praise God that we don’t have to go through these sacrifices because of Jesus and His love for us and for Him to sacrifice His life for me. Thank you God for that.
It is hard to imagine what it would have been like to be one of the religious authorities at this time. So proud and convinced they were in the right. How I am often so like these! Praise God that my Redeemer lives!
The sacrifice portion in the Old Testament has always stirred some questions in me. I wonder what a food offering truly means to God. Does God eat? How is the aroma pleasing to him? I also wonder why there were so many different sacrifices and sacrifice rules.. If any of you have any thought or insight on this, I’d love to know!
these are all such good questions! I just came across a book called Heaven by Randy Alcorn. he goes through soooo many questions like these. maybe you’d like it too!
I listen to a podcast called The Bible Recap. I highly recommend it. It’s been helping me to understand Exodus and Leviticus better! She does a 5-7 min podcast on 3 chapters at a time.
The sad state of the sinners heart, which knows and understands it’s worthiness of destruction but runs after it anyways. Why does the nonbeliever get angry at the truth of a hell in which he claims not to believe?
I have really been struggling with Leviticus so I went on a search of more “explanations” and found The Bible Project on YouTube! They essentially break down and explain each book of the Bible in short, 7-8 minute videos. My understanding has become so clear watching these videos! I would recommend everyone to take a peak at them if you are struggling with understanding! ❤️
I used to dread reading Leviticus but I find myself overwhelmed this time by a sense of God’s great love. His absolute provision for an unholy people to come near and be in relationship with the Most Holy God. Thank you Lord for the ultimate sacrifice of your Son, and for His life now. We no longer have to strive and You no longer need to be distant from those you love. Beautiful, wonderful God.
Reading Leviticus has me wondering how common it was to have a sheep/goat/ram/etc that was unblemished. I mean, we sin more than we like to admit, that would take quite a few unblemished animals, so I just wondered.
Hi Rachel, That’s a very good point. Reading your question made me think of these verses from Genesis, when Abraham was taking his son to be sacrificed:
“And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”
Genesis 22:7-8 ESV
How God ended up providing Abraham with the animal sacrifice after he was stopped from sacrificing Isaac shows me that God is such an amazing provider!
To think that He would supply the right amount of unblemished animals for His people to atone for what they did against Him is incredible to think about.
Leviticus 6:12-13 both emphasize that the fire on the altar will not go out. Since Jesus came to become the new offering, we don’t have to sacrifice animals anymore. Still, the fire won’t go out. When Jesus died, His fire never went out. His plan was always to come back, and He hints at that here.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing! Jesus said communion is His blood poured out for us and His body broken for us. These chapters in Leviticus talk about how anyone who is unclean cannot eat from the sacrifices and if they do, they will be cut off from the rest of the people. It also says that whoever touches the flesh will be made holy. Jesus not only sacrificed Himself for us on the cross, but He welcomes us to His table and asks us to join Him in communion, making us clean and holy through His sacrifice. Our God is such an awesome God that he would allow us to commune with Him in this way!
So since going to the priest was a kinda public act, they had to get used to having the people around them know when they sinned and repented. That would maybe be a deterrent from doing sin in the first place, and accountability to not do it again. In our humanity, it would also be a reason to be sneakier so no one would know. I feel like we don’t have this mindset to sin and it’s consequences anymore. I mean, I know Jesus is our sacrifice, once and for all, but that corporate sin acknowledgement doesn’t seem to be part of the modern church…
You’re completely right. Sins, our personal sins, are something that people more often keep hidden at church particularly. This isn’t Biblical but I understand the motivation. When people know about your sin in the church a lot of people get shunned, also not Biblical. We are meant to bear each other’s burdens, exhorting, encouraging, striving together in our pursuit of God. The reality is that this requires us to be vulnerable in relationship with each other as well as with God. We are all part of the body and God created us to work as one unit. How amazingly healthy could the church be if we supported each other and work through our issues together instead of alone?
I love that God is stirring your heart on this matter. I would encourage you to keep praying, and to find some others who you can be completely transparent with. Intensionally discuss any of the sins and struggles in your lives and working through those together.
When I listened to a devotional about Leviticus 6, it discussed the burnt offering. The fire is a symbol of God’s holiness. Just like fire, God is uncompromising. Fire destroys everything in its path; it changes it and also purifies it. God wants everything and to consume and change us.
Thru the Word is a great app to find meaning in difficult passages in the Bible.
Thankful for the reminders in Leviticus of the ultimate atonement. The High Priest offering up His life and creating a way for us to be with God without all of these rules…thank you Jesus!
God provides a way for his people to be forgiven. Yes, it seems complicated. But maybe he’s trying to show them how big a deal sin is to him? If forgiveness was easy there would be no motivation to obey! But he didn’t have to even do it! He could have just destroyed them. But he offered forgiveness and restoration as an option.
Commentary says: Burnt offerings – remind us of Christ on the Cross. Grain offerings – the perfect Christ offering Himself for imperfect people. Sin offerings – Christ became sin. Unbelievable. Trespass offering – the value of Christ’s death when I sin. These words are all about longing to be holy more than living for resolution of our problems. Most holy. He is. I’m not. So do I just assume all is okay in my walk today and run on my way? Will I never give up finding “the way of righteousness.” Repent and believe.
I love finding patterns in scripture!! And Leviticus has been tough and gruesome and hard to read with an open heart. Yet this phrase stuck out to me “and it is most holy”. Over and over again the ceremonies are described as being “most holy” and so are the priests. The sacrifice is most holy. The ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, is most holy. And who lives in us when we become believers??? Ummmm JESUS!!! Through Him we are made “most holy”. We become the pleasing smell to God. And we have intimate relationship and fellowship with our creator!!! Like say what?!?!? Sooo rad.
A side note, I am baking a birthday cake for a friend and just after I put it in, I sat down to read today’s scripture and thought, boy, more bread made without yeast and it was a sign! I remembered my friend is gluten free, so off to the store I went.
“And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” A very deep & sad thought. Some will just never believe, no matter how many opportunities placed before them! And because God gives us “free will”, each person is given the freedom to choose…
“These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering,”
If I had to do these rituals, considering so many different offerings…I would probably not move, not talk, & barely breath , as I would not want to do anything to go through such stringent processes… Then I thought of the opposite, what if the Israelites got used their “sin” state due to knowing all they had to do is go through these rituals and be “absolved” sort of speak…
Applying this to modern day, with the outlook of the New Testament, how many of us are living in a complacent state, taking advantage of Jesus’s blood shed on the cross? I sure am! At least through the Old Testament rituals reverence (good or bad) was made to God. In today’s culture, it is easy to forget about God, his ultimate sacrifice His son, and our helper the Holy Spirit… I fall short for sure! Not to mention how spoiled we are because we don’t have to do these rituals anymore…making it easier for me to hold on to Jesus every moment! Yet, I forget so easily… May we stay focused and equipped with God’s 24 hour Holy Spirit, and be grateful of not having to follow all these rituals…because on the cross “it was finished”!!
Jesus first parable really hit me most today — how often do I say to the Lord, “Yes sir, I will,” & then drop the ball? Every time I read the scriptures & go away unchanged it’s the same thing.
“Will you love me?”
“Yes sir, I will — every morning for the half hour it takes me to do my reading, but then I need to watch tv & eat unhealthy food & speak un-wholesome-ly.”
“Will you tell people about my love?”
“Yes sir, I will — as long as you mean talking about it only during Bible Studies full of people who agree with me. otherwise that’s way too scary.”
“Will you love you neighbor?”
“Yes sir, I will — oh, I mean, not THAT neighbor. She’s weird and hard to make conversation with.”
oh Lord, please remove these falsehoods from my heart! Let me not say “yes” less but live “yes” more! Amen.
Amen Britt!! I too am guilty of these things and have been trying very hard to carry the Lord with me throughout my day (some days are easier than others).
Wow Britt great insight. I never put myself in that parable because I always just thought Jesus was speaking to the self-righteous Pharisees that rejected Him, but that’s a great way to look at it, (and you’re funny too).
Leviticus is hard.
Especially after all the Exodus.
The thing that amazes me is how much death Jesus replaced. His sacrifice was worth more than all these. Praise the Lord! But this carnage is an outward representation of the way that sin lays waste to our spirit. An outer death to give us visual representation of the inner death. As we read (or even skim ;D) this, it’s important to relate it to ourselves, to understand that only physical death is acceptable payment for spiritual death & that this was the price Christ paid that we may live.
that’s how I think about it anyway.
Hi Sara, I found that doing it in my study bible is very useful. I am glad to have it available on the phone if I need it, but this reading plan actually took me back to using a regular bible. I like underlining and making notes that I know won’t disappear, too :-)
Happy Saturday morning! :) In the swirl of Leviticus, I had to stop and allow myself to Google the purpose of each sacrifice. I knew I needed a mental anchor to latch onto these verses. This is a concise resource that I found that quickly explains each. Enjoy! http://www.waynestiles.com/offerings-in-leviticus…
I just saw he has a guide that gives you a paragraph office application for every chapter of Genesis-Deuteronomy and also Joshua-Esther. Seems like a great investment for the next few months ☺️
❤️
Lord thank you for allow flourish
It’s so important to see how the Pharisees acted in these passages. We can be like this in our own walks today if we do not cling to Jesus!
praise God that we don’t have to go through these sacrifices because of Jesus and His love for us and for Him to sacrifice His life for me. Thank you God for that.
It is hard to imagine what it would have been like to be one of the religious authorities at this time. So proud and convinced they were in the right. How I am often so like these! Praise God that my Redeemer lives!
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The sacrifice portion in the Old Testament has always stirred some questions in me. I wonder what a food offering truly means to God. Does God eat? How is the aroma pleasing to him? I also wonder why there were so many different sacrifices and sacrifice rules.. If any of you have any thought or insight on this, I’d love to know!
these are all such good questions! I just came across a book called Heaven by Randy Alcorn. he goes through soooo many questions like these. maybe you’d like it too!
I listen to a podcast called The Bible Recap. I highly recommend it. It’s been helping me to understand Exodus and Leviticus better! She does a 5-7 min podcast on 3 chapters at a time.
Re: the sacrifices, this article was linked to in the show notes. It might help! https://www.seedbed.com/5-offerings-old-testament/
❤️
Very humbling verses that make you reflect on yourself and your own sin “tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you”
I pray for strength and guidance to live a kingdom life.
Wow both parables are strong!
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
-ellie
The sad state of the sinners heart, which knows and understands it’s worthiness of destruction but runs after it anyways. Why does the nonbeliever get angry at the truth of a hell in which he claims not to believe?
Those who believe will be saved, and believing and serving will always matter more than any status or reputation one has.
Done❤️
66/365 ❤️
Because Jesus died on the cross for our sin and it is forgiven, we no longer have to go through those lengthy sacrifices!
Thank you I am going to listen to it now
I have really been struggling with Leviticus so I went on a search of more “explanations” and found The Bible Project on YouTube! They essentially break down and explain each book of the Bible in short, 7-8 minute videos. My understanding has become so clear watching these videos! I would recommend everyone to take a peak at them if you are struggling with understanding! ❤️
Thank you. It’s a really cool channel.
Thanks for sharing! I’ll have to check it out
I used to dread reading Leviticus but I find myself overwhelmed this time by a sense of God’s great love. His absolute provision for an unholy people to come near and be in relationship with the Most Holy God. Thank you Lord for the ultimate sacrifice of your Son, and for His life now. We no longer have to strive and You no longer need to be distant from those you love. Beautiful, wonderful God.
Reading Leviticus has me wondering how common it was to have a sheep/goat/ram/etc that was unblemished. I mean, we sin more than we like to admit, that would take quite a few unblemished animals, so I just wondered.
Hi Rachel, That’s a very good point. Reading your question made me think of these verses from Genesis, when Abraham was taking his son to be sacrificed:
“And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”
Genesis 22:7-8 ESV
How God ended up providing Abraham with the animal sacrifice after he was stopped from sacrificing Isaac shows me that God is such an amazing provider!
To think that He would supply the right amount of unblemished animals for His people to atone for what they did against Him is incredible to think about.
Thank you for this Michele …..
These chapters of Leviticus remind me of a Policy and Procedure manual for the Israelites!
manual for the Isr
Leviticus 6:12-13 both emphasize that the fire on the altar will not go out. Since Jesus came to become the new offering, we don’t have to sacrifice animals anymore. Still, the fire won’t go out. When Jesus died, His fire never went out. His plan was always to come back, and He hints at that here.
Wondering today about how the priests eating the offerings/sacrifices mirrors communion…
Yes, I was thinking the same thing! Jesus said communion is His blood poured out for us and His body broken for us. These chapters in Leviticus talk about how anyone who is unclean cannot eat from the sacrifices and if they do, they will be cut off from the rest of the people. It also says that whoever touches the flesh will be made holy. Jesus not only sacrificed Himself for us on the cross, but He welcomes us to His table and asks us to join Him in communion, making us clean and holy through His sacrifice. Our God is such an awesome God that he would allow us to commune with Him in this way!
So since going to the priest was a kinda public act, they had to get used to having the people around them know when they sinned and repented. That would maybe be a deterrent from doing sin in the first place, and accountability to not do it again. In our humanity, it would also be a reason to be sneakier so no one would know. I feel like we don’t have this mindset to sin and it’s consequences anymore. I mean, I know Jesus is our sacrifice, once and for all, but that corporate sin acknowledgement doesn’t seem to be part of the modern church…
You’re completely right. Sins, our personal sins, are something that people more often keep hidden at church particularly. This isn’t Biblical but I understand the motivation. When people know about your sin in the church a lot of people get shunned, also not Biblical. We are meant to bear each other’s burdens, exhorting, encouraging, striving together in our pursuit of God. The reality is that this requires us to be vulnerable in relationship with each other as well as with God. We are all part of the body and God created us to work as one unit. How amazingly healthy could the church be if we supported each other and work through our issues together instead of alone?
I love that God is stirring your heart on this matter. I would encourage you to keep praying, and to find some others who you can be completely transparent with. Intensionally discuss any of the sins and struggles in your lives and working through those together.
When I listened to a devotional about Leviticus 6, it discussed the burnt offering. The fire is a symbol of God’s holiness. Just like fire, God is uncompromising. Fire destroys everything in its path; it changes it and also purifies it. God wants everything and to consume and change us.
Thru the Word is a great app to find meaning in difficult passages in the Bible.
Thankful for the reminders in Leviticus of the ultimate atonement. The High Priest offering up His life and creating a way for us to be with God without all of these rules…thank you Jesus!
God provides a way for his people to be forgiven. Yes, it seems complicated. But maybe he’s trying to show them how big a deal sin is to him? If forgiveness was easy there would be no motivation to obey! But he didn’t have to even do it! He could have just destroyed them. But he offered forgiveness and restoration as an option.
I couldn’t have said it better myself Antiminy!
Sorry AntimOny
Comments here are some of the most erudite and insightful words I read on any blog. Like Britt’s words up there.
Commentary says: Burnt offerings – remind us of Christ on the Cross. Grain offerings – the perfect Christ offering Himself for imperfect people. Sin offerings – Christ became sin. Unbelievable. Trespass offering – the value of Christ’s death when I sin. These words are all about longing to be holy more than living for resolution of our problems. Most holy. He is. I’m not. So do I just assume all is okay in my walk today and run on my way? Will I never give up finding “the way of righteousness.” Repent and believe.
I love finding patterns in scripture!! And Leviticus has been tough and gruesome and hard to read with an open heart. Yet this phrase stuck out to me “and it is most holy”. Over and over again the ceremonies are described as being “most holy” and so are the priests. The sacrifice is most holy. The ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, is most holy. And who lives in us when we become believers??? Ummmm JESUS!!! Through Him we are made “most holy”. We become the pleasing smell to God. And we have intimate relationship and fellowship with our creator!!! Like say what?!?!? Sooo rad.
A side note, I am baking a birthday cake for a friend and just after I put it in, I sat down to read today’s scripture and thought, boy, more bread made without yeast and it was a sign! I remembered my friend is gluten free, so off to the store I went.
The little ways we find God speaking to us! Love it.
I love the passage used today in the Lent plan. It’s a NT answer to these passages. -> Hebrews 9:11-28
“And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” A very deep & sad thought. Some will just never believe, no matter how many opportunities placed before them! And because God gives us “free will”, each person is given the freedom to choose…
“These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering,”
If I had to do these rituals, considering so many different offerings…I would probably not move, not talk, & barely breath , as I would not want to do anything to go through such stringent processes… Then I thought of the opposite, what if the Israelites got used their “sin” state due to knowing all they had to do is go through these rituals and be “absolved” sort of speak…
Applying this to modern day, with the outlook of the New Testament, how many of us are living in a complacent state, taking advantage of Jesus’s blood shed on the cross? I sure am! At least through the Old Testament rituals reverence (good or bad) was made to God. In today’s culture, it is easy to forget about God, his ultimate sacrifice His son, and our helper the Holy Spirit… I fall short for sure! Not to mention how spoiled we are because we don’t have to do these rituals anymore…making it easier for me to hold on to Jesus every moment! Yet, I forget so easily… May we stay focused and equipped with God’s 24 hour Holy Spirit, and be grateful of not having to follow all these rituals…because on the cross “it was finished”!!
Your comment is dripping with the goodness of the gospel, even a year later. May we never take our position for granted!
Jesus first parable really hit me most today — how often do I say to the Lord, “Yes sir, I will,” & then drop the ball? Every time I read the scriptures & go away unchanged it’s the same thing.
“Will you love me?”
“Yes sir, I will — every morning for the half hour it takes me to do my reading, but then I need to watch tv & eat unhealthy food & speak un-wholesome-ly.”
“Will you tell people about my love?”
“Yes sir, I will — as long as you mean talking about it only during Bible Studies full of people who agree with me. otherwise that’s way too scary.”
“Will you love you neighbor?”
“Yes sir, I will — oh, I mean, not THAT neighbor. She’s weird and hard to make conversation with.”
oh Lord, please remove these falsehoods from my heart! Let me not say “yes” less but live “yes” more! Amen.
I hear you Britt! Well said!
Wow! Great insight and perspective. Reflecting on this.
Amen Britt!! I too am guilty of these things and have been trying very hard to carry the Lord with me throughout my day (some days are easier than others).
Wow Britt great insight. I never put myself in that parable because I always just thought Jesus was speaking to the self-righteous Pharisees that rejected Him, but that’s a great way to look at it, (and you’re funny too).
Thanks for sharing. I feel like you’re describing ME!
I literally thought this same thing! SO CONVICTING!
Amen, Britt! That is my prayer as well!
Britt, awesome thought process!! So true…so true…and of course “not that neighbor”! Oh boy, so much to work on for sure…
Your post really spoke to my heart!
Wow! Perfect reminder. Thank you!
Thank you!!
I found myself skimming :/ it reads so repetitively…
Leviticus is hard.
Especially after all the Exodus.
The thing that amazes me is how much death Jesus replaced. His sacrifice was worth more than all these. Praise the Lord! But this carnage is an outward representation of the way that sin lays waste to our spirit. An outer death to give us visual representation of the inner death. As we read (or even skim ;D) this, it’s important to relate it to ourselves, to understand that only physical death is acceptable payment for spiritual death & that this was the price Christ paid that we may live.
that’s how I think about it anyway.
Yep! Totally with you on that. I’m doing this on my phone but I wonder if my study bible would give these passages more substance for me.
Hi Sara, I found that doing it in my study bible is very useful. I am glad to have it available on the phone if I need it, but this reading plan actually took me back to using a regular bible. I like underlining and making notes that I know won’t disappear, too :-)
Happy Saturday morning! :) In the swirl of Leviticus, I had to stop and allow myself to Google the purpose of each sacrifice. I knew I needed a mental anchor to latch onto these verses. This is a concise resource that I found that quickly explains each. Enjoy!
http://www.waynestiles.com/offerings-in-leviticus…
thanks so much Lydia! happy Saturday to you too
Thank you!! Just what I needed too!
Thanks Lydia! I was seeing stars as I tried to wade through this mornings reading. Happy Saturday!
I just saw he has a guide that gives you a paragraph office application for every chapter of Genesis-Deuteronomy and also Joshua-Esther. Seems like a great investment for the next few months ☺️
Of life application* not office