Leviticus 1-7
Leviticus 1-7; Psalm 119.57-64
These chapters record the sacrifices and offerings the Israelites were to perform in worship. Israel’s worship was full of work—reminding them that every area of life was to be devoted to God. The bulk of Lev 1-7 describes the five specific offerings which appeased God’s wrath against the sin of His people; these can be divided into two categories: voluntary offerings and mandatory offerings.
There were three voluntary offerings:
- The Burnt Offering (ch 1). The Burnt offering was the most common offering. While offered daily for the sins of the nation (cf. Num 28), here it was set forth as a means for individual worship and cleansing
- The Grain Offering (ch. 2). While the burnt offering promised atonement, the Grain Offering was the Israelite’s voluntary confession that God was their Provider
- The Fellowship Offering (ch 3). This was to be burned as ‘a pleasing aroma to the LORD’ (vv. 5, 16). Additionally, this sacrifice was given as a confession offering, a free-will offering, or to fulfill a vow, and was associated with a meal (Lev 7.11ff)
God set forth two mandatory offerings:
- The Sin Offering (ch 4). The Sin Offering was for the purpose of satisfying God’s wrath when people sinned unintentionally. The culpable might included the anointed priest (vv. 3ff), the whole community (vv. 13ff), or those recognized as leaders among the people (vv. 22ff). The sin offering was not only to satisfy God’s wrath against unintentional violation of His instruction, but also for those who were guilty of omission in some regard (5.1-13)
- The Restitution Offering (5.14-6.7). In the immediate context, this offering was intended to cover the defiling of holy things, touching prohibited objects, and thievery
Since these sacrifices constituted so much of the national and cultural fabric of young Israel, God gave them priests to assist them in their worship (6.8-7.27). These chapters repeat much of the material in chs 1-5, but here the text also details the role of the priests in making each offering acceptable to God (6.8, 14, and 24). The priests were God’s gift to help the individual Israelites offer sacrifices—but these sacrifices were also a means of provision for the priests (7.28-38). As the Israelites worshiped and the priests worked, the priests received a portion. This principle was later echoed by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 9.1-14: those who labor in the Gospel have the right to live from it.
While the sacrifices of Lev 1-7 were laborious, and required the utmost reverence from both worshiper and priest, they were yet temporal sacrifices. The Old Testament sacrifices could only appease God for sins previously committed, and thus had to be offered day after day. In the storyline of Scripture, these are fulfilled in the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ—
“Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. But because He remains forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever” (Hb. 7.23-28).
*For a complete list of references, please see scripturestoryline.com