Here I Am to Worship

Key Ideas to Remember

God is speaking from the Tabernacle

The word of the Lord is establishing everything we read, and everything the Israelites heard through Moses.

We might be tempted to question why God chose to establish the rituals and sacrifices He did, even going so far as questioning if God could have chosen some other means. Such questions are ultimately meaningless.

The question for us is not “could God have chosen some other means?”; the question is, “what has God instituted?”

The worshipper would see, hear, and smell nearly every aspect of sacrifice.

Leviticus shows us the awful, messiness of sin.

The worshipper was involved in nearly every aspect of the sacrifice from beginning to end.

Words in Leviticus

Clean (cleanliness) — has more an understanding of “natural” or “normal” in Leviticus

Holy (sanctified) — means wholly set apart

Sacrifice in Leviticus

Could take what was unclean and cleanse it.

Could take what was clean and sanctify it.

Was costly (something we can miss in America).

I. The Burnt Offering (Lev. 1:1-17)

Leviticus 1:1–9 NASB95

1 Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3 ‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4 ‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5 ‘He shall slay the young bull before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6 ‘He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7 ‘The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 ‘Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9 ‘Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

The burnt offering was the most common and the most costly.

It was performed every morning and evening.

Only unblemished animals could be sacrificed.

The entire animal (apart from the hide) was consumed, with nothing left for the priest.

The Animals

Bulls, sheep, goats, pigeons, or turtledoves

A variety of animals is given to account for the financial ability of the worshipper.

God cares less about which animal is offered as He does what condition both the worshipper (i.e., humble and repentant) and the sacrifice (i.e., unblemished) comes in.

Required to be unblemished males

The birds were not required to be males

An unblemished animal was the best. Sacrifice was to be costly.

The Ritual

1. The Worshipper

Brought their animal (Lev. 1:3)

Laid their hand on the animal (Lev. 1:4)

The idea is not just placing one’s hand on, but pressing into or leaning on.

This is where the confession of sins would take place, with the worshipper symbolically transferring their sin to the animal.

Killed the animal (Lev. 1:5)

Skinned the animal and cut it into pieces. (Lev. 1:6)

The skin (or the hide) of the animal was given to the priest.

Washed the entrails and the legs with water. Lev. 1:9)

2. The Priests

Caught the blood of the animal and sprinkled it around the altar (Lev. 1:5)

The priests would arrange the animal on the altar. (Lev. 1:8)

The priests would burn the whole offering before the Lord. (Lev. 1:9)

The same actions were performed for all animals, except for the birds the priest performed the majority of the rites.

The Purpose

The purpose for the burnt offering is found in verse 4:

Leviticus 1:4 NASB95

4 … that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.

The purpose is to be accepted.

How can a holy God dwell in the midst of sinful humanity? He provides a restoration of the relationship.

Acceptance before God is accomplished through atonement, which has two definitions.

“To cleanse” (as we see in the Purification Offering)

“To ransom”

By coming and confessing their sinfulness, the worshipper was “ransomed” — God had allowed something else (in this case the animal offered) to endure the penalty the worshipper rightfully deserved.

The burnt offering does not change man’s sinful nature, but restores the relationship between sinful man and a holy God.

This is seen by the phrase a soothing aroma to the Lord.

The NT Application

Jesus came to give His own life as a ransom for the whole world:

Mark 10:45 NASB95

45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Ephesians 5:2 NASB95

2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

1 John 2:2 NASB95

2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Christians are called to offer their whole life:

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

II. The Grain Offering (Lev. 2:1-16)

Leviticus 2:1–3 NASB95

1 ‘Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it. 2 ‘He shall then bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests; and shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 3 ‘The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy, of the offerings to the Lord by fire.

The Materials

Raw [Lev. 2:1-2] or cooked (oven [Lev. 2:4], griddle [Lev. 2:5], or pan [Lev. 2:7]) flour

Mixed with oil and frankincense

No leaven or honey (Lev. 2:11)

No explicit reason is given for leaven and honey are prohibited.

Most commentators assume it has to do with fermentation, an unnatural or “corrupt” state

Salt (Lev. 2:13)

Salt was representative of the covenant.

Salt reminded the worshipper why they were bringing the gift.

The Ritual

1. The Worshipper

Brought the grain offering to the priest

2. The Priest

Took a “memorial portion” and burned it on the altar.

The memorial portion reminded the worshipper of God’s care and provision.

The rest was given to the priest

Most likely it was eaten in the temple given verse 3 which says a thing most holy.

The Purpose

The grain offering was a gift offered to the one (in this case the Lord God) to whom allegiance was owed.

Minhāh — in Leviticus, a grain offering; elsewhere, offerings as tribute (e.g., both Cain and Able offer minhāh, cf. Gen. 4:3-4).

In ancient times, a governor who owed allegiance to the more powerful king or emperor might offer minhāh as tribute.

Deuteronomy 26:9–11 NASB95

9 and He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 ‘Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Lord have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God; 11 and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household.

The worshipper gave the gift of a grain offering in remembrance of the covenant God had established, and gratefulness for His provision.

The grain offering also served a practical purpose of providing for the priest.

The NT Application

We have nothing to offer that God needs, but everything we offer He deserves.

Hebrews 13:15–16 NASB95

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Christians are the salt of the covenant.

Matthew 5:13 NASB95

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Just as the Israelites added salt to remind them of the covenant God had made, Christians live their lives as the proverbial “salt of the earth” in evidence of the new covenant God has established through Jesus Christ.

III. The Peace (Fellowship) Offering (Lev. 3:1-17)

Leviticus 3:1–6 NASB95

1 ‘Now if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he is going to offer out of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the Lord. 2 ‘He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar. 3 ‘From the sacrifice of the peace offerings he shall present an offering by fire to the Lord, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 5 ‘Then Aaron’s sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

The Peace Offering differed from the others

First, it was a voluntary offering

Thanksgiving, fulfillment of a vow, or free-will are all given as reasons for peace offerings (Lev. 7:12, 16)

Second, the result of the offering was a meal in which the worshipper took part in.

Third, the required animals included female animals (demonstrating it was of “less” importance than the burnt offering).

The Animals

Cattle, sheep, or goats (male or female)

Required to be unblemished (except when given in freewill [Lev. 22:23])

Birds are not mentioned, likely because they were too small for the shared meal

The Ritual

1. The Worshipper

Brought the unblemished animal to the priest (Lev. 3:1)

Laid their hand on the animal (Lev. 3:2)

It was here that the worshipper probably explained the reason for the sacrifice (i.e., thanksgiving, vow, or free-will)

Killed the animal (Lev. 3:2)

Portioned out the fat, kidneys, and liver to be offered (Lev. 3:4)

2. The Priest

Sprinkled the blood around the altar (Lev. 3:2)

Burned the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver (Lev. 3:5)

The fat and the lobe of the liver represented the best portions.

The kidneys were viewed as the “seat of the emotions”, and the peace offering was an emotive sacrifice.

3. The Meal

The priest was given the breast and right thigh (Lev. 7:31-33).

The rest of the animal was given to the worshipper to be shared with his family (Lev. 7:15-18)

The Purpose

The peace offering following the burnt offering (Lev. 3:5), reminding the worshipper that the basis for fellowship with God is His atonement through sacrifice.

The peace offering was a way of demonstrating thankfulness to God for His faithfulness and provision despite our sinfulness.

The shared meal demonstrated close fellowship between God and man.

The NT Application

The Lord’s Supper is the most direct connection for the NT Christian.

1 Corinthians 11:24–25 NASB95

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Weddings are often followed by a meal, acknowledging the vows two people make before God and His joining them together, followed by celebration.

The peace offering reminds us to be exceedingly thankful for everything Christ has done for us.

IV. The Purification (Sin) Offering (Lev. 4:1-5:13)

When my sister and I played in the mud, and my parents had to hose us down outside.

Leviticus 4:1–12 NASB95

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. 4 ‘He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the Lord. 5 ‘Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, 6 and 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. 7 ‘The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the Lord in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 ‘He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails, 9 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys 10 (just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. 11 ‘But the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, 12 that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

The Sin Offering?

The Purification Offering is also called the Sin Offering, but every other animal sacrifice also dealt with sin, as seen in the phrases lay his hand on the [animal], make atonement for him, or and it will be forgiven him.

Both the Purification and the Burnt Offering involve atonement.

The atonement of the Burnt Offering is more general (e.g., a ransom, the animal’s life rather than the worshipper’s)

The atonement of the Purification Offering is more specific (e.g., the cleansing of what has been defiled).

Unintentional Sin?

The Bible defines two kinds of sin:

“High-Handed” — blatant, ongoing, intentional, unrepentant

There is no sacrifice for these sins because there is no repentance. You cannot be purified from that which you don’t repent of.

“Unintentional” — real sins in which the sinner recognizes and repents of his sin.

Sins of omission

Sins of comission

The Animals and Materials

Bulls, goats, sheep, turtledoves, and pigeons.

One-tenth of an ephah of flour (for the extremely poor).

The type of animal brought is determined by the status of the person who committed the sin.

The Ritual

The Worshipper/Priest

An Anointed Priest (Lev. 4:1-12)

The sin of the priest brought guilt on the people (Lev. 4:3).

Offers an unblemished, male bull (Lev. 4:3).

Laid his hand on the bull and kills it (Lev. 4:4).

Took the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. (Lev. 4:6).

Took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar of incense [inside the holy place] (Lev. 4:7).

Poured the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering [in front of the tent of meeting] (Lev. 4:7).

Removed the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver to burn (Lev. 4:8-10).

Took the rest of the animal (e.g., hide, head, legs, entrails, etc.) outside the camp to a clean place.

The Whole Congregation [Nation] (Lev. 4:13-21)

The same as above except:

The elders of the congregation lay their hands on the bull.

The sin of the nation could be understood as the sin of its representative heads, hence the involvement of the elders.

The priest makes atonement for the nation, and the nation will be forgiven.

This is absent in the first instance because the priest cannot make atonement for his own sin.

A Leader (Lev. 4:22-26)

The same as above except:

The leader must bring an unblemished, male goat (Lev. 4:23).

The priest spreads the blood on the horns of the altar of the burnt offering (Lev. 4:25).

The priest was allowed to eat the portion not burned by fire (Lev. 6:12).

A Common Person (Lev. 4:27-Lev. 5:13)

The same as above except:

The common individual could bring an unblemished, female goat (Lev. 4:28); an unblemished, female lamb (Lev. 4:32).

Out of economic necessity, the common individual could bring two turtledoves or two pigeons [one for a purification offering, one for a burnt offering] (Lev. 5:7).

Out of extreme economic necessity, the common individual could bring one-tenth an ephah of flour [without oil or incense because it is a sin offering] (Lev. 5:11).

The above instance of flour was treated like a grain offering, with only the memorial portion being burned and the rest being given to the priest (Lev. 5:12-13).

The Purpose

There is an idea in Scripture (an idea almost foreign to us today) that sin pollutes not only the individual, but also the area where the sin took place.

The sins of the people would pollute the land.

The sins of the people would pollute the place where the holy God dwells.

The sins of the people over the course of the year could pollute even in the holy of holies (cf. the Day of Atonement, Lev. 16).

The idea is that sin leaves a stain that no human effort can remove.

Lady Macbeth suffered as a result of collaborating in murder. Every night she would sleepwalk and wash her hands because she thought they still had blood on them:

“Here’s the smell of the blood still:

all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.

Oh! Oh! Oh!”

Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, 5.1.55-57

The purification offering purifies the place of worship so that God may be present among His people.

The NT Application

In the OT, the blood was used to purify the place of worship.

In the NT, the blood of Jesus was used to purify the worshipper.

1 Peter 1:1–2 NASB95

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

1 John 1:7 NASB95

7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Revelation 7:14 NASB95

14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

In the OT, sin disrupted the presence of God among His people.

In the NT, Christians are warned to not grieve the Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 4:30 NASB95

30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

In the OT, the sin of leaders was more serious.

In the NT, leaders are held to a higher standard:

Luke 12:48 NASB95

48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

James 3:1 NASB95

1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

V. The Reparation (Guilt) Offering (Lev. 5:14-6:7)

Leviticus 5:14–16 NASB95

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 “He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.

The Animals

Only ram or male lamb could be offered for the reparation offering.

The Ritual

1. The Worshipper

Brought an unblemished ram to the priest (Lev 5:15).

Likely laid his hand on the animal [confessed] (Num. 5:7).

Likely killed the animal (Lev. 7:2).

2. The Priest

Offered all the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver. (Lev. 7:3-5).

The rest was given to the priests to eat (Lev. 7:6-7).

The Purpose

Man has in some way “robbed” or “incurred a debt” against both God and man.

The reparation offering is the means by which the vertical (God) and the horizontal (fellow-man) debts are paid.

The NT Application

Jesus Christ paid the debt we had incurred through our sin (cf. Is. 53):

1 Peter 2:21–25 NASB95

21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

In the OT, divine forgiveness was contingent upon reparation to our neighbor and sacrifice to God.

In the NT, divine forgiveness is contingent upon our willingness to forgive and seek forgiveness

Matthew 6:12 NASB95

12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:14–15 NASB95

14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.