The Shadow of the Burnt Offering
Leviticus and the Messiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Leviticus 1
The Context of Leviticus
The Context of Leviticus
Chronology of Leviticus
God’s people have been freed from harsh slavery in Egypt. Baptized in the Red Sea, made a nation by God, they came to Sinai in the 3rd month of the 1st year after they left Egypt. (Ex. 19:1)
In the 1st day of the 1st month of the 2nd year after they left Egypt, they built the tabernacle. This is the end of the book of Exodus. (Ex. 40:17)
The book of Numbers begins in the 1st day of the 2nd month of the same year. (Num 1:1)
This leaves a gap of a month. This month is when Leviticus takes place. Lev 8:33-36
Narratives of Leviticus
Only two historical sections.
Nadab and Abihu (9-10)
The Blasphemer (24:10-23)
The rest are laws God gives to Moses to give to Israel.
What the Burnt Offering Required
What the Burnt Offering Required
Purpose
Voluntary. Signified propitiation for sin in general; expressed complete surrender & commitment to God. Lev. 1; 6:8-13; 8:18-21; 16:24
Frequency
Burnt offerings were offered daily for the congregation, as well as on specific occasions such as sabbath days, new moons, and feast days. Furthermore, an individual would occasionally be required to bring a burnt offering to meet some specific need (see Ex. 29:38,39, 42; Num. 28:3,4, 9-11; Lev. 23:12, 18; Num. 29:1-40; Lev. 12:6; 14:19,20,22).
A male of your herd, without blemish.
The law allowed for people doing the bare minimum. You could find one that was “without blemish” that nonetheless may not be as profitable as another.
Those who have kept cattle herds have some understanding of what this entails.
The true test of these offerings was to offer the BEST of your herd.
In the instance of the burnt offering, this is especially challenging, as we shall see.
Place your hand on the head, and slit the animal in the throat before the LORD.
We usually think the priests handled all this, but the reality was that YOU were expected to do the killing of this animal.
This produces a LOT of blood. Makes us squeamish.
Most of us would rather not have to butcher our meat for dinner. (cutting up a deer haunch)
But there was no avoiding your need to follow God’s command and do this.
Aaron’s sons collect the blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar.
“sprinkle” really means sloshing, splashing the blood, strewing it all over the altar.
A disgusting, gruesome scene. Why? Because this is God’s picture of sin!
God wanted His people to understand the horrors that sin visits upon mankind.
To take the BEST of your herd, offer them up, not even to be enjoyed as a meal. In worldly terms, this is a complete waste of an animal.
Yet, from what is stated in Lev 16:24 , it had a definite connection with the need for atonement from sin.
And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
What the Burnt Offering Provided
What the Burnt Offering Provided
The burnt offering was the most ancient.
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Death was the penalty for sin (Gen. 2, 3).
There was and is no escaping this basic truism.
The sacrifices provided forgiveness. The burnt sacrifice specifically points to complete devotion to God.
The word translated “burnt offering” means a “going up.” Therefore, while the purpose is not expressly stated, it would seem that from the definition of the word along with the nature of the sacrifice (being completely burned up), one purpose would signify the complete dedication of the worshipper to God.
The Failures in Leviticus Display the Need for Total Dedication
The Failures in Leviticus Display the Need for Total Dedication
Nadab and Abihu (Lev 9-10)
Everything in ch.9 goes perfectly; everything is faithfully done.
Then in ch.10, everything goes wrong!
Strange fire came from their own reasoning.
They lacked a total dedication to God. A HEART problem!
The Blasphemer (Lev 24:10-23; Ex 20:7; Ecc 8:11)
God had already given the principle, yet they needed to consult Him again. Ex. 20:7
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
The attitude and what we say matters immensely before God.
There was a need to do something about this serious problem.
Note Ecc 8:11 in this context.
Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
If the heart of their son had been completely dedicated to God, there would be no cause for him to blaspheme.
Burnt Offering and the New Testament
Burnt Offering and the New Testament
Jesus was a “male without blemish”.
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Jesus gave Himself entirely to the will of the Father.
saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Just as the burnt offering seems to be symbolic of complete devotion to God, Jesus gave Himself entirely to what the Father desired - the salvation of humanity from sin.
Humans put their hands on the head of Jesus and killed Him.
And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
Jesus was accepted on our behalf to make atonement for us.
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
After Jesus was offered, his remains were taken to a new tomb.
Then he shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
The eyes of Jesus are signified as flames of fire; Just like the fire under the altar, they never go out.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
While animal deaths could not remove the penalty for sin (Heb. 10:4), they were typical of the One whose death could remove sin, and therefore “shadowed” Christ’s sacrifice.
The basic difference in the Mosaic dispensation, and that of the gospel under Christ is found in the last element above. Both systems imposed “law” upon its subjects (Jas 1:25; 1 Cor 9:21);
both systems imposed penalties for disobedience (2 Th 1:7-9);
but the remedy provided under the “first” covenant could not in itself completely remove the guilt of sin (Heb 10:1-4)–whereas the blood of Christ was entirely sufficient, so that God would “remember their sins no more.” (Heb 8:12).
Under the law of Moses, once a man had sinned, he was doomed to eternal punishment.
Facing the inevitable nature of human imperfection, the basic future of all was that of eternal death.
By offering man another chance, through the forgiveness obtained through Christ’s blood. God lifted the burden of sin, and divine support through the life of faith.
In anticipation of that sacrifice, God forgave the sins committed under Moses’ law, which that law alone could not remove.