“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 1:20 – 2:1
Verses 1-3 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
A burnt sacrifice was for atonement or for getting “at one ment” with God. The animal killed had to be a male and without blemish or fault. It had to be the most perfect specimen that the person giving the offering had. The best of the best. And the offering had to be voluntary, not coerced or forced by culture, religion or others.
Application: Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He was without sin or blemish and He voluntarily gave Himself to pay the sin debt of all people. As a result, we no longer sacrifice innocent animals. Jesus paid it all. When we accept Jesus into our lives and let Him manage them, we become at one with Him.
Verses 4-9 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. 7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: 8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Sacrificial offerings were important to the LORD and He was very specific as to how it was to be done. The owner of the animal had to kill it as it was because of his sin it was being offered. He then had to hack it up into pieces and wash parts of it in water before the priests would handle it and offer the sacrifice. The idea here was that people would feel badly that a living creature without sin, that had done nothing wrong, had to give up its life because of their sinful thoughts, feelings or actions. It was supposed to curb man’s unrighteousness and help stop the sin. Instead, in time people just got more animals and their hearts were hardened and the process became a ritual instead of a deterrent to sin. The legs and insides were washed because urine and feces would need to be removed so that the sacrifice was not contaminated.
Application: Unfortunately, today many if not most church goers are routinely performing a ritual rather than giving a sacrifice of their time and treasure as they attend church services. It is easy in today’s hurried lifestyle to forget the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Perhaps there needs to be a greater emphasis from the pulpit and in personal Bible study moments on the crucifixion account as presented in the Gospels so that we do not lose sight of just how much the redemption of our souls cost the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verses 10-13 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish. 11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Sheep and goats were acceptable for a burnt offering as long as they met the qualifications discussed above. The killing of these animals took place on the north side of the alter. Psalms 48:2 reads, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” So it appears that the north is considered to be the dwelling place of God. On the flat earth model, the north is that part of Heaven that is directly above the earth. Since this is a topic for a separate discussion, it will not be further discussed here, but the reader is encouraged to research the importance of the north in the scriptures.
Verses 14-17 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: 16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes: 17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
God is no respecter of persons. All people are on the same level as each other. But God recognized that not all people are equal in possessions and wealth. As a result, He provided three ways to offer the burnt sacrifices in accordance with a person’s financial well being. Wealthier people who owned and could afford a beef cow received the same atonement for their sins as the poorer person who did not own a beef cow or a sheep or goat but could only afford a small bird. All the sacrifices are described as being “a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
Application: Although most countries today do not have royal families and the class distinction that accompanied such a social structure, there is class distinction based on how much money or possessions a person has. The elite today consist of people in government, in Hollywood, in religious institutions, and in various professions where people are paid large sums of money and can therefore amass large amounts of influence and stuff. It is easy to feel both unimportant and of no influence in our society if a person is not rich or famous. But to God, none of the physical trappings mean anything. It is the condition of a person’s heart and mind that matters to Him. It is how much of ourselves we are willing to sacrifice to Him for His spiritual kingdom and for the helping of others. A believer should never feel inferior or insignificant. If he/she has Jesus, that is all the riches anyone needs in this world. He will take care of His people. He will use each believer that is willing to serve Him in the capacity and position that is best suited for success. He is good. He is faithful. He is loving.