Remember This- The Burnt Offering.

 (Leviticus 1: 1-17)

 We have constantly been told that there are things we need to remember, and it starts at a very early age. When you're a small kid, your mother is constantly telling you that there's something you need to remember. You go to work, and then it's your boss that wants you to remember things, so they're constantly, one way or another, reminding you to remember.

Well, what would you say if I told you that there are things God wants you to remember? Is it interesting that the word 'remember' appears repeatedly in the scripture, and there are things that the Lord definitely wants us to remember? What is interesting is that He developed in the Old Testament some ways to help you to remember the things He wanted you to remember, and some of those things are more important than others. In one case, He had an interesting idea of how to help the children of Israel to remember something He wanted embedded in their brains. What was that thing, and does it still apply today? What is so important that God would create a unique way to get us to remember it?

Well, turn with me, if you will, to the book of Leviticus, the third book in the Bible as we begin are chapter by chapter study through this book together and we will find out.

As we start, let me remind you that the Old Testament contains a number of religious rituals. They're called sacrifices, sometimes they are called offerings, and also sometimes memorials, which is an important series of distinctions.

It is the book of Leviticus that records these various religious rituals in great detail, and that's the book that we're going to commence studying together today. But before we even look at the first verse, there are a couple of things I want to point out, and that is this book was written to a redeemed people. The purpose of this book which was written to the children of Israel, and if you want to be technical, they've already been redeemed. They got redeemed when they came out of Egypt during the Passover, and then God gave them the Tabernacle, and the Tabernacle was given to them in the book of Exodus.

So in the book of Exodus, they have been redeemed and God has given them the tabernacle and now in the book of Leviticus, God tells them what to do with it. So, the point I'm trying to make is that the book of Leviticus was written to redeemed people, and is going to tell them how to live a religious and holy life and how to use the Tabernacle to do that. We're going to go through some of these rituals that were designed as memorials. These are things God wanted them to remember as a redeemed people. I think we would say today that these people were saved in exodus and learn how to live out their lives in that light of that salvation in Leviticus.

The first seven chapters of the book of Leviticus contain five sacrifices, and those are the ones we're going to begin to look at today. As we go through these opening seven chapters, I'll hopefully explain these five sacrifices, but just to get us started today we are going to just talk about the first chapter. In this first chapter, the offering is called a burnt offering. Now, there are other offerings; there are four more coming in the first seven chapters, but this one is called the burnt offering. So, here's the issue, God created a way for a memorial, which is designed for them to remember something, but they were doing it as a saved people. Alright, with that in mind, let's look at the first verse.

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

‘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. 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. 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.

(Leviticus 1: 1-5)

That is an interesting opening phrase: "The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him." If you started in the book of Exodus, which begins the story of Moses, and read the whole book and came to this verse, you would say that the Lord had spoken to Moses three times. He spoke to him first in the burning bush, the second time when it is said that the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai when He gave him the law and the Tabernacle. This is the third time that He comes to Moses, and this time He's telling him what he needs to do with the Tabernacle. But one thing He tells him is they need to have sacrifices. He says, "Speak to the children,say to them”: When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord." Now, what is key in this verse is that he says "anyone," in Hebrew, that is a general term, and it can specifically include women. So, I think we sometimes get the impression that only men came, but this particular word indicates that women could come as well as men, so it could refer to any descendant of Abraham.

At this point, he wants to talk to you about the burnt offering, and what follows in this chapter are three forms of the burnt offering, manifest. Three grades of the burnt offering, depending on what the offeror could afford. So, I'm going to talk about the burnt offering, but there are three things you could offer as a burnt offering, three different things you could offer, and in this case, it is a male from the herd. One thing you could offer as a burnt offering is a bull. Now, this verse says it was a free-will offering and that it was an unblemished male of the species. By the way, animals that could be offered are talked about later in this book, but in this particular case, it had to unblemished, without spot, meaning there was no disease or deformity in this animal. The unblemished male bull indicates that the offeror, the one making the sacrifice, was presenting his very best to the Lord.

Just imagine being a farmer and having a prize bull, one that had great value as breeding stock, and the Lord says, "If you want to give me that bull as a burnt offering, that's the one I want. I want you to give me the very best and nothing less. Do you remember when we talked about the construction of the Tabernacle? And you walked in, the first thing you saw was a raised an altar where they sacrificed animals, well it would be sacrificed there.

The one making the offering was to put his hand on the head of the bull. Now, the reason I'm focusing on the word “put” at is because it’s a word that is kind of simple in English, but the Hebrew word meant that you were putting your hands on it and then exerting a bit of pressure, as if you're leaning or bracing yourself on the animal. So, it's not just laying your hands lightly, it's pressing down. And the idea of the laying on of hands is identification; you're identifying yourself with this bull, and it's about to be offered as an atonement.

There's a little bit of a discussion about the word "atonement." It can mean "cover," "purge," "reconcile." It has all kinds of nuances of meaning, but it also could even mean to ransom. However, you interpret the word, the idea is that God is going to grant forgiveness because of what is about to happen, and the book of Hebrews makes it clear: this isn't just a covering for sin, God purges sin through it.  At any rate, this is a memorial, a reminder of that. So, he says in verse five, that "He", the one offering the bull, "shall kill the bull before the Lord, and the priests, Aaron's sons (The priests), shall then bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around the altar and remember that alter is right by the entry door of the Tabernacle.

And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and lay the wood in order on the fire. 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; 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.

(Leviticus 1: 6-9)

This is the priest skins the bull and cut the dead animal into pieces. Verse seven says. It was the priest's job to tend to the altar itself and make sure there was a fire underneath. So, the offeror gives the pieces to the priest, and the priest has to make sure that it is he who lays the various pieces because it's been cut up, on the fire. So, part of the ritual is they wash the insides, and then they place it on the altar, and everything was burned except the skin. And we know that because of the passage that comes later in Chapter 7 that everything that was burned on the altar belonged to the Lord; the skin was given to the priest according to Chapter 7, verse eight. But the one making the offering did not receive anything; the priest got the skin, the offerer got nothing. The last line says, "It was a sweet aroma to the Lord." 

God’s response here is being depicted as that of a human being, and there's a technical word for that; it's called an anthropomorphism, meaning God is pictured as a man, and he's smelling this, and he likes the aroma. In other words, it's pleasing to him. So, that is the procedure for the burnt offering that is a bull. In short, we're going to sum all this up: the offerer kills it, skins it, guts it, chops it up, the priest sprinkles the blood on the altar and places the dismembered carcass on the fire. One author has said, "In our overfed Western world, we can easily fail to realize what is involved in offering an unblemished animal in sacrifice. Meat was a rare luxury in Old Testament times for all but the very rich. Even we might flinch if we saw a whole lamb or bull go up in smoke as a burnt offering. How much greater pangs must the poor wandering nation of Israel must have felt? The fact that it was a prize bull and that they didn't have many of them or use them very often makes this even more significant. 

I said there were three different types of offerings or three different types of animals you could use. The first is a bull, supposed to be of considerable value. Then, well in terms of value, it drops down to a second type of burnt offering, and that's in verse 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.

(Leviticus 1: 10)

He says if his offering is of a flock. Now earlier it said if the offering was of the herd, now he says if the offering is of a flock, that is, a sheep or a goat, as a burnt offering. So, the first burnt offering could be a bull, the second could be a sheep or a goat. One could be from the herd, if you didn't have a herd, you could take it from the flock. But again, it had to be without blemish, no deformity, no disease.

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. 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. 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.

(Leviticus 1: 11-13)

There is is again. The procedure, if you're going to use a lamb, is the same as if you had a bull they should cut it into pieces, and the priest lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar. So, if you compare this to what was done with the bull, and it’s virtually identical. Again, it’s a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. The difference between the procedure of offering a bull and the procedure of offering a sheep or a goat is more valuable than the sheep. So, but the procedure itself is just the same, and both are pleasing to the Lord. That's significant.

Alright, I said there were three types of burnt offerings. There is a third type.

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.

(Leviticus 1: 14)

Interesting. So, suppose you don't have a bull, well, suppose you don't have a lamb, then go catch a dove or pigeon and bring it as an offering. This was the offering to be brought in cases of extreme poverty, that is, if you were poor and didn't have anything to give to the Lord, you could go catch a dove or a pigeon and give that to the Lord. As in the other two cases, the first mentions the offering, and then he mentions the procedure. So, beginning in verse 15 the procedure is described again.

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

(Leviticus 1: 15-17)

The only difference between these procedures of the ritual reflect the practical need to divide larger animals into more easily manageable parts. Alright, the chapter is about burnt sacrifices, and there are three possibilities: a bull, sheep or a goat, a dove, or pigeon. That's it. Now, what do we make of that? What is that to us?  The chapter was saying, as part of Israel's religious ritual, in a prescribed way, anyone should be able to offer a burnt offering as a memorial consisting of an unblemished male bull, or an unblemished sheep, an unblemished goat, or even turtledoves, or pigeons, if you were poor all symbolizing the wiping away of sin and bringing please to the Lord.

Alright, what of that applies to us? Well, let me make three suggestions. 

Number 1: whatever is going on here is symbolic. This was a symbol. The book of Hebrews comments at length on the sacrifices in the Old Testament, and it makes very clear that it was all symbolic. 

I have got New Testament authority for saying that. For example, in Hebrews Chapter 9, explains it in some length.

It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(Hebrews 9: 9-14)

Chapter 10 adding.

"But in those sacrifices, on the Day of Atonement, there is a reminder of sin every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins."

(Hebrews 10: 3)

The point I want to make from quoting these verses (and I could quote more) is that the offering was symbolic. This is stated in chapter nine of Hebrews. It is a gift, which is also stated in chapter nine of the book of Hebrews. It set apart the nation of Israel at that time and according to Hebrews 9:13says it made them a nation that was different than all other nations. But the point I want to make is that Hebrews insists that all of this was symbolic. The shedding of that blood did not itself take away their sin; it was a symbol of what should have being going on in the heart and lives , and the rituals stood as reminders to keep living that way.

Which bring me to the second thing I would say is that the burnt offering was a memorial. The purpose of the burnt offering is that they were a memorial. We know that because of some things that are said later in the book. These offerings were a memorial to the Jews as the Lord's table and baptism are memorials for Christians today, a way of remembering. So, this is a symbolic act, and the Lord says, "I'm giving you this as a method so that you remember something." From that, we can conclude that what the Lord wanted them to remember is that redemption and forgiveness are by blood. What we must remember is it's not the blood of animals that takes away sin; only the blood of the Lamb of God can do that. John 1:29 says, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." The picture here is that the animal suffered in man's place as a representative of what was meant to be to have happened in the one offering the sacrifices heart. The offeror put his hand on the animal, transferring his sins symbolically to the animal. One author says, "The daily use of the sacrifice and worship of the temple and Tabernacle was a constant reminder of man's sinfulness and God's holiness."

So, I started out saying there's something God wants us to remember. God wants us to remember what? That He forgives sin based on the shedding of blood. I submit to you that that's a pretty simple thing, but we tend to forget it. Have you ever talked to people about the Lord, and the average person in the UK, from my experience, thinks that the way you get to heaven is by being good or that somehow God is going to judge us on a scale and if your good deeds ill hopefully outweigh your bad deeds, you'll make it, and if they don't, you won't. But this tells us God wants us to remember that forgiveness is by sacrifice. I believe if people really studied and understood Leviticus, there would be no cults and false religious ideas." These animals reminds us that forgiveness is by sacrifice, not works. That is what this chapter is about. God wanted them to remember. I don't care whether it's a bull, a sheep, or a goat, or a dove, or a pigeon; I want you to remember there has to be the shedding of blood. I said it's symbolic, to stand as a reminder, a memorial, but I want to make one more suggestion: this was also a gift. 

Remember at the beginning, I said this book was written and give to redeemed people. It's a gift given to God's children, and He wants them to do this as a memorial, but it's also done by His children as a gift to Him. It was a way of honouring the Lord. In the Psalms, David realized that the animal sacrifice did not take away sin. He says that in Psalm 40:6. He offered himself as a sacrifice.  "Anyone could offer a burnt offering as an act of dedication even the poorest Israelites based on this system. But the best they should offer as a gift to the Lord, and the highest gift is that we offer ourselves.

In Acts 17:25, it says, "Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things."  A gift to praise, a gift of good works, a gift of money, the gift of just being a servant to the Lord, is what this symbolizes. Some people give gifts out of custom or tradition, but some gifts are given out of love, like the kind of gift you would give your mother on Mother's Day. That's what this is about. It's remembering that the Lord says, "I forgive sin because of the shedding of blood," and I want you remember this by returning the gift of yourself to me.

Here's what I want to end with. You know, we give money, and that's very important. And we serve; that's essential. But if there's any parallel to this, it's the Lord's Supper. I was going to this passage, and I thought, you know, we, the Lord's Supper, it's a symbol, and we observe it, and that doesn't have the impact on us like this. So, here's my point: the Lord wants us to remember that forgiveness is based on the shedding of blood, and he created the most dramatic way for them to do it. They did this all the time. They would have walked away saying, "I need to be grateful. It is not what I do; it's what He did." And looking for a way to communicate this, I stumbled upon a quotation in the New King James Study Bible, and it says this: "The ancient Israelites took sin far more seriously than many people today do. Consider the impact of carrying out the instructions given for burnt offering sacrifices in Leviticus 1”. And then it mentions four ways this could have impacted them.

There was a psychological impact, if you were a Hebrew in the time of Moses, you had to do the killing of your own sacrifice. You had to place your hands on the animal's head as you slit its throat and felt its life drain away. All the while knowing that the animal symbolically was dying in your place. 

The financial impact: the required sacrifice for the burnt offering was a bull, which was to be among the best of your herd. No doubt you had other animals for food and trade. Still, no farmer likes to lose even one animal, particularly a prized bull. So, the sacrifice involved a financial burden, a reminder of the penalty. Even those who could not afford bulls had to make a sacrifice in line with their means.

There was a social impact: as you slaughtered your animal, you were accompanied by other worshippers slaughtering their animals. As you listened to the death cries of the cattle, sheep, and birds, you realized that every person among your relatives, your neighbour, even your leaders, were sinners who needed God's forgiveness.

Finally, there was a spiritual impact: overall, the sacrificial system reminded us that sin stood between you and God, and the penalty for sin was death. We also reminded of God's mercy and that He accepted the death of an animal instead of your own death.

In short, regular animal sacrifices made it difficult to regard sin lightly, and we do well to remember that and also, we do well to remember the ultimate substitutionary sacrifice that the animal's deaths represented. One far more precious: the very body and blood of Jesus." In conclusion, God wants us to remember that the forgiveness of sin is based on blood, not anything else. And we can be thankful for that.