Chapter One
Regulations Regarding Burnt Offerings
1:1 The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
Due to man’s sin, God could not be approached unless they brought an animal or food as an offering. The death of an animal was not only a reminder of the serious nature of sin, it pointed to the harsh reality that the blood from an innocent life was necessary for atonement of sin, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” (Leviticus 17:11, see also Hebrews 9:22)
In verse two we are introduced to a new word in the text, the Hebrew word ‘qār·bǎn’[1] (found twice in this verse), a noun referring to an offering or a gift, a very general term. Appearing over 80 times in the Old Testament, the word is used in conjunction with animal offerings, grain offerings, and a variety of other gifts, however, each exclusively as offerings given to God.
Burnt offerings could be voluntary (freewill), seeking favor from God as a form of worship; or mandatory for the removal of ceremonial uncleanness (see Leviticus 12:6; 14:19), regular public offerings (see Exodus 29:38; Numbers 28:9-15), or to meet a requirement of the law. Since a burnt offering’s primary goal was to seek favor and acceptance from God, they were the most common of all Old Testament sacrifices and were often followed or proceeded by other offerings (sin offerings, peace offerings, grain offerings, etc.) While certainly associated with atonement, the sin offering and trespass offering appear to be employed in Scripture more often for that purpose. On some occasions the sin offering would precede the burnt offering (see Leviticus 8:14-16; 9:8-12; 16:1-34).
The Israelites would have undoubtedly been familiar with the term “burnt offering”(Hebrew word ‘ō·lā(h)’,[2] found 24 times before this verse)[3] and possibly with the protocol, as the concept was introduced many generations earlier (see Genesis 8:20; 22:2-14; Exodus 10:25; and even in Job 1:5, which is considered the oldest book in the Bible), although the purpose for sacrifice could vary somewhat (thanksgiving, seeking God, honoring God, etc.), it is the only offering in which the entire animal (minus the skin) is burned on the altar.
By using the image of an animal being held as it is bleeding, suffering, and dying for the sins of the person holding it, we can begin to see how animal sacrifices typify the atoning death of Jesus, who completely fulfilled the requirements of God’s law. Regarding Himself, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45, see also Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14, 20; Hebrews 13:12; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5). God’s love for us is beyond measure, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
When anyone was to consider making a burnt offering, they were to bring an offering of livestock from their herd (Hebrew ‘bā·qār,[4] usually referring to cattle or oxen) or from their flock (Hebrew word ‘ṣō(’)n’,[5] referring to smaller animals such as sheep, goats, birds, and on some occasions young cattle).
1:3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
The procedures for burnt offerings varied somewhat, based on the animal selected for sacrifice. The first animal group mentioned here are those from a herd, specifically a male bull, and it must be without blemish[6] and brought to the front of the Tabernacle to be accepted by YHWH. The person offering the bull is to lay his hand on its head and then kill the animal there before God.
The laying on of hands is also seen elsewhere in Leviticus regarding sacrifices (see Leviticus 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 15, 24, 29, 33) as well as later in the Torah, when Moses transferred authority to his protégé Joshua (see Numbers 27:18-23; Deuteronomy 34:9); and we see the people of Israel laying their hands on the Levites who then lay their hands on the heads of bulls being sacrificed during the Levite cleansing (see Numbers 8:5-22); and then again when someone commits blasphemy, the people who heard the words spoken must lay their hands on the guilty party before they are stoned to death (see Leviticus 24:10-16). In each case a symbolic ’transference’ occurs, regarding a sacrifice offered, the sins of the person are symbolically transferred to the animal, in a sense the animal dies in place of the person, by the hands of the person.
The priests are to bring some of the animal’s blood and throw it against the side of the bronze altar. Then the priests are to remove the skin (flay, Hebrew word ‘hip·šîṭ’,[7] to strip off) and cut into several pieces. The priests are to prepare the altar and place the pieces, the head, and the fat over the burning wood, however, the entrails and legs are to be washed with water before placing them on the altar. The text states that this would be a burnt offering and a “food offering” (Hebrew word ‘iš·šě(h)’)[8] that is pleasing and acceptable to YHWH.
1:10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, 11 and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, 13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
The next category are animals taken from a flock, either sheep or goats. We read essentially the same procedure as outlined in verses 3-9, with the exception that the instructions omit the laying on of hands, the skinning of the animal, and the building of the fire. Many believe that those omissions should be considered applicable and appropriate for each burnt offering made, regardless of animal group.
1:14 “If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
The procedure for sacrificing birds was very different as it calls for the priest doing all the work, killing the animal, and burning it on the altar. The blood of the bird is to be drained out along the side of the altar. Followed by the bird’s crop (Hebrew word ‘mǔr·’ā(h)’,[9] referring to the small sack-like expansion of a bird’s gullet, some believe that could include its stomach) to be removed, along with its contents and placed away from the altar in a place reserved for ashes on the east side, near the entrance (see Leviticus 6:10). Next the bird is to be torn open by pulling on its wings but not severed completely and burned on the altar.
Considerations
A burnt offering could be made from a variety of animals including a bull, a sheep, a goat, a turtledove, or a young pigeon. Each would effectively provide the same result, so why such a diverse selection?
The first animals mentioned as a burnt offering are those that come from the herd. Animals from the herd were believed to be the most valuable of the sacrificial animals. The order of the animals listed in chap. 1—herd, flock, birds—thus indicates a gradation in value. That is, the type of sacrifice presented would correspond to the donor’s ability and resources. The Israelite of some means would offer a bull (1:3–5), the Israelite of average means would offer a sheep (1:10), while the poor would offer a bird (1:14). Hence, there is no indication that God desires to deprive his worshipers.[10]
The selection of animal would depend on what the worshiper could afford, not by degree of need, as each animal was equally effective.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 7133.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 5930.
[3] See commentary under Genesis 8:20.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 1241.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 6629.
[6] See commentaries under Genesis 17:1-2 and Exodus 12:3-6 regarding blemishes.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 6584.
[8] See commentary under Exodus 29:15-18 regarding this word and the “food offering.”
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 4760.
[10] Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, p. 86). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.