The Levitical Offerings

Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.

 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)

You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to learn Truth from the Word of God.

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth," (Joh 4:24)

The Levitical Offerings

          Prelude to the Law

          The Levitical Offerings, which reveal the Person and the work of the Messiah in shadow form, are a part of the Mosaic Law. Many people think that the Mosaic Law consists only of the Ten Commandments. (Exod 20:1-22) cf. (Heb 12:18-29) This is a false thought! Actually, the Mosaic Law is so extensive that it governed every phase of the lives of the Israelites to whom it was given.

          We must distinguish between the pre-Mosaic offerings and the offerings required by the Mosaic Law. Animal offerings were used in worship from the time of Adam’s fall through the days of the Patriarchs; but with the giving of the Law, several new categories of offerings came into existence. There were the daily offerings, the Levitical Offerings, (Lev 1:1) thru (Lev 6:30) the special feast offerings on holy days and at the time of the new moon. The specifications for these offerings differed and often overlapped, as would their applications and their implications.

          For example, on the Day of Atonement, in addition to other sacrificial animals, two goats were required. They had to be males, and they pictured the satisfying of judgment and covering of sins! The Passover lamb also had to be a male, and it signified redemption. But the peace offering of the flock, one of the Levitical Offerings and the second category of the peace offering, (Restoration to fellowship) could be either male or female. (Lev 3:6-7) Now, while these offerings and the occasions differed, the concept of the lamb was always the same: it foreshadowed Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who would some-day take away the sin of the world.

An outline of the Mosaic Law is basic to understanding the Levitical Offerings:

          Truth of the Mosaic Law

1. The entire Mosaic Law is given in the Pentateuch. (First five books of the Old Testament) The addendum to the Law is found in, (Deut 29:1-29).

2. The division of the Law. The Mosaic Law contains three sets of rules and regulations known as CODICES:

a.  Codex 1: The Conduct Code, also known as the Commandments, is composed of over one hundred and twenty commandments and includes the Decalogue. (Exod 20:1-17; Deut 5:6-21) It defines appropriate conduct and proves that man is a sinner and needs a Savior. Furthermore, this section provides the basis for the Divine Institutions and Divine Laws of Establishment.

b.  Codex II: The Spiritual Code, the Ordinances. These are the Doctrines of Christ, Salvation, Spirituality and sin, etc. (Heb 10:1) It includes the Tabernacle, Holy Days, Levitical Offerings, dress, the ritual of the Levitical Priesthood and the believer’s worship in the Old Covenant Age of the Jews.

c.  Codex III: The Social Code, the Judgments. Presents Divine Laws of Establishment designed to provide freedom and privacy for the human race during the course of the angelic conflict. This section defines the perfect standard for the function of a national entity, as well as dietary Laws, Laws of sanitation, quarantine, soil conservation, taxation, military service, marriage, divorce, etc. The punishments for nonobservant were also stated.

3.  The recipients of the Law were Jews and ONLY the Jews of the Old Testament. (Exod 19:3; Lev 26:46; Rom 3:19; Rom 9:4)

          a. The Law was NEVER given to the Gentiles. (Deut 4:8; Rom 2:12-14)

          b. Christians are not under the Law. (Act 15:28-29; Rom 6:14; Gal 2:19) cf. (Rom 8:4; Gal 5:22-23)

4.  Christ’s fulfillment of the Law. (Mat 5:17)

          a. Christ fulfilled Codex I by living a perfect life on earth during the Incarnation (Impeccability).

          b. He fulfilled Codex II by His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session. (Psa 110:1)

          c. He fulfilled Codex III by His patriotism and observance of the Laws of Establishment. (Mat 22:21)

5.  The Church in relationship to the Law.

          a. Christ is the end of the Law for believers in the Church Age. (Rom 10:4)

          b. Since the Church is specifically NOT under the Law, the Law is NOT the Christian way of life.

          c. Believers in the Church Age are under a higher Law the Law of Spirituality. (Rom 8:2-4; 1Co 13:1-8; Gal 5:18; Gal 5:22-23)

6. The limitations of the Mosaic Law.

          a. The Law cannot justify. (Act 13:39; Rom 3:20; Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16; Php 3:9)

b. It cannot give eternal life. (Gal 3:21)

c. It cannot provide the Holy Spirit. (Gal 3:2)

d. It cannot produce miracles. (Gal 3:5)

e. It cannot resolve the problem of the indwelling old sin nature. (Rom 8:3-8)

7.  The present purpose of the Law.

          a. Codex 1: to convince by God the Holy Spirit and Truth that man is a sinner and needs a Savior. (Psa 53:1-3; Rom 3:10; Gal 3:23-24; 1Ti 1:9-10) cf. (Joh 16:8)

          b. Codex II: to communicate God’s grace in both salvation and rebound. (Pro 1:23; 1Ti 2:4; 1Jn 1:9)

          c. Codex III: to provide the basis for national function, freedom and prosperity under the Divine Laws of Establishment; to preserve nations under the principle of Divine Institution Number Four. (Neh 4:14; Rom 13:1)

          d. Therefore, keeping the Law is not the way of salvation but the way of human freedom and prosperity under the Divine establishment code of conduct.

8.  The designation of the Mosaic Law as the “Book of the Covenant. (Exod 24:7-8; Exod 34:27-28; Deut 4:13-16; Deut 8:18; Deut 9:9; Deut 9:15)

          a. This Book of the Covenant emphasizes grace and is an addendum to the Mosaic Law. It is the subject of, (Jer 11:1-8) but is not to be confused with the New Covenant of, (Jer 31:31-33; 2Co 3:6; Heb 7:22; Heb 8:13; Heb 13:20)

          b. The prophecy of breaking the Covenant (Deut 31:16;  Deut 31:20; Jer 22:8-9) National disintegration results when the Covenant is broken.

          Old Testament salvation

          Equally important toward comprehension of the salvation offerings is the subject of Old Testament salvation. How were people saved before the Cross became a reality?

1.  The pattern for Old Testament salvation is the same as that in the New Testament faith in the Second Person of the Trinity. (Gen 15:6) Abraham believed in the Lord, and it was credited to him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6) The Hebrew word for “Lord” is the tetragrammaton. In this context, it refers to Jehovah. (Jesus Christ)

2.  The New Testament commentary on Old Testament salvation is found in, (Isa 28:16; Rom 4:1-8; Rom 9:30-33).

3.  The Gospel, as declared in the Old Testament, is stated in, (1Co 15:1-4). The phrase “according to the Scriptures” refers to the Old Testament Canon, which was completed, recognized and circulated; it prophesied Messiah’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session. (Lev 1:3; Psa 16:10-11; Isa 53:9-10; Act 2:30-35)

4.   Christ was revealed in the Old Testament in a different manner because the Cross had not yet occurred. Since the Old Testament looked forward to and anticipated the Cross, it dealt with shadow Christology. (Heb 10:1) Nevertheless, revelation as found in the Levitical Offerings, Feast Days and the Tabernacle is just as clear as related Truths in the New Testament.

5.   People were saved in Old Testament times by believing in Christ as He was then made known; they were NOT saved by keeping the Law. (Gal 2:16)

          Summary of the Levitical Offerings

          The first six chapters of Leviticus, which form the basis for our study, contain five offerings: three of them emphasize salvation, two, rebound.

          The Salvation Offerings. The first offering in this category is the BURNT OFFERING; (Lev 1:1-17) completely burnt, with the exception of the hide which was given to the officiating priest. (Lev 7:8) In the burnt offering, we have a declaration of the Doctrine of propitiation with emphasis on the work of the Messiah. The second offering is called in your Bibles the GRAIN OFFERING (Lev 2:1-16), although it should have been properly translated GIFT OFFERING. This is a bloodless offering, which reveals propitiation, but with emphasis on the Person of Christ. The third offering is the PEACE OFFERING, (Lev 3:1-17) a part of which was burned upon the altar, with the remainder divided between the priests and the offerer. (Lev 7:29-34; cf. Lev 7:15) Whatever portion of this offering was not eaten within a specified time had to be burned on the third day but not on the altar. (Lev 7:17) The peace offering represents the Doctrines of reconciliation and restoration to fellowship. Redemption is another major Doctrine connected with salvation and the offerings which foreshadowed it. This Doctrine is revealed in the Levitical Feasts, (Lev 23:1-44; the Passover, (Salvation, what Christ would do) Unleavened Bread, (No sin or sin nature, what Christ would be; SINLESS) Firstfruits, (Christ's Resurrection) Feast of Weeks and or Pentecost (The Harvest of mature believers, then and now) Trumpets, (The Second Advent) Atonement, (Baptism of Fire) and Tabernacles (The Millennial reign of Christ).

          The Rebound Offerings. The last two offerings are the SIN OFFERING, (Lev 4:1) and the TRESPASS OFFERING. (Lev 5:1-19; Lev 6:1-30) While the sin offering concerns UNKNOWN sins in the life, the trespass offering pertains to all KNOWN sins.

          Source of the Levitical offerings

          Although most of the Mosaic Law was given at Mount Sinai in the Arabian Desert, (Exod 19:20) the Levitical Offerings were made known from the door of the Tabernacle. Why should that be? The Levitical Offerings represented the principle of grace, while the Law dealt with the principle of having a sin nature and conduct. (Rom 3:9-20) cf. (Rom 3:21-31) Therefore, that which was purely grace had to be given under grace conditions from the place of grace the door of the tabernacle.

          Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. (Lev 1:1-3)

          “LORD” is the tetragrammaton JHWH, sometimes spelled YHWH, to which vowel signs have been added. It is pronounced JEHOVAH, or JAHWEH, and, usually refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Israel. This particular word is derived from the verb “to be” with the meaning of absolute existence. The Thought is taken from, (Exod 3:14) where the translation “I AM THAT I AM” is the doubling of the verb. Therefore, JHWH appears to be formed from the doubling of the verb “HAJAH” — “to be.”

          “The LORD called.” QARA means “to call out” or “to shout” so as to attract someone’s attention. God said to Moses, “Now hear this”; and when He had the attention of Moses, He “Spoke to him.” “Spoke” is the piel imperfect (Intensive stem) of DABAR — “to set in a row, to arrange in order” — hence, “to Communicate categorically.”

          The Voice came “out of the tabernacle.” The Tabernacle was God’s dwelling place in Israel, (Exod 40:32-38) and the Shekinah Glory, the visible sign of the Divine Presence, was the only light in the Holy of Holies. Remember, the Tabernacle had no windows and only one entrance, the curtained door. Everything in the Tabernacle spoke of the Messiah. For example, the brazen altar, which stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle, pictured the Cross; the golden candlestick represented Christ as the Light of the world. Thus, this information was given at the very place where the Jews met the grace of God in salvation.

          Out of the tabernacle of the congregation came God’s Voice, “saying.” This is the qal infinitive construct of AMAR and it means “to bear forth, to bring to light.”

          Notice that in the text of, (Lev 1:1) God used three different words for communication: QARA — focus your attention! DABAR — communicate categorically! AMAR — clarify by speaking! The point is that God the Son was about to reveal vital information about Himself which was essential to the Spiritual life of the Jews. There would be a great deal of emphasis upon Phase One (Salvation) in the first three offerings and on the grace principle connected with it; and Phase Two information (The saved Jew in time) would be forthcoming in the last two offerings. We might say, then, that the whole purpose of the Levitical Offerings was to orient the Jewish individual to God’s plan for Phases One and Two!

          The burnt offering (Lev 1:2-17)

          Most people in the ancient world were illiterate: they learned, not through reading, but through repeated Communication and Ritual. The Israelites were no different; when this passage was written, they had only recently been liberated from four hundred years of Egyptian slavery. It was for this reason that God commanded Moses to “Speak,” (Piel imperative of DABAR) to the Children of Israel. Moses was to pass on to them God’s instructions in detail; he had to teach them the mechanics and meaning of every ceremony that portrayed the grace of God and His Plan.

          There is very little ritual in the Church Age — only the Lord’s Table. Most ritual has been eliminated because the Cross is now historical. With the completion of the New Testament Canon, God communicates through His Written Word. This was not the case in Moses’ day when God revealed Himself in dreams, visions, Theophanies, unusual events and direct Conversations. Ritual foreshadowed reality, and the offerings had a twofold intent: to evangelize the Jewish unbelievers and teach believers the grace of God!

          "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. (Lev 1:2)

          The Command to “Speak” concerning the BURNT OFFERING is followed by AMAR in the qal perfect tense, meaning “to clarify.” This implies that the Communication of the Levitical Offerings would clarify the issue of the grace of God in salvation and in rebound. The verb “to bring” (The hiphil imperfect of QARAB) means “to draw near, to approach.” The hiphil stem is causative, active voice, and indicates that the person who brought the offering had already trusted Messiah as his Savior. God, in His grace, provided for the Jew a ritual so that he could better understand his salvation as well as God’s provisions for him in time.

          The imperfect tense of QARAB means that the action has not been completed. From the time of the Levitical Offerings right down to the present, there are those who draw near to God. They go on positive signals with regard to the work of Christ on the Cross, and this positive volition must be expressed in a non meritorious way faith! The only merit is in the object, and the objects of our faith are Christ and His Word!

          The Corban

          The word for “offering” is the Hebrew noun QORBAN and it is the basis for approaching God. It is derived from the qal perfect of QARAB. In, (Mar 7:11) this noun has been transliterated CORBAN, and we will use this word in referring to the offerings.

          God in His grace provided for the Jews a means of approach to Himself, which included the shedding of blood. It should be understood, however, that while the shedding of blood of the animal sacrifice was analogous to the death of Christ on the Cross, this is a representative rather than a true analogy. (The animal literally bled to death, but was not literally judged for our sins; Christ was literally judged for our sins but did not literally bleed to death) The physical death of the sacrificial animals represented the SPIRITUAL DEATH OF CHRIST JESUS.

 Christ did not save us by bleeding to death, but by being judged for our sins. (Isa 53:11; 2Co 5:21; 1Pe 2:24) When the Bible mentions the blood of Christ, as it frequently does, the intent is to relate every animal sacrifice with the Cross.

          Christ actually died, (In His human nature) twice on the Cross — Spiritually and physically. He often mentioned His Spiritual death and referred to it as “the cup.” He spoke of the baptism of the cup, (Mat 20:22-23) and prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as You will!” (Mat 26:39; cf. Mat 26:42) He was referring to His role in the Father’s plan for our salvation. (1Jn 4:14) Until that Plan was executed, God graciously withheld judgment. (Act 17:30-31) But during the last three hours upon the Cross, all sins past, present and future were poured into the cup Jesus Christ was to drink for mankind. Thus, LITERALLY, our sins were passed on to Christ, and He experienced the full extent of God’s wrath against sin! This wrath should have been expressed toward us as sinners, but it was directed, instead, toward His beloved Son. Jesus Christ became our substitute, our offering for sin -- the Lamb of God which took away the sin of the world! (Joh 1:29)

          Now, how can one convey this Concept of the perfect substitutionary sacrifice before the actual Incarnation of Jesus Christ? It is portrayed by the altar of burnt offering and the spotless sacrificial animals upon it — their throats cut, bleeding to death in the sinner’s place.

          The Jews understood fully that these sacrifices were representational; unhappily, many believers in our day and age fail to see or accept the correct Biblical Interpretation of the blood of Christ. Not only do they maintain, incorrectly, that the literal blood of Christ is in view here, but they also sing hymns about it with gusto! There is, in fact, not enough blood in the universe to cover one sin — to say nothing of covering the sins of the world! Certainly, Jesus suffered a small loss of blood from puncture wounds prior to and during the crucifixion. This was from His hands and feet. His thorn-scarred brow, and from the flogging He received at the hands of Pilate’s soldiers. Yet His throat was not cut, nor did His lifeblood ebb away. When He uttered the words, “It is finished!” (Joh 19:30) He had already accomplished our salvation by His Spiritual death. He did not die physically until He dismissed His spirit (His Human life; Rom 1:4; 1Co 15:45) into the Father’s hands. (Psa 31:5; Luk 23:46) At that time, most of His blood was still in His body, as the wound inflicted by the piercing spear of the Roman soldier disclosed hours later. The Levitical Offerings simply anticipated the Cross; the Corban, specifically, foreshadowed the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf.

          The instruction to “bring an offering unto the LORD” defines what offerings were acceptable to God. The burnt offering could come from three sources: (1) “of the herd;” (Lev 1:2-9) (2) “of the flock;” (Lev 1:10-13) (3) “of birds.” (Lev 1:14-17) One of these offerings was within the reach of every economic segment of the nation Israel, for all Israelites were included in propitiation!

          The very wealthy were required to bring an offering from the herd. That would be a bullock, a considerable investment in the agricultural economy of the ancient world. The middle-class Israelites were to offer a sheep or a goat from their flock; the poor, a pigeon, a turtledove. Apparently pigeons were as common then as they are now and, therefore, readily available.

          Each category of the prescribed burnt offering pertained to some aspect of the Doctrine of salvation. The bullock pictured Jesus Christ as the Servant; (Atonement and Redemption; 1Pe 1:18) the sheep or goat represented Him as the Lamb of God, (Substitutionary sacrifice; Lev 1:4; Gal 3:13; 1Jn 3:16) and fowl as the Resurrected One. (And Justification of man; Rom 4:25)

          The “herd” corban (Lev 1:3-9)

          'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. (Lev 1:3)

          The Hebrew noun OLAH, meaning “an ascent, a holocaust, a burnt sacrifice,” is taken from the verb ALAH, “to go up in smoke or flame.” Hence, it refers to the gaseous smoke which curled upward after the carcass was consumed by the flames. This “sweet savor” was said to propitiate God the Father.

          The offering taken from the herd specified “a male without blemish.” Thus it represented the incarnate perfect Person --- the Son of God. As God, Jesus Christ possesses the same Divine attributes as the Father and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as Deity, Christ could not go to the Cross as the Sin-bearer for mankind. Sovereignty is not subject to death; perfect righteousness cannot have contact with sin, and perfect justice must condemn sin wherever it is found. Eternal life can neither die Spiritually nor physically, nor can omnipresence reduce itself to one geographical spot the Cross. Omnipotence cancels out the power and limitations of death, and immutability prevents any change in Christ’s essence. In short, because it is impossible for God to die upon the Cross, it was imperative that Jesus Christ become a true Member of the human race. Yet to be “without blemish,” He must be born without an old sin nature!

          Only one other man came into the world with that perfect condition of soul — Adam. Like his counterpart — the Second Adam (Jesus Christ; Rom 5:14; 1Co 15:45) — all temptations assailed the first man from without. When his volition was put to the test, Adam sinned deliberately and gained an old sin nature. Therefore, in procreation, the sin nature is passed to the child through the man, (Rom 5:12; cf. Psa 51:5) and the child is born physically alive but Spiritually dead. (Eph 2:1) Because we all have an

old sin nature, we not only commit sins but also produce human morality — neither is acceptable to God! (Isa 64:6) It was not possible for Jesus Christ to be born through natural generation, or He, too, would have possessed a sin nature and could never have been our Savior. Therefore, the Messiah was virgin-born, and through His unique birth He became perfect humanity, escaping the imputation of Adam’s sin. As a true Human Being, Christ experienced every frustration and suffering known to mankind; He faced far greater temptations than we shall ever know, yet He NEVER ONCE succumbed to them! During His earthly ministry, He was sustained by God the Holy Spirit and lived thirty-three years in perfect submission and obedience to the Plan of the Father! At the end of that period, Jesus was still free from personal sin and, therefore, qualified to go to the Cross. In His impeccability, He personified THE MALE WITHOUT BLEMISH, and He offered Himself to be judged for the sins of the world! (Isa 53:10; cf. Mat 26:39; Heb 9:14; Heb 10:1-20)

          “He shall offer it, {The offering” (Lev 1:3) is the believer approaching God. This time QARAB is in the hiphil imperfect and should be translated: “He shall be caused to approach God by his own voluntary will.”

          Ritual is for the believer in Jesus Christ, but he must know the significance of what he is doing, and he must do it from his own free will. Ritual without reality is meaningless! The Bible recognizes both human and Divine volition, yet God never coerces human volition.

          Jesus Christ went to the Cross of His own free will; “Not MY OWN WILL, but YOUR WILL be done!” Propitiation would have been impossible apart from the positive volition of the humanity of Christ. (Mat 26:42; Heb 10:7-10) Then, to be compatible with the grace of God, man must in turn demonstrate a voluntary response to appropriate salvation and to reach Spiritual maturity. (Eph 2:8-9) Jesus Christ has provided salvation in full; He is the object of our faith; (Joh 20:31; Act 16:31) and the object of faith, (Never the subject) has all the merit!

          The Jewish believer who brought the offering from his herd — of his own free will — to “the door of the tabernacle” was expressing his positive volition toward the Savior. There the animal would be sacrificed in the sinner’s place to foreshadow that perfect sacrifice God’s own Lamb.

          And he [The believer making an animal sacrifice] shall put, qal perfect of SAMACH] his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him [On behalf of him] to make atonement on his behalf. (Lev 1:4) What transpired at the brazen altar was a symbolic transfer of the believer’s sins to the innocent animal. As the offerer’s hand was placed on the animal’s head, it represented the transfer of his sins to the coming Messiah. The laying on of hands was “identification”; the sins of the man were now identified with the animal to be slain, even as “He who knew no sin was made sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Co 5:21)

          It is an overwhelming Thought that God should spare the guilty sinner and accept — even “take delight in” or “take pleasure in” — a substitutionary sacrifice. Yet this is exactly what the Hebrew verb for “accept” means; (Niphal perfect of RAAH) it conveys the Thought of propitiation: God the Father is satisfied by the work of His Son on our behalf!

          God’s gracious reception of the burnt offering resulted in an atonement for sins. The piel (Intensive stem) infinitive of KAPHAR means “to cover, to overlay, to make an atonement” hence, “to cover sins” The atonement provided by Jesus Christ for our sins satisfied the Father. Because we are identified with Christ, we are covered by His propitiatory work on the Cross.

          When we compare the tremendous grace aspect of, (Lev 1:1-4) with, (Rom 3:20-23) we immediately recognize the futility of man’s effort to vindicate himself in God's sight:

          Therefore by the works of the Law [Codex I of the Mosaic Law] no flesh will be justified in His/God’s sight. . . (Rom 3:20; cf. Gal 2:16)

          If man were able to keep ten or twenty commandments, he would still be altogether worthless. (Psa 39:5) What, then, is the purpose of Codex I? “...by the Law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:20) The fact that man cannot be saved by keeping the Law in no wise negates the possibility of his salvation. On the contrary, “...the righteousness of God without [Apart from] the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets. (The Old Testament Canon) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith, [In] Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe.” (Rom 3:21-22) The Jew, who had believed, brought an offering of his own free will and thus expressed his positive volition in accordance with the Divine instructions.

          There is no difference in mankind: “ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” [His perfect character and essence] (Rom 3:23) However, man is “...justified freely by His [God’s] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:24) This is the, grace expressed through God’s acceptance of the burnt offering whereby the place of judgment becomes the place of mercy. It pictures Christ Jesus, “whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.” (Rom 3:25)

          The Greek word for “propitiation,” HILASTERION, and the Hebrew word KAPPORETH both mean “mercy seat.” They refer to a wooden box called “the ark of the Covenant.” This was overlaid with gold, and stood in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. The acacia wood of the box spoke of Christ’s humanity, the gold, of His Deity. Together, those materials represented the uniqueness of the God-Man — undiminished Deity and true humanity in one Person forever!

          The ark contained three items: a pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded and the tables of the Law. All depicted sin: the tables of Law were a reminder of Israel’s violation of the Word of God; Aaron’s rod that budded evidenced rejection of God’s plan regarding the authority of the Levitical priesthood; the pot of manna typified man’s rejection of Divine provision for the Spiritual life. (To restrain the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life; and to promote growth to Spiritual maturity. 1Jn 2:16-17)

          The mercy seat itself fitted over the top of the ark like a lid. On each end of the mercy seat was the golden figure of a cherub. One cherub represented God’s perfect righteousness, the other, God’s justice. Righteousness and justice looked down on sin and condemned it. But once a year, apart from the regular, daily sacrifices a wonderful event took place on the Day of Atonement. At the door of the Tabernacle, at the brazen altar, an animal was sacrificed by the high priest. Its blood was collected in a basin, carried into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on top of the mercy seat. Because of the blood which represented the finished work of Christ on the Cross, all the sins and uncleanness of Israel which might remain, despite the regular sacrifices, were covered or expiated. Righteousness and justice were satisfied, and symbolically, the Father was propitiated.

          [SHACHAT, in the qal perfect to slaughter] the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron's sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. (Lev 1:5)

          The bullock of the herd was tied to the altar and identified with the offerer’s sins. The actual killing was a simple procedure. The one who slaughtered the animal gripped his muzzle, held it taut, and by plunging the knife into the animal’s throat, swiftly and skillfully severed the carotid, which caused excessive bleeding. Now the seat of the animal’s life is in his blood, (Lev 17:11) and the line between life and death is very thin. With every heartbeat, the dying animal literally pumped out his own blood, which soon stained the ground, the altar, the offerer and even the priests.

          The offerer watched as the powerful animal became weaker and finally died. Perhaps the offerer shuddered as he thought that this perfect specimen of the herd was innocent and deserved to live. Instead, through death, the animal had symbolically become his sin-bearer. He remembered God’s warning of, (Gen 2:17) “…you will surely die!” The verb “to die” (MUTH) occurs twice in the Hebrew, first in the qal active, as a participle, then in the qal imperfect. “Dying” refers to Spiritual death; “you will surely die,” to physical death. It is a sobering thought that as surely as the sins of the offerer caused the death of the sacrificial animal on that altar, so our sins caused the deaths of Christ on the Cross! (Isa 53:5-6) If that does not make you realize and appreciate the greatness of God’s grace, nothing will!

          During the course of Israel’s history as a nation, thousands upon thousands of bulls were slain as the burnt offering. Each time a bullock was sacrificed, the same procedure was followed. The offerer slaughtered the animal, and the priest brought the blood and sprinkled it “round about upon the altar.” “Before the LORD” refers to the location at which the sacrifice was made the entrance of God’s dwelling place among the Israelites of old. The Hebrew word PANIM (“Face”) implies God’s observation of each act of sacrifice, and God was satisfied. (Lev 1:5) What the officiating priests of the Aaronic line accomplished by representing believing Israelites before God in the Tabernacle, Jesus Christ accomplished for Church Age believers in the presence of the Father in heaven.

          Man gains his knowledge in one of two ways academically or experientially. The Levitical priests were responsible for both the verbal communication of Truth and its illustration by means of the Levitical Offerings. We could say that the Tabernacle and Holy Days were Israel’s “Textbook.” Although the Israelites had never seen the inside of the Tabernacle, they were clearly taught what each article of furniture stood for and the significance of each ritual. They had learned the meaning of and observed the feasts and fasts, but the most dynamic lesson in Christology, (Who Christ was, and what He would do) hamartiology, (Sin) and soteriology, (Salvation) was the shedding of animal blood. There can be no doubt that even a “stiff-necked” people like the Jews, (Deut 9:6) understood the Message from this most graphic SHOCK METHOD of Teaching God's Thoughts on every Biblical subject!

          The offerer, who stood by and watched a spotless, vigorous animal die, was shocked into the realization of how the Savior would bear the sins of the world, “...without the shedding of blood is no forgiveness!” (Heb 9:22) This is the relationship between the Levitical Offerings and the actual event of the Cross.

          He [The offerer] shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. (Lev 1:6)

          As the shock method of teaching continued, the offerer skinned the bull, demonstrating that there was no blemish beneath the hide. (As well as imputation and justification; Christ gives us His skin. (His Righteousness; 2Co 5:21) cf. (Gen 3:21) Thus he was reminded of the absolute perfection of the humanity of the coming Savior who would be free from both overt and mental attitude sins. Because of the impeccability of His humanity, Messiah would be qualified to go to the Cross. So as the bull was “cut … into pieces,” the work of Christ on the Cross was depicted. As the flesh was divided, the offerer was reminded of his own sins, for which the animal’s life was taken and judged. The offerer understood that in God’s perfect time, the Savior would come to bear the judgment and wrath of the Father. At that point, animal sacrifices would cease; but meanwhile, the ceremony of the burnt offerings would continue.

          'The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood (Sins) on the fire. (Judgment) 'Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet (Experiential Righteousness of Thought and action) over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. (The Cross) 'Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. (Intake of Truth in fellowship) And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, (Rom 12:1) an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. (Lev 1:7-9)

          Aaron’s sons were heirs to the Levitical priesthood through physical birth. Believers in Jesus Christ operate under a higher priesthood — that of the royal priesthood of Melchizedek. (Heb 7:11; 1Pe 2:9) The Levitical priesthood was based on ancestry; our royal priesthood is based upon regeneration. Even as the Levites could not function as priests until they came of age, (Num 4:3; Num 8:24) so believer-priests in the Church Age cannot experience the full function of the Christian way of life until they have reached Spiritual maturity! (The place of maximum occupation with Christ and utilization of grace in either adversity or prosperity) It is the intent of the book of Hebrews to bring the believer to a realization of the importance of Spiritual maturity as rapidly as possible! Only then can he exploit the strategic victory of the Cross. In addition, Hebrews relates the royal priesthood of Christ to the Levitical priesthood and demonstrates that Christ’s priesthood is unique.

          Let’s look at the altar again where all the action has taken place! The bull has already been skinned, cut apart, and placed atop the altar to be burnt. It is vital that you understand that all this was accomplished at the altar; it shows that in like manner, everything that was necessary for our salvation was accomplished on the Cross. Jesus Christ did not leave that Cross until His work was finished; therefore, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Tit 3:5) Grace in action did the saving; and there is nothing that you or I, or any member of the human race can add to it!

          The brazen altar --- the shadow of the Cross contained a grate where the priests placed the wood for burnt offerings. Like everything connected with the Levitical rituals, the wood had a symbolic meaning: to the Israelite, it spoke of sins, and the burning depicted the judgment of those sins. The individual could no longer be judged for them, and no doubt, he heaved a great sigh of relief.

          The New Testament mentions wood in connection with the production of the old sin nature: again, the burning indicated judgment. (Isa 64:6; 1Co 3:11-16) At the same time our Lord bore the sins of the entire world on the Cross, He rejected human morality. The issue, then, in salvation is the work of Christ versus the old sin nature's production --- deeds. (Rev 20:12-15)

          It was the duty of the priests to lay the parts of the bull on the fire. (Lev 1:8) Notice what the various parts represented: “the head” referred to the mental purity of Jesus Christ by having become Spiritually mature. (Luk 2:40) The burning of the head signified that the reason Jesus Christ could become the Savior was His sinless inner life.

          Next we have “suet.” (The fat) The bull had been a prize bull, and the flaying disclosed a good layer of fat, which was put beside the animal’s head. While the head referred to Messiah’s inner purity, the fat represented His outer purity or Experiential righteousness. Together, they referred to His total qualifications to become the Redeemer, and the Doctrine of redemption was thereby taught.

          (Lev 1:9) deals with additional parts of the bull: his “entrails’ (The organs) and “his legs.” These were also to be burned; but first, they were washed in water brought from the brazen laver.

          The brazen laver stood midway between the altar and the Tabernacle proper. It furnished water for the ceremonial cleansing of the priests in keeping with God’s command that “Aaron and his sons...wash their hands and their feet from it.” (Exod 30:19) All who “bear the vessels of the Lord” must be clean (Isa 52:11, compared with, (Heb 10:22) that is, they must be in fellowship with God! Symbolically this taught confession of sin for believers; and that washing by the water of the Word, (Joh 13:4-17 ;Eph 5:26; 1Jn 1:9) always preceded service!

          The offerer was commanded to wash (RACHATZ, qal imperfect) the organs and the legs. This is a perfect illustration of Spirituality in the Church Age. The “inwards” represent our inner life and have to do with the filling of the Spirit. The legs remind us of our walk a walk in the Spirit; (Gal 5:16) a walk by faith; (2Co 5:7) a walk in love. (Eph 5:2)

          Notice what the Bible does not say! It does not say to the offerer, “As you wash those parts, feel sorry for your sins and vow that you’ll never do it again. As you stand there with your hands full of ‘guts’ be sure to pray, ‘O God, forgive me.’ How man FEELS about his sins is totally inconsequential. What God did about them is what counts! When you allow your emotions to DICTATE TO YOU, you are going to be miserable. Every believer, regardless of his dispensational setting, must learn the Word and stick to its instructions. And in this case, what does the Word say? “Wash those skinned legs; wash those inward parts. Wash them in water until they are clean!” That’s it; no more and no less! In our dispensation, the instructions for cleanliness are “Rebound! Confess the sin and forget it.”

          There is a similarity between rebound and salvation. Both are given by grace and are non meritorious! Both are a challenge to our volition! Because the Israelite who complied with the prescribed burnt offering recognized that, he could now step back and watch the priest burn the sacrifice his “offering made by fire.”

          We have already seen that fire speaks of judgment, and here it refers to Christ who was judged for us. A soothing aroma, (Lev 1:9) is literally a sweet smell, and it indicates God’s satisfaction with the work of His Son. (Eph 5:2)

          The “flock” corban (Lev 1:10-13)

          Of the three categories of burnt offerings, it was the bullock which defined propitiation in the greatest detail. There was, of necessity, a certain overlap in the symbolism of the other burnt offerings, for these also pictured the Person and work of our Lord. As the Jews learned by repetition, so must we!

          The flock offering also taught that there is only one way for sinful man to enter into a personal and eternal relationship with God, (Joh 14:6; Act 4:12) and that God’s satisfaction demands a perfect sacrifice.

           But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. (Lev 1:10)

          The Jewish believer who knew the Doctrine of soteriology understood the significance of the sheep offering. For example, John the Baptist was a Jew who lived in the Age of the Old Covenant; when Jesus Christ was presented daily in shadow form. The moment he saw the Lord, he recognized Him as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Joh 1:29) Furthermore, the Jews were familiar with the substitutionary use, of the goat, judged and sacrificed in the sinner’s place. Let me illustrate. The Jews observed seven feasts, most of which were connected with animal sacrifices. Of these feasts, the Day of Atonement was the most solemn. Not only the bullock, but two goats played an important part in the ritual of that day. (Lev 16:7-10) The high priest was to present these two goats before the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle and cast lots upon them one lot for the Lord, the other for the scapegoat. The scapegoat symbolically bore the sins of the Israelites and was dispatched into the wilderness, never to return. (Lev 16:21-22) This demonstrated the grace principle given in, (Psa 103:10-14) particularly verse 12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us!”

          This offering also had to be a “male without blemish.” One goat, then, stood for sins to be borne by Messiah on the Cross. (Atonement and redemption) The other goat represented His Spiritual death. (Expiation and propitiation) Together they convey the message of: (2Co 5:21) “He [The Father] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin; to be sin on our behalf, that we [Those who appropriate salvation] might become [Imputed with] the righteousness of God in Him.” [In union with Christ]

          An incident in the life of the first Jew (Abraham) beautifully portrays the Father’s grace provision of a substitutionary offering. It is thus described in Genesis: Isaac and his father had been climbing Mount Moriah to worship the Lord. Isaac carried the wood and his father carried the fire and the knife. At last, the puzzled young lad could contain himself no longer and asked, “My father...Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” (Gen 22:7) Abraham’s answer was calm and confident: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering.” (Gen 22:8) The ram (Male-goat) caught in a thicket by his horns became the burnt offering instead of Isaac. (Gen 22:13) So you see; that the burnt offering of the sheep or goat was fully comprehended by the Jews under the family priesthood, even before the institution of the Levitical Offerings. cf. (Gen 4:4)

        He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. (Lev 1:11)

          He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, (Fat) and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. (Lev 1:12)

          The text assumes that the believer instructed in these offerings understood that the same procedure was to be followed as that given in connection with the bull. The offerer put his hand on the head of the animal and figuratively, (As a diagram or picture illustrating textual material) transferred his own sins to the sheep or goat. In this sacrifice, the animal was tied to the horns of the altar. (Psa 118:27) The slaughtering took place “northward” before the Lord — the side of judgment. The death of the animal was essential to depict the necessity for the death of Messiah. You see, before Divine love can provide eternal life for mankind, Divine holiness must be satisfied. Before one can pass the point of propitiation, he must receive God’s Anointed as Savior. This requires a personal decision. Therefore, the priest handed the sacrificial knife to the offerer, who was required to personally cut the animal’s throat. While this must have been a repugnant thing to do, do it he must! This helped him to realize the extent of the saving work of the Coming One the Messiah of Israel! He did what he was expected to do; he watched the animal die a horrible death. The message of salvation was clearly Understood!

          The crucifixion was also a shocking sacrifice. It wasn’t designed to be pleasant! I cannot repeat often enough what it meant for Jesus Christ to be personally judged for our sins. During those last three hours on the Cross, He went through the most awesome, intense agony and suffering. The wrath of God the Father; which you and I otherwise would have experienced --- was unleashed on Him. God could have spared His own Son, but He did not; He gave Him up for each of us. This, then, is grace! GOD HAS NEVER GIVEN US WHAT WE DESERVE FOR OUR SINS! (Psa 103:10) HE SAVED UP HIS WRATH FOR THE CROSS!

          After some of the animal’s blood was sprinkled “round about upon the altar” and the remainder was poured out at its base, (Opening the way to God) the Corban of the flock was to be skinned and cut up into pieces. Let me reiterate that the blood is mentioned throughout the Scriptures. (Eph 1:7): “In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood....” (1Pe 1:18-19): “...you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (Heb 9:22): “...without shedding of blood is no forgiveness.” [Of sin] The “blood,” however, always speaks of Christ’s Spiritual death, for it is His Spiritual death which actually provided salvation! (Isa 53:11)

           'The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. (Lev 1:13)

          Again, we have the washing ceremony. Does the mention of entrails and bloody pieces of flesh nauseate you? Then think how our sins must have “nauseated” Christ — if our BEST is “filthy rags” in God's sight! (Isa 64:6) Again, I want you to observe the emphasis on the importance of the confession of personal sins. Rebound is not a license to sin but a license to serve! It is the very basis of service! (Pro 1:23; Joh 4:23-24) In these offerings, rebound is depicted as the washing away of filth. The “cleaning of the guts” may not be a very academic term for “confession of sin and intake of Truth,” but let me assure you that it communicated perfectly in the days of the Levitical Offerings.

          To see the full significance of the repetition of the phrase, “a sweet savor unto the Lord,” we must interpret the Bible in keeping with the customs of the time in which it was written. In the ancient world, a sweet smell was idiomatic for “acceptance.” Road conditions were often deplorable. Excrement was thrown into the streets, right into the paths of pedestrians. To arrive at one’s own home or at the house of one’s host with dirty feet, was practically unavoidable. Hence, the customary

greeting of that time was not “Come in,” but “Wash your feet!” Just inside the gateway was a small pool where this was done. In wealthy homes, servants were in attendance at the pool. Upon entering the hall, the guest was sprinkled with some aromatic essence of flowers, perfume or incense. This indicated that he was acceptable to his host and gladly received. (1Jn 1:9)

          It is equally unavoidable for the believer to walk through life without a momentary step into some --- mental attitude sin. There was only One who was totally acceptable to the Father Jesus Christ! He alone could say, “I ALWAYS do the things that are pleasing to Him!” (Joh 8:29) And so, as the entire sheep or goat was consumed in the flames, its gaseous smoke ascended heavenward a perfect picture of Christ, who “...and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma.” (Eph 5:2) In Him, and through Him, we have become acceptable to God!

          The “birds” corban (Lev 1:14-17)

          The Teaching of Truth will always be available to all believers, regardless of background and or economic state! While all Israel might watch and learn from the sacrifice brought by another, a personal offering was required from all Jewish believers. The offering category applicable to the poor specified that they bring either a dove or a pigeon.

           But if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. (Lev 1:14)

          The turtledove represented the deity of Messiah; but since it was brought in as a sacrifice, more than His deity was in view. This was a reminder that Christ would be the unique Person of the universe the God-man-Savior! While all Members of the Godhead are coequal and coeternal, it was the Father who planned the redemption of mankind; but the Son executed the Plan. The Son would be different from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit because He would also be Man. He would be different from man in that He was also God. The dove, then, taught the Doctrine of the hypostatic union and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

          It is interesting that the poorest of the poor brought that which represented the greatest --- our God-man-Savior! Therefore, the bringing of the dove became the symbol of God’s grace in salvation: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich (Perfect righteousness) yet for your sakes He became poor, [The Cross] so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (Imputed perfect righteousness) (2Co 8:9) The gentle disposition and cleanliness of the dove made it a type of Christ in the Scriptures, but its use in both the burnt offering and the sin offering anticipated Christ’s resurrection. Once His mission was accomplished, resurrection followed.

          The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. (Lev 1:15)

          In the case of the dove or pigeon, it was not the offerer but the priest who accomplished the sacrifice. The Jewish believer had to realize that it was not only the perfect life of the Messiah which would be unique but also His death. Billions of people would die physically, but only One would be qualified to die Spiritually for the sins of the entire world Jesus Christ, the Savior! He alone would be resurrected from the dead to ascend to heaven, to be seated at the Father’s right hand so that His kingdom might be perpetuated forever! As believers in the Church Age, we serve in His royal battalion; “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” (Heb 13:15)

          He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes. 'Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. Lev 1:16-17)

          The fowl offering lies dead. The priest’s next step is to “pluck away his crop with his feathers.” The ash dump, east of the altar, signified that the judicial sentence of sin had been carried out to God’s satisfaction; the ashes indicated that the person had passed the point of propitiation and would never be sentenced again.

          Following the Divine instructions of verse 17, the priest had two more things to do — “tear” or “cut” the fowl down the middle without dividing it, and burn the bird upon the altar. The first act showed Christ’s Singleness of Purpose and Devotion to the Father’s will. Neither His Thoughts nor Motives and or Desires were divided — He always Thought with God the Fathers Thoughts! (Joh 7:16) Second, this ritual demonstrated that even in His death, Christ’s hypostatic union remained intact. He despised the sins that had been poured out on His humanity, as did the Father and the Holy Spirit. Still, as He died Spiritually in His human nature, His human soul was judged for our sins, (Isa 53:11) for it was the God-man, God in a human body; and as God HE was everywhere; past, present and future --- at the SAME TIME, while He hung on that Cross! Remember that we are dealing with the depth of God’s Wisdom and Grace: Wisdom which formulated the Plan of Salvation and Grace which, that by way of the Cross, freely gives love and eternal life to all who will receive it!

          The grain offering (Lev 2:1-16)

          Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour, (Christ) and he shall pour oil (God the Holy Spirit) on it and put frankincense (His Self sacrifice) on it. (Lev 2:1)

          The Hebrew, NEPHESH, mistranslated “anyone,” is the word for “soul”; therefore, the verse should read: “And when the soul presents a grain offering as an offering to the LORD...” [Hiphil imperfect of QORBAN] The verse presupposes certain conditions: first, that the offerer is a believer; second, that he has been Taught Truth; third, that he is in the right frame of mind for bringing the required offering; in the Church Age we would say, “He is in fellowship.” (Eph 5:18)

          Whenever Levitical offerings were presented, numerous bystanders in the outer court watched the events and learned from them. In the case of this particular offering, all Doctrines Taught pertained specifically to the Person of Christ. In fact, occupation with Christ is the very subject of the second chapter of Leviticus.

          Again, we have a Hebrew word in our text which has been mistranslated: MINCHAH means “gift” or “present” not “grain”! The word itself is derived from the verb MANACH (To give) and should be translated “gift offering.” God the Father as the greatest giver; God the Holy Spirit as the greatest presenter; and Christ as the greatest gift --- words alone are inadequate to describe His Person, work and sacrifice! (2Co 9:15)

          In contrast to the burnt offering, which looked at propitiation from the standpoint of the work of Messiah, (Gal 2:20; Eph 5:25) the gift offering viewed propitiation from the aspect of the Person of Christ. The concept behind the MINCHAH is that, it takes a perfect gift to satisfy a perfect Giver. The perfection of the gift is seen in the offering of “fine flour.”

          Jesus Christ is the only Person who ever lived solely to fulfill the will of the Father! (Joh 8:28) He had not come to please people, although it is true that grace blessings overflowed intothe lives of all who were associated with Him. He concentrated on pleasing God the Father, and this is the basic principle on which every believer should operate! If we make pleasing God our goal, our relationships with others may be pleasant or unpleasant, but they will be straight before Him! In the end, that is all that really counts! (Heb 4:13)

          The MINCHAH offerer was instructed to pour oil upon the fine flour. Oil in Scripture often refers to the Holy Spirit; as it does in this instance. The oil in the fine flour referred to Messiah --- indwelt and filled with God the Holy Spirit, sustained in His humanity by the third Person of the God-head during the entire period of the Incarnation.

          This same “oil,” which was in “the fine flour,” is in every believer today; the same Holy Spirit who sustained our Savior sustains us. (Rom 8:10-11)

          There were three ingredients in the MINCHAH: fine flour, oil and frankincense. The last is described as one of the greatest and costliest perfumes of the ancient world and denotes the satisfying effect Christ’s perfect humanity had on the Father.

          Though the MINCHAH talks about Jesus Christ, it gets right down to where we live. It is intensely practical and personal. “Fine flour” (Pure Truth in the soul) “The oil” the sustaining basis for doing whatever you do heartily, as unto Him, by means of the Holy Spirit! “The frankincense,” is a living offering --- well pleasing to God! (Eph 5:2)

          The significance of the gift offering

          He shall then bring it to Aaron's sons the priests; and shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy, of the offerings to the LORD by fire. (Lev 2:2-3)

          The MINCHAH offering pictured the believing Jew’s approach to God on the basis of the merits of the promised Messiah. Salvation is a personal matter; therefore, the handful of the mixture of flour, oil and incense symbolized the offerer’s appropriation of salvation through faith in Christ. Then the offerer handed the priest the flour, (Christ's Pure Divine Thinking) oil (The filling of God the Holy Spirit) and frankincense (A living sacrifice) to be burned on the altar. (Rom 12:1; 1Jn 3:16) So the MINCHAH shows us that Christ not only provided us with salvation by His death, but also provided for us a pattern to follow; by His life!

          There is still another significance in the MINCHAH: first, its burning foreshadowed a Church Age Doctrine; retroactive positional Truth, (Rom 6:4) which is the identification of every believer with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Second, the MINCHAH indicated the principle of fellowship, based exclusively on the Person of Messiah. This was revealed through “the remnant of the grain {Gift] offering” that part of the MINCHAH which remained in the golden or silver dish after the burning of the first handful. This was for the bodily sustenance of Aaron and his sons: in a sense, part of what belonged to God also belonged to them. Now this Doctrine relates to the believer-priest in the Church Age.

          While the Levitical priesthood was highly specialized, our priesthood is universal in nature. They received a portion of the gift offering man had brought; we receive a double portion of the gracious gift of God! Jesus Christ explained this Truth when He said, “you in Me, and I in you.” (Joh 14:20) Every believer who is in Spiritual maturity knows the joy of fellowship with the indwelling Christ! However, regardless of his Spiritual status, every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of sustenance and function. Jesus Christ is our royal High Priest; since we share His priesthood, we are a kingdom of royal priests. It is only fitting that we partake of a royal food, and this Spiritual food is “the noble Truth,” (Heb 6:5) extracted from the pages of the Canon. It is God’s intention that the believer-priest be sustained Spiritually; therefore, He provided the gift of Pastor-Teacher for the communication of the Word! Truth develops Category One love for God, which, in turn affords fellowship with the Lord. Knowledge and application of the Word of Truth is the only means of reaching Spiritual maturity, the state in which the royal priesthood begins its NORMAL function! (Eph 4:11-15)

          Categories of the baked offering (Lev 2:4-7)

          The Oven Offering.

          Now when you bring an offering of a grain offering baked in an oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil. (Lev 2:4)

          In the ancient East, four types of ovens were in use. The one referred to here is a TANNUR, also called a “fire pot.” It stood on legs, off the ground, and was heated like a furnace from underneath. In contrast to the other gift offerings the cake baked, (MAAPHEH, a noun in the Hebrew text) was entirely hidden from view during the baking process.

          In shadow form, this described the God-ward side of the death of God’s Son. Just before the sins of the world were poured out on Jesus Christ, the hill of Golgotha was completely shrouded in darkness. Both men and angels had observed the first three hours of the Cross, but neither mortal eye nor angelic creature could penetrate that dense supernatural blackness of the last three hours. Only God saw the hidden side of the Cross! He saw every sin of mankind and judged it in Christ. Our Savior endured the greatest humiliation ever to come to a member of the human race. (Isa 53:10-11) The agony of bearing our sins caused Him to scream out, (Mat 27:46) and His screams pierced the darkness.

          There is still another parallel between the cake baked (Hidden) in the oven and the unseen side of the Cross. Just as fire had to be applied to the oven to bake the cakes, so God’s righteous judgment had to be applied to our Sin-Bearer to provide salvation. Now, what was it that satisfied God? A PERFECT OFFERING! This was depicted by the fine flour which represented Christ’s perfect humanity, and the oil which pictured the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit in His life. The specification of “unleavened cakes” or “unleavened wafers” is very important also, as it points to the absence of sin and human thinking in the virgin-born Son of Man. Leaven in Scripture represents the old sin nature's thoughts and actions; (Mat 16:11; 1Co 5:6-8; Gal 5:8-9) and is frequently mentioned in the Word of God.

          You can readily see now why leaven must be kept out of the gift offerings. The oven, of course, is analogous to the Cross; and the offering that went into the oven represented the only One who could qualify to be the Savior of mankind — Jesus Christ! (Act 4:12) Let me repeat one very important point: ONLY THE OFFERING WENT INTO THE OVEN — NOT THE OFFERER! The significance of this is that only a perfect offering can satisfy the Father — not the human morality or the human thinking of imperfect man! (Psa 94:11) The Jewish offerer understood this perfectly well; yet in our mixed-up twentieth century, people try to crawl into the oven along with the offering. What do I mean? I am referring to evangelists, who preach salvation thru, (Rom 12:1). I am talking about “victorious life” programs. There is no room on the Cross for anyone but Jesus Christ! You cannot be saved by dedicating YOUR body! You cannot be saved by making Christ “Lord of all” HE IS LORD OF ALL, whether you recognize it or not! Adding anything to that “so-great salvation” is, at best, stupidity! It is a form of subtle pride, spawned by the old sin nature. You might as well face it: you cannot help Christ save you! Grace excludes works! (Eph 2:8-9) And the oven offering was a good way by which to learn grace! (Gal 3:26)

          The Pan Offering

          If your offering is a grain offering [Gift offering] made on the griddle, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil. (Lev 2:5)

          While the oven offering was hidden from view during the baking process, the pan offering could be seen. The “pan” was actually a flat plate, usually made of iron, on top of which the raw dough was placed. It, too, was heated with fire from beneath. The ingredients of this “flat-plate” offering lacked the frankincense used in the oven offering, since propitiation played no part in the visible side of the Cross. This offering prefigured the Cross as seen by man. One may wonder why God permitted Christ’s sufferings to be publicly displayed. The answer is that He had to demonstrate His uniqueness as the God-man-Savior! Many people were saved as a result of observing Christ during the last days of His life! Christ’s sufferings began with His trials, and as many people witnessed the indignities and cruelties heaped on Him, they recognized this as a mockery of justice. He had been brutally slugged and pushed around, spat on and lied about; He had been skinned alive with a Roman whip. He had been forsaken by many who had avowed their love for Him; yet He had not complained!

       The Divine record reads: “...and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth...” (Isa 53:7) He endured excruciating pain of body and soul; yet not once did He cry out! Even Pilate exclaimed in amazement, “Behold, the Man!” (Zec 6:12 cf. Joh 19:5) What a MAN He was to have taken such abuse; others observed the Man — and found a Savior!

          Although Jesus Christ was undoubtedly the most powerful Person who ever lived, the trials and tortures had taken their toll on Him and had sapped His strength. When the time came for Him to carry His Cross to the place of crucifixion, He stumbled and fell under its load. The Roman soldiers saw this and compelled a bystander to carry the Cross for this “condemned man.” Simon of Cyrene had no choice. A prosperous businessman from Libya in North Africa, he was nevertheless a devout Jew and had come to spend the Passover and preceding holy days at Jerusalem. Suddenly, very much against his will, he was caught up in events that did not concern him in the least — or did they?

          Then there was the case of a condemned criminal, whom the translators of the Bible chose to call a “thief.” In reality he was a hardened gangster, a member of an organization called “The Sicels,” whose leader was Barabbas. Now you must understand that we are not dealing with a petty thief or a pick-pocket, but with a man who had belonged to “Murder Incorporated” — gangsters who carried curved knives under their robes and executed all who opposed them or failed to pay them protection money. Along with a fellow murderer, he had been apprehended and justly sentenced to die on a cross. Both were in this strange procession, which was now approaching the hill of judgment.

          The execution party itself was made up of a quaternion (Sixteen soldiers) and their leader, a Roman centurion. These were professional, battle-hardened soldiers, accustomed to the carnage of warfare. They had observed Christ during the trials; they saw the terrible treatment He had received at the hands of their comrades. They did their job, calloused by now to the pitiful screams of their victims. One by one, they drove the hard wooden nails through the hands and feet of Jesus. Not once had He winced in pain or cried out; instead He had prayed that they would be forgiven! (Luk 23:34) They had raised the heavy cross to an upright position, lifted it up and roughly sank it into the hole that had been prepared to receive it. Now they had only to wait — time to play dice and time to think! Slowly, but surely, the weight of those bodies would cause the bones to pull apart; then the soldiers would give them the death-blow by shattering their legs!

          Often, man must see to believe. Simon of Cyrene, (A religious man; moral) had to see; as a result, he accepted Christ as his Savior. (Mat 27:32; Mar 15:21; Act 2:10; Rom 16:13) Through him, the Gospel found its way into North Africa. The dying thief (A criminal; immoral) had to see, and he believed. (Luk 23:39-43) So did the centurion (A military man) and the soldiers under his Command; (All three groups of humanity are represented; Mat 27:54). To them, the trials and sufferings of Jesus Christ proved not only the perfection of His character, but that He was indeed God come in the flesh to save mankind! The “flat-plate” offering foreshadowed the human view of the Cross, a view that had to be made visible in order for a certain segment of people to be saved.

          You shall break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. (Lev 2:6)

          The cakes baked on the open griddle had to be broken into small pieces. ‘You break it” is the qal infinitive absolute of PATHATH, meaning “to crumble, to break into small pieces.” The “pouring on of oil” differs from the “mingling with oil,” not only in procedure but also in typology. While the latter anticipated the Spirit’s sustaining ministry of the humanity of Christ, the former pictured His appointment. In fact, the word “Messiah” means “The Anointed One.” We see, then, that there is a secondary use of oil in Scripture:

          Oil, a reference to a Divine appointment

          1.    The oil poured on the crumbled bread symbolized the Father’s appointment of Christ.

          2.   Jesus Christ was elected in eternity past and appointed to go to the Cross. (Psa 2:6-7)

          3.   God the Father designated one Person to be the Savior of mankind; consequently, Jesus Christ alone had a destiny with the Cross.

          4.   The believer shares the election of Christ and His destiny. (Eph 1:4) He is said to be “elected’ and “predestinated.” The term, “predestination” is never used of an unbeliever. The statement that “the unbeliever is predestined to hell” is entirely false. It is based upon the Hegelian fallacy, which claims that for every thesis there must be an antithesis. (Opposite) The antithesis is never true unless Biblically stated. The fact is that the unbeliever goes to the lake of fire by his own choice. (Joh 3:18)

          5.   Both election and predestination are descriptive terms for the Plan of God.

          6.   They apply only to the one who is in the Plan of God.

          7.   The free will of the humanity of Christ had to agree to keep the Divine appointment of the Cross. (Mat 26:39-42; Psa 40:6-8; Heb 10:5-10) The sovereign will of God and human volition coexist and meet at the Cross. Apart from freewill in man, there can be no salvation!

          The offering “broken in bits” foreshadowed the reality of Christ’s meeting His appointment and His bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. (1Pe 2:24; cf. Mat 26:26)

         

          The Frying-Pan Offering

          Now if your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. (Lev 2:7)

          This category of the gift offering was baked in a partially open, partially closed frying pan. The pan represented the Cross as seen by both God and man: the closed side was analogous to the hidden side of the Cross, while the open side represented man’s view of it. Thanks to the completed Canon of Scripture, man can be shown Christ’s work on the Cross in its entirety. Down through the centuries, Gospel information has been presented and God the Holy Spirit has made it a reality. Remember that any member of the human race, through positive volition, can be saved, for “... whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16)

           When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to the LORD, it shall be presented to the priest and he shall bring it to the altar. (Lev 2:8)

          To demonstrate his faith in Messiah, the offerer was caused to present to the priest the gift offering which had been made of specific ingredients. The priest, in turn, “shall bring,” or “shall be caused to come near, [NAGASH, hiphil perfect] the altar.” What we have here is a portrayal of our impeccable Savior as He went to the place of judgment. (Heb 8:3; Heb 9:26)

          'The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 'The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy of the offerings to the LORD by fire. (Lev 2:9-10)

          Again we see that a portion of the offering was to be burned upon the altar; the remaining part was kept by the priest as a memorial. The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word AZKARAH is found in, (1Co 11:24): “…do this in REMEMBRANCE of Me.” The portion which was burned referred to Christ being judged for our sins; the portion which was called the memorial was eaten by the priest. (Lev 2:2-3)

          “Eating” is a picture of faith. Eating is a non meritorious activity; all kinds of people can eat — good, bad, moral, immoral, religious, and irreligious. There isn’t a person who can say, “I earned or deserve my mouth, my tongue, my epiglottis or esophagus; God gave them to me because I am such a nice person!” This, of course, makes eating a perfect illustration of appropriating what God has provided in grace! And even as believer-priests in the present dispensation partake regularly of the bread at the Lord’s Table, so the “memorial” became a portion of the priestly food.

          The Principle of the memorial

          1.  Memorial implies remembrance. Remembrance requires a Spiritual Thought process motivated by knowledge of Truth. You simply cannot remember what you have never known! Remembrance demands that you draw from the inner resources of Truth resident in every facet of your soul. Self-consciousness must give way to occupation with Christ. Mentality must focus on the very subject of these offerings. Volition must make the decision to concentrate, and the emotions must have the capacity to appreciate what Christ did for us. Norms and standards must be established in the conscience and fed the Word of Truth, which includes propitiation, redemption and reconciliation.

          2.  Believers are Commanded to remember the death of Christ. The Command of, (1Co 11:24-25) is literally “… KEEP ON DOING THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.” The present active imperative of the Greek verb POIEO makes this a specific order; and remembrance of everything involved in the death of Christ --- this is the whole point of the Levitical Offerings!

          3.  Remembrance demands knowledge of pertinent Truth. The reason these offerings were repeated daily and on the feast days was to teach the Israelites soteriology and Christology. The reason I will never apologize for going over and over the same Doctrines is that I know how essential repetition is to the mastery of vital information. Only when Truth becomes a definite part of your memory center will ritual become a meaningful reality to you!

          4.  Knowledge of pertinent Truth produces occupation with Christ.

          5.  Occupation with Christ causes constant remembrance of OUR ABSENT LOVED ONE, who is at the right hand of the Father. In that sense, the Communion Table is our “Auld Lang Syne.”

          The rules for the gift offering (Lev 2:11-13)

           No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the LORD. (Lev 2:11)

          Two things are strictly prohibited in this verse leaven and honey! "Leaven" is the Hebrew word CHAMETZ and means "something soured" or "fermented.'' A similar noun, CHOMETZ, refers to "vinegar' or "sour grapes." Although the Jews ordinarily drank wine, they never touched the fermented juice of the grape on the Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On those two occasions they drank boiled grape juice, as we do at the Lord's Table.

          The Talmud, as well as a number of historical references, devotes lengthy paragraphs to this issue. One such record, known to us today, is a general order given to a Chaldean general in whose garrisons’ Jewish soldiers were stationed. He was instructed not to serve "Chaldean beer" to the Jews under his Command during certain of their festivals, or they might revolt. We have already seen that "most of the time" leaven in Scripture denotes sin or some form of evil thinking; (Mat 16:11-12; Luk 12:1; 1Co 5:6-8 ;Gal 5:7-9  ) the exception being, ("Like leaven" in; Mat 13:33; meaning maturity; body, soul and spirit. (1Th 5:23)

         Perhaps a bit more difficult to deal with is the prohibition "NOR ANY HONEY"!  This stands for natural sweetness and refers to human righteousness. (Rom 10:2-3) The exceptions being: prosperity, (Num 14:8) food, (2Sa 17:29; Mar 1:6) flattery, (Pro 5:3) and Truth, (Psa 19:7-11; Psa 119:103; Eze 3:3; Rev 10:9) The Doctrine of human righteousness will help us understand why honey had to be omitted.

  

The Doctrine of human and or relative righteousness

          1.    Human righteousness is identified as "dead works" (Heb 6:1).

       2.   Human righteousness will not save mankind (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5)

          3.   Human righteousness is not acceptable to God. (Isa 64:6; Rom 4:6 ;Rom 8:8)

          4.   Human righteousness is condemned by God. a. Unbeliever’s (Ecc 12:14). b. Believer’s (1Co 3:11-16).

          5.   Human righteousness is the basis of indictment at the Last Judgment (Rev 20:12-15).

          6.   Human righteousness includes sweetness of disposition plus sincerity; neither can propitiate the Father.

          7.   Jesus Christ did not produce human righteousness. (Mat 5:20; Mat 6:1; Luk 18:18-22; Act 17:31; Rom 3:21-22) As the oil permeated the fine flour in the gift offering, so the humanity of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, produced only Divine righteousness! (Joh 4:23-24)

           

          In their yearly time schedule, the Israelites were to keep seven festivals, each of which had a special meaning: THE PASSOVER spoke of the Cross and “Christ our Passover... sacrificed for us.” (1Co 5:7) THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, which followed the Passover and lasted a whole week, represented no sin or sin nature as well as unmixed Divine Thinking. Now, on the first Sunday of that week, the FEAST OF FIRST-FRUITS was observed; it foreshadowed the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1Co 15:3-4) Then came THE FEAST OF WEEKS (Pentecost) a great gap, with no holy days called for. That gap pictured the New Covenant Age. (Act 2:1-4) Next, the FEAST OF TRUMPETS took place. It stood for the Second Advent, with emphasis on the end of the fifth cycle of discipline, and the gathering of Israel. After that, came the DAY OF ATONEMENT — Israel’s national conversion anticipated — depicting the result of the Baptism of Fire, with only believers going into the Millennium. Finally, there was the FEAST OF TABERNACLES, which spoke of the millennial reign of Christ.

          As an offering [Corban] of first fruits you shall bring them to the LORD, but they shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar. (Lev 2:12)

          Every one of the feasts required some kind of offering. However, for this festival, the instructions specified that the first-fruits Corban NOT be burnt! Remember that the Feast of First-fruits represents the resurrection of the humanity of Christ. The resurrection of Christ is a result of propitiation, (Rom 4:25) but not a part of it; hence, the prohibition of burning the gift offering on the Feast of First-fruits. The burning, as you know by now, speaks of judgment; but the First-fruits speaks of resurrection.

          I want you to see the perfect balance of type and antitype: Jesus Christ became the First-fruits of them that slept — the Old Testament saints — and His resurrection guarantees our resurrection. (1Co 15:23) Christ is now the only Person in history to be resurrected. Resurrection and resuscitation are two entirely different things: in resuscitation, a dead person is restored to life but will subsequently die again; in resurrection, a person receives a body which is never again subject to death.

          The work of Jesus Christ on the Cross was efficacious; it need not be repeated. He has risen, never to be judged again, never to die! The application to the believer is obvious; it is beautifully stated in the words of, (Rom 8:1) “There is therefore now no condemnation, (The Lake of Fire) to them which are in Christ Jesus” As believers, you and I are in union with Christ, the First-fruits. While believers can never go to the Lake of Fire; (Joh 5:24) judgment awaits everyone in Eternity. (Mat 12:41; 2Co 5:10; Heb 9:27) 

          Phase One approach to God — through faith in Christ. (Act 16:31)

          Phase Two approach to God — through the filling of God the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:18; cf. 1Jn 1:9)

          Phase Three approach to God — through death. (2Co 5:8)

          Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Lev 2:13)

          After three negative Commands in connection with the gift offering — NO LEAVEN! NO HONEY! NO BURNING ON THE FEAST OF FIRST-FRUITS! — We now have a positive Command: USE SALT! Let us consider how salt was used in the day in which the Bible was written.

          The use of salt in scripture

          1.  Salt is a preserver! The Phoenicians used salt in curing and drying fish; (Neh 13:16) salt kept foods from spoiling. Therefore, salt speaks of eternal life. The gift offering, together with the salt, reminds us of, (Joh 3:16).

          To us, who have believed in God’s unspeakable Gift, salt encompasses positional Truth. One of the many things, which God does for us at the moment of salvation is the baptism of the Spirit. Thereby believers enter into union with Christ, who is eternal life. We now share His life, (1Jn 5:11-12) and “… neither death, nor life, nor angels, (Satan and the demons) nor principalities, (Rulers) nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, … shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39) We are thus “salted” preserved forever!

          2.  Salt is a seasoner. (Job 6:6) As a seasoning, salt is figurative of the believer’s inner happiness response to eternal life; viz., the joy of salvation, which comes from a knowledge of Truth. Salt, then, is the Truth which seasons life. As salt makes foods palatable and tasty, so the Word of Truth makes life more flavorful in that it gives the capacity for its enjoyment to the full.

          3.  Salt is the antithesis of leaven! While salt is a preserver, leaven is a corrupter.

          4.  Salt symbolized hospitality. A fugitive or hated enemy was safe for the remainder of that day or night on which he ate salt from his “host’s” table. 

          5.  The eating of salt is tantamount to appropriating salvation! The moment you “ate the salt” of eternal life you were saved. After salvation, the eating of salt pictures the absorption of Truth.

          6.  The “salt without flavor,” or the “flavorless salt.” (Luk 14:33-35) The believer who continually lives out of fellowship --- will not get into the Wedding feast. (Luk 14:16-35)

          7.  Believers are said to be the “salt of the earth.” (Mat 5:13)

          a. Salt acts as an unseen preservative. The presence of believers who Think with God's Thoughts, (1Co 2:16) in a society or in a nation are the basis of its preservation.

          b. Salt provides flavor! This is the believer’s impact on society by his application of Truth and his Communication of the Divine Viewpoint of life. (GOD'S VIEWPOINT!) (Col 4:6)

          8.   The “salt losing its savor” (Mat 5:13) is analogous to the believer in reversionism, thinking with his own thoughts. (Satan's; Isa 65:2; Luk 2:35)

          9.  Inferior salt was used as a fertilizer in the ancient world; also as a means to speed the decomposition of dung. (Mat 5:13; cf. Luk 14:34-35)

          10. The strewing of salt over the ruins of a captured city (Jdg 9:45) was a sign of its utter desolation! (Carthage, 146 B.C.)

          11. Newly-born babies of the ancient world were bathed and then rubbed with salt. (Eze 16:4) (This custom still exists among Bedouins)

          12. Salt was used as a purifier. (2Ki 2:21)

          13. The “salt of the Covenant,” (Lev 2:13) refers to an ancient custom whereby treaties or agreements were ratified by a Covenant of salt. Both parties in the contract ate salt out of a common dish as a symbol of mutual agreement and abiding friendship. This made the contract valid and binding; it is equivalent to co-signatures on a legal transaction.

          14. The “salt of the Covenant of your God” is the subject of the study of the Levitical Offerings. (Lev 2:13) It applies to a contract God has provided for us --- the Cross. This contract is based upon the Father’s propitiation and man’s reconciliation. PROPITIATION: God is the Party of the first part; RECONCILIATION: man is the party of the second part. Were it not for the Cross, God and man would be at enmity with each other forever; (Rom 5:1; Rom 5:19) but thanks to the Cross, the contract contains an eternal life clause although a conditional one! It states that IF any member of the human race will come to the Cross and believe in Christ, he will be given eternal life. (Rom 5:8-10) God and man can “eat the salt” of this Covenant and consequently come together in eternal and abiding fellowship. The offer is still open; humans can accept it or reject it!

          Also if you bring a grain offering of early ripened things to the LORD, you shall bring fresh heads of grain roasted in the fire, grits of new growth, for the grain offering of your early ripened things. (Lev 2:14)

          This verse associates Spiritual growth with resurrection! (Rom 8:23) The Feast of First-fruits foreshadowed the day of our Lord’s resurrection. 

          Before the resurrection could occur, there must be death; there must be propitiation. The “green ears of corn” pictured Christ in resurrection; the Command that they must be “dried,” (QALAH — parched or roasted by fire) referred to His Spiritual death — and His judgment for our sins.

          Furthermore, the corn must be “beaten out,” (GERES) of full ears. The Hebrew word GERES means “bruising” or “crushing.” Isaiah put it this way: “... But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities… (Isa 53:5) The “full ears” pointed to the Spiritually mature humanity of Christ “cut off out of the land of the living” at God’s right time. (Job 5:26-27; cf. Isa 53:8-12) Because His work was finished, the physical death of our Savior could take place. (Joh 19:30; cf. Luk 23:46) Three things happened between His death and His resurrection, between His humiliation and His glorification:

          He committed Himself to God the Father. (Luk 23:46) His body went into the grave. (Luk 23:53) His soul and spirit went into Sheol in the Hebrew / Hades in the Greek --- to visit Paradise, Tartarus and the Abyss. (1Pe 3:18-20) cf. (Psa 16:10; Luk 23:43; Act 2:27; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9)

         

          Observe how the transition from Christ’s death to His resurrection was presented in the offering:

          You shall then put oil on it and lay incense on it; it is a grain offering. (Lev 2:15)

          The putting on or anointing of oil referred to an appointment or a commission. Jesus Christ was appointed to go to the Cross. He was appointed for resurrection, and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit put Christ’s soul and spirit --- into a resurrection body. (Act 2:24; Psa 16:10; Rom 6:4; Rom 8:11; Col 2:12; 1Th 1:10; 1Pe 3:18)

          More than that, Jesus Christ was appointed for ascension, session and glorification. It was not until Jesus Christ, (As a new creation; Rom 8:23; 2Co 5:17; Gal 6:15; Col 1:15) was seated at the Father’s right hand that the Holy Spirit could be universally given to New Covenant believer-priests. (Joh 7:39) This is the very basis of Spirituality in the Church Age and the function of the royal priesthood, for it is the Spirit who glorifies Christ! (Joh 16:14) Through our identification with Him, we share Christ’s glorification. (Rom 8:17-32) We look forward to that wonderful day when we shall be physically like Him. (1Jn 3:2)

          The priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part of its grits and its oil with all its incense as an offering by fire to the LORD. (Lev 2:16)

          In contrast to the First-fruit Corban, which was not to be burnt, (Lev 2:12) a part of the green-corn offering had to be burnt: However, it was not burnt as an emblem or type, but as a MEMORIAL to what the Cross would accomplish. The Israelites considered the Cross with anticipation. The burning of the “MEMORIAL” was, in effect, their Communion Table.

          We have seen that the MINCHAH, which is the only bloodless offering, viewed propitiation from the aspect of Jesus Christ, God’s perfect Gift. No matter how you slice it, grace depends totally on WHO AND WHAT GOD IS! Grace stems from Virtue-love and is expressed in a twofold way — first, the living Word, Jesus Christ, and second, the Written Word, what He Thinks! God loves us, but we don’t necessarily love Him. We may phase Him in or phase Him out; we may deny Him, yet He never denies Himself. (2Ti 2:12-13) His Virtue-love never changes. God will keep on loving eternally, no matter what ANYONE else does! Christ went into “the oven” for us, where He experienced the “fires” of God’s judgment. The fact that you and I are still on this earth is a memorial to His matchless grace. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2Co 9:15)

          The peace offering (Lev 3:1-17)

          The peace offering illustrates the Doctrine of reconciliation, which is the man-ward side of the Cross. Apart from the work of Christ on the Cross, there could be no “Corban,” for man's sin and its consequences had erected an impassable Barrier between God and man. Since man put up the Barrier, man cannot remove it; but by His work on the Cross, Jesus Christ, the God-man, reconciled man to God and thus abolished the Barrier.

barrierchart1

       The animal sacrifices clearly Taught this Principle, and the Jews fully understood that there was no effectiveness in ANY sacrifice; only in what they Taught --- CHRIST! (Heb 9:23)

          Now if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he is going to offer out of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the LORD. (Lev 3:1)

          The word “sacrifice,” ZEBACH, means “slaughtering” and refers to the work of Christ on the Cross. SHELAMIM, meaning “peace,” is in the plural, the singular being SHALOM. A literal translation of this word — “peaces offering” — would be awkward in our language, although there are two kinds of peace in view: “peace through the blood of his cross,” (Col 1:20) and “peace with God.” (Rom 5:1) I reiterate that the physical death of Christ on the Cross did not provide our salvation; it simply indicated that His work on earth was terminated and formed the basis for the resurrection. When we read in, (Rom 5:8) that God keeps on demonstrating His Virtue-love to ALL, “in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.” It is the Spiritual death and judgment of Christ --- that provides our salvation! By removal of the Barrier, Christ made it possible for man to have “peace with GOD.”

          The “peace offering” differed from the “burnt offerings in that either a male or female animal could be used. Some may wonder if this is really an important point. Indeed it is! Otherwise the sex would not have been specified in God’s instructions. Every detail acted as a Teaching aid. Leviticus, Chapters One and Two, presented propitiation from the standpoint of the Person and the work of Christ, a male in His humanity; hence, the significance of the male bull, the male goat and the male lamb!

          The bullock is an obedient work animal, and this obedience depicted Christ’s perfect compliance with the Father’s Plan for Phase One. There is active obedience found in the specification of a male; there is passive obedience found in the alternative, “or female.” Because man is by nature aggressive and active, while the woman is passive and responsive, the male and female become excellent illustrations of Personal Virtue-Love for God and Impersonal Virtue-Love for all mankind. Therefore, the bull prefigured the positive volition of Jesus Christ, which took Him to the Cross — obedience unto death, even the death of the Cross. (Php 2:5-9)

          The active obedience of Christ, as seen in the male sacrificial animal, showed His willingness to go the Cross. (Mat 7:21; Mat 12:50; Mat 26:39) However, once He hung on that Cross, active obedience became passive obedience. (Luk 23:34; Mat 26:53-54) This is where the female offering is important. How was His passive obedience manifested? In His willingness to bear our sins in His own body, (1Pe 2:24) in receiving the judgment which belonged to mankind, (2Co 5:21) Christ endured the awful, fathomless wrath of God when it was unleashed on Him. Such endurance we can understand only in theory. What an offering for sin! (Heb 7:27)

          He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar. (Lev 3:2)

          Let us apply the Jewish believer’s identification with the sacrifice of the peace offering, as it has great significance to you and to me. Every believer is in union with Christ and therefore identified with Him; hence, the believer is reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Our reconciliation took place on the Cross, (Col 1:21-22) while the symbolic reconciliation of the believer of the Jewish Age occurred at the place that foreshadowed it — the brazen altar. Here, the offerer killed the sacrifice in plain view of possibly hundreds of bystanders, and the priests collected and sprinkled the blood. People observed and they learned; and from their observation, we discover an important Principle — Jesus Christ has always been clearly revealed to the human race! (Tit 2:11) All can hear; all can observe; all can learn. What counts, then, is “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Joh 3:36)

          From the sacrifice of the peace offerings he shall present an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. (Lev 3:3-4)

          As in the burnt offering, fire referred to judgment and “fat” to the outer purity and overt righteousness of the humanity of the Messiah. The fat also represented the best portion. Christ is the best; absolute perfection in His Deity and humanity; He gave His best, Himself --- and He was judged for us! The best was given for the worst, for sinful mankind. That is grace!

          Verse four introduces us to a new word, KILJOTH, sometimes translated “kidneys” and at other times “reins”; the latter translation is mainly used in the Psalms. The ancients often used a physical organ to convey some inner feeling. In that sense, the “kidneys” expressed man’s emotions and were thought to be the seat of his desires.

          Where the peace offering was concerned, the kidneys pictured Christ’s volition being positive to the Father’s will and Word, negative to Satan and sin! All through this offering there is an emphasis on the volition of Christ. The male animal sacrifice active obedience; the female sacrifice passive obedience. Both were a reference to His positive volition to go to the Cross and there to receive our sins in His own body.

          Let me stress that although some theologians deny it, the Bible specifically Teaches the existence of man’s free will. Every third-class condition, every subjunctive mood, every declaration of the will of God, (1Ti 2:3-4; 2Pe 3:9) takes cognizance of man’s volition. Since God desires everyone’s salvation, all can be saved; yet not all are saved or reach Spiritual maturity! Obviously, their free will has been exercised in a negative way. God does not superimpose Divine sovereignty on man’s volition in salvation; nor does He stop us from sinning. Were it not for the positive free will CHOICE of Christ, there would have been no Cross and no salvation! It is as simple as that!

          While the kidneys pictured uncoerced human volition, “the flanks” were synonymous with confidence. In both animals and mankind, the muscles of the loins determine strength. If a man had strong muscular development of the loins, he could be confident of his physical ability; hence, the “flanks” came to indicate confidence in God. Christ’s decision to go to the Cross was accompanied by perfect confidence in the Father’s Plan. In spite of tremendous opposition, Christ said, “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed!” (Isa 50:5-7)

          The “flanks” have an application for us — the importance of the faith-rest technique. The basis for perfect confidence in our own lives — the strengthening of the muscles of the flank — is Truth taken in consistently and leading to Spiritual maturity; for only in the mature-Spiritual life does faith-rest reach its peak!

          The English word “caul” has been used to translate three different Hebrew nouns. In, (Isa 3:18) it refers to an ornamented hair net. In, (Hos 13:8) it speaks of the “caul of the heart,” indicating the membrane that surrounds and protects the heart — the pericardium, or, in its larger use, the chest. In, (Lev 3:4) the “caul above the liver” is the JOTHERETH, that transparent membrane over the liver. The symbolism here is that of something transparent and refers to glory. God is light, and glory attends His Person. (Psa 104:2; 1Jn 1:5) Christ is the revelation, the flashing forth of the glory of God. (Heb 1:3-4) The membrane laid bare is the manifestation of God’s glory (The constructed Divine nature --- Virtue-Love; 2Pe 1:4) in Christ! He is the superabundance of glory, in that He fulfilled the Law. (Mat 5:17; Luk 24:44; Gal 3:13; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 2:15; Heb 10:8-10) That is what is meant by the membrane covering the liver!

          Then Aaron's sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. (Lev 3:5)

          Aaron’s sons were to burn the kidneys; (The positive volition of Christ) the fat, (His righteousness; for sinful man) the flanks, (Confidence in God) the caul above the liver. (Virtue-Love) Offered to the fire of God’s judgment, the vapor rose heavenward, as a “soothing aroma” to satisfy the Father. God was propitiated; man was reconciled.

          The Doctrine of reconciliation (Lev 3:1; etc.)

          1.   The Principle of reconciliation: (Eph 2:14-16) reconciliation is the first work of God from which man benefits eternally. The Father planned it; the Son executed it; the Holy Spirit reveals it.

          2.   The concept of reconciliation: a. In reconciliation, the unbeliever is regarded as the enemy (ECHTHROS) of God; (Rom 5:10; Col 1:21-22) and the Barrier between God and man is called “Enmity.” (ECHTRA; Eph 2:15-16) b. The removal of the Barrier is known Biblically as “reconciliation.” (2Co 5:18; Eph 2:16; Col 1:20-21)

          3. The Person of reconciliation: Jesus Christ. (Act 10:36)

          4. The mechanics of reconciliation: the removal of the Barrier. (Eph 2:14-16; Col 1:20-22)

          5.  The ministry of reconciliation: (2Co 5:19) believers of the Church Age have a ministry of reconciliation. (2Co 5:18-20)

          'But if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, he shall offer it, male or female, without defect. 'If he is going to offer a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD, and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it before the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 'From the sacrifice of peace offerings he shall bring as an offering by fire to the LORD, its fat, the entire fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 'Then the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire to the LORD. (Lev 3:6-11)         

          The animal without blemish always emphasized the character of Christ and demonstrated His qualification to go to the Cross. It was offered “before the LORD” — that is, at the door of the Tabernacle. The procedure was the same: identification, the symbolic transfer of sins; the slaughtering; the sprinkling of the blood; the dividing of the carcass. This offering repeated the representative analogy of the blood of Christ and the judgment of God. Again, “peace” is in the plural and refers to the removal of the Barrier, (Reconciliation) and “peace with God.” But now we have something new: “the whole rump shall he take off.” Since the rump contained the most fat, it was esteemed to be the most delicate portion of the sacrificial animal. The inner and overt perfection of Christ satisfied the Father, who judged the Best that we might be saved. Once more the analogies between the parts of the animal and the Person of Christ are made.

          'Moreover, if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD, and he shall lay his hand on its head and slay it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 'From it he shall present his offering as an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 'The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat (Righteousness) is the LORD'S. (Lev 3:12-16)

          Except for the word “goat,” this category of peace offering lists a repetition of the same instructions which we have already covered in the lamb offering. The meanings pertinent to one are identical in their application to the other, the only variance being the significance of the goat — expiation and redemption. (Col 2:13-14) Christ was our personal Substitute as He paid the penalty of sin for each of us; that is why salvation is a very personal matter. It must be appropriated individually! (Act 16:31)

          It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat or any blood. (Lev 3:17) cf. (Joh 6:53) Who Christ Was and Is; and what He would do and did!

          “It” refers to the peace offering and the “perpetual statute” conveys the idea of a category of Truth. The word “statute” itself is used both here and in, (Psa 119:5) and identifies Doctrinal categories. To continue to Think these Truths would be equivalent to their faithful communication throughout Old Testament times; and the term, “in all your dwellings,” indicates that the information learned by the object lesson of the peace offering was categorized in the mind where it could be used.

          Specifically, the statute carried with it a prohibition of the eating of fat and the partaking of blood. The fat was to be burned because this satisfied the Father. This neither deprived the Jewish offerer nor the priests: the breast and the right shoulder went to the priests, (Lev 7:32-34) and the rest of the meat belonged to the offerer. (Lev 7:15-17) The eating of the flesh showed their appropriation of salvation by faith. They were never to eat the fat or blood because the fat represented the Person of Christ, and the blood, His work on the Cross. This prohibition was given to remind all believers that man is saved by grace, totally apart from human merit. (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5) God’s righteousness was satisfied by the perfection of the Person of the Savior; His justice was satisfied by His work.

          The peace offering of, (Lev 3:1) is summarized for us in Ephesians:

          For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (God and man) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. (Eph 2:14)

          By abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of Commandments[Codex #1 of the Mosaic LAW] contained in ordinances; so that in Himself  He might make the two into ONE NEW GOD-MAN, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.  AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR. (Eph 2:15-17)

          The Jews, who had the Levitical Offerings, and the Gentiles who did not, are brought together through the work of Christ on the Cross. The Barrier no longer exists! Jew and Gentile can be made one in Christ, through whom “...both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Eph 2:18)

          Introduction to the rebound offerings

          Just as the burnt offerings portrayed salvation; the rebound and or guilt offerings portray the believer’s confession of sin, known or unknown. It is helpful to see these offerings in their proper classifications before beginning our study of the next section of the Levitical Offerings.

THE BURNT (Soothing aroma) OFFERINGS: Phase One — Salvation.

(1) Burnt Offering (Lev 1:1)— Propitiation with emphasis on the work of Christ.

(2) Gift Offering (Lev 2:1-16) — Propitiation with emphasis on the Person of Christ.

(3) Peace Offering (Lev 3:1-17) — Reconciliation.

THE REBOUND (Non-sweet Savor) OFFERINGS: Phase Two believer’s life on earth.

(1) Sin Offering (Lev 4:1-35) — Rebound with emphasis on the unknown sins of the believer.

(2) Trespass Offering (Lev 5:1 thru Lev 6:7) — Rebound with emphasis on the known sins of the believer.

          Although we are saved from the penalty of sin and are given the power not to sin, personal sin continues to be a very real problem --- as long as we are alive. Not only do we commit sins which are known to us, but we are also guilty of unknown sins in the life. The more one understands God’s Word, the more cognizant he is of what is sin; and what is not! Most believers get out of fellowship with God through sins which they have not learned to identify as sins. Then, in the status of carnality, they cannot resist temptations in their area of weakness. Therefore, the most basic life-style in Phase Two should be REBOUND! This grace provision has always been available to believers both in the Church Age and in the Jewish Age. While, (1Jn 1:9) Instructs our means of restoration to fellowship with God, theirs was found in such passages as: (Lev 26:40-42) “If they shall confess their iniquity... then will I remember my Covenant... “Rebound is OUR CHOICE: the conditional clause allows the individual freedom of choice! The believer who desires restoration to fellowship and acknowledges his sins to God is instantly forgiven and completely cleansed, regardless of how he feels about his sin. God authored the Plan and specified the condition; consistent with His own character, He must act in accordance with His Plan!

          The sin offering (Lev 4:1-35)

          And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying. (Lev 4:1)

          The phrase, “the Lord spoke,” occurs repeatedly in the Old Testament and signals a revelation of the Mind of God. When the Hebrew verb DABAR is given in the qal stem, it refers to a “statement”; but when it occurs in the piel, as it does here, the recipient had better sit up and take notice!

          Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them. (Lev 4:2)

          This was a Command to Moses to communicate the resulting Thought in a categorical and organized manner, “bringing to light” (AMAR, qal infinitive construct) the law of the sin offering. “If a soul shall sin” was addressed to the believer in Israel. The word “soul” (NEPHESH, derived from NAPHASH — “to breathe”) means “rational mind, soul, and or life.” Since all believers continue to possess an old sin nature after salvation, they will most assuredly sin — knowingly and unknowingly. The latter category is brought out in the words “through ignorance.” “Shall sin” is the qal imperfect of the verb CHATA, which defines the type of sin in question — “to miss the mark,” as in archery, “to make a false step, to sin in the sense of erring from an established norm.” And how does a believer miss the mark? Through ignorance of some Truth in the field of hamartiology. (Sin) He fails to recognize that what he has done was sinful and does not confess it. Yet the Commandments of the LORD” should be obeyed!

          Man is prone to think that a sin committed in ignorance does not carry guilt. Thus he pleads ignorance as an excuse. However, neither the Law nor the holiness of God recognizes such a plea as valid. Sin is sin, whether done intentionally or committed in ignorance of an established norm. All sin is abhorrent to the character of God and must be dealt with; (1Jn 1:9) the parallel passage in the New Testament, describes the sins of ignorance as “unrighteousness.” When we meet God’s condition of confession, His method of dealing with sin is called “cleansing.” On the Cross, Jesus Christ was judged for ALL sins! The rebound and or guilt offering emphasized that both the cost of rebound and the provision for rebound were provided by our Savior. (1Jn 1:7)

          However great or eminent he may be, there is not a believer on the earth who never sins. (2Ch 6:36; Psa 143:2; Ecc 7:20) But thanks to the Cross, he need only CONFESS, or admit he is out of fellowship with God; and simultaneously he is cleansed from his known sins and sins of ignorance; for under the law of double jeopardy he cannot be judged twice for the same offense! (Pro 1:23)

Sins of the priesthood

          Like all nations, Israel was made up of several segments of society. The rebound offerings were applicable to every Jewish believer, but the instructions varied according to the makeup of the nation.

          If the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. (Lev 4:3)

          The function of the Spiritual leadership in the land was of paramount importance, as the priests were responsible for the dissemination of Truth. The anointed priest, ordained to serve the Lord in his official position, represented the nation before God. As went the priest, so went the nation; and God always held Spiritual leadership responsible. The “sin of the people” (ASHMAH — a fault, a guilt, a trespass) referred to the sins of the nation.

          The significance of the young bullock in relation to the priest’s sin offering was that the bullock was the greatest offering; therefore it was appropriate for those in high Spiritual office. You see, the more prominent and exalted the man, the more flagrant the sin! A man in public office is very much like the town clock, as more depends on it than on the watch of the individual. If a man’s watch goes wrong, only he is misled; but when a public clock is off, many are led astray!

          Some of you may be ambitious for Spiritual prominence. Let me remind you that grave responsibilities are involved in the fulfillment of your desires. God will not tolerate the abuse of high Spiritual office. He distributes a heavier dose of discipline to pastor-teachers who get out of line than He does to the members of the congregation. The Lord will properly discipline your pastor-teacher when he needs discipline, unless, of course, you interfere by criticizing and maligning him. Then, the Lord takes the heat off the pastor-teacher, and you collect his comeuppance yourself! (Mat 7:1-2)

          In one respect, the priest was no different from the common people he, too, committed sins in ignorance. For that reason, the priest had to periodically bring this specified offering to show that he recognized the Principle involved. Until he "washed his hands" at the bronze laver, (Exod 30:18) and admitted being out of fellowship, recovery with God was impossible.

     He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the LORD. (Lev 4:4)

          From all these instructions, one word was missing — the word, “confess.” Confession is in order for known sins. Since the sin offering dealt with sins of ignorance, confession was impossible at this point.

          The priest led the sacrificial bull into the outer court of the Tabernacle, where two articles of furniture stood — the bronze altar and the bronze laver. Other than to portray the Person and the work of Jesus Christ, the Tabernacle spoke of fellowship with God. Eternal fellowship was obtained at the altar — the Cross; temporal fellowship at the laver — rebound! In the proximity of the laver, the priest laid his hand on the bullock’s head for the purpose of identification. Since the believer’s sins would be judged in Christ on the Cross, they were forgiven.

          Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. (Representing the seven feasts --- the progressive stages of the completed Spiritual life, attained by Christ; (Lev 23:4-34) and the seven Doctrines Spoken by Christ on the cross. Luk 23:34; Luk 23:43; Joh 19:26; Joh 19:28; Mat 27:46; Joh 19:30; Luk 23:46) The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, (Intercession of Christ; Rev 8:3) which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, (Joh 19:34) which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. (Lev 4:5-7)

          The blood was to be collected in basins and brought into the Tabernacle proper. In carrying out the typology, the priest went past the bronze altar, which represented salvation; his walk by the bronze laver denoted restoration to fellowship. Then he lifted the veil that led into the Holy Place — a type of being in fellowship with God. Once in the Holy Place, he saw the golden candlestick — Christ the Light of the world; the priest then had fellowship with His Lord and ate the bread of life at the golden table of unleavened bread. (Christ at home in our hearts; Rev 3:20) He finally approached the second veil, the veil before the “sanctuary,” that Most Holy Place, which pictured Phase Three — eternity and or maximum Spiritual maturity --- face to face with God!

          This was as far as he might go. Seven times he dipped his finger into the blood and sprinkled it before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. “Seven” is the number of perfection; it signified the future work of Christ on the Cross. Salvation is a work of grace; perfect, it cannot be improved upon. God has done all the doing and man simply receives what God has provided. In this way, God gets all the credit!

          The sprinkling of the blood toward the veil anticipated the rent veil of, (Mat 27:51; Mar 15:38). Eventually, the Tabernacle would give way to the Temple in Jerusalem and a new veil would replace the original one. Its colors, however, would be the same blue, for the Deity of Christ; purple, for His kingship; scarlet, for the so great salvation He accomplished for us; and white, for His perfect humanity. (Exod 26:31)

          The veil hung by golden hooks from the four gold-plated pillars which pictured the four Gospel presentations of Jesus Christ. (Exod 26:32) While it could be drawn aside to admit the Ark of the Covenant, it was never drawn aside for the priests. Even the high priest had to lift it from the bottom, bowing low, when he entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. Beautiful and ornate though it was, it shut out man from the symbolic presence of God. (Exod 26:33-37)

          The veil in the Temple was an exquisite masterpiece and enormous in size, measuring sixty feet in height and thirty-two feet in width. Rabbinical writings claim that it was four inches thick and so tightly woven that two teams of oxen, pulling in opposite directions, could not tear it apart. Yet, at the very moment that our Lord died on the Cross, that veil was miraculously torn from top to bottom.

          Scripture declares the typology of the veil: unrent, it represented Jesus Christ in the flesh; (Heb 10:20) rent, the veil signified that a way was now open into God’s presence for all who would accept Christ by faith and who relied solely on His work. (Heb 10:19) The sprinkling of the blood before the veil showed that an entrance to God would be opened in the New Covenant Age --- NOW ALL BELIEVERS ARE PRIESTS! (Heb 10:20; Rev 1:6)

          Again, the priest dipped his finger into the basin of blood, this time to put the blood on the horns of the altar of incense. The golden altar of incense had a specific and a general meaning: specifically, it portrayed Christ’s twofold ministry in heaven — intercession, (Heb 7:25) and advocacy. (1Jn 2:1-2) Generally, it stood for prayer, the horns being symbols of power. Together, the altar and its horns indicated the power of prayer. Only those who are in the Plan of God have the right and privilege of prayer, the effectiveness of which is determined by the rebound Principle, (Psa 66:18) also time in the Spiritual life and Thinking with Truth.

          Coming out from the Holy Place, the priest returned to the bronze altar, still carrying his basin with the blood. At the bottom of the altar he had to pour out what blood remained. Here we have the Principle of, (1Jn 1:7) as the concept behind; (1Jn 1:9) namely, that the blood of Christ is poured out for us! (Mat 26:28; Mar 14:24; Luk 22:20; Joh 19:34)

 HOLY OF HOLIES SONG http://thinkingtruth.wordpress.com/?attachment id=93

            The disposition of the sacrifice differed from that of the bullock of the peace offering only with regard to the outer part of the offering.

            He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys, (Just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings) and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned. (Lev 4:8-12)    

          Notice how perfectly the type is borne out by the antitype! Since the laying on of hands had symbolically transferred the sins of the priest, (Here the offerer) onto the animal, the animal must be judged. Christ, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, had to suffer the wrath of God in judgment. With the exception of the fat, the two kidneys and the caul above the liver, the whole bull, skin and all, was carried off to a clean place “outside the camp.”

          (Heb 13:11-13) picks up this very phrase and lines up type and antitype, stating that “the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp... Jesus also that he might sanctify the people. ...suffered outside the gate...”

          Forsaken by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, forsaken by almost all of His disciples, Jesus hung on the Cross outside the city gates. Little did the religious leaders and politicians of His day realize that they had a direct part in the fulfillment of Scripture! The ashes referred to the finished work of Christ; the purpose for which He would come into the world would be accomplished. His sacrifice would be accepted on behalf of all mankind. Today, the believer-priest, even as the Jew under the Law, can rest assured that God no longer remembers his sins or iniquities. (Heb 10:17)

          Collective sins of the congregation

          (Lev 4:13-21)

           Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty; when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a bull of the herd for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting. (Lev 4:13-14)

          This section of the Word deals with “group-sinning.” It presupposed that the congregation of Israel (ADATH ISRAEL) was ignorant but still guilty of some violation of God’s holy Law. The sin of the people may not have been obvious at first; but in time, the sin or its effect would be revealed. Upon its discovery by the assembly, (QAHAL, a called gathering) action had to be undertaken by the representative leaders or elders of the congregation. They were required to bring a young bull as an offering, not necessarily because of their consciousness of this one particular sin incident, but because of the Principle of sin. Remember that the sin offering concerned the unknown sins in the life! (Psa 19:12-13)

           Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be slain before the LORD. (Lev 4:15)

          In the transfer of the sins of the congregation to the innocent animal, there was no mention of confession. The elders of the congregation merely carried out the Divine Instructions, whereupon the sin-bearing animal was judged by death.

           Then the anointed priest is to bring some of the blood of the bull to the tent of meeting; and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil. 'He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He shall remove all its fat from it and offer it up in smoke on the altar. He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. 'Then he is to bring out the bull to a place outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly. (Lev 4:16-21)

          The procedure was the same as that for the sin offering of the priests, with one exception: in verse 20, we find the addition of the phrase: “...and they will be forgiven.” “Forgiven” is the Hebrew word SALACH, whose basic concept is the recognition of guilt and its gracious pardon. Here the verb is in the niphal stem, which is the passive voice of the qal. It is stated in the perfect tense — the tense of completed action — and should be translated “IT HAS BEEN FORGIVEN THEM.” These believers were CLEANSED FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!

          Sins of a ruler and of the common people (Lev 4:22-35)

          The procedure for the sins of a ruler are defined in. (Lev 4:22-26) The prescribed offering was a male goat without blemish. The notable contrast here is that the blood was not taken to the Holy Place but was put on the horns of the bronze altar, where the remainder of the blood was poured out. As for the animal’s body, the fat was separated from the skin and body and was burnt on the bronze altar; but the flesh was given to the priests to be boiled and eaten by them in the tent of meeting. (Lev 6:24-29)

          (Lev 4:27-35) outlines the prescribed ritual for the sins of the common people. Essentially, this duplicated the procedures observed by the rulers. The only contrast was that the specified offering consisted of either a female goat or lamb. This reminded the offerer that the female sacrificial animal represented the passive volition, (Impersonal Virtue-Love) of the coming Messiah, who would willingly receive their sins and be judged for them.

          The trespass offering

          (Lev 5:1-19 thru Lev 6:7)

          The unknown sins have been presented first to demonstrate the Principle of the grace of God. Chapter Five covers offerings for known sins and deals with the actual rebound concept under the heading of “the trespass offerings.”

          To sin is to fail to meet the established norm of the Word of God. In this context, we have a specific reference to the violation of the Ten Commandments by Israelite believers, as well as the Mosaic Law in its entirety. All sinning involves the use of one’s volition. People sin simply because they want to sin. Temptation in itself is not sinful; yet, when one is tempted, he faces the issue of volition: will he or will he not succumb to temptation? All conscious, willful violation of Divine Law is Biblically defined as “trespass.”

          (1Ti 2:13-14) illustrate the difference between the sins of the first man and woman. This distinction is made: the man sinned DELIBERATELY, while the woman was said to have been DECEIVED. (Seduced in her soul) Both went on negative volition; both were found guilty — perfect illustrations of Leviticus, Chapters Four and Five! Even though there was a difference in their mode of sinning, both were equally guilty before God.

          Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt. (Lev 5:1)

          An exegesis of this verse immediately discloses some important Truth. “A soul” — NEPHESH — refers to “mind, soul and or life.” The phrase “if a person sins,” takes cognizance of the existence of the volition which resides in the soul. It is because the soul does the sinning that the soul must be saved!

          “To sin” is CHATA in the qal imperfect and means “to miss the mark, to make a false step”; i.e., to sin in the sense of violating a Divinely established norm. This indicates that as long as man possesses an old sin nature, he will continue to sin and thus experientially fall short of God’s perfect righteousness. (Rom 3:23)

          “If a soul …hear the voice of swearing and or adjuration…” This does not mean to overhear profanity expressed, but refers to the witnessing of a business contract in which a person takes a solemn oath to keep his part of the contract.

          It was customary in the ancient world to negotiate business contracts in front of witnesses. The adjuration is a formal declaration of the verbal contract. Should the party of the first part subsequently cheat and deny the existence of a verbal contract and the witness of the contract be in league with him, this, then, becomes a concealment trespass on the part of the witness. He is what the law terms “an accessory to the fact,” if he does not tell it.” Even though he himself had no hand in the actual cheating, he bears the guilt of the dishonest person. His sin is not obvious, but a sin nevertheless.

          The “concealment trespass” does more than handle one particular case; it sets up a Principle namely, that when a witness has certain knowledge of a crime, but refuses to appear in court on behalf of the prosecution to give evidence, he is guilty of either concealing or withholding evidence that could help the solution of the case.

           Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. (Lev 5:2-3)

          “If a soul touches, [NAGA, qal imperfect — ‘to touch, to contact’] any unclean thing” refers to the unclean things specified in Leviticus: Chapter 2, unclean animals; Chapter 13, leprosy; Chapter 15, personal uncleanness. The Principle behind defilement by association is best summarized by the following points:

1.   Association with evil (Satan's thinking) or compromise with evil is a trespass or sin.

2.   If you fellowship with sin, (The old sin nature) you partake of the sin.

3.   You tend to assume the pattern of sins and weaknesses of those with whom you associate.

          a. The reacting trespass, in which the believer is influenced to sinfulness by association with those who are sinning. This is why we are warned against associating with certain types of believers, as well as with unbelievers. (Pro 1:10-19; (Rom 16:17-18; 1Co 5:9-11; 1Co 15:33)

          b. The reaction trespass, in which the believer reacts to a mental attitude sin. For example: someone is unforgiving, so you become unforgiving. Someone is jealous or vindictive, so you seek to retaliate. Someone appears to be hostile to you, so you, in turn, show hostility.

4.   Under reaction-type trespasses, the believer lowers himself to the standard of the offender.

5.   By applying, (Rom 12:19-20) the believer places the matter in the hands of the Lord and so avoids the association trespass.

6.  Since interaction in the human race is inevitable, the believer should guard against association sins which would rob him of his inner peace and happiness.

The Principle of the association trespass is set up in, (Lev 5:2) in the mention of touching unclean animals. (Lev 5:3) concerns “the uncleanness of man.” What is the difference in the overall effect on man? The first results in ceremonial uncleanness; the second results in what we might term “guilt by association,” in that, potentially, another’s sin pattern sets up your own. (2Co 6:14-18) cf. (Psa 26:1-8)

           Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. (Lev 5:4)

          The Hebrew word for “to swear” is the niphal imperfect of SHABA and means “to take an oath.” The verb is derived from the cardinal number SHEBA — “seven.” Seven was a sacred number to the Jews. Hence, “to take seven” was to take an oath in the name of God. This would, therefore, be an oath one intended to keep under all circumstances. (As conveyed by the niphal stem) “If a person swears” is the case of a believer who takes a solemn oath and then welshes on his obligation.

          Here is a person who has taken a solemn oath by “pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good.” He may have sworn to do some kindly deed and may have broken that promise; or he may have sworn to do something wrong — a double trespass. Both times a sin of the tongue has been committed; and where God is concerned, sins of the tongue” rank high on the list of the “seven worst sins” of, (Pro 6:16-19).

          One of those swearing-to-do-evil incidents took place in Jerusalem, when certain Jews banded together and took an oath that they would not eat until they had killed Paul. (Act 23:12) I have often wondered what happened to that oath, since they did not fulfill their vow. When it became obvious to them that Paul had been whisked away right from under their noses, which one of the forty men broke first, and under what circumstances? Of course, the very first things they had to eat were their words! cf. (Mat 5:33-37)

          God knew that our tongues would be the cause of much discord and misery in life; hence, the inclusion of the third chapter of James into the Canon of Scripture. And even as our tongues often trip us up, so the believer in question stumbles into the pit he has dug for himself with his tongue. (Psa 7:15-16)

           So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. (Lev 5:5)

          The qal imperfect of ASHEM means “to transgress, to fail in a duty, to be guilty, to trespass.” He is required to confess “one of these things . . . that he has sinned” (CHATA, qal perfect). “He shall confess” is the verb JADAH, in the hithpael perfect. This indicates that every act of confession is a completed action in itself. (Psa 32:5; Psa 38:18) In this instance, the hithpael is reflexive to show interaction in the soul as follows: the conscience contains norms and standards dealing with right and wrong, and recognizing the sin, telegraphs to the mentality that a rule has been violated. Mentality passes the message on to volition, which goes on positive signals and decides that rebound is in order. Next, self-consciousness is notified, and the believer opens his mouth and says, “Father, I have done thus and so.” He acknowledges his sin; he points himself out as guilty! This does not mean that he feels sorry for the sin. Feeling sorry for sins committed, having remorse, and regret, or doing penance at the point of confession constitutes human effort and is not part of rebound. While it is true that sorrow or remorse can accompany sin-consciousness, they are not required in the Plan of God for forgiveness. What counts is a changed mental attitude about being out of fellowship; and desiring to get back in!

           He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. (Lev 5:6)

          The three types of Trespass Offerings named pertain to animals we have already studied and, therefore, require little if any explanation. We only need to mention them in passing, since they are part of the rebound procedure.

          What preceded the bringing of the trespass offering? CONFESSION! Verse 5 demanded confession, and the offering was merely the Teaching of the rebound Principle by ritual. The lamb foreshadowed our redemption and unlimited atonement; the goat Taught the Doctrine of the substitutionary sacrifice of Messiah. Although the Cross had not yet occurred, it was already as good as accomplished in God’s Mind. It was on the basis of the Cross that the priest “shall make an atonement for him,” not on the basis of a stricken conscience or a vow to do better. Nowhere in Scripture does it state that we PAY or PRAY for our sins; however, without a self-examination, (1Co 11:31) we are disciplined for them!

           But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it. He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. 'The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him. But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest's, like the grain offering.' (Lev 5:7-13)

          To fit the needs of believers in every economic status, a less costly sacrifice than the lamb was equally acceptable two turtledoves or two young pigeons. Why two? Still representing The Spiritual death and the judgment of Christ.

           The implications were that the sin and trespass offerings could no more be separated from one another than Spiritual death and judgment; --- as confession and forgiveness of known sins be separated from the simultaneous cleansing from unknown sins. (Lev 5:5; cf. 1Jn 1:9)

          Now suppose a poverty-stricken Jewish believer was unable to obtain the turtledoves or pigeons. The law of the offerings even made allowance for this exigency and permitted a flour offering. Principle: ANY BELIEVER CAN REBOUND! The absence of oil and frankincense are significant. Since this is a sin offering, that which symbolized the Holy Spirit could not be included. Frankincense represented a sweet savor which satisfied God, and there is nothing in sin to propitiate Him! Sinfulness is simply not acceptable to God.

          Introduction to the Doctrine of the fifth part (Lev 5:14-19)

          Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the LORD'S holy things, (Thoughts) then he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. "He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.

(Lev 5:14-16)

          Again we have the verbs DABAR and AMAR repeated. They set forth a CATEGORY of Truth and its COMMUNICATION. It was God’s purpose that the categorically perfect information which He gave Moses be communicated to the Israelites. This particular category of Truth dealt with the righting of wrongs by restitution for wrongdoing.

          This offering is completely different from those already studied. In addition to this sacrificial animal a ram without blemish picturing Christ, our substitutionary Sacrifice one-fifth of the price of the ram was added as a monetary offering, payable in shekels of silver. In Scripture, silver is figurative of redemption. (Exod 30:12-15; 1Pe 1:18-19)

          At least two shekels were in use among the ancient Israelites — one for ordinary business transactions, the other for sacred or ritual purposes. Weights were determined according to the number of grains of barley, taken from the middle of the ear, one gerah consisting of 11.2 grains. Its equivalent weight in silver, multiplied twenty times, made up one sanctuary shekel. According to, (Lev 27:25) the worth of a “shekel of the sanctuary” was the equivalent of twenty gerahs worth roughly sixty-five cents.

          Added to the offering was the estimated one-fifth of the value of the animal. Let’s say that the ram was priced at $100; under the Levitical system, the offerer brought the ram plus $20 in cash. Now this means that someone came out ahead. FIVE IS THE NUMBER OF GRACE, and the fifth indicated that under grace there was gain! Because Christ paid the price of redemption, God the Father is free to forgive sins and free to love man. Jesus Christ removed the barrier which separated man from God so that the believer in Him may “make amends” in a way compatible with grace. God gains through grace, and so does the believer who rebounds.

          Be sure you understand this Principle: YOU NEVER LOSE WITH GOD’S GRACE! Legalism makes you a loser; but with grace, you GAIN. This is the key to the offering of the FIFTH!

          God has been wronged by man’s sin, for ultimately, all sin is directed against God. (Psa 51:4) Now, how can God possibly gain under those circumstances? The answer is found in, (Heb 2:9-17) which is one of the many passages on the basic Principle of the Father’s gain. God sends one Son that He might gain many sons! Salvation is entirely the work of God; hence, man, the one wronging God, simply believes in Jesus Christ and he is saved. As a result, he becomes a child of God. (Joh 1:12; Gal 3:26)

          So out of man’s sin, God has more than He ever had before! Once God had only Adam, who could either go positive or negative, depending on his own free will. Now that God has many sons, He has innumerable creatures who, at least once in their lifetime, have gone on positive signals at the point of Gospel hearing. Knowing that this would be the case, God put “Operation Grace” into motion. Instead of hating man for wronging Him, “God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son” to save man.

          There is still another way in which God is the Gainer. This Principle is brought out in, (Lev 5:16) by the instruction: “…and give it unto the priest.” The priest represented man before God and, as such, represented the concept of the transaction in the Doctrine of the fifth part. Through the sin of the believer, God loses a servant; but through rebound He gains an ambassador. Instead of a son out of fellowship, God has a son whom He can once more bless to the maximum. You see, under the grace of God, you cannot help coming out a winner!

          Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. (Lev 5:17)

          Consider this verse as it applies to the believer in the Church Age. What is true in the physical life is equally true in the Spiritual life — we all start out as babies, move toward adolescence and eventually become mature. Through persistent intake of Truth, a believer becomes Spiritually mature. Such a believer has maximum Spiritual Understanding of what constitutes sin and therefore can keep short accounts with God. An adolescent is somewhere in between — his sin list being relatively limited; a baby has knowledge of very few sins, mostly in the overt category. Consequently, the baby stays out of fellowship for long periods of time, and cannot orient to the grace of God. The emphasis of verse 17 is that the believer is always responsible for his attitude and actions. If they are out of line with God’s standards, then he is GUILTY, whether he knows it or not! The following action was required of the believer under the Law:

      He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him. (Lev 5:18)

          It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD. (Lev 5:19)

          This ritual was to show that all Jews fully understood the concept of immediate cleansing from their sins of ignorance, by wanting to be back in fellowship and simply carrying out the proper procedure. It also Taught that, with the exception of Jesus Christ Himself, there is no such thing as sinless perfection!

          Restitution (Lev 6:1-7)

          The Word of God is extremely practical. God takes into account every problem in life and makes adequate provision for it through the demonstrating of Truths and Principles contained in the Bible.

          This section shows there is yet another gainer — the person who was wronged. Again we have the Doctrine of the fifth part; this time — stressing man as the gainer as it relates to us.

          Man wrongs God; yet God does not go in for revenge. But what about you? Here you sit, filled with the Holy Spirit and minding your own business. You know some fifteen of the many things God did for you at salvation; you take in the Word of God daily; you are growing. Suddenly, without any provocation, someone, a believer or an unbeliever, has it in for you and wrongs you! Now, what are you going to do?

          You have two choices: first, you can REMEMBER the Doctrine of the fifth and THINK, (1Pe 5:7) “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” If you go that route, you dump the whole bit of vindictive rottenness into the Lord’s hands. You also THINK, (Rom 12:19) “… Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord,” and you walk away from the problem. You neither get angry, upset nor disturbed. Add, (Col 3:13) and FORGIVE as Christ forgave; then FORGET those things that are behind. (Php 3:13) As a result, you will remain in fellowship, and you the one who is wronged will be the gainer!

          Then there is the alternative — you retaliate. You get nasty and mean; you get down on their level! It’s an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Soon you will be in the gutter with them — snarling, snapping and scratching. Now those are the only two choices you have. If the latter is your solution, prepare yourself for self-induced misery. True, you will still be saved, but you will be out of fellowship and not able to fulfill your ambassadorship for Jesus Christ.

          Let me ask you a pertinent question: when was the last time you gained because someone had it in for you in some way? You see, with so many “nasty” people with old sin natures around, we can reap extra blessings! That is, if we handle the problem the way God intended! Depending on your choice of handling the matter, you will either gain a fantastic blessing by leaving it in the Lord’s hands, or you will take matters into your own hands and come out the loser. Which will it be?

          Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do. (Lev 6:1-3)

          Again, in the first verse of this chapter, we have the attention-getter of DABAR and AMAR. Notice once more that all sins, even those directed against one’s fellowmen, are basically directed against the Lord. Any violation of the rights of the individual is a violation of one of the laws of Divine establishment. Four categories of such violations are cited in these verses:

          (1) Refusal to return something to a neighbor which had been deposited for safekeeping; i.e., defrauding.

          (2) Oppression of others. (Here, the word “a security and or a fellowship”)

          (3) Cheating others or stealing from them.

          (4) Defrauding people of property through falsehood or misrepresentation. When there is grievance between neighbor; and neighbor, compensation was to be made: whatever was defrauded or stolen had to be restored!

           Then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering. "Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering, (Lev 6:4-6)

          To “make restitution for it in full,” (Verse 5) is to give back the property in question, or its equivalent in value. But that is not all! He also must “and add to it one-fifth more.” That means that the person who has lost, say, $100, gets back $120, for the Law says that the offender “shall add the fifth part more.” If the Levitical offerings system were still in operation today, theft would be cut down to a bare minimum. After all, who would want to rob a bank and have to return the money stolen plus twenty percent?

          So, on the day of his trespass offering, the person who had wronged another had a good bit of activity to perform. First, he had to obtain a ram and take it to the priest. This signified his understanding of the rebound Principle. In addition, one-fifth of the price of the ram was added ($20, if the ram was worth $100) and given the priest. (Verse 6) Second, he restored the stolen property to the neighbor involved, with the specified twenty percent added. In all this, the person in the wrong is the LOSER. Whereas he originally stole $100, he is now out $240! But look at the GAIN to those whom he wronged. God gained because the believer was back in fellowship once more; the person wronged gained in that his property was restored or replaced, and he was $20 ahead! The priest gained because he received the one-fifth part of the value of the ram; and in the end, even the wrongdoer gained because he was forgiven, back in fellowship, and in a position to receive Divine blessings! At every point, grace is the basis of gain; you absolutely cannot lose out under grace! So, (Lev 6:7) concludes:

          And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt.

          While the burnt, meal and peace offerings were voluntary offerings, (Lev 1:3; Lev 2:1; Lev 3:1) the rebound and trespass offerings were mandatory. (Lev 4:1-4; Lev 4:13-15; Lev 4:22-24; Lev 4:27-29; Lev 5:1-19) Unlike the sweet-savor offerings, which portrayed the perfect Person and work of our Savior, the rebound offerings spoke of sins committed. There was no sweet savor in them. “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8) Hence, it is God’s intent that the believer be holy, even as God is holy; (Lev 11:44; cf. 1Pe 1:13-19) the means being the mechanics of rebound and growing to Spiritual maturity.

          The Doctrine of the fifth part

          (Illustrated and Applied)

          1.   Man gains through grace. This applies to the believer who is wronged and puts the matter in the Lord’s hands. Such a believer becomes the gainer. (Rom 12:19-20)

          2.   Man gains more by salvation than he lost in the Fall. In his Fall, man was lower than angels; but through salvation, positionally he became higher than the angels. (Heb 1:14)

          3.   Application: man also gains by the Cross, as per, (Rom 8:32).

          4.   Illustration: When wronged through sins of the tongue, the believer becomes the gainer through, (Luk 6:35-38).

          5.   Gain through rebound. The believer who rebounds gains blessing. Even if his suffering continues, the cursing of discipline is turned to blessing.

          6.   Cursing turned to blessing. The added one-fifth denotes the replacement of cursing with blessing. On the Cross, Jesus Christ removed our curse and substituted blessing.

          7.   Conclusion:

                   a. The one who knows grace is not upset by the instabilities of mankind.

                   b. The one who lives by grace always gains, even though he appears to be losing.

                   c. Grace cannot lose in either sin, suffering or prosperity:

          GRACE IN SALVATION (Psa 103:8-12; Rom 3:23-24; Rom 4:4-5; Rom 5:20; 2Co 8:9; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 2:11; Tit 3:7; Heb 2:9)

          GRACE IN PHASE TWO (Provision and sustenance) 1Co 15:10; 2Co 6:1; 2Co 12:9; 2Ti 2:1; 1Pe 5:12; 2Pe 3:18) (The super-grace life ~ Heb 12:28; Jas 4:6)

          GRACE IN PHASE THREE (Eph 2:7)

  

          A more excellent ministry

          It was never God’s purpose that the Levitical Offerings be perpetuated. In fact, the entire system was set aside once the shadows became reality. (Heb 10:1-3) The lamb, which had been the center of the Levitical Offerings, made way for the Lamb of God; therefore, all sacrifices were to cease. (Heb 10:11-12) Just as the family priesthood had to step aside for the Levitical priesthood long ago, so the Levitical Priesthood had to vacate their specialized position; in favor of the royal priesthood of the New Covenant Age believer. (1Pe 2:5-9) Following the Second Advent and for the duration of the Millennium, the Levitical Priesthood will be reactivated; (Eze 40:1 thru Eze 46:1-24) but for the present, the entire system is outdated. A new dispensation demanded a new and universal royal priesthood, as well as a new system of operation.

          It seems inconceivable that any believer should want to dabble in shadows when he has the reality. Why should he want to put himself under the lesser authority of the Levitical system when he has the higher authority of Jesus Christ, his own great High Priest, and the higher law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus? (Rom 8:2) Yet this was precisely what happened in Jerusalem in 67 A.D., when royal priests of the Church Age returned to the Temple to repeat the animal sacrifices. The Word of God condemns their blasphemous activity as incompatible with grace:

           And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, (Quit Thinking with TRUTH) it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Heb 6:5-6) cf. (Heb 13:10)

         

          Equally incompatible with God’s Grace Plan for the royal priesthood was their retreat from the objective of reaching and keeping Spiritual maturity. (Psa 119:5-6) It is impossible to divorce the Living Word from the written Word! Consequently, your attitude toward Christ is expressed in your attitude toward the Word of Truth!

          Consider your privileges: if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you are in full-time Christian service, regardless of your occupation in life! You have the right to represent yourself before God and even to intercede on behalf of others by appealing directly to the throne of grace — not just once a year, at all times! (Heb 4:16) You are in partnership with the Holy Spirit! (Heb 6:4) and with Jesus Christ! (Heb 3:14) You were appointed to function in your priestly capacity at the moment of salvation; yet the blessings of Spiritual maturity are potential. Certainly, the royal priesthood demands royal food — Spiritual manna; royal living --- living in the Word; occupation with Christ, and royal conduct --- above reproach!

          God made every provision for us to reach the objective; Spiritual maturity — that place of effective service and maximum blessing in the Christian life --- “IF we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, “unto the end of our lives.” (Heb 3:14) God is “tapping His foot,” as it were, waiting to bless us; (Isa 30:18-19) for in blessing you, He is glorified. It is grace all the way! Who could ask for more?

APPENDIX

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

DIVINE INSTITUTIONS: Principles set up by God under the Divine laws of establishment for the perpetuation of the human race — viz, (1) Volition, free will — basis of freedom; (2) Marriage — stabilizer of the human race; (3) Family — basis for orderly society; (4) Nation — basis for privacy, property, protection and freedom.

LAWS OF DIVINE ESTABLISHMENT: Principles set up by God for the protection, orderly function, survival and perpetuation of the human race during the period of the angelic conflict.

CHRISTOLOGY: That branch of theology which concerns the Person and work of Jesus Christ, particularly as revealed in the Old Testament.

SOTERIOLOGY: The Doctrine of the Plan of Salvation; the entire saving work of God.

ANGELIC CONFLICT: Unseen conflict in which the forces of Satan are warring against the forces of God.

OLD SIN NATURE: The source of human morality, sin and evil. (Satan's thinking) Formed as a direct result of Adam’s first sin, the sin nature resides in the cell structure of the human body (Rom 6:6; Rom 7:5-18) and is transmitted genetically by the male in copulation. (Gen 5:3) The Old Sin Nature is the center of man’s rebellion toward God. It has an area of weakness which produces personal sins; an area of strength which produces human morality; a lust pattern; and a trend toward asceticism or lasciviousness. The sin nature is also called the “old self” of, (Eph 4:22) the “flesh” of, (Rom 8:3-4).

REBOUND TECHNIQUE: The restoration of the believer’s fellowship with God in time through confession of sin, (1Jn 1:9) and the means of recovery of the filling of the Spirit. (Eph 5:14-18)

TETRAGRAMMATON: A group of four letters JHVH which the Jews substitute for the unutterably holy Name of God in the Hebrew texts. (Vowels added; Jehovah and or Yahweh)

PROPITIATION: The God-ward side of salvation, whereby the essence of God is made compatible to man’s salvation. God the Father was propitiated, (Satisfied) by the work of Jesus Christ, (Reconciliation) on the Cross.

RECONCILIATION: The sum total of all that Christ did on the Cross in removing the Barrier between God and sinful man. God is propitiated; man is reconciled. The man-ward side of the Cross.

REDEMPTION: The purchase of a slave from the slave market of sin and the act of setting him free from the sentence of the Lake of Fire and control of the old sin nature. Jesus Christ paid the ransom by His blood, which represents His Spiritual death on the Cross. (1Pe 1:18-19)

THEOPHANY: The appearance of Christ in bodily form prior to the Incarnation; viz., the Angel of Jehovah in human form.

SPIRITUAL DEATH: The Divine judgment of Christ, as He bore our sins on the Cross; “... the wages, [Payment] for sin is death.” (Spiritual; Rom 6:23) Of the human race: separation from God in time, {At physical birth] no relationship with Him. (Eph 2:1)

HAMARTIOLOGY: The Doctrine of sin.

STRATEGIC VICTORY OF THE CROSS: Phase One of the strategic victory: the death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session of Jesus Christ as the Victor in the angelic conflict. Phase Two of the strategic victory: the Second Advent, the overthrow of Satan and crowning of the King. The believer is identified with the strategic victory of Phase One through positional Truth at the point of salvation; the believer is identified with the second stage of the strategic victory by reaching Spiritual maturity --- and his return with Christ in a resurrection body. (Rev 17:14)

THE TACTICAL VICTORY in the angelic conflict is the mature Spiritual life, which is the area of the normal function of the royal priesthood.

ANTHROPOPATHISM: Ascribing to God human feelings, passions and thoughts in terms of man’s --- feelings, passions and thoughts. Designed to explain God’s Policies, Thoughts, Acts, Decisions in terms of human language; so that man can have a frame of reference. Hence, language of accommodation to express the Divine Mental Attitude to Homo sapiens in man’s vocabulary and language.

CATEGORIES OF LOVE: Category One: Personal Virtue-love toward God; (Mat 22:37-40) Category Two Objective Impersonal Virtue-love toward everyone and or thing else including self. (Luk 14:26-27; 1Jn 2:15-16)

REVERSIONISM: The negative status of the believer in Phase Two: recession from any stage of Spiritual growth, including the partial or completed Edification Complex of the soul --- Spiritual maturity. Characterized by negative volition toward Truth, emotional revolt of the soul and scar tissue. Analogous to apostasy.

TALMUD: Title derived from the Hebrew LAMAD to teach. The collected written opinions of the Rabbis regarding tradition, civil and Spiritual laws of Judaism; recorded from 400 B.C. to 500 A.D.

FIFTH CYCLE OF DISCIPLINE: Destruction of a nation due to maximum rejection of Biblical Principles. (Lev 26:27-31)

          First Cycle of Discipline:  Loss of health, decline of agricultural prosperity, terror, fear and death in combat, loss of personal freedoms due to negative volition toward Truth (Lev 26:14-17)

          Second Cycle of Discipline: Economic recession and depression, increased personal and individual discipline for continued negative attitude in spite of the first warning. (Lev 26:18-20)

          Third Cycle of Discipline: Violence and breakdown of law and order; cities broken up. (Lev 26:21-22)

          Fourth Cycle of Discipline: Military conquest and foreign occupation, scarcity of food, (Reduced to one-tenth of the normal supply) the breaking up of families. (Lev 26:23-26)

          See also, (Deut 28:15-48) where the listing of the five cycles is not progressive, but is specified as part of the same curse.

          (Deut 28:49) begins the description of the Fifth Cycle of Discipline.

MILLENNIUM: The last one thousand years of human history in which the Lord Jesus Christ will reign and produce perfect environment on the earth. (Isa 65:25; Rev 20:6)

FAITH-REST TECHNIQUE: Mixing the Promises and Doctrinal Principles, (God's Thoughts) with faith; i.e., believing God’s Word; (Heb 4:1-2) exploited to the maximum by living in Spiritual maturity!

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