See? It’s Jesus

See? It’s Jesus Leviticus 1-2

Leviticus 1-2

1. Intro

Leviticus. Most of us come to Leviticus and see it as a hard read. Descriptions over and over of sacrifice. Animal slaughter, blood.

This book, speaks of holiness. The absolute requirement for sacrifice to approach God, the atonement needed, the reality of a pure and holy God. Jonathan Edwards said “He that sees the beauty of holiness, or true moral good, sees the greatest and most important thing in the world.” When we look at Leviticus, we see the road toward God, and immediately realize the unyielding holiness of God. The absolute severity and high cost of sin

In our post-modern attitude toward the world and the Word, we need to hear, to see Leviticus. For in it, we see a shadow of Christ. And a need to have real, personal holiness. “Heb 12:14 — Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” Note: it says pursue. Not obtain. But if we do pursue, with a right heart, trusting Jesus for our all – we find true peace. Jeremiah prophesied to the people in Je 6:16 — Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Perhaps this is a reason that many who claim the name of Christ don’t enter into His rest, because of a lack of real personal holiness before Him. We aren’t called to be perfect, but we are called to walk in His righteousness.

In keeping with the traditional titles of works in the ancient Near East the Hebrew name of Leviticus comes from the first word in the book wayyiqrāʾ, “and he called.” In the later rabbinic works and similarly in the Syriac translation, the Peshitta, the book was called tôrat kōhănim, “book of the priests.”

The English title, Leviticus, comes from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Greek term Leuitikon. The Greek term is an adjectival form, “Levitical,” which thus means “that which concerns the priests.” Since Hellenistic Jews called the priests “Levites” (Deut 17:9, 18; 18:1), the meaning of the Greek title is actually no different from the traditional title of the Jews, the “book of priests.” levites are mentioned like twice in the book.

About sacrifice. About family. About life. About sex, relationships, worship, celebration, etc.

2. Chapter 1

Leviticus 1:1–2 

1 Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.

God condescends to the flock.

As the presence of God would here come to the heart of Israel, the center, and occasionally rest on Tabernacle, the Holy Spirit now permanently indwells us. Not just these bodies, but our very selves, as He will remain through eternity. (2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:19–22)

First, in the tabernacle and sacrifices, then in the incarnation Jesus the Christ, who would fulfill the sacrificial system. He “tabernacled” with us to do this we see in  (Jn. 1:14)

Leviticus 1:3–17 

3 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. 

4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. 

5 He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 

6 And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 

7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. 

8 Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 

9 but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. 

10 ‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish. 

11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. 

12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 

13 but he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. 

14 ‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the Lord is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons. 

15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. 

16 And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes. 

17 Then he shall split it at its wings, but shall not divide it completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

For Sin. A “burnt” offering. The word for burnt offering, ʿōlâ, is a noun that occurs 287 times in the Old Testament. It comes from the Hebrew root ʿlh, “to ascend,” and describes the smoke of the offering that ascends into heaven (see Judg 13:20).

qorban (קָרְבָּן, 7133), “offering; oblation.”

Herd (Bull without blemish, of the rich they had to do hands on) 2. Sheep or Goat, (without blemish, middle class). 3. Turtledoves or Young Pigeons (the poor. Jesus and his family did this).

Why such detail? Many probably handed down, but these are specific. Do it exactly like so. Not like anyone else. Not like Egyptians, Sumerians, Syrians, Philistines, etc.

I’ve speculated somewhat about what we saw what really does look like this Ark of the Covenant.

Ge 3:21–24 — Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Then we see another sacrifice brought in

Ge 4:3–5 — And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Which was also a shadow, why such detail here in Leviticus? Completely fulfilled in Jesus. HT(Heb 10:1–4, 10) wow right? TB

1 Pe 1:19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

This blood reminds us, over and over again, that death is the price for sins. That blood is the requirement for atonement. That we need a sacrifice

And they, we, are personally involved in this sacrifice. They would offer it. He would kill it. The he is the one bringing the offering. Note they inspect the offering, not the offerer. We come soiled. Messy. The blood covers this. Their hands laying on the animal, the animal “taking” their place. Suffering, dying. Life, spent to restore.

The permanent covering of Jesus takes care of the sin issue, but doesn’t remove that call in our heart to be “holy”. We are told consistently.

1 Pe 1:13–16 — Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

What else do we see here? Another sign of the covenant I think. HT Genesis 15. Whole chapter suggest but only read part.

What do we see? 1.Bull 2. Goat/Lamb 3. Turtledove/Pigeon. Strength, submission, peace.

Leviticus 2:1–5 

1 ‘When anyone offers a grain 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 bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. 

3 The rest of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire. 

4 ‘And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. 

5 But if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil.

Even from the Ground, is Gods. Even from our labor, is His blessing.Portion to priests.

Now as Israel grew and the priests grew, the amount of provision for them grew. But we know that they would by the time of Christ be so big a tribe (est. over 8000 priests) that the temple couldn’t support them. Many were “bi-vocational” to survive.

Leviticus 2:6–16 

6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 

7 ‘If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 

8 You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 

9 Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. 

10 And what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire. 

11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire. 

12 As for the offering of the firstfruits, you shall offer them to the Lord, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet aroma. 

13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt. 

14 ‘If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads. (before Lev/Num)

15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering. 

16 Then the priest shall burn the memorial portion: part of its beaten grain and part of its oil, with all the frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

V.4 No yeast, V11-13 though they can be offered in firstfruits, never to be “offered” as burnt offering to him. Sin, often represented by leaven. Leaven actually corrupts, takes over the source of what it enters into. Salt, not just a seasoning but a preservative. It preserves life.

In Closing

We see so much here that it just tends to boggle the mind. We see that offering being splashed on the altar by the priests, representing Israel to God, we see the high priest, bringing Jesus to Pilate to be sacrificed for us. We see the sacrifice being offered up, sweet to God as it doesn’t represent death, or suffering, but fellowship, restored between them.

Eph 5:1–2 — 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. The sacrifice here, the total surrender to what God says is right, it reminds us of our call in

Ro 12:1 — And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.