By: Robert Serreyn
Question? Sir please explain the different offerings in the book of Leviticus?
Answer:
In the book of Leviticus there are Five offerings(Sacrifices) that were COMMANDED by God to be practiced.
The Five Offerings Are:
1. The Burnt Offering.
2. The Meat Offering.
3. The Peace Offering.
4. The Sin Offering.
5. The Trespass Offering.
These Offerings were divided into two classes. The first three were known as…
“Sweet Savor Offerings” The last two were called “Sin Offerings”
In brief here is a simple explaination of each…
-The Burnt Offering. Lev. 1:1-3.
The “Burnt” Offering was of three grades according to the ability of the offerer. If the offerer was well to do he brought an offering from the herd. If he was in moderate circumstances he brought an offering from the flock. If he was poor, he brought a fowl, either a turtle dove or a young pigeon.
Now what is the typical meaning of the “Burnt Offering? ” It is clearly not an offering for sin, for that is made in the “Sin Offerings.”The meaning is plain. It typifies the of the Offerer to the Lord. The purpose is beautifully expressed in Paul’s Letter to the Romans-“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that yePresent Your ‘BODIES’ a ‘LIVING SACRIFICE, holy (without blemish), acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Rom. 12:1.
God wants us to present ourselves (as a person volunteers for service), a Living Sacrifice. He wants us in the full vigor and strength of our lives, The Burnt Offering was also a type of Christ, of whom the Apostle writing to the Ephesians said in Chp.5:2
“Christ also hath loved us, and hath given HIMSELF for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a SWEET SMELLING SAVOR.”
This verse exhibits the surrender of Christ to God as a “whole burnt offering.” On the “Altar of the Cross” Christ was our BURNT OFFERING.
By accepting him as our saviour (Trusting in Christ Alone) we identify ourselves with Him, by believing that He died as our substitute.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
As a substitute He is the ideal of consecrated service, for His will was always in complete submission to the Father’s. Of Him the Father could say, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”Thus he was an Offering of a “sweet smelling savor, ” such as was the Burnt Offering.
-The Meat Offering.Lev. 2:1-3.
The term “Meat” Offering should read “Meal” Offering, as there is no “meat” in it.
he “Meal” Offering was of three kinds.
1. Unbaked flour ground fine.
2. Baked loaves or cakes, baked in a pan.
3. Green Ears of -corn parched or roasted.
By “corn” we are to understand “wheat, ” as what we know as corn was unknown in Bible times.
The “Meal” Offering was to be mixed with Oil, seasoned with Salt, sprinkled with Frankincense, and was not to contain any Leaven or Honey.
What is the meaning of the “Meal” Offering?
It was to be offered with the Burnt Offering; and as we saw that the meaning of the Burnt Offering was the consecration of the Body of the Offerer, it follows then that the “Meal” Offering which is the fruit of a man’s “labor, ” means that we are not only to consecrate our “bodies” a living sacrifice to God, but we are to consecrate the Fruit of Our Toil.
This not only means the fruit of our “physical” toil, but all our “spiritual work” in the Lord’s Harvest Field.
How beautifully the “Meal” Offering represents Christ as the “Meal” Offering.
He was the “corn of wheat, ” bruised in the “Mill of Calvary, ” that was mixed with the “Oil of the Holy Spirit, ” seasoned with the “Salt of Incorruption, ” and offered with the”Frankincense of a Holy Life.” In Him was no corrupting Leaven or Sour Honey and He, when offered, became the Bread of Life.
– The Peace Offering.Lev. 3:1-3.
The “Peace” Offering was of two kinds, of the herd or of the flock, and was different from the Burnt Offering in that a male or female could be offered. The Offering was however to be without blemish.
The “Peace” Offering was an Offering of Reconciliation. Not for the purpose of reconciling the Offerer, for it was not made by God, but by the Offerer, but to show that the Offerer “had been” reconciled to God.
While Christ is our “PEACE OFFERING” by whom we have been reconciled to God, yet He is more, He is the One upon whom we are to “feast, ” for He said, “my Flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” John 6:53-55; Matt. 26:26-28; 1Cor. 11:23-25.
We see then that the “Peace” Offering has an fulfillment in the “Lord’s Supper” where we feast before the Lord by faith, on His broken body and shed blood.
– The Sin Offering.Lev. 4:1-3.
We now come to the second class of Offerings. The first class, the “Burnt ” the “Meal” and the “Peace” Offerings, were voluntary and therefore “sweet savor” Offerings, The “Sin” and “Trespass” Offerings were for sins committed and there was no “sweet savors in them.
-The Trespass Offering.Lev. 5:1-3:7.
The difference between the “Sin” Offering and the “Trespass” Offering seems to be that the first was to be made for sins against God, the second for sins against Man or Holy Things. The Offerer was to bring a “Trespass” Offering if he “overheard swearing and kept, silent, ” if he “touched any unclean thing, ” if he “sinned ignorantly in the things of the Lord, ” if he “lied to his neighbor, ” if he “found and kept lost property and lied about it, ” etc.
There were three kinds of Offering he could bring according to his ability, a “female lamb or kid; ” “two turtle doves, or young pigeons, ” one of which was to be offered for a Sin Offering, the other for a Burnt Offering; or the “tenth part of an ephah (bushel) of fine flour” for a “Sin” Offering, that should contain no oil or frankincense. If his trespass was against “holy things, ” or against the “property of his neighbor, ” he was to make “restitution” and add thereto one-fifth of the value in silver money. The meaning of the “Trespass” Offering is, that if I have done anything that has caused injury to any one else, I should seek to make all the reparation (repayment, or compensation) I can, and where necessary, make restitution.(restoration, to make good or give an equivalent).
In Conclusion:
All the sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament ALL POINTED to Jesus Christ as our SIN SUBSITUTE, Who would at the RIGHT APPOINTED time come to be the Lamb that was Slain as payment for ALL OF mankinds sins on the Cross of Calvary.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Revelation 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH