So here we are crossing the bridge from Exodus to Leviticus.

Can you believe we are here?

We are not changing stories at all; all the main characters of the Exodus are all still with us. We are still hanging out in the wilderness; and who knows how long we are going to be here! This few weeks of journey have become long already.

God is definitely still in charge; only now He is visiting with us from the newly completed wilderness tabernacle. The Tabernacle is finally constructed and the people have been camped at the foot of Sinai while all the construction took place. In this study of Leviticus we will learn where God leads them next. First, there is still a lot of instruction about worship that must take place.

The book of Exodus was all about building and understanding the tabernacle. Leviticus will tell us how to minister from the tabernacle and how to communicate with a God who has come down to live among us.

So many things about the Israelite’s “then” will play into the story of our “now.”

The learning of the book of Leviticus will be exciting!

INTRODUCTION

So welcome to this ongoing, chronological study of the bible we have called COME AS A CHILD. If you are just joining in with us; the name was chosen because we want to approach the scriptures and worship with the wide-eyed wonder of a little child who is trusting their father to lead them and teach them.

If you missed last week’s summary of the study in Exodus – you may find it here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/summary-wilderness-tabernacle/.   I am hoping to publish a book of both the Genesis and the Exodus studies that will be all in one place soon.  Having a book for each book will be a good review.  When those two books are finished they will be offered on this blog.  You can always go back in the blog and review one lesson at a time under the topic of COME AS A CHILD too.  If you want to review the scripture references used in today’s lesson, we are studying from Leviticus; Chapter One.

OFFERINGS TO GOD

We start the book of Leviticus by learning about offerings.

Leviticus; Chapter One tells us how God instructed Moses to instruct the people to bring a burnt offering.

For those of us today who believe in Jesus Christ; no more offerings are required.  It wasn’t so for the people wandering through the wilderness.

Jesus sacrificed Himself to cover our sins.

He became our atonement.

The things that happened in the wilderness teach us more of why Jesus became the perfect offering; once for all. These things we will learn from what happened in Leviticus will tell us of God’s requirements for atonement from sin.

Because people of Israel were living in the days before Christ; it was absolutely necessary for them to bring sacrifices to the tabernacle to atone for their sins.  God asked Moses to instruct the people to bring their offerings from their herds and flocks.   In those days your “herds” and your “flocks” were the evidence of your wealth and abundance.  If any did not have herds or flocks they could bring birds (a dove or a young pigeon.)  You never needed to be wealthy to make atonement for your sins; you simply had to have a willing heart and carry out the sacrifice with the best that you had to offer.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE BURNT OFFERING

If you were able; the burnt offering was to be a male bull without defect. You could also offer a sheep or a goat (this needed to be an animal from the best of your herd.)  If you did not have a bull or a sheep or a goat; you could bring a dove or a pigeon.

The person (the sinner seeking atonement for sins) was to bring their offering (which would be still alive) to the entrance of the tent of meeting and present it as an offering to God. Next; the person offering the animal was to lay their hands on top of the animal’s head and this act symbolically transferred the person’s sins onto the animal.   One making the offering then proceeded to slaughter it on the North side of the altar in front of the tabernacle, and the blood of the animal would then be handed over to the priest. (Aaron’s sons) who were serving at the tabernacle.

BLOOD WAS REQUIRED

The priests would take the blood and sprinkle it on the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

After the blood is given to the priest; the person bringing the offering would skin the offering and cut it into pieces.  The head and the fat and the pieces of the rest of the animal were to be offered.   The last pieces to bring (which they would wash before giving to the priests) would be the legs and the internal organs.

Aaron’s sons were to build a proper fire at the altar. It was important that they placed the wood on the altar and that they brought the fire to the altar before the sacrifices were brought.

The priests would then be given the pieces of the sacrifice in a certain order; and they would arrange the pieces including the head and the fat on the altar. The legs and internal organs would be put on the altar last.

IF YOU DID NOT OWN HERDS YOU COULD BRING A DOVE OR A PIGEON

Again; the offering did not depend on your wealth.  Every provision was made for the poor.  If the offering was a dove or a pigeon the priest would bring it to the altar. They would wring off its head and drain its blood off the side of the altar. The priest would remove the crop and the feathers of the bird and throw them in the trash east of the altar where the ashes were kept.

The bird would be torn open at the wings; but not completely separated and burnt at the altar.

These burnt offerings were food offerings.

They were called burnt offerings and they were to have a pleasing aroma unto the Lord.

AN OFFERING TO GOD IS A SACRED ACT

So I’ve heard people tell of this as if God was conducting a big back-yard bar-b-que.  We can’t do that here.  It would be too common.  An offering is a sacred act between a person and God.  It is something holy that happens in worship.  This bears no resemblance at all to a back-yard bar-b-que; no matter how you look at it.  The person was offering of his best to God in exchange for atonement for all of the sins in this life.  That is NOT what you do at a backyard bar-b-que in suburbia.  Eventually everything that we study about offerings here translates to our lives in eternity.  It is all to be taken seriously and it isn’t something that you can make common by slightly similar and/or very bad analogies.

As we go through Leviticus; keep holiness in mind.  That is one thing that God wanted the people to understand.  Because God is so holy; an offering is required so that we may come into His presence without the stain of sin upon our flesh.  Offerings are very important and we will be considering the deeper aspects of offerings as we delve further into the Leviticus study.

There are many questions that we need answered; just as the people living in the wilderness had questions too.  We know that Christ became our sacrifice and atonement; but does that mean that offerings are no longer necessary for us today?  We will differentiate between the meanings of “required” and “free-willed” offerings as we walk further down this road in Leviticus.

Thanks for coming along on this journey through Leviticus!

I promise it will be adventurous and amazing!