Leviticus Chapters 1-10

Have you ever tried to read through the Bible from cover to cover? Genesis goes well. You may have thought, “Wow, their families are even more dysfunctional than mine.” Then you manage to get through Exodus. You’re feeling pretty good about your plan to read the entire Bible. Then you hit a wall with regards to Leviticus. And if that doesn’t derail your effort, Numbers will.

Don’t despair. We will get through these books together. And since much of what is taught was for the Levites and the Israelites, we won’t have to read each verse. But we will try to see what there is in these book that, as Paul wrote in I Tim 3:16-17, “All scripture (even Leviticus and Numbers) is given by inspiration of God and is profitable (even Leviticus and Numbers) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The first seven chapters deal with five types of offerings that were presented by the Israelites. They were burnt, grain, fellowship, sin and guilt offerings. Think of these offerings as gifts.  Everyone likes to receive gifts, even God. 

How often were they to be brought? What type of animals could be brought? What was the procedure for presenting them and processing them? You can read the details, if you like. I’ll just explain the meaning and a few other points.

Of the 613 Laws in the Law of Moses, 150 of them deal with sacrifices. One Jewish philosopher believed that animal sacrifices were instituted, in part, to wean people from the ancient practice of human sacrifices. The most famous sacrifice was the Passover lamb, which commemorated God’s deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.

There were different reasons for making these sacrifices just as there are different reasons for us to buy gifts for others. Some were made when they sinned, we could refer to them as “Sorry about that” offerings. Others were made to express thanksgiving to God. We could call these, “Thanks a lot, God” offerings. Some might be made to draw closer to God, let’s call these “Let’s go visit God” offerings. 

Animals used for sacrifice were domesticated animals that were declared to be “kosher”, which means “fit” or “clean”, such as cattle, sheep, goats and birds without any “blemish”, (not old, diseased, blind or lame). Non animal products were also brought to the temple. For instance, at Firstfruits, wheat and barley were brought. The temple is starting to look more like a grocery store than a place of worship.

What do Jews do now that there isn’t a temple to offer sacrifices? Rather than sacrificing animals, they sacrifice their time performing acts of loving kindness and studying of the Torah which are considered greater acts than bringing daily sacrifices to the temple. 

Let’s take a look at the five types of offerings. 

Lev. 1 explains the voluntary burnt offering, which is used make atonement for sin, to cleanse and restore them to fellowship with God. With this sacrifice, the entire animal is burnt up. It is sometimes called a holocaust offering, meaning “whole” and “burnt.” Hence, the use of the term to refer to the genocide of the Jews during World War II. This complete sacrifice was a testament to their complete devotion to God.

Lev. 2 explains the voluntary grain offering, where cookies, and cakes are offered to recognize that God is the source of all these good things. This sacrifice is not for the atonement of sin, but to honor God. So far, I don’t see any requirement for offering vegetables to God. Perhaps even God doesn’t like vegetables.

Lev. 3 explains the third voluntary fellowship or peace offering, another non-atoning sacrifice. But this one is a more balanced diet, it includes grains. Again, you will notice, there are no veggies for God. This sacrifice expresses thanks to God and the offering is not entirely burnt, but parts are shared with the presenter, his family and the priest. This is like delivering a meal to a family and then being invited to come in and share it with them. This sacrifice expresses thanksgiving and unity. As an African proverb says, “A united family eats from the same plate.”

Chapter three ends with verse 17, “This is a lasting ordinance for the generations so come, wherever you live; You must not eat any fat or any blood.”

This passage is used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses to argue receiving a human blood transfusion. But the passage is dealing with animal blood, not human blood. And eating blood as a food source to provide energy to the body is not the same as receiving a life-sustaining fluid. Orthodox Jews, who painstakingly drain blood from their kosher food accept blood transfusions.

The first three offerings were VOLUNTARY. The next two, the sin and guilt offerings were mandatory, but again for the Israelites, not for you and me.

Lev. 4 explains the sin offering, which is prescribed for unintentional sins. We might call this one, the “Oops I messed up offering.” Again, an animal is used but the choice of animal depends on your position in society and what we might refer to today, your adjusted gross income on last year’s income tax form, or something like that.

For instance, a high priest was required to offer a very expensive sacrifice, a bull. Why should the priest pay a higher price for his sin than other people? Of all people, the priests should have known better than to commit whatever sin he committed. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” Like the priests, the more one knows, the more they are held responsible. Following this principle, do you think that when a lawyer is convicted of a crime, he should be punished more severely?

A lesser sacrifice, a goat, for instance, is demanded of a leader. Why would that be? Perhaps because when a leader, one who influences others, does more damage to the community when he sins that someone else does.

The “common” people offer a female goat or a lamb and if you are poor, a dove or pigeon will do. And if you are very poor and can’t even afford a pigeon, they can use some ground flour.

Lev. 5:14 explains the guilt offering, which is a ram or lamb to pay for sins against God and against people in the community where restitution is required. Restitution is having to pay back what you owe someone plus an extra 20%. This appears to be the most serious of the penalties. So, here you have a ram or lamb, plus there is the restitution plus an extra 20% on top of that. The penalties are layered. This would be like being guilty of driving while intoxicated, having to pay a fine, then having to pay the other driver for the damage you caused, plus 20% plus then having to pay more for your auto insurance, and going to a safe driving course, at your own expense. No, I’m not speaking from personal experience.

The descriptions of these sacrifices and details on exactly how they were to be carried out are not exhaustive. Occasionally you will even read of other types of offerings such as a drink offering mentioned. Wine is not really drunk but is poured over the sacrifice and on the floor. Maybe it should be referred to as the “pouring offering.” There is more to know than is revealed. As one scholar wrote, “There are a few points where our curiosity need not be satisfied.” In other words, “we don’t need to know more about these sacrifices than has been given to us.”

Lev. chapters 8-9 discusses the ordination of Aaron and his sons and the beginning of their priestly duties. Much of this was described in Exodus chapter 29.

Today, if you want to enter a profession, you oftentimes have to receive the proper training, be tested and obtain a license to practice your profession. In the U.S. you can’t even cut someone’s hair without having approved training and obtaining a barber license.

Not so in ancient Israel if you go into the priesthood. You became a priest the same way one became a king, you inherited the position. In chapter 10 we see a weakness in this program in the lives, and deaths of the sons of Aaron, the High Priest, Nadab and Abihu.

Lev. 10:1-2 “Aaron’s sons Nabad and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and they offered UNAUTHORIZED fire before the Lord.”  “So, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” What is this sin of offering “unauthorized” fire? The censors, those devices that hang from a chain and give off smoke representing prayers rising to heaven, should have been lit from the fire of the altar.

Instead, they got it from somewhere else. They didn’t follow the rules. If you’re told to buy your gasoline (petrol) from the station on the left and you bought it from the station on the right, doesn’t seem to be such a big deal. The next verse gives us a clue. Lev. 10:9, “Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. You must distinguish between the holy and the common.”

Seems to me as if they showed up for work while still under the influence of alcohol. Ministering under the influence (MUI) would be the charge. Do you think this was the first time they may have shown disrespect to God? Perhaps they never wanted to be priests and were indifferent. They may have been like some students who sit in the back of the classroom, slouched down, not paying attention to the lessons on HOW TO BE A PRIEST.

So, what can we learn from these sacrifices? Animal sacrifices were for making atonement, literally “covering up” a sin. The offerings brought us closer to God, restoring our relationship. They showed that there was a physical price to pay when we sin. They reminded us of our sinful nature and need for forgiveness. They also encouraged a heart of gratefulness. 

The problem with the Levitical sacrifices is that the sacrifices only covered up the sins, it was a temporary fix and had to be repeated. The New Testament makes it clear that the animal sacrifices were symbolic and typical of Christ’s sacrifice. You can see that in Heb. Chapters 5-11 which refers back to Leviticus.

But when Jesus came, his offering or sacrifice, did more than cover up our sins, he took them away, for good, once and for all. He reconciles us with God. II Cor 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Romans 5:10, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

And reconciliation brings us a sense of peace. Did you notice that these statements are in the past tense? We were reconciled, not we hope someday, somehow to be reconciled. The result of this reconciliation is found in Rom. 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In response to what he did for us, we offer our lives in a living sacrifice. Rom 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” How do we do this? By using the tools God has given to us, our spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ, the Church.

How can we give thanks to God today? The parable of the sheep and the goats in Matt 25 speaks of someone who said that he was hungry, thirsty, lonely, naked. He was asked, “when were you hungry, thirsty, lonely or naked?” He replies, “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (verse 40).” 

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Let’s sacrifice our time, our energy and money, by our spiritual gifts to take care of those less fortunate, practicing the only true religion that is acceptable to God.