ECONOMY 20 – OFFERINGS
- In this study the sacrifices commanded by God and described in the law of Moses will be looked at: the procedure, occasion and meaning of each type of offerings:
- Burnt offerings
- Grain Offerings
- Drink Offerings
- Sin Offerings
- Guilt Offerings
- Peace or Fellowship Offerings
- In the end the sacrificial system as such will be looked at: why did God ever put it in place? What was the goal in doing so? What does that mean for us now?
- This study contains an incredible amount of detail. Bear with it. The Conclusions are important. it is not for nothing that God commanded such an elaborate sacrificial system!
Burnt Offering - Le 1:1-17, 14:20
H5930 – ‘olah’ – 288x – stair, going up (in smoke), ascend, holocaust
H801 – ‘ishshah’ – 65x – burnt offering, offering by fire
What offered?
- 3 offering of a bull … without blemish: Le 22:22-25 > this included the animal not being blind, disabled, mutilated, having a discharge, itch or scabs. It cannot have a part too long or too short. Its testicles cannot be bruised, crushed, torn or cut. Neither can it come from a foreigner as it was taken for granted that it was mutilated
- All of the burnt offerings were to be male animals > males more easily spared (ration of male to female 1:100 to 1:400)
- bulls were young bulls, kept for this purpose (besides breeding ones)
What offered?
- This sacrifice was offered at the Door of Tent of Meeting
- Note carefully what is done by the offerer, and what is done by the priest.
4 Laying on of hands > identification and substitution
5 Slaying (cutting the throat) > death needed to cover for sin
6-8 Skinning and cutting up > involvement, messy & sobering
9 Washing the internal parts
- The tasks of the priests were the following (all around blood & altar)
5 Catching the blood,
5 Sprinkling it around the altar,
7 Lighting the fire,
8 Bringing up the pieces to lay them in order on the altar.
- 10-13 offering of sheep or goat … male … offered at the north side of the altar, not at the door of the tent of meeting.
- 14-17 offering of turtle dove / pigeon … option for the poor.
- the priests wrung off its head and emptied the blood on the side of the altar
- Offerer removed the crop with the feathers > side of the altar … tore its wings and the priest burned it on the altar
- Amount of blood there must have been? average full-grown bull has 10 gallons, a young bull could have 3‑5 gallons
- 6:8-14 cleaning of the altar after the continual (all night) burnt offering … priest puts on special garments to remove ashes to a place beside the altar … change his clothes … removes ashes to a clean place outside the camp
- The fire on the altar was to be kept continually burning with wood …
Distribution
- God’s portion: all … offerer: nothing … priest: nothing > “whole burnt offering”
- skins of the burnt offerings offered by the people (not by the priests) were given to the offering priest as his due (Le 7:8) > selling as additional income
When given
- Individuals offered or priests offered on behalf of the nation on the various days, weeks, months, and feasts (Nu 28 -29)
Daily Nu 28:3 2 male lambs, 1 am / 1 pm cereal & drink offering
Sabbath Nu 28:9-10 + 2 male lambs
New moon Nu 28:11-15 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin off
Passover Nu 28:16-25 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin off qd x 7d
Pentecost Nu 28:26 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin off
Trumpets Nu 29:1-6 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin off
Atonement Nu 29:7-11 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs 1 male goat as sin off
Tabernacles Nu 29:12-38 13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs 1 male goat as sin
offqd x 7d / qd -1 bull. Greatest feast. Totalf: 70 bulls, 14 rams & 98 male lambs
- If any of the feasts fell on the same day > addition of sacrifices
- private burnt offerings were expected in addition (Nu 29:39)
- Burnt offerings would also be offered at a time of cleansing from those who were ceremonially unclean:
> women after childbirth Le 12:6-8 1 male lamb (and a sin offering) or a turtle dove or pigeon if poor
> leper after cleansing Le 14 1 male lamb or a bird if poor
> discharges Le 15:15,30 1 turtle dove or young pigeon
> Nazirite, broken bow Nu 6:10 1 turtle dove or young pigeon
> Nazirite at completion Nu 6:14 1 male lamb.
- Burnt offerings were also offered at times of consecration.
> of the priests Le 8:18, 9:2 1 ram at beginning & end of 8 days
> Dedication of temple – Solomon 1 Ki 8:64
> Sanctifying of temple – Hezekiah 2 Ch 29:21
- There were private burnt offerings: 70 bulls, 100 rams, 200 lambs 2 Ch 29:32
- The burnt offerings from the temple were 600 bulls, 3000 sheep 2 Ch 29:33
Meaning and Significance
- points to total commitment to God, total consecration and surrender. Pleasing odor. Voluntary act of worship.
- Ro 12:1 is a good NT parallel to burnt offerings. They picture us laying our lives on the altar in worship and sacrifice.
- There is also an atoning or covering aspect of the burnt offering (Le 1:4). Le 1:3 indicates that it is needed so one can be accepted before the Lord.
- These things and the fact that it was required continually seem to indicate that it atoned for original sin (general sin).
- Part of organized community worship … a means of approach by unholy people to a holy God
- Ex 29:38-46 … continual burnt offering > consecration, a life apart, you shall be my people and I will be your God.
- Jesus was the supreme ‘burnt offering’.
Cereal or Grain Offering - Le 2:1-16, 7:10
H4503 – ‘minchah’ – 211x – apportion, bestow, donation, tribute, sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary), gift, oblation, present
What given
- Various forms … flour, baked in oven, wafers, baked on griddle, cooked in pan
Procedure
- If it was fine flour, oil and frankincense were poured on it (Le 2:1) … priest takes a handful of the flour and oil, and all of the frankincense > burn this as a token / memorial portion on the altar > the rest of the flour and oil belonged to the priests
- If cake or wafer or from griddle or pan … a ‘handful’ was broken in pieces, oil was poured on it, and it was burned … rest > priest
- If it was a priest who was offering, the cereal offering was all burned.
- No cereal offering was to have leaven in it if it was to be brought to the altar > in the NT leaven symbolizes sin
- No honey was not permitted, unless the offering was of the first fruits > honey ferments?
- Leavened bread was permitted with peace offerings (Le 7:13).
- Always with the salt of the covenant … Near-eastern friendships were established by eating salt. Salt > purity / preservation
Distribution
- God: memorial / token portion … rest to priests (unless offerer is a priest > all burnt)
- The cereal offering presented with the peace offerings were different: a small part was given to the priest, the rest the offerer had with the peace offering meal that he ate
- If any of the cereal offerings did have any of these substances in them (oil, leaven, honey) they went straight to the priests.
- If it was cooked, it went to the priest who took it (Le 7:9‑10).
- The priest’s portion should be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting by any of the sons of Aaron (Le 6:14‑18).
When given
- Cereal offerings mostly accompanied the various blood offerings, especially the burnt offering
- Occasionally presented on their own
- Cereal offerings were offered with all required burnt offerings (Nu 28, 29, 15:1‑16)
young bull 3 tenths of an ephah of fine flour 10.5 lbs 5 kg
with a ram 2 tenths of an ephah of fine flour 7.5 lbs 3.5 kg
with a lamb 1 tenth of an ephah of fine flour 3.5 lbs 2 kg ephah = 23 litres = 3 ½ pounds
- Cereal offerings were part of the ceremonial cleansing rites:
Cleansing after leprosy
After fulfilling their time under a Nazirite vow Le 6:15, 14:10‑21
- There were some special cereal offerings:
– Passover Le 23:9‑15 first fruits of the barley harvest > waved before the Lord, also Nu 15:17‑21
– Pentecost Le 23:15‑21 first-fruits of the wheat harvest baked into two loaves of bread with leaven > offered, with leaven, usually no leaven allowed into temple
– Sin offering Le 5:11 poor people > a 10th of an ephah of fine flour > as sin offering (no oil or frankincense)
Meaning and Significance
- Token / memorial portion to God > remember & acknowledge God as the giver. A pleasing odour to the Lord. Voluntary act of worship / devotion to God.
- Normally accompanied the burnt offering
- Flour and oil represents man’s labor, frankincense symbolizes prayer and devotion (magi brought to Jesus at birth)
- God’s portion: token … priest: rest … offerer: nothing
- Cereal offering was voluntary > public statement that all they have is God’s
Drink Offering or Libation - Nu 15:1-10
H5262 – ‘nesek’ – 64x – libation, drink, cast, molten
What and when given
- The drink offering is not in Lev but normally accompanied blood offerings (Nu 28:14)
Bull 1/2 hin = 4 pints 2l,
Ram 1/3 hin = 2/3 pints 1.3l
Lamb 1/4 hin = 2 pints 1l
Distribution
- These were not drunk but poured out in a holy place on the ground (Num 28:7)
- God’s portion: all … priest’s portion: nothing … offerer’s portion: nothing
Meaning and Significance
- Purpose: accompanying the burnt and peace offerings, an additional pleasing odor
Peace or Fellowship Offering - Le 3, 7:11-21
The peace offering was not offered for sin but as an act of fellowship with God
- 3 types of Peace offerings
> Thanksgiving Le 7:12 gratitude for blessings, deliverance granted, response to God’s goodness
> Votive Offering Le 7:16 given as fulfilment of a promise made to God, fulfilment of vow
> Freewill Offering Le 7:16 desire to give & have fellowship with God, honoring the Giver
What given
- Male or female from herd or flock … less frequent sacrifice, out of freewill, abundance, not commanded or essential
- Unique aspect of peace offerings > offerer joined in eating the meat of the sacrifice > communal meal between the Lord, the offerer, and his friends and family (De 12:17‑19)
- Thank or Votive: Unblemished male or female, ox, sheep, goat
- Freewill: minor blemishes acceptable, male or female, ox / sheep / goat (Lev 22:23)
Procedure
- Thank, Votive, Freewill offering … Priest’s portion: waved breast to High priest / heaved right foreleg to sacrificing priest (best part of animal) > eaten in clean place … God’s portion: fat and fatty innards … offerer’s portion: rest, eaten in court … Thank on same day, votive / freewill on same day or tomorrow
Various fat portions > burned on altar on top of burnt offering (Le 3:3‑4, 9‑10, 14‑16). - The flesh of the thanksgiving offering was to be eaten on the same day. Any remaining was to be burned the next day.
- The votive and freewill offering must be eaten within 2 days and any remaining was to be burned (Le 7:11‑18)
- Offerers are not to eat fat parts nor blood
· Leavened cakes permitted with all peace offerings in addition to unleavened cereal offering. 1 cake > priest, rest > offerer‘s meal (Le 7:13‑14).
Distribution
- Thank / Votive / Freewill … Priest’s portion: waved breast to High priest, heaved right foreleg to sacrificing priest / eaten in clean place … God’s portion: fat, fatty innards … offerer’s portion: rest, eaten in court … Thank on same day, votive or freewill on the same day or tomorrow
When given
- The offering of peace offerings were only specifically commanded twice:
Pentecost Le 23:19
Nazirite completing his vow Nu 6:14
- Peace offerings were commanded 3x per year when people came to the feasts (Nu 29:39, De 16:16‑17)
- Feast of weeks / Pentecost had mandatory peace offerings (only feast) … joyful celebration / rejoicing
- Nu 15:1‑16 is also about peace offerings.
- Votive & freewill offerings can also be burnt offerings Le 22:17
- Peace offerings were sacrificed:
> ordination of the Tabernacle Le 9:8‑21
> ordination of Temple 1 Ki 8:63
> dedication of the altar Nu 7:17
> at times of national celebration and renewal 1 Sa 11:12, 2 Ch 29:31
Meaning and Significance
- The peace offerings represent fellowship with God, rejoicing, and expressing love and gratitude to God (He 13:15‑16). Voluntary act of worship
- Jesus is in perfect communion with God
- Jesus, our peace offering (Ep 2:14) brings us into perfect communion
- We must eat the flesh of Jesus, partake in him, depend on his death in order to come into communion with God Jn 6:51
Sin Offering - Le 4:1-5:13
H2403 – ‘chattah’ – 294x – sin offering, offense, sinfulness, penalty, expiation, occasion, offender, purification, punishment
What given, who giving
- Priest Le 4:1‑22 bull killed at the door of the tent > blood into holy place > sprinkled before veil, on 4 horns of altar of incense
- Congregation Le 4:13‑21 bull killed at the door of the tent > blood into holy place > sprinkled before veil, on 4 horns of altar of incense
- Ruler Le 4:22‑26 male goat blood > 4 horns of burnt offering altar not taken into tent
- Person Le 4:27‑35 goat or lamb female without blemish. blood > altar horns 2 turtle doves or 2 pigeons 1/10 of ephah of fine flour (no oil / frankincense)
Procedure
- God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.
- In each case the priest would eat it unless the blood was taken into the holy place (Le 6:29‑30), then the remainder was burned outside the camp in a clean place.
- Further instructions Le 6:24‑30, if blood of the sin offerings splashed on garment > washed in a holy place, break vessel unless bronze.
Distribution
- God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.
When given
- Mainly for unwitting sins where no restitution was possible,
- Le 5:1‑5 … sin offering if: not bearing testimony when one should do so / ceremonial uncleanness / rash oath
- 1 male goat offered as sin offerings on each of the following feast days (Nu 28-29):
> New Moon
> Passover
> Feast of Weeks
> Feast of Trumpets
> Day of Atonement
> Feast of Booths
- The most important sin offerings were offered during the Day of Atonement (Le 16)
- Various purification rites required a sin offering:
Childbirth Le 12:6‑8
Leprosy Le 14:12‑14,19,22,31
Discharges Le 15:15,30
Defilement during Nazarite vow Nu 6:10‑11
- Historically Israel sacrificed sin offerings: 2 Ch 29:20-34 after cleansing the temple,
- Ez 6:17 after rebuilding the temple, Ez 8:35 second group of returnees, Ne 10:32-33 after rebuilding the city wall
Meaning and Significance
- Mandatory atonement for specific transgressions of ignorance or error, where no restitution was possible.
- Confession of sin / forgiveness of sin / cleansing of defilement
- There was also a general aspect of forgiveness of sins, hence there were sin offerings on each of the feast days.
- Is 53:10-12 … Jesus is an offering for our sin
- 2 Co 5:21 Christ has become the complete sin offering
- He 13:11-13 bodies of sin offerings were burned outside the camp > Jesus suffered outside the camp
Guilt Offering - Le 5:14 – 6:7
H817 – ‘asham’ – 46x guilt offering, trespass offering, guilt, fault, sin, trespass
H7133 – ‘qorban’ – 82x brought near, sacrificial present, oblation, offering
What occasions
- Unwitting sin concerning holy things of the Lord or tabernacle or sacrifices > make restitution (Le 5:14‑16)
- Where he is not certain if he has sinned or not, “does not know it” (Le 5:17‑19)
- Le 6:1-7 > guilt offering if committed the mentioned sins (restitution possible) … other than these: many sins were not forgiveable
What given
- For all of these sins a ram (male) was offered
Procedure
- Same procedure as for the sin offering > blood was thrown about the altar (Le 7:2). The sin and guilt offering were considered as one (Le 7:7)
Distribution
- God’s portion: (fat, fat-covered innards: kidneys, liver) … priest: rest (eaten in court) … offerer: nothing.
When given
- Not commanded at any festival, individual offerings
- Required when a leper was cleansed Le 14:12‑18
a Nazirite broke vow through contact with dead Nu 6:12
the case of a man laying with a slave girl who is already betrothed. - In all cases where possible, on the day of the guilt offering, the offender was to make full restitution, adding 20% (Le 6:5).
- If the offended party and all his relatives were not alive, the restitution was paid to the priest (Nu 5:5,10).
- Some ritual uncleanness / some ethical sins can be forgiven by animal sacrifices, but some could not be forgiven:
Idolatry Le 20:2‑3
Witchcraft Ex 22:18
False prophecy Ex 22:18
Blasphemy Le 24:14
Sabbath breaking Ex 31:14
Striking or reviling parents Ex 21:15
Murder Le 24:17
Kidnapping Ex 21:16
Adultery Le 20:10
Incest and unnatural sexual relations Ex 22:19, Le 18
Unchastity, rape Le 21:9, De 22:21,25
False witnesses in some cases De 19:1
- Also some ritual offences could not be forgiven:
Not observing the passover Nu 9:13
Eating unleavened bread during the passover Ex 12:15‑19
Not observing the Day of Atonement Le 23:29‑30
Eating blood Le 7:22, 17:14
Eating God’s portion of the sacrifices Le 17:25
Killing an animal in an unapproved place Le 17:4‑9
Eating peace offerings while unclean Le 7:20,21, 22:34
Touching holy things illegally Nu 4:15
Eating peace offerings after the allowed time Le 19:8
Defiling the sanctuary Nu 19:13‑20
Misusing the holy oil or perfume Ex 30:32‑38
- Historically the Philistines offer guilt offering (1 Sa 6:3) after conquering the ark and experiencing God’s wrath
Meaning and Significance - Expiation (repayment for sin, guilt, penalty)
- Mandatory atonement for unintentional specific transgressions where restitution was possible, damages computed at added one fifth payable before the sacrifice. Legal satisfaction.
- The OT sacrifices imply atonement, redemption, vicarious punishment, and forgive-ness. The animal was a substitute. They pointed to a future reality.
- The rabbis insisted that repentance was vital with the sacrifice for it to be valid, and they saw the animal as the sin bearer.
- He 10:4 ‘for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins’
- He 10:11‑14 ‘And every priest stand daily at his service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…for by a single offering has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.’
- Jesus is our sin and guilt offering.
Meaning, Importance and Significance of the Offerings
What basic concepts do the sacrifices show?
- God is holy … we are not … holiness cannot tolerate unholiness
- We need forgiveness … only God can forgive … he is our hope
- God wants to bridge the gap / wants fellowship / wants to live among his people / wants to be their God
- God provides a way
- Ro 6:23 … “The wages of sin is death” … sin is destructive > sin results in death … therefore death is the appropriate punishment for human sin
- Ro 3:23 … “we all have fallen short of the glory of God”
- He 9:22 …“under the law almost everything is purified with blood without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin”.
- Jesus, the one and only sacrifice that ever took away sins
Sacrifices are hands-on learning, enacted symbols
- sacrifices contain all basic truths about the gospel
- sacrifices are constant reminders of basic trusts
- Dilemma of holiness & fellowship … come! don’t come! … we tend to lose one of the two things in tension
Attitude
- In sacrifices the attitude of the worshipper is crucial
- He 11:4 … by faith Abel brought a more pleasing sacrifice than Cain
- Sacrifice is only valid if brought with an attitude of submission, obedience and faith
- The moment sacrifices become a mere ritual, they stop working
- Sacrifices were to reflect a proper heart’s attitude towards God, an agreeing, a submission, faith
- 2 Sa 24:24 … “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord …. which cost me nothing”
Identification or substitution
- Identification with the offering > hands-on, involved, emotional impact
What does God want?
- Pleasing odor? Does God love meat? “priests sacrificing the good of God” … is God hungry? Singapore hungry ghost festival? … Presumably the Creator of all things is not dying of hunger. What then is pleasing about the sacrifice? … > obedience / faith / right attitude / pursuing God / submitting to the way he provided
- Ps 51:16-19 …“for you do not desire sacrifice, else I would give it: you do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise … then you will be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering”
Meticulous rituals
- God sets the rituals, highly prescribed, unilateral, non-negotiable … foreshadowing Jesus, the only way, like it or not
- Substitution at the offering > God accepts it in grace > ‘passes over’ the door till the time the real sacrifice will be given
- Very detailed, very meticulous, very cumbersome, tiring to read, tiring to obey, non-negotiable
- … what is God showing through this? … maybe this is the way he feels about our sin? Our stubbornness? Our pride? … cumbersome and tiring.
- But God is not just “wanting to get back to us”, in everything there is his good intention, wanting our best at his cost. So then? …
- The very different aspects all have meaning … for example: why a sin offering is not a pleasing odor and why only freewill peace offerings can have blemished animals …
- Overall message: God sets the procedure, ritual, highly prescribed, unilateral … > foreshadowing Jesus, who is the only way to the father, the final word, the one and only name through which there is salvation … like it or not!
Sacrifice as a way to show love
- God shows his love by sacrificing his son > we show our love by being willing to sacrifice for him, for each other
- Living sacrifice Ro 12:1-2 is a life lived in daily practical choices of selflessness, preferring one another, service, well wishing, encouragement, prayer
Contrast to surrounding nations' cults & sacrifices
- sacrifices were a common part in cults of the surrounding nations
- Israel’s sacrifices are not just a copy, their concept and ‘message’ is different from that of other religions / cults
- Egyptian sacrifices were marked by polytheism, appeasing of a pantheon of deities
- Canaanite sacrifices were to Astarte & Co., a fertility goddess, accompanied by ritual prostitution (male & female)
- Israel’s sacrifices taught a holy God / mercy / moral message / holy life style
- Other sacrifices taught bargaining with superior powers by giving gifts … and were often associated with immorality