Leviticus 1: Understanding the Burnt Offering and Approaching a Holy God
And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Leviticus 1:1 sets the stage for understanding the entire book. It emphasizes the critical importance of Israel's proper worship of God, rooted in His pure holiness. The book opens with God directly revealing to Moses the regulations for acceptable worship: "Then the LORD summoned Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, the tabernacle." (Leviticus 1:1). This wasn't a human-designed worship program, but divine instruction. The rules for worship detailed in Leviticus came directly from God.
The Significance of the Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1)
Leviticus 1:2-9 detail the regulations for the burnt offering. This offering, in keeping with God's perfect holiness, demanded perfection. The animal sacrificed had to be unblemished (Leviticus 1:3). The burnt offering was the most frequent offering, performed by the priests every morning and evening (see Leviticus 6:8-13). Its frequency didn’t lessen its importance.
The burnt offering was also a voluntary offering, an individual's act of dedication or praise to God. The worshiper brought the offering and laid their hand on the animal's head, signifying it as their substitute for atonement (Leviticus 1:3-4). The offerer then skinned and cut up the animal, which the priests then burned, sprinkling its blood on the altar (Leviticus 1:5-9). This process was a messy one, a stark reminder that atoning for sin is a serious matter.
The burnt offering was unique; the entire sacrifice was consumed as a fire offering, a "pleasing aroma to the LORD" (Leviticus 1:9). The Hebrew word for "burnt offering" means "to ascend." The smoke ascending to God was a pleasing aroma, and pleasing God through acceptable worship was a matter of life and death for the Israelites. The story of Aaron’s sons (Leviticus 10:1-3), who faced severe consequences for disobeying God's commands, underscores this point. The worshiper found assurance in God's acceptance of the sacrifice, knowing that despite being a sinner, they were forgiven in God's holy presence.
Accessibility of Worship for All (Leviticus 1:10-17)
Another significant aspect of the burnt offering is its accessibility. No Israelite was excluded, regardless of their economic status. While the most expensive offering involved cattle (Leviticus 1:3), a sheep or goat was a more affordable alternative (Leviticus 1:10). Those who couldn't afford either could offer turtledoves or young pigeons (Leviticus 1:14). The poor could bring birds for other offerings as well, as seen in Luke 2:21-24 when Joseph and Mary presented birds at the temple for Jesus' dedication. Leviticus 12:2-8 stipulated that a new mother was to offer both a burnt offering and a sin offering for her cleansing.
The instructions in Leviticus 1 on the burnt offering reveal God’s heart: He desires a relationship with His people, and He provides a way for them to approach Him, regardless of their social status. The burnt offering, with its precise requirements and varying options, reflects both God's holiness and His grace, reminding us that approaching a holy God requires reverence and a recognition of our need for atonement.
And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Leviticus 1:1 sets the stage for understanding the entire book. It emphasizes the critical importance of Israel's proper worship of God, rooted in His pure holiness. The book opens with God directly revealing to Moses the regulations for acceptable worship: "Then the LORD summoned Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, the tabernacle." (Leviticus 1:1). This wasn't a human-designed worship program, but divine instruction. The rules for worship detailed in Leviticus came directly from God.
The Significance of the Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1)
Leviticus 1:2-9 detail the regulations for the burnt offering. This offering, in keeping with God's perfect holiness, demanded perfection. The animal sacrificed had to be unblemished (Leviticus 1:3). The burnt offering was the most frequent offering, performed by the priests every morning and evening (see Leviticus 6:8-13). Its frequency didn’t lessen its importance.
The burnt offering was also a voluntary offering, an individual's act of dedication or praise to God. The worshiper brought the offering and laid their hand on the animal's head, signifying it as their substitute for atonement (Leviticus 1:3-4). The offerer then skinned and cut up the animal, which the priests then burned, sprinkling its blood on the altar (Leviticus 1:5-9). This process was a messy one, a stark reminder that atoning for sin is a serious matter.
The burnt offering was unique; the entire sacrifice was consumed as a fire offering, a "pleasing aroma to the LORD" (Leviticus 1:9). The Hebrew word for "burnt offering" means "to ascend." The smoke ascending to God was a pleasing aroma, and pleasing God through acceptable worship was a matter of life and death for the Israelites. The story of Aaron’s sons (Leviticus 10:1-3), who faced severe consequences for disobeying God's commands, underscores this point. The worshiper found assurance in God's acceptance of the sacrifice, knowing that despite being a sinner, they were forgiven in God's holy presence.
Accessibility of Worship for All (Leviticus 1:10-17)
Another significant aspect of the burnt offering is its accessibility. No Israelite was excluded, regardless of their economic status. While the most expensive offering involved cattle (Leviticus 1:3), a sheep or goat was a more affordable alternative (Leviticus 1:10). Those who couldn't afford either could offer turtledoves or young pigeons (Leviticus 1:14). The poor could bring birds for other offerings as well, as seen in Luke 2:21-24 when Joseph and Mary presented birds at the temple for Jesus' dedication. Leviticus 12:2-8 stipulated that a new mother was to offer both a burnt offering and a sin offering for her cleansing.
The instructions in Leviticus 1 on the burnt offering reveal God’s heart: He desires a relationship with His people, and He provides a way for them to approach Him, regardless of their social status. The burnt offering, with its precise requirements and varying options, reflects both God's holiness and His grace, reminding us that approaching a holy God requires reverence and a recognition of our need for atonement.