Leviticus 1

Leviticus means "and He called" and is taken from the first words of the book.

"There is no book, in the whole compass of that inspired Volume which the Holy Ghost has given us, that contains more of the very words of God than Leviticus. It is God that is the direct speaker on almost every page; His gracious words are recorded in the form wherein they were uttered. This consideration cannot fail to send us to the study of it with singular interest and attention." —Andrew Bonar

The name of this book means, "pertaining to the Levites." Leviticus was the handbook for the priests in their ministry.

Though the instructions concerning the offerings in chapters 1:1 – 6:7 were given for all, the law of the offerings in chapters 6:8 – 7:29 was addressed to Aaron and his sons only.

God must be approached in God's own way and human ideas must never replace what God has revealed. What happened to Nadab and Abihu is a warning to all (Lev. 10).

The key verse of Leviticus is 19:12

The main theme is holiness and the word occurs 87 times in the book.

The first three were known as sweet-savor offerings, the last two as sin offerings.

There are two words translated "burn" in the offerings –

The first is the Hebrew word "qatar" {kaw-tar'} used in the sweet savour offerings and means to burn slowly and ascend as fragrant incense. It speaks of the pleasure Christ’s life and death brought to the heart of God His Father.

The second is the Hebrew word "saraph" {saw-raf'} and is used in the sin and trespass offerings and means to burn quickly and consume utterly. It speaks of the holy wrath of God upon sin.

It was the Passover Lamb that brought Israel into a relationship with God and formed the foundation for these offerings. These offerings did not bring the offerer into any relationship but maintained the relationship he already had if he fell and kept him in happy fellowship wit God.

This offering is a picture of Christ in depth as well as in death.

The key verse of this chapter is v9

"All on the altar" and "a sweet savour" (v9, 13, &17) speak of complete consecration, which is pleasing to the Lord.

The Lord Jesus fulfilled this offering at Calvary when He completely gave Himself up to the Father’s will and died.

It had depths so profound that neither mortal nor angel could fathom them. There was a voice in it which was intended exclusively for, and went directly to, the ear of the Fat her. There were communications between the cross of Calvary and the throne of God, which lay far beyond the highest range of created intelligence. C H Mackintosh

When we were first saved our first thoughts of Christ was that He died for our sins and saved us from hell. As we grow in our knowledge of the word of God we come to learn that not only did Christ die for what we have done, our trespasses, but also for what we are –sinner. We go onto to enjoy the peace we have when we realise how fully Christ dealt with our sin. We mature when study the life of Christ and its sweetness and realise that the greatest aspect of Calvary was Godward, the devotion of Christ to His Father even to the death of the cross. So in our experience we start with the trespass offering and go onto the burnt but God presents it as He saw done at Calvary.

The three kinds of burnt offering bring before us the different levels of appreciation that believers have of the work of Christ.

When we as God's people today offer a sacrifice it is the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips (Heb. 14:15). The character of our praise varies according to our appreciation of the work of Christ.

1 John 2:12-14, gives us three degrees of spiritual maturity which is illustrated in this chapter.

The father brings a bullock, the young man a sheep and the babe brings a pigeon but all are well pleasing to God and acceptable to Him.

Though the pigeon was not as great as the bullock or the sheep it was nevertheless pleasing to God and acceptable. God wants the worship of all even the poorest spiritually.

With the possible exception of Genesis 4: 7, where "sin" may stand for " sin-offering," it is noticeable that the offerings that are mentioned up to the time of the giving of the law are burnt offerings. This agrees with what we read in Romans 5: 13. From the moment of the fall sin was in the world, "but sin is not imputed when there is no law." God did not ignore the fact of sin, but He did not put it to man's account in the definite way in which He did when the law was given. Hence the sin offering did not come into prominence before the law was given. F B Hole

There are five creatures that were acceptable for the offerings –

1. Bullock
2. Sheep
3. Goat
4. The turtle dove
5. The pigeon

The bullock, or ox, typifies Christ as the patient, hard working, labouring Servant of Jehovah.

The Lord was the faithful labourer who was worthy to receive honour.

We see Him so hard at work that He slept in the boat (Mark 4:38); He sat down weary upon Jacob’s well (John 4:6); and He had little time to eat (Mark 6:31).

Yet when the time came they valued Him at thirty pieces of silver.

In Exodus God spoke from Mount Sinai in government and gave the law that Israel could not keep. God now speaks in grace from the place, which typified the Lord Jesus, where Israel’s sins could be atoned for by the blood of the Lamb, and seeks men to draw near as worshippers.

G. Campbell Morgan told a story about a father and his young daughter who were especially close. They enjoyed spending time together. If he went for a walk or made a social call, she wanted to go along. But then he began to notice a change. When he asked her to accompany him on errands, she made excuses. As the weeks passed, he became concerned about it.

When his birthday came, she presented him with a pair of slippers she had made. Then he realized that she had been working on them while he was out of the house. "Darling, I like these slippers very much," he said gently, "but next time buy the slippers and let me have you all the days. I would rather have you than anything you can make for me."

Beyond any work we may do for God, time spent in His presence must take priority. He desires our fellowship first of all. If our worship is neglected, our work will be deficient.

Unto the Lord or before the Lord occurs many times in this chapter. All that the Lord Jesus did was for the pleasure of God His Father. All that He did brought glory to God.

When typifying Christ in His humiliation domestic animals were to be used that were subject to man. Wild animals like lions typify Christ when He comes in glory to judge this world. All the animals offered were those that did not live by slaying others.

The kingdoms of this world are represented by wild animals (Cf. Dan 7).

Undomesticated animals could be eaten but not offered to God.

It had to be an animal that cost the owner something not one taken in a hunt or caught in the wild. Thus representing the cost that God incurred when He gave His only begotten Son.

The first offering on the list is "a burnt sacrifice of the herd," verse 3. This word "burnt" is a word which means "to ascend," for this offering was to ascend as incense for the pleasure of God; such was its character.. This is the outstanding thought of the burnt offering-the death of Christ establishing the will and pleasure of God.

Considering this offering further we first read it was to be "a male without blemish," verse 3. This obviously is a reference to the sinless Manhood of our Lord Jesus Christ. God had said in the garden of Eden that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent, and we know that seed was the Son of God coming into Manhood in sinless perfection-"a male without blemish." When a "male" is mentioned the work of Christ Godward is in view, but when a "female" the work of Christ manward seems to be in mind. This will be seen more clearly as we proceed, but we call attention to it now, for we do not read of a female in the burnt offering; the burnt offering is entirely for God, and does not refer so much to the need of man.

Blemish means that there was something lacking in the animal that should have been there e.g. a leg missing, a torn ear, a eye damaged.

Spot means that there was something in the animal that should not be there e.g. a scab, a growth etc…

Of believers it can be said that some are lacking in love or patience or joy but with the Lord Jesus all the fruit of the Spirit was seen in its fullness and perfection.

The word blemish is used in Egypt for the first time in connection with the Passover lamb but the word spot is used in the wilderness after Numbers 19 for the wilderness speaks of this world where contamination can be picked up.

In verse 3, the expression "of his own free will" is translated in some versions "to be accepted." Note verse 4.

The cross was all this. But it was more than this. It was the place where Christ's love to the Father was told out in language which only the Father could hear and understand. It is in the latter aspect that we have it typified, in the burnt offering; and, therefore, it is that the word voluntary" occurs… But, then, the cross had another aspect. It stood before the eye of Christ as a scene, in which He could fully tell out all the deep secrets of His love to the Father-a place in which He could, "of his own voluntary will," take the cup which the Father had given Him, and drain it to the very dregs. CHM

In verse 3 we have according to the A.V. the words, "he shall offer it of his own voluntary will," but in Darby's New Translation this is rendered, " present it for his acceptance," and with this the R.V. agrees. So the thought evidently was that the offerer was to stand before God in all the acceptance of the unblemished offering that he brought. Hence the putting of his hand on the head of the offering, of which the next verse speaks, signified that he identified himself with his offering. This, we believe, furnishes us with the root meaning, which is attached to the laying on of hands right through Scripture. It signifies, identification. F B Hole

The word "offering" in verse 2 is a translation of the "Corban," to which the Lord referred in Mark 7: 11-a voluntary offering, which might be omitted, or used on the other hand as a hypocritical reason for avoiding one's duty to aged parents f b hole

This speaks of identification and transference.

The word means not just to touch the head but to press upon, lean upon as if depending upon.

The guilt of the offerer is transferred to the sacrificial animal and the perfections of the sacrifice are transferred to the offerer so that in the sweet savour offerings his worship is accepted and in the sin offerings his guilt is forgiven.

The offer’s work was to bring the animal to the door of the tabernacle. He laid his hands upon the animal and killed it. He flayed it and washed its parts in water. The priest’s job was to pour out the blood and the offer the animal upon the altar.

This shows that the offerer is conscious of the fact that what he was doing was no duty but for the pleasure of the Lord who saw His Son typified in the sacrifice.

Aaron was a type of Christ and his sons a type of the Church (Cf. Heb. 2:13 & 3:6).

The blood is the life of the animal and it is presented to God to make atonement.

The different ways in which the blood is brought to the altar is instructive.

1. It is poured round about the altar on all four sides declaring the universality of the work of Christ. His blood shedding was for all men.
2. It is poured out on the north side which is symbolic of judgment. Christ bore the judgment that was our due when His blood was shed.
3. It is poured out at the foot of the altar declaring that the blood of Christ is the foundation for God’s righteous dealings with men in salvation.

Here it is all around the altar symbolizing the universality of the work of Christ. The altar speaks of the holy claims of God and the blood of Christ has met all its claims and God is eternally satisfied.

He does not stand, in the sanctuary, as a guilty sinner, but as a worshipping priest, clothed in "garments of glory and beauty." To be occupied with my guilt, in the presence of God, is not humility, as regards myself, but unbelief, as regards the sacrifice. CHM

In the laws of the offerings we read that the priest got the skin (Lev. 7:8) which is a type of the righteousness of God that clothes the believer.

It is seen in the best robe of Luke 15.

Every part of the animal had to be seen as perfect. It was without blemish outwardly and inwardly.

There was a perfect order to the worship for God desires that all things are done decently and in order.

Calvary was perfectly planned by God and not until the hour came was all fulfilled to the letter.

In serving God His Father the Son of Man had not anywhere to lay His head except when He died upon the cross. All His mind and will was to do the will of God.

The Hebrew word for fat here "peder" {peh'der} from an unused root meaning to be greasy is only used of the burnt offering and corresponds to the English word "suet". It is the entire fat of the animal and not just certain parts as in the peace offering.

Fat denotes the richest part of the animal and sometimes denotes the best of production e.g. the land, or wine (Cf. Gen. 45: 18; Num.18: 12; Psa. 81: 16). The word fat is used figuratively for a dull, stupid state of mind (Cf. Psa. 17:10).

Fat shows that the animal had been well fed and was healthy. It was the best part of the animal.

The Lord Jesus likewise was healthy spiritually and well fed upon the Word of God.

He could say in John 4:34, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."

Fat also gives energy and describes the zeal and energy that marked our Lord.

The offerer had to wash to inwards to make the sacrifice typically what Christ was actually, holy in all His ways.

The inwards washed remind us that the Lord Jesus had the word of God hid in His heart. He delighted in the word of God. When tempted by Satan He used the word of God to defeat him.

The legs washed typify Christ who in His movements upon this scene did not sin.

"Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22).

The sheep, or lamb, typifies Christ in unresisting self-surrender to the death of the cross.

The goat typifies the sinner (Cf. Matthew 25:33) and typifies Christ, as "numbered with the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12; Lu 23:33).

The Goat also speaks of stateliness and stability. It cannot be stumbled even though it walks upon the rocky mountains. No one could stumble the Lord Jesus. His foot did not slide like that of Israel.

The north speaks of judgment in the Bible.

The blood of Christ met all the judgment of God that was our due.

The birds represent the Lord Jesus as the Second Man from heaven.

The turtledove typifies the Lord Jesus as the Man of sorrows.

It also typifies Him as the One who was harmless.

The pigeon linked with poverty typifies the Lord Jesus who for our sakes became poor.

Mary offered two young pigeons when the Lord Jesus was born for she and Joseph were poor.

The bird could not be divided without breaking its bones so to make it a type of Christ, its head was wrung off.

This contained the undigested food of the bird.

There was nothing in the Lord Jesus that was undigested. He heard the word of His Father every day and obeyed all of it.

With us, we often hear the word of God but it does not affect our lives. It is in us but not digested by us.

This is the glory of the bird and it is cast aside typifying the Lord Jesus who laid aside His outward glory and became Man. Man no beauty in Him that they should desire Him.

The east side is the place where the sun rose.

The bird could not be divided without breaking its bones so it had to be cleaved in order to be a type of Christ of whom not a bone was broken.

Amelia M. Hull’s hymn captures the spirit of this:

The Lord left us an example to follow and this burnt offering is the basis of the exhortation in Romans 12:1-2

Just as the burnt offering was offered at the beginning of each day (Lev. 6:6-8-13) we must our all on the altar every day and ask God to use us for His glory.

The priest started each day by sacrificing a burnt offering. It became the foundation for all the other offerings put on the altar (Exod. 29:38–42; Lev. 3:5). Unless we have our "all on the altar," our sacrifices will not mean much to the Lord.

A missionary tells of a woman in India holding in her arms a weak, whining infant, while at her side stood a beautiful, healthy child. The man of God saw her walk to the banks of the Ganges River and throw the robust youngster to the crocodiles as an offering, and then turn toward home again still clutching the sickly child to her bosom. Tears were running down her cheeks when he stopped to question her concerning her shocking actions; however, she proudly replied in defense of her conduct, "O sir, we always give our gods the best!"

We learn how God gave His best when He gave His Son, and how Christ gave His all throughout life and at Calvary. In heartfelt appreciation we must give God the best worship we can.

C T Studd, the famous English cricketer, who gave up wealth and a sporting career to became a missionary to Africa, said –

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."

This should be the desire of every sinner saved by the grace of God.

Isaac Watts’ great hymn says the same thing: "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all."