A consideration of offerings as described in the Bible with particular reference to the burnt offering

1. The Sacrifices
- the burnt offering
[Reading Leviticus 1]
Laindon Bible Class
17th August 2016

2. The history of burnt offerings
• First mention with Cain and Abel –
Genesis 4:3-8
• Noah after the flood – Genesis 8:20-
22
• Abraham and his son Isaac – Genesis
22:1-13
• Jacob when parting from Laban –
Genesis 31:51-55
• Law of Moses – Leviticus 1
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3. The tabernacle
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4. Altar of the tabernacle
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5. Israelites had to be skilled butchers
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6. The six basic altar offerings
• Sin offering [chattaah] – confession of sin, seeking forgiveness
• Trespass offering [asham] – acknowledgement of guilt and making
amends for sin against others
• Burnt offering [olah] – freewill offering signifying dedication and
righteousness (though sometimes commanded)
• Peace offering [shelem] – spontaneous offering of thanksgiving,
seeking fellowship with God
• Meal (meat) offering [minchah] – a dedication of a portion of the
fruits of our labour to God
• Drink offering [necek] – an acknowledgement of God’s blessing
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7. David’s Psalm 40:6
“Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou
opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.”
1. Peace sacrifice 4. Sin & trespass offering3. Burnt offering
2. Meal & drink offering
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8. The continual burnt offering
• Every morning and evening plus two more lambs on the sabbath
• Male lamb without blemish
• Offered together with a meal offering
• A sweet smelling savour unto the Lord
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Pointing forward to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ (without sin) who devoted every
day of his life to serving God in total obedience (see Hebrews 10:12 & Ephesians 5:1-2)

9. The voluntary burnt offering
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10. The voluntary burnt offering – what it had to be
• Male bullock, goat or ram from the flock
• OR turtledoves or pigeons, for those without flocks
• Unblemished, without defect
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11. The voluntary burnt offering – how it was made
• Bullock –
• brought by the offerer to the doorway, who slew it at the north side of the
altar(?)
• blood sprinkled round about upon the altar by priest
• offerer flayed the animal and cut it up; the priest took the skin, washed the
inward parts of the animal
• priest laid it out in order on the altar: head, fat and flesh and everything
burnt
• ashes were set aside on the east side of the altar and later taken to a clean
place outside the camp
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12. The voluntary burnt offering – how it was made
• Goat or ram –
• brought and slain by the offerer at the north side of the altar
• procedure then same as for the bullock
• Bird –
• killed by the priest at the altar by removing head and burning it
• blood wrung out at the side of the altar
• crop and feathers (filth?) removed and placed on east side of altar
• priest cleaved the wings but not separated
• whole bird burnt upon the altar
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13. “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ”
• The Children of Israel were surrounded (in figure) by Christ:
• The layout and content of the tabernacle
• The sacrifices and offerings
• The feasts and festivals
• The laws concerning things clean and unclean
• The role of the priesthood
• The day of atonement
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“…do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you” Deuteronomy 24:8

14. Some key symbols in the burnt offering (1)
• Male without blemish – points to Christ
• Hand upon the head – animal represented the offerer
• Slain at the north side of the altar – as Jesus was slain on the north
side of Jerusalem
• Skin removed – exhibiting the inner parts (naked and open Hebrews
4:12-13)
• Cut into pieces – every part examined: head (thought or intellect);
body (strength or energy) and legs (walk)
• Fire on the altar – God’s Spirit Word burning brightly
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15. Some key symbols in the burnt offering (2)
• “…thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart [the head,
intellect], and with all thy soul [body or being], and with all thy
might [fat or energy].” Deuteronomy 6:5
• Inner parts washed – by the Word of God (continuation of without
blemish)
• All burnt on the altar – our fleshly bodies consumed by the Word of
God to cause an ascending sweet savour, pleasing and acceptable to
God (Christ the perfect example)
• Ashes carried to a clean place (see Leviticus chapter 6) – signifying
the purity of redemption
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16. Burnt offering linked to sin offering
• Signifies rededication to the Lord after atonement for sin has been
made, for example:
• Offering after childbirth – acknowledging sin in the flesh and then burnt
offering expressing re-dedication after mother’s separation
• After healing of leprosy – leprosy a type of sin as a living death and burnt
offering signifying re-introduction into fellowship and service
• When a Nazarite broke his vow – acknowledgement of his broken vow and
then rededicating himself to his time of separation
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17. Over-riding lesson for us
• The pressing need to acknowledge our sins and our sinful nature
• God’s precise requirements, which also applies to our service
• The power of God’s word to transform, represented by the
perpetual fire on the altar
• Our total dependency on the perfect sacrifice of Christ to bring
about the atonement
• “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up
of my hands as the evening sacrifice” Psalm 141:2
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18. Burnt offering 18