. The categories are following a descending ladder of importance.

If the high priest were to sin, there could be no mediation for anyone until his sin was atoned for. That is why his category was first. Now, the sin of the entire congregation is given. As a unified whole, atonement must be made before the congregation can have a proper relationship with the Lord once again. An example of corporate guilt is that of the sin of Achan in Joshua 7.

One person transgressed the command of the Lord, but it brought guilt upon the entire congregation. Until that sin was dealt with, the entire congregation was considered as guilty. This type of corporate sin is seen again in 1 Samuel 14 when the people collectively slaughtered and ate meat which still contained the blood in it. This is the type of sin being referred to here.

The word which is translated as “unintentionally” is shagah. This is the first of 21 times it will be used. It means to cause to go astray or to make wander. It in essence is the committing of sin through ignorance. For example, in Proverbs it is used of the person being led astray, not the one doing the leading –

“Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
But the blameless will inherit good.” Proverbs 28:10

There would be two kinds of unintentional sin which would qualify here. The first would be where attention is called to the sinfulness of an act, and that sin is then acknowledged. The second would be where a sinful act is not understood to be sinful until the law is explained. Once the explanation is given, and the deed was realized as sinful, a sin-offering would be needed. Either way, what was wrong was revealed after being hidden…

^{13 (con’t)} and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which should not be done, and are guilty;

These words show the fundamental truth that ignorance before the law is no excuse. The congregation has violated a commandment and they bear guilt because of it. In 2 Samuel 21, we will see that when Saul violated the covenant which was made between Israel and the Gibeonites, there was a famine in the land because of it. David had to inquire of the Lord to find out why the famine persisted. Such examples show that the congregation was considered guilty before the Lord because a violation of a covenant between men is still a violation of the Lord’s word because vows are to be held sacred.

Here two new words are introduced into the Bible. The first is alam, translated here as “hidden.” It means blind, hide self, secret thing. It comes from a root meaning to veil from sight. Solomon uses it in Ecclesiastes as a thing hidden from sight –

“For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14

The second new word translated here as “and are guilty” is asham. This word is variously translated, having come from a root which means “to be guilty.” Thus, by implication, it can mean “to be punished” or even “to perish.” Ezekiel, speaking of the sins of Jerusalem, uses the word to identify their guilt –

“You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries.” Ezekiel 22:4

And so with these two new words, we see that even with a sin that was hidden from the people’s knowledge, they were still considered guilty. That leads to our next verse…

¹⁴ when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting.

Other than the Day of Atonement, there would be no reason for an offering for sin when there was no idea that the congregation had sinned. However, should the sin become known, an offering would then be required. What is implied is that if one was not made after the guilt was realized, the sin would go from being unintentional to intentional. To avoid this, the offering had to be made. In this case, the same offering as for that of the high priest of verse 4 would be required, a young bull.

Because the whole congregation was guilty, it included the high priest. Therefore, in type and picture, there needed to be the same sin-offering as there was for just the priest. As we saw, the bull points to Christ. Without a sin-offering for the priest, who is included in this transgression, there would be no one to mediate between the people and God. Having said this, we read the following in Numbers 15:24 –

“…then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering.”

Here in Leviticus a bull is the stated requirement, but in Numbers, the sin-offering is to be a goat. The difference is believed by some to be that Numbers is speaking of a sin of omission concerning a ceremonial duty rather than a violation of a commandment. However, it never says this.

What seems more likely is that the sin-offering mentioned in Numbers 15 is speaking of that which is detailed for the sin of the congregation on the Day of Atonement. The priest offered a bull for his sins during the year, and then he offered a goat for the sins of the people. If, however, the sin is recognized during the year, before the day of atonement, and which involved the whole congregation, then a bull was to be used for all of the people, including the high priest.

And, as a point of clarification, this verse says that “the assembly” shall offer the bull. The intent is not that every person in the congregation would have to lay their hands on the animal. Rather, it is an idiomatic expression that the bull will be offered on behalf of the assembly. Whether the leaders of the tribes, or certain designated people performed the ritual, they stood on behalf of the entire assembly. This becomes more evident with the next words…

¹⁵ And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord. Then the bull shall be killed before the Lord.

The NKJV has done a good job of terminology in these three verses. Two different words are used for “congregation” and “assembly” in the Hebrew. As two different words are used, it makes sense to distinguish them in the English as well. They are both very close in meaning, but the Lord decided to use them both, so hat’s off to the NKJV for being precise.

There is the assembly which is here noted as being a congregation, led by these elders. It is they who are designated to lay their hands upon the head of the bull in the presence of the Lord. Thus, they are signifying the transfer of the sin from the entire congregation, through them, to the bull. As the high priest shared in the guilt of the congregation, and as he belonged to a tribe of Israel, then we can infer that either he, or a designated leader of Levi, would stand and confess for the entire tribe. Once this was done, the bull was then to be slaughtered. Again as always, there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood. An innocent must die in the place of the guilty.

¹⁶ The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting.

This verse corresponds to verse 5, and the wording is very similar in the Hebrew. The same procedures were to be followed because the matter involved the mediator who stood between the people and the Lord. As he was to come into the holy place each day, he would be unqualified to do so unless his sin – which was united with the whole congregation – was dealt with first. His duties would be ineffective, and therefore there would be no forgiveness for himself or the people he represented.

¹⁷ Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil.

Again, the words are very similar to, but not exactly the same as, those in verse 6. As with verse 6, every detail points to Christ. If you missed that sermon, you have your assignment for this evening. Just as God created in six days and rested on the seventh, being satisfied with His accomplished work, so the blood is sprinkled until there is satisfaction for the sins committed. This picture of the work of Christ is realized in the seventh sprinkling. In all ways, whether it is a Sabbath day observance, or full cleansing from sin, each instance of Christ’s work shows completion for the believer.

¹⁸ And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Once again, this verse is similar to verse 4:7. It says essentially the same thing, just restructuring the words a bit. However, the same procedures are followed as for that sin-offering.

¹⁹ He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.

This verse is a condensed form of verses 4:8-10. What was more exactingly described then, is now simplified. However, it carries the same meaning.

²⁰ And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

The same result of atoning for the high priest’s sins of the earlier verses will be the result for the entire congregation in these verses. The sin of the high priest, which was included in the sin of the congregation was forgiven, and thus his mediation on behalf of the people is to be accepted as well. The sin-debt was removed in the death of the bull and its associated rituals.

²¹ Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull.

This verse corresponds to verse 12. As was done with the bull for the high priest’s sin, so is done with the bull for the sin of the congregation.

^{21 (con’t)} It is a sin offering for the assembly.

The sin-offering did not undo the sin, and any wrong which was done was left unchanged, but the guilt for the sin was removed. The sin was taken from His sight so that the people stood before Him without fault. A New Testament equivalent of this corporate sin is found in Acts 3 –

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
¹⁷ ‘Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.’” Acts 3:13-17

The people of Israel crucified Christ in ignorance, and thus they were guilty. However, as He is the final sacrifice for the sins of the people, which these only looked forward to, then their collective guilt remained. One must go outside the camp to Christ, just as the carcass of the bull was carried outside the camp. The collective guilt of Israel remains to this day. Until they collectively call out to Him, the national guilt will remain. Such is the nature of rejecting the One to whom these rites and rituals only pointed. This will become abundantly evident when we get to Leviticus 16. Stay tuned for amazing details.

We have sinned and now we realize what we have done
We rejected God’s offer, the Gift he sent to us
We have crucified our Lord, God’s perfect Son
Together we have rejected the Lord Jesus

But we did it in ignorance and so there is hope
For us there is an offering for sin
It is through His blood, atonement unlimited in scope
Through Him peace is restored, and there can be fellowship again

Thank God for His tender mercies upon us
Thank God for this marvelous thing He has done
Through the cross of Calvary and the death of Jesus
We are whole once again, and the victory is won

II. The Sin of the Ruler (verses 22-26)

²² ‘When a ruler has sinned, and done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord his God in anything which should not be done, and is guilty,

The next category to be specified is the nasiy, or ruler. It is a common word which is translated as “prince,” “chief,” “captain,” “ruler,” etc. The word is derived from nasa, which means “to rise,” or “to lift.” Thus, it is one lifted up or exalted. What this particular verse is referring to is debated. Some say it is speaking of a main ruler, like the judge or king of Israel. Others say it is referring to anyone placed above others, as in a leader of a tribe.

However, if we look at the other sin-offerings, we may come to the correct conclusion. In verse 4:2, 4:3, 4:13, and 4:27, at the beginning of each category, it uses the term Lord, meaning Yehovah. However, in this verse, it says Yehovah elohav, or “The Lord his God.” Thus, it appears to be speaking of a ruler who is appointed directly by God.

In Numbers 1, the leaders of each tribe were designated by name. Probably, this sacrifice would then include them. Moses was specifically called, and so this would probably refer to him. Judges were called by God, and so it would seem to refer to them. The kingly line was called by God, and so it would likely refer to them. It would not be right to be dogmatic here, but the specific term seems to speak out to one who was specifically called by God, and then those who followed after them in that same line afterwards. Whatever the true meaning, when this person sinned unintentionally before the Lord his God, he became guilty.

²³ or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge,

This is all one thought, and so it should read “and,” “if,” or “also,” but not “or.” The word in Hebrew is ow, and so most translations say “or,” but because it is one continuous thought, it indicates the result of what he has learned. He committed a sin, and then at some point he became aware of it. Upon realizing the error, he must make atonement for that same sin.

^{23 (con’t)} he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats,

The animal here is not a bull, but rather a goat, but more specifically it is a sa’iyr izzim, or hairy goat. The word sa’iyr was first used to describe Esau, the hairy son of Isaac. To understand the significance of this offering, one must understand the significance of hair in the Bible. It denotes awareness. But more specifically, it denotes an awareness of sin. Esau was used as a picture of Adam, who gained a conscience, at the time of the fall.

Thus, the hairy goat is used as a symbol of the consciousness of sin. The bull pictured Christ the high priest. Likewise, it pictured Christ the leader of the congregation, to whom the congregation is united. Here, the goat pictures Christ, who came to die for the awareness of sin in fallen man. He is the sin-offering for all who acknowledge their sin, because they are conscious of it. In this case, it is the ruler of the people who is accountable to God for his sin.

^{23 (con’t)} a male without blemish.

Only a perfect specimen could be sacrificed in place of the sin of the ruler. Again, it looks to Christ who, as Peter notes, was without spot or blemish. He was the perfect Sacrifice for the sins committed by one appointed by God because He too was appointed by God, but was without sin of His own.

²⁴ And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat,

As always, this signifies that the guilty is requesting mercy because an innocent is being offered in place of the offender. It looks to Christ as our perfect Substitute, dying in our place.

^{24 (con’t)} and kill it at the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord.

This is on the north side of the altar, corresponding to the north part of Jerusalem where Christ died in fulfillment of the prophetic picture which we are here given. As in type, so in Anti-type…

^{24 (con’t)} It is a sin offering.

The hairy goat took the place of the man who had become conscious of his sin. The conscious Christ, takes the place of those appointed by God to lead, and who become conscious of their sin, requesting God’s mercy and that they be pardoned through Christ who removes the guilt from them.

²⁵ The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

Here, the blood does not need to be carried into the Holy place and handled as it was for either the high priest or the whole congregation. This is because in fulfillment of the type, Christ died, thus becoming our high priest. He is able to purify His people constantly, having no sin of His own to restrict Him from entering the Lord’s presence.

The horns denote the presence and power of God. As there are four pointing out in four directions, they denote the power of God in Christ which is realized to the four corners of the earth. His sacrifice is sufficient to forgive any and all who come to Him. His omnipresence and omnipotence are thus symbolized in these horns.

²⁶ And he shall burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of the peace offering.

As we saw, and without repeating all of the details, the fat looked forward to Christ and His work. It was to be burned as incense upon the altar to be a sweet fragrance to God. Such is the atonement of man’s sin through the work of Christ for him.

We are at verse 26, and we have already seen about 6 jillion pictures of Christ. Every aspect of these seemingly mundane and outdated rituals points directly to our wonderful Savior who has done all of the work necessary to reconcile us to God.

^{26 (con’t)} So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin,

As I just noted, Christ is our High Priest. As the work of Christ is the fulfillment of what was needed for the priests, they can now be used to picture his work. He is the One who makes atonement for us. As you can see, each subsequent offering follows logically after the one which precedes it. One step at a time, the entire process is given to show us the totality of what He has done for us.

^{26 (con’t)} and it shall be forgiven him.

This forgiveness is judicial, meaning that it is legally forgiven. Thus, it is forgiven from a civil standpoint within the community, and it is also forgiven in an actual manner as well. This means that it is really and forever forgiven based upon faith in the Messiah to come. Faith, however, is the key. The prophets of Israel speak of the useless nature of offerings which were made without true repentance for what the offerings signified.

What kind of a ruler have I been?
I am supposed to be an example for those under me
And yet, I have transgressed the command, am I done in?
My sin is exposed; I have been found guilty

But I know God’s law offers mercy for what I have done
With an offering at the altar I can find release
I confess my sin against God, against the Holy One
And in my offering, the enmity will cease

Thank God for the cross of Calvary where my sin is put away
Thank God for the blood shed there for me
In calling out for mercy shines the light of a new day
Such glorious forgiveness streaming from that cross on Calvary

III. The Sin of the Common People (verses 27-35)

²⁷ ‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty,

When I lived in Malaysia, they had a term for indigenous people, bumiputera, or sons of the soil. This was a term brought in from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra – bhumi meaning “earth” or “land,” and putra meaning “son.” The Malay people adopted this term in the 1970s to refer to themselves because they lived there all along.

However, the Chinese moved in, and like Chinese do, they worked hard and procreated quickly. They became wealthy, prosperous, and numerous. The Malays live a little less aggressively. Nap time is more important than work time, and eating durian is preferable to racing off to the tin mines.

Eventually, the Malays, who were still in the majority, voted themselves in many benefits at the expense of the harder working Chinese. Had they not done this, they would never get nice cars and houses… working for stuff like that is so much more difficult than having someone else do it for you. In America, you would lump them under the larger term “democrat.” Instead of eating durian, they mostly prefer Starbucks, but the attitude is the same.

This has nothing to do with the sin-offerings mentioned here, except that the fourth category of sin-offering is that of the am ha’arets, or “people of the land.” It is a term which indicates all of the common people.

Here though, the words v’im nephesh ahat are used – “And if soul, one.” In other words, rather than a corporate sin as was seen in verses 13-21, this is speaking of the sin of an individual, but not one of the other two categories of the high priest or the ruler. This group of individuals will finish up the sin-offering requirements. If any one person so designated was to commit an unintentional sin as is specified, and they become guilty…

²⁸ or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge,

Again as in verse 23, rather than being a contrasting word, “or,” this should be a word of explanation, “and.” He has sinned, and now the sin has come to his attention. When this is the case…

^{28 (con’t)} then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed.

The offering here, instead of being a sa’yir, or male hairy goat, is to be a seirah, or female hairy goat. The reason for the change is the same as with the other offerings. The female was of less value, and therefore it was more affordable for the common people. As always, the Lord is looking after the people, attending to them in the most merciful way. However, the symbolism is the same. The hairy goat is a symbol of the awareness of sin.

²⁹ And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.

These words very closely correspond to those of verse 24 with just a few small changes in the wording. The acknowledgment of sin is made, the hands are placed, and the animal is slaughtered at the north side of the altar. How could Christ do this for us!

³⁰ Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar.

This verse very closely corresponds to verse 25. There is small change in the wording, and the intent is the essentially the same. Every type and picture of Christ seen then for the ruler is seen again here for the people of the land, the common folk.

³¹ He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord.

Just as with the previous offering, so it is with this one. The fat which was detailed for there is removed in this one also, and it is burnt as incense to the Lord. However, unlike the offering for the high priest, the congregation as a whole, or the ruler, the words “for a sweet aroma to the Lord” are added.

Although the particular word, qatar, or that of burning like incense, was used in all of them, only this sin-offering includes the extra words of favor. Each detail is repeated, and even expanded on, to show that the sin of the lowly person is forgiven just as fully and as graciously as it is for the greatest of all. In fact, the forgiveness of the lowly person is actually exalted in the use of the terminology.

^{31 (con’t)} So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

As it was for Israel with a fallible high priest, so it is for those in the church with the perfect and eternal High Priest. The common folk are provided the same atonement, and they receive the same forgiveness.

³² ‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.

As an additional option for the common folk, a kebes, or lamb could be brought instead of a hairy goat. The word kebes is used more than 105 times, and yet all but less than 20 are used in connection with sacrifices. The word comes from a root which means “to dominate.” It thus symbolizes Christ’s domination over sin, and so this offering is an acceptable one for this reason. In this lamb, we hear the words of John the Baptist ringing out –

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

This, like all other sacrifices, was to be tamim, or without blemish.

³³ Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering.

These words are very close to those of verse 29. All pointing to Christ, all calling us to remember His marvelous deeds which for 1500 years were typified, day in and day out, at the sanctuary where the people came to confess and be restored to a right standing with the Lord.

³⁴ The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar.

These words are practically identical to those of verse 30, but with only a couple small changes. Exactly the same ritual is performed here as with that of the female goat, and that ritual points ahead in time to the cross of Calvary, and the pure and perfect atonement which is found in Christ Jesus the Lord.

*³⁵ He shall remove all its fat, as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering. Then the priest shall burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

These words closely correspond to those of verse 31, telling us the same thing once again. The only major difference here is that a lamb can be selected instead of a goat. Both animals picture Christ in their own way, and both are thus ultimately fulfilled in His one-time and for-all-time sin-offering for the common people. How blessed we are to be the recipients of such marvelous wonder!

Though I have tied each and every offering in to that of Christ’s offering, it should be noted that the Greek word used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21, which was our text verse for the day, is harmartian – a sin-offering. That same word was used by the Greek translators of the Old Testament more than 80 times for the Hebrew word khatta’ah, or sin. It is then translated into the English as “sin-offering.”

The Lord has spent an enormous amount of time in man’s history here on earth trying to wake us up to the fact that it is all about Jesus Christ. Every word, not just from a biased view by myself or an aberrant group of Jesus-nut scholars, but every word from countless texts and commentaries which span the ages, shows us that Jesus Christ is the sole Person that God wants us to focus on.

Let’s do our best to not get caught up in fawning over sports stars, eloquent orators, fancy musicians, or even have crazy ideas about religious figures like Mary, Krishna, muhammed, or anyone else. Instead, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, let us fix our attention on His word, and let us secret away in our hearts God’s love for us, all prominently displayed in the cross of Calvary.

May our one boast be in the cross of Christ by whom the world has been crucified to us, and we to the world. Live your life with that high and noble banner ever before you. Jesus Christ is our sin-offering. He is the perfect and unstained Lamb of God who truly and forever takes away the sin of the world. Praise God for Jesus Christ our Lord.

Closing Verse: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

Next Week: Leviticus 5:1-19 Something to make your heart sing…(The Trespass Offering) (7^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Christ, Our Sin Offering

Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally
And the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly

And they have done something against
Any of the commandments of the Lord
In anything which should not be done
And are guilty, according to His word

When the sin which they have committed
Becomes known, then the assembly
Shall offer a young bull for the sin
And bring it before the tabernacle of meeting, so shall it be

And the elders of the congregation
Shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord
Then the bull shall be killed before the Lord
This is according to My word

The anointed priest shall bring
Some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting

Then the priest shall dip his finger
In the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord
In front of the veil
So he shall do according to this word

And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar
Which is before the Lord
Which is in the tabernacle of meeting, in this he shall not falter

And he shall pour the remaining blood
At the base of the altar of burnt offering
Which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting
Such shall be the appropriate proffering

He shall take all the fat
From it and burn it on the altar
And he shall do with the bull
As he did with the bull as a sin offering; in this he must not falter

Thus he shall do with it
To this he shall commit

So the priest shall for them atonement make
And it shall be forgiven them for their sake

Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp
And burn it as he burned the first bull
It is a sin offering for the assembly
Yes, for the assembly as a whole

When a ruler has sinned
And done something unintentionally
Against any of the commandments of the Lord his God
In anything which should not be done, and is guilty

Or if his sin which he has committed
Comes to his knowledge, so he shall do
He shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats
A male without blemish, as I am instructing you

And he shall lay his hand
On the head of the goat, which is his proffering
And kill it at the place where the burnt offering is killed
Before the Lord. It is a sin offering

The priest shall take some of the blood
Of the sin offering with his finger, such is the case
Put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering
And pour its blood at the altar of burnt offering’s base

And he shall burn all its fat on the altar
Like the fat of the sacrifice of the peace offering
So the priest shall make atonement for him
And it shall be forgiven him, his sin concerning

If anyone of the common people
Sins unintentionally by doing something
Against any of the commandments of the Lord
Which ought not to be done, and is guilty in anything

Or if his sin which he has committed
Comes to his knowledge, so it is now admitted

Then he shall as his offering
A kid of the goats bring

A female without blemish, so shall it be
For his sin which he has committed against Me

And he shall his hand on the head of the sin offering lay
And kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering
As to you I now say

Then the priest shall take
Some of its blood with his finger, let this be the case
Put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering
And pour all the remaining blood at the altar’s base

He shall remove all its fat
As fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering
And the priest shall burn it on the altar
For a sweet aroma to the Lord, an acceptable proffering

So the priest shall for him make atonement
And it shall be forgiven him without postponement

If he brings a lamb as his sin offering
He shall a female without blemish bring
Then he shall lay his hand on the head
Of the sin offering

And kill it as a sin offering, such the proffering
At the place where they kill the burnt offering

The priest shall take some of the blood
Of the sin offering with his finger, in this he shall not falter
Put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering
And pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar

He shall remove all its fat
As the fat of the lamb is removed
From the sacrifice of the peace offering
This instruction is what I have approved

Then the priest shall burn it on the altar
According to the offerings made by fire to the Lord
So the priest shall make atonement for his sin
That he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him
——-According to this word

Our Lord Jesus died outside the walls of the city
He died there for the sins of all men on that day
God demonstrated His merciful pity
And in that crucified body, God has opened the way

We now can come home to Him once again
We are reconciled through what He alone has done
May we be willing to share this marvel with all men
That God has given us new life through His Son

Praises to God who has done this most marvelous thing for us!
All praises to God, through our glorious Lord Jesus!

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 4:1-12
The Sin Offering, Part I

There is an elderly gentleman who comes to 7-11 many mornings while I’m working there. He’s a really nice guy, and after seeing me working for several months, he came up and got friendly with me as many people eventually do. They realize I’m not just a bum sorting through the garbage, but rather, I’m the guy picking up and taking out the garbage.

I guess the bare feet, dirty clothes, and shaggy beard lead to the initial impression which has to be overcome through repetitive visual experience. But as I tell folks once they get to know me, “I’m not going to wear a suit and tie to take out the trash.”

Anyway, this guy eventually found out that I preach. Probably, he heard one of the people behind the counter holler out, “Good morning Pastor” when I walk in to get trash bags. I think they do this on purpose to see the reaction of the people standing in line, looking at me as if I need to be ejected from the store.

Somehow he figured it out, and since then he has come up to me and hinted at wanting to come by the church some time. Each time he does, I tell him he’s always welcome. I’ve let him know that he would be a spring chicken there – he’s only in his 80’s. I tell him this so he knows it’s not just a biker church or something.

He’s driven by, he knows where it is, and I know he’s looked into the windows… I just know it. He really wants to come by, but I think he’s afraid of something in his past which he thinks will prevent him from being accepted. Maybe he thinks hell’s fire will burn him up when he steps through the door. I just don’t know. Whatever it is, he must be ignorant of God’s grace, and he must have gone astray at some point in his life in a way which he feels is simply beyond that grace.

Text Verse: “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.” Hebrews 5:1-3

My old friend at 7-11 came up to me the week I typed this sermon, and he said, “I know what you can do for me… When I die and get up to the gates, I’m hoping you will put in a good word for me.” I told him that wouldn’t do any good at all. I said that if he was hoping on me being his advocate, he had his hope in the wrong place. But I told him that Jesus would put in a good word for him if he just received Him.

He backed away, as he always does, and said, “Well, I was really just kidding, you know.” I know he wasn’t. He is truly scared of death and he sees that I am not. He wants someone he can trust to help him with the problem he knows exists. As I sat typing, I also sat praying. He needs Jesus; we all need Jesus.

Everyone of us knows that the disconnect is there. Some shun it, some ignore it, some can’t stop thinking about it, some try to earn their way around it… but we all know it is there. God took care of it for us. It’s so very simple to get it, and yet it takes the greatest act of all to receive it – put aside self and come with empty hands.

But when we do, the sin-debt is paid, and the restoration is available. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It is all about Jesus, He is our sin-offering, and He is our place of propitiation. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Sin Offering (verse 1 & 2)

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

These words form the first introductory words since Leviticus 1:1. In other words, there were the words in Leviticus 1:1 which said, “Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying…” Since that time, there has been one continuous proclamation from the Lord. It included the Burnt Offering, the Grain Offering, and the Peace Offering.

Those were all noted in order, and their particular order was given for specific reasons which were all detailed. Each of those offerings was already known to generations past, but they were detailed again in order to given them both legal sanction under the Law of Moses, and to exactingly detail how the offerings were to be made. As we saw, they all pointed in every way to Christ.

The offerings of chapters 4 & 5 are new types of offerings which are being introduced into the Bible, and therefore they are now preceded by these offset introductory words. The first three chapters were probably all spoken at the same time as Moses penned what he was told. Now, an entirely new train of thought is being presented.

It may be that he compiled the first instructions on one day and then these new ones came on the next. Whatever is the case, Moses is in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary where he receives the oracles of God. This is certain based on the words of Exodus 25 –

You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. ²² And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. Exodus 25:21-22

Concerning these instructions, and how they logically follow the previous offerings, Matthew Henry states the following –

“Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, had been offered before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai; and in these the patriarchs had respect to sin, to make atonement for it. But the Jews were now put into a way of making atonement for sin, more particularly by sacrifice, as a shadow of good things to come; yet the substance is Christ, and that one offering of himself, by which he put away sin. The sins for which the sin-offerings were appointed are supposed to be open acts. They are supposed to be sins of commission, things which ought not to have been done. Omissions are sins, and must come into judgment: yet what had been omitted at one time, might be done at another; but a sin committed was past recall. They are supposed to be sins committed through ignorance.” Matthew Henry

This chapter, dealing with sin offerings, is most important. Where the previous offerings were voluntary, these are required. They must be made, and they were actually needed to be made before any of the other offerings mentioned so far could be accepted. As there is a rift between God and man because of sin, the sin had to be dealt with in order to restore a propitious relationship between the two. These sin-offerings were intended to do that.

In the atonement of sin, propitiation was restored. Because these sin offerings are mandated, it shows us that the blood of the previous sacrifices was insufficient for the purpose of full atonement. In this, we are taught an immensely important lesson.

This sin-offering looks forward to the cross of Christ Jesus. He is the true and necessary sin-offering for mankind. In Him, sin is atoned for, wrath is appeased, and propitiation is restored. Each offering looks to the cross in one way or another, but there is a logical need for them to come in a certain order. The sin must be dealt with first. Only then can the other offerings have any value. That Christ is our sin-offering is stated many times in the New Testament, such as in Hebrews 10 –

“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:11-14

Christ’s cross was a one-time and for-all-time sin-offering for the people of the world. We are, as it says, “perfected forever” through His cross.

² “Speak to the children of Israel, saying:

dabber el bene yisrael. These are the exact same words that were said in Leviticus 1:2. They tell us that the instructions given to Moses are to be relayed directly to the people of Israel, and not merely to the priests who will receive the offerings which will be laid out next. This then is a corporate instruction intended for all of the covenant people.

Though the priests were intended to follow through with the instructions as well as maintain the oracles of God, the words were to be known and adhered to by the people as well. In other words, just as the word of God is intended for all people today, it was also intended for all of the people in the past as well.

It is true that there weren’t printing presses, and there wasn’t a copy of the word in every tent, but the word was not to be secreted away from the people. They were to be explained what it said and they were to pay heed to those regulations.

As these words are to the whole congregation, it is to the people who are already in a covenant relationship with God. As this is true, they are the people to whom the promise of Genesis 3:15 will come through. That is the promise that the Seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head. Because this is so, then all of what they are required to do in the coming regulations merely look forward to Him. As we are told in Hebrews 10 –

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Hebrews 10:1-4

In other words, everything given in these sacrifices is actually temporary and ineffective, except as it points to the coming Christ. How people miss this, even to this day, is astonishing.

^2 (con’t) ‘If a person sins

nephesh ki tekhata – “If a soul wanders away.” The word for “sin,” khata, means just that. It is to miss or go wrong. If one shoots an arrow at a mark and misses, this is the idea that is given. There is a mark, or standard, which God expects. However, man is prone to miss that mark. When this is the case, a remedy is required.

The words here apply to the entire chapter, not just what will be stated in verse 3. In other words, “If a person sins” is dealing with the priest of verse 3, of the whole congregation in verse 13, of the ruler in verse 22, and any of the common people in verse 27. Everything from verse 3 through verse 34 is included in the words we are reading now.

^2 (con’t) unintentionally

This is key to understanding much of what lies ahead. If one sins intentionally, or with a high hand, it calls for punishment. This will be explained later. What is being mandated here is a sacrifice for unintentional sin. However, exactly what it means by saying intentionally or unintentionally will take careful consideration.

The word here for “unintentionally” is shegagah. This is the first of 19 uses of it in the Bible. It signifies a mistake or inadvertent transgression such as through error, ignorance and so on.

Suffice it to say for now that the two classifications certainly refer to the relation of the conscience by the offender towards God. It cannot relate to outward action alone. In other words, if a person kills another person and is unrepentant, it is intentional sin. However, if a person kills another person and is repentant, it is not necessarily intentional. The account of King David and Uriah shows us this about as clearly as any other in Scripture.

Therefore, it logically follows that if a person refuses to bring a sacrifice for his sin which he is aware of, or if he brings a sacrifice with an uncaring conscience, meaning what he is doing is for show and not from the heart, then his sin must be considered intentional. This, for example, was the case with Cain’s offering. The rule must apply in both ways. And Scripture will bear this out. This then explains the otherwise difficult passage found in Hebrews 10:26 –

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…” Hebrews 10:26

Our relationship with God always comes down to a matter of the heart. One who has sinned and has not come through Jesus has no sacrifice which is suitable to atone for what he has done. The 19^th Psalm speaks of that which is unintentional and that which is intentional –

Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Psalm 19:12 13

^2 (con’t) against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them,

Going against the commandments of the Lord include not doing that which should be done, and doing that which should not be done. When the Lord speaks, His word is law. Therefore, when one strays away from what He has spoken, it is a violation of His law. Of this, John Gill states the following –

“The Jewish writers distinguish the commandments of the Lord into affirmative and negative, and make their number to be six hundred and thirteen; two hundred and forty eight are affirmative, according to the number of bones in a man’s body, and three hundred sixty five are negative ones, according to the number of the days of the year; and they observe, it is only the transgression of negative precepts that is here meant, and for which a sin offering was to be brought.” John Gill

Like Matthew Henry’s comments earlier which say something similar, this is not correct. This cannot mean negative commandments only. To leave undone that which should be done may be correctable to some point, but not in all instances. If someone transgresses, they have sinned.

The verse doesn’t delineate between negative and positive. We cannot justify this. It would be to ignore the Lord’s command. Further, a biblical year is 360 days, not 365. Also, there are 270 bones in the body at birth, and after some fusing together, we are left with 206, not 248. The Jewish writers are wrong in all cases.

An offering for sin to restore the peace
I come to petition my God at the burnt altar
Until I do, the enmity will never cease
But knowing He will forgive, in this I will not falter

At the altar, and by the door of the tent
The animal is slain, its life ebbs away
In that exchange, God’s wrath is spent
Harmony is restored, and has come a new day

Innocent and pure, no fault of its own
The death truly touches my heart
But in this exchange, I am clearly shown
That only through death, can there be a new start

Thank God that Another can die in my place
In His death I can again look upon God’s face

II. The Sin of the High Priest (verses 3-12)

³ if the anointed priest sins,

Ha’kohen ha’mashiakh – “the priest, the anointed.” This is the high priest. This term is used only four times in the Bible. Three are in this chapter and one is in chapter 6. The provision is for him if he sins. This immediately tells us something we have already learned in earlier Exodus sermons. It shows that the high priest of the Law of Moses is a fallible person, and that he can never be made perfect by the Law of Moses.

Both are to be clearly understood from the context. Because of this, the truth of Hebrews 10:1 is made clear. The law can make none perfect. It could only anticipate the coming of Christ who would fulfill the law and set it aside in order to bring in a New Covenant in His blood. As Matthew Henry says about this –

“The law begins with the case of the anointed priest. It is evident that God never had any infallible priest in his church upon earth, when even the high priest was liable to fall into sins of ignorance.” Matthew Henry

This sin-offering is for the high priest. Each subsequent sin offering will be a grade lower. It will next be for the congregation as a whole, then the prince of the congregation, and then for the individual. The importance of the position is how these are listed.

^{3 (con’t)} bringing guilt on the people,

When the high priest sinned, the entire nation became guilty because of his sin. He was the representative of the people to God. No person could have his sins removed until the one who mediated for the people had his sins atoned for. Therefore, all who were under his authority became guilty through Him.

The opposite for us is then true. In Christ who bears no guilt, we too are deemed not guilty. God is not counting our sins against us because our perfect Mediator covers us with His perfection.

^{3 (con’t)} then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.

The sin-offering for the high priest is the same as that for sin committed by the entire congregation which is noted in verse 14. The bull thus stands for the people just as the high priest stands for the people. This will become clear in Leviticus 16. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest must sacrifice for his own sins first with a bull. After that, the sins of the congregation are dealt with by using a ram.

As this is so, the bull is typical of Christ. And this is actually pictured in the first sentence of the Bible where the middle of the seven words is spelled with two letters, an aleph and a tav. The letter aleph is represented by a bull, and the tav is represented by a cross. The bull and the tav thus picture Christ and the cross.

The par, or bull, comes from the word parar which carries the meaning of defeat, or make void, although it can be variously translated. The idea of Christ is written all over this. It is He who defeated the devil, making void that which the devil had wrought.

This required bull is to be tamim, or “without blemish.” Again as in all sacrifices it looks to Christ. Only a perfect offering could be considered an acceptable sin-offering. And as before, it looks to Christ – our perfect sin-offering. Each detail is given for this purpose, and with an eye to what is coming in Him.

⁴ He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord,

As has been seen before, presenting the offering at the door of the tent of meeting actually means that it is being offered at the altar. But it is the altar that then allows symbolic access through the door. The connection between the altar and the doorway is inseparable.

^4 (con’t) lay his hand on the bull’s head,

Here we have a man who has sinned laying his hand on a perfect bull, one without blemish. It is also an animal without the ability to reason which implies it is innocent. Each detail looks to Christ. We have the sinner in need of a Savior, and the innocent Man who is the perfect Substitute.

The high priest himself places his hands on the bull, thus he is acknowledging that this is his sacrifice. He is the offender, and it is his offering. He is asking that the offended, meaning God, will accept the bull, which looks forward to Christ, in his place. The implication is that if not accepted, then his life is lost already and would remain lost.

Further, it is implied that this sacrifice is sufficient to accomplish the mission. The Lord has mandated it, and therefore it is suitable to the task. The sin is symbolically transferred from the high priest to the bull. This is known as imputation. The bull is reckoned as receiving his sin, and he is reckoned as receiving the bull’s innocence.

However, unlike what this bull pictures, meaning Christ, any time he sins, another sacrifice must be made. Therefore it can only mean one thing, which is that this sacrifice is but a temporary stay of God’s wrath, anticipating a final, more perfect offering to come.

^4 (con’t) and kill the bull before the Lord.

It doesn’t say that the bull could be kept in a pen, separate from all other bulls for the rest of its life. Nor could it be sent to Exile Island to live out its days. As with all such offerings, the Bible says that there can be no atonement for sin without the shedding of blood. And for us, there is no other atonement for sin than that of the shed blood of Christ. He had to die in order for us to be saved.

⁵ Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting.

Something new is now done with the blood of the bull. The previous sacrifices had the blood splashed around the altar of burnt-offering. Now however, the blood must be brought to the tent of meeting itself. What was sufficient before is not sufficient here.

The reason is because it involves the mediator who stands between the people and the Lord. As he is the one to come into the holy place each day, he would be unqualified to do so unless his sin was dealt with first. His duties would be ineffective, and therefore there would be no forgiveness for the people he represented.

⁶ The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.

With the blood of the bull, he was only to go as far as the veil. His duties as mediator prohibited him from going behind the veil except once a year, on the Day of Atonement. Therefore, for any sin committed during the year, the shed blood was needed as far as his regular duties allowed him to go.

In the Holy Place he was to dip his finger into the blood. The word gives the sense of immersion. In other words, it wasn’t just the tip of the finger, but he immersed the finger into the blood. From there he was to nazah, or sprinkle the blood seven times before the Lord who was behind the paroketh, or veil. Thus it says, “in the face of the veil.”

The word finger, or etsbah, comes from another word, tsebah, which indicates dyed material and thus one gets the idea of grasping something. Therefore, the finger is that which accomplishes a task. The creation is said to be the work of the Lord’s fingers in the 8^th Psalm. Thus in this verse, the mercy, the refuge, and the remission of the sins is granted by God, but it is accomplished by the work of the petitioner’s fingers.

This word, nazah, or sprinkle is used now for only the second time. It was first used in Exodus when the oil of ordination was called for in order to be sprinkled on Aaron and his sons. Now it is used for the second time in the atonement process for the high priest.

The reason for the seven sprinklings has met with fanciful interpretation, claiming that this is the number of times that Christ shed His blood during His time leading up to the cross. However, no such analysis is born out by the writers of the gospel. That has to be forced in order to arrive at the number.

He shed blood when He wept, He was pierced in His hands and His feet – do we count that as 1 cumulatively, 2 for the hands and for the feet, or four for the four appendages? He certainly bled when He was whipped, but the record does not say this. He probably bled when the crown of thorns was placed on His head, but the record doesn’t say that. He bled internally through bruising, but that doesn’t qualify for shed blood. In the end, we can only use what is explicit, and doing so leaves nothing which matches what is called for here.

Simply, seven is the number of spiritual perfection, and it is used countless times in Scripture to denote this. There is no reason to go beyond this basic and full explanation. As Christ Jesus is the epitome of spiritual perfection, the sprinkling of the blood is emblematic of this innate perfection which was given for the sins of His people. The seven sprinklings are done to petition the Lord’s mercy and to acknowledge the death of the innocent substitute.

That this is done before the paroketh is of great significance though. As we saw in Exodus, the word paroketh means “veil,” but it comes from the word perek which means “cruelty” or “rigor.” That then comes from an unused root meaning to “break apart” or “fracture.”

On one side is the Lord, on the other side is fallen man. The veil with cherubim woven into it is a picture of the fracture between God and man which occurred at the fall. When Adam sinned, he was cast to the east of Eden where cherubim were placed as guards. With the sin of the high priest, all access to God is lost, even to the prayers of the people. In sprinkling the blood before the veil, it is asking that the mediation would again be allowed so that He would hear the prayers of His people. This continues to be seen in the next verse…

⁷ And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting;

This verse corresponds somewhat to that of Exodus 29:12 which details the ordination of Aaron and His sons. The ordination made them acceptable to serve as priests, but his sin has now caused that to cease until it is atoned for.

As we saw in Exodus, the altar of incense corresponds to the Ark with its Mercy Seat. Incense signifies the prayers of the people. The incense is the only thing that would waft through the veil and into the Lord’s immediate presence each day. If the sins of the high priest were not atoned for, then the incense placed there would not be considered acceptable to the Lord. Therefore, the altar of incense had to be atoned for as well.

Putting the blood on the horns, or qarnoth, of the altar is symbolic of petitioning for mercy and safe refuge. Horns are a symbol of strength. Just as a horn grows out of the head of an animal, these likewise protrude directly from the altar. They demonstrate the intercessory power of Christ to God.

For the blood to be placed on them signifies the petitioning of mercy because wrath has already been transferred to the bull. In this application, there is a transcendence from the earthly to the heavenly realm.

^7 (con’t) and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

The Hebrew here says “all the blood,” but “remaining” must be implied. Any blood left after that which was sprinkled was to be poured out at the base, or “foundation” of the altar. It was not to be splashed on the altar as was to be done with the previous offerings.

The atonement within the Holy Place was sufficient, and so the remainder was to be poured out, allowing it to sink into the ground.

⁸ He shall take from it all the fat of the bull as the sin offering.

After the application and disposal of the blood, proving the death of the animal, there was now the job of handling the body of the animal. As it is a sin-offering, it could not be wholly burnt on the altar. Therefore, the fat alone was to be removed.

^{8  (con’t)} The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat which is on the entrails,

These words are almost identical to Leviticus 3:3, word for word. The same with the peace-offering, so with the sin-offering.

⁹ the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove,

These words are identical, to the letter, with Leviticus 3:4, with but the addition of a single letter, yod, in the middle of the word translated as “them.”Another mystery which I have no explanation for, but from which I did obtain a large sized headache trying to figure out why the change.

¹⁰ as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering.

The same procedure is given for these parts that was given for the peace-offering with one notable difference. In verse 3:5 it said that the peace offering was to be burnt “on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice,” meaning the daily offering. However, this sin-offering would need to precede the daily offering, which could not be considered acceptable until the sin was first dealt with. It would make no sense to offer the daily offering, which would not be accepted because of the mediator’s sin. Whenever the sin was discovered, it had to take priority.

This obviously shows us that no offering to God can be acceptable until our sin is dealt with first. Above all, Christ is our sin-offering. After that, He fulfills every other type in the proper order. Though God does not exist in time, there is a logical order of sacrifices for us who do. This is seen in the many details of the offerings which are carefully laid out for us.

However, as with the parts of the peace offering, the same symbolism is seen in these parts of the sin-offering. They represent the abundance of the very deepest parts of Christ the Man. The fat is the abundance and health of life. The kidneys signify the mind and reasoning. The fat by the loins signifies where one places his confidence. And the fat lobe above the liver represents the emotions and feelings of the person.

These then were to be offered to the Lord because they symbolized His most intimate aspects. They are the very substance of who He is, and so they are returned to God by fire.

¹¹ But the bull’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and legs, its entrails and offal—

This signifies all the rest of the bull which is left. Only the blood and the items of the previous verses are excluded. Even the skin, which was normally given to the administering priest, is included here.

*¹² the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

The flesh of some sin offerings was acceptable to be eaten by the priests as will later be explained. However, Leviticus 6:30 will show why this is not the case here –

“…no sin offering from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of meeting, to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the fire.” Leviticus 6:30

The disposal of the animal is determined by the use of the blood. Because the blood of the bull was brought into the holy place, the animal must be burned and not consumed. Instead, the bull was to be taken outside of the camp to a clean place and burned.

The sinfulness of the sin, being of the high priest himself, is indicated in the need for the blood to be brought into the holy place, and for the remainder of the animal to be taken outside the camp. The extreme treatment of both shows us the most severe nature of the offense, and so an even greater immensity of the atonement which was provided is also seen.

The acceptance of the bull’s death as a substitute highlights the extremely merciful act of forgiveness granted to the priest. In his cleansing, the body of the bull now bore the sin of the mediator. Because of this, it needed to be purged from the camp entirely. And what a picture of Christ to finish our verses today.

I have already showed that the bull pictures Christ, but this isn’t just me making a dubious connection and then applying it to Him. Rather, the Bible explicitly shows us the connection between the two. In Hebrews 13, we see why these requirements were given here in Leviticus and what they prefigure –

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. Hebrews 13:11-13

What was given to Israel in type and shadow is realized in its fullness in Christ. There is a problem which infects man, and its source is that of the devil himself. The only way to defeat what he did was for Christ to take it away from us. We are told that He was made to be sin for us so that we could then become the righteousness of God in Him. What a bargain God has offered us!

All our misdeeds, all of our errors and failings, and our once-lost state is taken away and nailed to the cross through the death of Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry explains it in his own eloquent way –

“All pretensions to act without error are sure marks of Antichrist. The beast was to be carried without the camp, and there burned to ashes. This was a sign of the duty of repentance, which is the putting away sin as a detestable thing, which our soul hates. The sin-offering is called sin. What they did to that, we must do to our sins; the body of sin must be destroyed…” Matthew Henry

And the body of sin can be destroyed. Through faith in what Jesus did, it can be completely removed so that fellowship with God is possible once again. That is what Christ did for us by having His own life taken from Him as He suffered outside the camp. Let us go to Him there and be joined to Him through the greatest act of love ever expressed – let us go to Calvary.

Closing Verse: “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” Isaiah 53:10

Next Week: Leviticus 4:13-35 What marvelous things are ahead for you… (The Sin-offering, Part II) (6^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Sin Offering

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He began relaying

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
‘If a person sins unintentionally
Against any of the commandments of the Lord
If such a thing as this comes to be

In anything which ought not to be done
And does any of them, yes any such one

If the anointed priest sins
Bringing guilt on the people, to them it is pinned
Then let him offer to the Lord for his sin
Which he has sinned

A young bull without blemish as a sin offering
Such shall be his proffering

He shall bring the bull to the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord
Lay his hand on the bull’s head
And kill the bull before the Lord, according to this word

Then the anointed priest shall take
Some of the bull’s blood, this he shall do
And bring it to the tabernacle of meeting
As I now am instructing you

The priest shall dip his finger
In the blood and sprinkle some of the blood, so it shall be
Seven times before the Lord
In front of the veil of the sanctuary

And the priest shall put some of the blood
This task he shall be completing
On the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord
Which is in the tabernacle of meeting

And he shall the remaining blood pour
Of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering
Which is at the tabernacle of meeting’s door

He shall take from it all the fat
Of the bull as the sin offering, so he shall do
The fat that covers the entrails
And all the fat which is on the entrails too

The two kidneys and the fat
That is on them by the flanks as I behoove
|And the fatty lobe attached to the liver
Above the kidneys, he shall remove

As it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice
Of the peace offering
And the priest shall burn them on the altar
Of the burnt offering, such is the proffering

But the bull’s hide and all its flesh
With its head and legs, its entrails and offal, no doubt
The whole bull he shall carry outside the camp
To a clean place, where the ashes are poured out

And burn it on wood with fire, as you have learned
Where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned

Our Lord Jesus died outside the walls of the city
He died there for the sins of all men on that day
God demonstrated His merciful pity
And in that crucified body, God has opened the way

We now can come home to Him once again
We are reconciled through what He alone has done
May we be willing to share this marvel with all men
That God has given us new life through His Son

Praises to God who has done this most marvelous thing for us!
All praises to God, through our glorious Lord Jesus!

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 3:1-17
The Peace Offering

If you really want to get to know someone, you have them over for a meal. It is where the impersonal becomes personal. It is where the walls come down. And it is where real fellowship takes place. If God sent Jesus to atone for our sins and nothing else, we would be left with a void in our lives.

We could say, “I can’t wait to go back to Eden, but I’m sorry the Lord won’t be meeting us there.” And if the process ended with our sanctification, we would still have a void. “It sure is great being in paradise, and it sure is great that we aren’t living the lives we did before on earth, but it sure would be nice if the Lord would come by and spend some time with us.

But we don’t have to worry about that. We already have Him coming by, and He will be coming by in an even more intimate way some wonderful day in the future.

There has been a logical sequence of offerings so far in the book of Leviticus. First was the burnt offering where life is given up wholly to the Lord. It is our coming to Christ and being saved. Chapter 1 explained that in detail.

Next there is the pursuit of that life through the process of sanctification. The grain offering revealed that to us. Through Him, our works in the Lord are acceptable. What He did makes it so for what we do. Chapter 2 gave us insights into that.

Today we will see the peace offering. It looks to our fellowship with the Lord as occurring in a most intimate way. Each step takes us through a picture of our own redemption and life in Christ. The Israelites were given a way of having this personal fellowship with the Lord by coming to Him through the offerings we will look at. They took them to the sanctuary, offered them up, and then received back a portion of what was offered. It showed them that they were, in fact, in fellowship with God. The two partook of the same meal, symbolizing this fellowship.

But that was only a taste of a greater fellowship which lay ahead. The Jews could come and fellowship with God, but the Gentiles were left out. There was a wall of separation between the two which prohibited us from drawing near to God. But in Christ, that wall is broken down…

Text Verse: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:14-18

Now, through Christ, we have access, as Paul says, by one Spirit to the Father. But just what is the wall that Paul speaks of. Is it that we as Gentiles are granted access to the Father through observance of the law? No indeed! In fact, exactly the opposite is true.

The law did allow a type of access, but it also set up a wall all its own, restricting that access as well. They could come so far, but no further could they come. Paul explains exactly what the wall and the enmity is. He says it is “the law of commandments contained in ordinances.”

The very law which the Israelites adhered to is that wall. And that very same wall is abolished, not strengthened. It is true that we come to God through the law, but not through our observance of it. Rather, it is through Christ’s observance of it. In Him, the law is abolished and peace is restored. In Him, we now have full and unfettered access to God. This is what is seen in today’s verses. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. An Offering of the Herd (verses 1–5)

‘When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering,

So far in Leviticus, we have seen the instructions for the burnt offering in Chapter 1 and then the grain offering in Chapter 2. We now turn to the shelem, or peace offering, which will take the entire chapter as well. The words of this verse correspond to the words of Leviticus 1:3. They both introduce the type of offering to be explained from then on.

The shelem is a sacrifice, and it is a voluntary offering of thanks, and for alliance and friendship. Hence, the term “peace” offering is used. Some versions call it a “fellowship” offering, but the term peace, if understood from a Hebrew perspective, describes it fully. It indicates a state of peace which speaks of harmony, prosperity, happiness, friendship, fellowship, and unity. We can sum it up with the words “wholeness & contentment.”

Whereas the burnt offering looked to a state of atonement, and the grain offering looked to the process of sanctification, the peace offering looks to a state of acceptance and interaction. This offering can be equated directly to the Lord’s Table, or communion, in the New Testament church.

In other words, with Christ as our shelem, or peace offering, we are united to Him, and thus we have fellowship and communion with God. This is what the peace offering did for Israel, and this is what Christ’s peace does for us. There is atonement, sanctification, and then true fellowship.

This particular offering was first mentioned in Exodus 20, right after the giving of the Ten Commandments and during the explanation of the Earthen Altar which would be used for offerings by the Israelites.

These offerings will be mentioned throughout the Old Testament, but the vast majority of times will be in Leviticus and Numbers. They are always spoken of in the plural with but one exception which is found in Amos 5:22.

There are actually three kinds of peace offerings which will be defined later. There is the thanksgiving, the vow, and the free-will offerings. The time allotted for the eating of the offering is the main thing which defines these subdivisions. These will be explained in Leviticus 7.

Unlike the previous two chapters, the term “most holy” is not used here. They will be called “holy” in Chapter 7, but the distinction is given to show that the people, along with the priests, could, and did, partake of the offerings.

^1 (con’t) if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female,

Here is something new concerning the offerings. Unlike those previously described, these could be either male or female. The two previous ones were solely in regard to God, being the best Being, and therefore only that which is preeminent was offered.

These peace offerings, however, stood in regard to the Lord being the Benefactor to His people, and therefore either was acceptable, male or female. This then follows through with what is stated in Galatians 3:28 –

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

There is strength and weakness in Christ. Strength in His obedience, and weakness in His humanity and suffering. Together we fellowship with God through Christ in both our weaknesses and in our strengths. It is for this reason that either a male or female is deemed acceptable to offer.

Also, the word for “female” here is neqevah. It was first used in Genesis 1:27 to describe the female as contrasted to the male. It hasn’t been seen since Genesis 7, and it will only be found in the books of Moses with but one exception, which is in Jeremiah 31:22. Without giving blushing specifics, it is a word which is based on the form which distinguishes a male from a female.

^1 (con’t) he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.

Again like the other two offerings, this one is to be tamim, or perfect – without spot or blemish. It again takes us to a picture of Christ who is described in this manner in 1 Peter 1:19. Nothing defiled is acceptable to the Lord, picturing the perfect and undefiled Christ.

Although not yet specified in this chapter, the peace offering is one which is shared between the Lord and the people. Matthew Henry provides his insights into what lies ahead –

“The peace-offerings had regard to God as the giver of all good things. These were divided between the altar, the priest, and the owner. They were called peace-offering, because in them God and his people did, as it were, feast together, in token of friendship. The peace-offerings were offered by way of supplication. If a man were in pursuit of any mercy, he would add a peace-offering to his prayer for it. Christ is our Peace, our Peace-offering; for through him alone it is that we can obtain an answer of peace to our prayers. Or, the peace-offering was offered by way of thanksgiving for some mercy received. We must offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually, by Christ our Peace; and then this shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock.” Matthew Henry

² And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering,

Like the burnt offering, hands are laid upon the head of the offering before it is slaughtered. However, in this case, it would not be for confession of sin and a request for the substitute to die in the place of the offender.

Although not explicitly stated, there would be an utterance of thanks and praise for being allowed to fellowship through the sacrifice which would take place. It is exactly what we do in the Lord’s Supper each week as is recorded in 1 Corinthians 11 –

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:26

Unlike the burnt offering of Chapter 1, there is nothing in these verses that corresponds to the idea of either acceptance or atonement. This offering implies that the offeror is already atoned for and accepted. Joseph Benson, citing Conradus, gives a wonderful description of the meaning of this gesture –

“This laying on of hands signifies devotion and faith, with an acknowledgment of the benefits, for which we can offer nothing of our own, but only return to God what we have received; that we may understand gratitude and thanksgiving to be the greatest sacrifices.” Conradus

^2 (con’t) and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting;

The Hebrew says “tent,” not “tabernacle.” The slaying was done at or around the brazen altar, but as noted from previous sermons, the altar and the door are intricately connected as if one. By saying it is at the door of the tent, it implies that the sacrifice is what opens the access through that door.

^2 (con’t) and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.

The Hebrew here says the blood will be “splashed” or “scattered” around the altar, not sprinkled. The blood was literally cast upon the sides of it. The specificity demands attention. The purpose of this blood being splashed on the altar “expresses one’s complete, voluntary surrender, and readiness to die while yet living” (Lange).

In type, it points to Christ who poured out His blood for us, allowing us fellowship with God through Him. When we are in Christ, then that same yielding on our part is reckoned as acceptable to God. Fellowship is restored, and our thanks, vows, and offerings are deemed as acceptable to God once again.

³ Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the Lord.

This verse begins an even greater divergence from that of the burnt offering than we have already seen. Unlike that, which was wholly burnt up on the altar, this one is not so burnt up. Only a portion from it is to be burnt. This particular portion alone is to be by fire.

^3 (con’t) The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

Fat in the Bible signifies abundance. The fat around the entrails then signifies specifically health of life; its abundance. This is seen, for example, from David in Psalm 63 –

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” Psalm 63:5

⁴ the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks,

Both kidneys with their attached fat were to be removed. The kidney’s position within the body makes them almost inaccessible. When an animal is cut up, they will be the last organs which are reached. Because of this, the kidneys symbolize the hidden parts of man, and thus the mind.

The term al ha’kesalim, or “by the flanks,” is new to Scripture. The kesel is seen just thirteen times, and it indicates the loin which is the seat of the leaf fat. The word is then elsewhere translated as both “confidence” and “foolish.” The difference is in how it is applied. It can indicate the place where one puts their hope. This is seen, for example, in Psalm 78 –

“That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
⁷ That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;” Psalm 78:6, 7

It can also indicate that which is foolish –

“This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
¹⁴ Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.”

Psalm 49:13, 14

^4 (con’t) and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove;

The yothereth, or lobe above the liver, was also to be removed from the animal. The liver signifies the seat of emotions and feeling. It is used synonymously with disposition and character. The fat attached to it is thus representative of the entire liver. In Lamentations, Jeremiah says –

“My eyes fail with tears; my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people because the children and the sucklings faint in the streets of the city.” Lamentations 2:11 (Jubilee Bible)

All of this specificity is calling out for us to pay attention to it. We are to stop and question why certain things are demanded, and why other things are not mentioned.

⁵ and Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is on the wood that is on the fire, 

These things from verses 3 and 4 were to be burnt on the altar. The word for burn signifies incense, or a fragrant offering. All of these were, as it says, “upon the burnt sacrifice.” In other words, these were placed on top of the continual burnt offering which was the daily sacrifice of the lamb which was already on the altar.

The burnt offering signifies Christ, our Atonement. Upon that are then placed the things which represent the abundance of the very deepest parts of Christ the Man, and thus those same things in us who are in Christ Jesus. The fat is the abundance and health of life. The kidneys signify the mind and reasoning. The fat by the loins signifies where one places his confidence. And the fat lobe above the liver represents the emotions and feelings of the person.

These then were to be offered to the Lord because they symbolized His most intimate aspects, and ours as well. They are the very substance of who He is and who we are. They are returned to Him by fire. They were offered to the Lord for fellowship to take place. And this is the same symbolism that is seen in the Lord’s Supper now. Concerning our inward secrets, Paul says 1 Corinthians 11 –

“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” 1 Corinthians 11:27-29

^5 (con’t) as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

All of these things, representing the most intimate aspects of both Christ, and of us who are in Christ, are returned to God as a sweet incense to Him. This is what makes fellowship possible, and this is what is seen in the Old and in the New. It all points to Christ and our relationship with God through Him.

An offering to God; an offering for peace
One which signifies fellowship so sweet
It stems from our daily trod, and in Christ it shall never cease
Because in Him our fellowship is complete

Cleanse us in our inward parts; lead us in Your peace
May we join together with You, O precious Lord
Purify our minds and hearts; may this joy never cease
Through Christ, may we always be in one accord

Thank You for the cross from whence atonement came
Upon that offering, we can now add an offering of peace
Together they point to the same great Name
Both look to Jesus where joyous fellowship will never, never cease

II. An Offering of the Flock (verses 6–17)

⁶ ‘If his offering as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord is of the flock, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. 

The flock consists of both lambs and goats which will next be described separately. And again, like an animal of the herd, the offering could be either a male or a female. And also like that of the herd, the animal must be without blemish. As before, the symbolism remains the same here. All of it points to Christ.

⁷ If he offers a lamb as his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord. 

It is argued that the word translated here as “lamb” is more rightly translated as a sheep. It signifies one full grown and in its prime. Either way, it is a word used only in the books of Moses to describe them.

⁸ And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

The same process which was followed before with the animal of the herd is followed again here. It is generally believed that the one who is making the offering is also the one who kills the animal. After he has cut its throat, the priests would stand with a bowl to collect the blood before splashing it out. Again as before, it is the tent of meeting, not the tabernacle, and it does not say “sprinkle,” but rather “splash.”

⁹ ‘Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as an offering made by fire to the Lord, its fat and the whole fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone. 

For the sheep, there is an additional note which was not mentioned for the animal of the herd. Here it mentions the khelbo ha’alyah temimah, or “the whole fat tail.” This is only the second of five times that the fat tail will be noted in the Bible. It is described in detail for us by Jamieson-Faucett-Brown –

“There is, in Eastern countries, a species of sheep the tails of which are not less than four feet and a half in length. These tails are of a substance between fat and marrow. A sheep of this kind weighs sixty or seventy English pounds weight, of which the tail usually weighs fifteen pounds and upwards. This species is by far the most numerous in Arabia, Syria, and Palestine, and, forming probably a large portion in the flocks of the Israelites, it seems to have been the kind that usually bled on the Jewish altars. The extraordinary size and deliciousness of their tails give additional importance to this law. To command by an express law the tail of a certain sheep to be offered in sacrifice to God, might well surprise us; but the wonder ceases, when we are told of those broad-tailed Eastern sheep, and of the extreme delicacy of that part which was so particularly specified in the statute [Paxton].” JFB

When an animal was offered to the Lord, this especially marvelous part was reserved for the Lord alone, and was not to be eaten by the priests. There is further specificity concerning it. Not only was it to be the “whole” fat tail, but it then notes that it was to be removed “close to the backbone.”

This is the only time the atseh, or backbone, is seen in the Bible. It, in turn, comes from atsah, or “shut,” such as in shutting one’s eyes firmly. Thus the backbone is that which gives firmness to the body. Again, this could have simply been left unmentioned, and it wouldn’t seemingly change a thing concerning the process. And so it is asking us to consider why it is mentioned at all.

The word atsah, or shut, is used just twice in the Bible. Once it is used in Proverbs concerning a person shutting his eyes in order to devise perverse things. The other time in Isaiah it says –

“This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.” Isaiah 14:26

The word speaks of firm determined purpose, just as the backbone of the animal is firm and fixed. Thus the fat attached to this is being equated with the firm and fixed purposes of the Lord. It speaks of the resoluteness of Christ in completing His work and thus making our fellowship with God acceptable once again. It can be summed up in the words of Luke 9 –

“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, ⁵² and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. ⁵³ But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51-53

Each new word comes to us for a reason. Each unique word, such as this, is not intended to be skipped over, but considered. In the end, each leads us to a fuller understanding of our own fellowship with God because of the determined work of the Lord on our behalf. Along with this fat tail and all it signifies, and like the previous animal of the herd, we continue with the following…

^9 (con’t) And the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

These directions are the same as for the previous animal.

¹⁰ the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; 

And once again, the same is true with this verse. It states essentially the same thing as was seen before. Though repetitive, it is not unnecessary. As is seen anywhere in human life, if something is not made explicit, then people will find a reason not to follow through with what is stated. The word is being minutely detailed to ensure that everything is followed precisely. Nothing is left to questioning because all of it points directly to Christ. Therefore, the specificity is not at all superfluous.

¹¹ and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Again, the word for “burn” is one which speaks of fragrance, like incense. The smell to the nose of man equates to the fragrance of Christ to God. But here an additional description is given. It is “on the altar as food.” The word is lekhem, or “bread.” Thus it is as bread to God.

This is specifically stated to show that as the part that is eaten by the offeror is his food, so the part offered to God is as food as well. In other words, there is a joining together in the meal as if the two are dining at peace with one another. Again, it anticipates the greater and more perfect table set before us because of Christ. He was, as it were, made an offering by fire to the Lord for, and on behalf of, us. It is reflective then of the words of Revelation 3:20 –

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

¹² ‘And if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the Lord. 

The third type of peace offering is the ez, or goat. This comes from the word azaz, which means “to be strong,” or “to prevail.” It is the strong member of the flocking animals. The instructions for the goat are the same as for the ox, and so it can be inferred that either a male or female is acceptable. The term implies the whole species, whether a he-goat, a she-goat, or a kid. The reason why it is listed separately from the sheep is because the goat does not have a fat tail like the sheep. Therefore, the specificity was needed in describing that offering.

¹³ He shall lay his hand on its head and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. 

These are the same procedures as before with the same mistranslations as before. It is the tent, not tabernacle, of meeting, and the blood is splashed, not sprinkled. The most major difference between this and verse 2 is that in verse 2 it said to kill the animal at the door of the tent of meeting. Here is says, before the tent of meeting. The two mean the same thing.

¹⁴ Then he shall offer from it his offering, as an offering made by fire to the Lord. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 

This verse is identical to verse 3 with the exception of the word “peace offering.” Here it is understood as such and so that is not repeated.

¹⁵ the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; 

The Hebrew of this verse is exactly, letter for letter, the same as verse 4 with but one exception. An additional letter, a vav, is added into the second use of the word “kidneys” in verse 4. Despite being downright perplexing, I have no answer as to why. This happens from time to time in the Bible, and there is always a reason. This time, it escapes me.

¹⁶ and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food,

These words are almost identical to what was said in verse 11.

^{16 (con’t)} an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma;

This is closely related to the words of verse 5. As you can see, there is a pattern which is running back and forth between the three offerings, the words build upon each other and intertwine in a most exciting way. Though one verse, or a part of a verse, may differ here, it is still more closely tied over there. The entire passage then merges into one beautiful whole. Each of the three are united into one larger picture of the overall peace offering.

^{16 (con’t)} all the fat is the Lord’s.

kal khelev l’Yehovah – “All the fat to Yehovah.” These final words of verse 16 are given in anticipation of verse 17. The fat, signifying that which is best, is dedicated solely to the Lord. It is a most wonderful picture of Christ – “Only the best for the Lord.”

Understanding this, the law of the fat applies in the specifics given above, and it applies only to those animals given above. In other words, the specific named animals are included in this mandate, but others are not. This is known by other passages where other non-sacrificial animals are mentioned, but the fat is not –

 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. ¹⁶ Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water.” Deuteronomy 12:15, 16

Secondly, the other fat which is in the animal is not included in this mandate. This is seen in Deuteronomy 32 where the fat of sacrificial animals was eaten, meaning other than the special part reserved for the Lord –

“He made him ride in the heights of the earth,
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock;
¹⁴ Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the choicest wheat;
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.” Deuteronomy 32:13,14

That which pictured Christ is forbidden, and nothing else. This is what we are to learn from these passages.

¹⁷ ‘This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings:

This word is given specifically for the duration of the Law of Moses. It is not to be taken as binding in this dispensation. The law of the fat portion is fulfilled in Christ; it is set aside in Christ; and it is annulled in Christ. As with all things, context is king, and the context of the Bible is that the mandates and prohibitions of the Law of Moses were only in effect until that same law was annulled in the coming of the New Covenant. This is the context, and this is therefore a statute which no longer applies to us.

*^17 (fin) you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’”

Again, this is fulfilled in Christ, and it is annulled. However, the New Testament does give continued guidelines during the early church period concerning the drinking of blood. This was for a specific reason which is defined in the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. Nothing is ever said of the fat prohibition in the New Testament in any way at all. Matthew Henry gives us his insights into these final words of Leviticus 3 –

“Here is a law that they should eat neither fat nor blood. As for the fat, it means the fat of the inwards, the suet. The blood was forbidden for the same reason; because it was God’s part of every sacrifice. God would not permit the blood that made atonement to be used as a common thing, Heb 10:29; nor will he allow us, though we have the comfort of the atonement made, to claim for ourselves any share in the honour of making it. This taught the Jews to observe distinction between common and sacred things; it kept them separate from idolaters. It would impress them more deeply with the belief of some important mystery in the shedding of the blood and the burning the fat of their solemn sacrifices. Christ, as the Prince of peace, made peace with the blood of his cross. Through him the believer is reconciled to God; and having the peace of God in his heart, he is disposed to follow peace with all men. May the Lord multiply grace, mercy, and peace, to all who desire to bear the Christian character.” Matthew Henry

As we have seen, this offering, like the previous two, perfectly reflects the ongoing work of Christ – His atonement, His sanctification, His allowing us fellowship with the Father through Him. Though the peace offering appears disconnected from the cross itself, it is not. It is His cross which grants us the peace we now have. Isaiah explained that for us long before the Day came –

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

Paul confirms that the cross is what grants us this fellowship in His words of the Lord’s Supper. In it, we “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Without the cross of Christ, nothing else can bring us near to God. With His cross, all fellowship – close, personal, and even intimate, is available to us once again.

Before we finish and partake of our weekly communion then, it is necessary to take one more moment to explain how this fellowship can come about for the lost soul…

Closing Verse: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1, 2

Next Week: Leviticus 4:1-12 It won’t be until part II that we get done… (The Sin Offering, Part I) (5^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Peace Offering

When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering
If he offers it of the herd
Whether male or female
He shall offer it without blemish before the Lord

And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering
And kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; so shall it be
And Aaron’s sons, the priests
Shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar completely

Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering
An offering made by fire to the Lord
The fat that covers the entrails
And all the fat that is on the entrails, according to this word

The two kidneys and the fat
That is on them by the flanks, you see
And the fatty lobe attached to the liver
Above the kidneys, he shall remove accordingly

And Aaron’s sons shall burn it
On the altar upon the burnt sacrifice
Which is on the wood that is on the fire
As an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord, quite nice

If his offering as a sacrifice of a peace offering
To the Lord is of the flock whether male or female
He shall offer it without blemish
So shall it be according to each detail

If he offers a lamb as his offering
Then he shall offer it before the Lord
Yes, he shall do this thing

And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering
And kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; so shall it be
And Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood
All around on the altar accordingly

Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering
As an offering made by fire to the Lord
Its fat and the whole fat tail
Which he shall remove close to the backbone
——-According to this word

And the fat that covers the entrails
And all the fat that is on the entrails too
The two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks
Paying heed to this word, so shall he do

And the fatty lobe attached to the liver
Above the kidneys, he shall remove; according to this word
And the priest shall burn them on the altar as food
An offering made by fire to the Lord

And if his offering is a goat, as I now say
Then he shall offer it before the Lord in the following way

He shall lay his hand on its head
And kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; they shall not falter
And the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood
All around on the altar

Then he shall offer from it his offering
As an offering made by fire to the Lord
The fat that covers the entrails
And all the fat that is on the entrails, according to this word

The two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks
And the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys too
He shall remove; and the priest shall burn them
On the altar as food; this thing he shall do

An offering made by fire for an aroma which is sweet
All the fat is the Lord’s
Your following these directions shall be complete

This shall be a perpetual statute
Throughout your generations in all your dwellings
You shall eat neither fat nor blood
You shall not do these things

Peace with God, full and complete
Has come to us through the blood of Jesus
Once again, there is fellowship so sweet
Marvelous things He has done for us

And so, O Lord, to You we give our heartfelt praise
And to You, O God, we shall sing out for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…