Levitical Sacrifices and Offerings
"Without shedding of blood, there is no remission..."
There are several terms used in the Bible to describe the
act of sacrifice. The first has to do with something given or
offered to God, and is used particular with regard to bloodless
offerings. Examples are the use of the word "gift" in
Gen. 33:13-21; 43:11, etc.; the word "tribute" in 2
Sam. 8:2,6; 1 Kings 5:1 and 2 Kings 17:4; and the word "offering"
in 1 Chron. 16:29 and Isa. 1:13.
The other type is the bloody sacrifice, in which the shedding
of blood is the main idea, as opposed to the whole burnt offering
which is completely burned. The Greek word qusia (thusia) is used
for both the animal in the sacrifice and for the act of burning,
whether literal or figurative. In the New Testament, a sacrifice
(or offering) is `olokautwma (holokautoma), which means "wholly
consumed (Latin holocaustum). See Acts 21:26; 24:17; Eph. 5:2;
Heb. 10:5; Mark 12:33; Heb. 10:6,8.
Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God (Gen. 4:3,4). Cain's offering
was "of the fruit of the ground," and Abel "of
the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof". Then, Noah
expressed his thanks for deliverance from the flood by offering
burnt sacrifices on an altar he had constructed. The patriarchs
consistently built altars and offered sacrifices, particularly
in places where God had revealed Himself to them. As Edersheim
has put it, in his book The Temple, "Indeed, to sacrifice
seems as natural to man as to pray; the one indicates what he
feels about himself, the other what he feels about God. The one
means a felt need of propitiation, the other a felt sense of dependence."
In the Pentateuch, the fundamental idea of sacrifice is that of
substitution; and under the Mosaic law the offering of sacrifice
was a covenant duty, with the materials of the offering and the
ceremonies described in minute detail. The ground on which the
legal offering of sacrifices is based is the commandment, "None
shall appear before me empty" (Exo. 23:15), or "Appear
not empty before the face of Jehovah". That is to say, "Every
man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the
Lord thy God which he hath given thee" (Deut. 16:16,17).
No religious act in the Old Testament was complete unless accompanied
with sacrifice; the system was designed by God with the intention
of awakening a consciousness of sin and uncleanness and of showing
the possibility of obtaining the forgiveness of sin and becoming
righteous before God.
The presenting to God a gift of a portion of the results of one's
labor implied a surrender of the person to God. But man is unholy
and sinful, and is thus unable to surrender himself to the holy
God. Therefore, laying the hand upon the head of the animal was
a symbol of transferring to the victim of the sacrifice the sinfulness
of the offeror. The animal thus took the place of the offeror
and became his substitute; and the killing of the animal pointed
out the necessity of death of the man whose sin alienates him
from God.
However, sacrifices, as such, had no power in themselves to heal
the rupture between God and man, because an animal cannot make
an adequate satisfaction for the sin and guilt of man. When Jesus
Christ, the sinless and righteous God-man, voluntarily offered
Himself on the Cross, He fulfilled the Law of sacrifices and ordinances;
and the typical meaning of each sacrifice and offering was brought
out in full.
The rest of this study is devoted to a description of the Mosaic
sacrifices and offerings, including a study of the materials used
in each offering, the ceremony employed in making the sacrifice,
and a brief discussion of the spiritual meaning, the typology,
of each.
THE CLASSES OF LEVITICAL SACRIFICES
There were two classes of sacrifice in Old Testament times.
The first class was those sacrifices offered to enable a person
to enter into communion (fellowship) with God. These are known
as propitiatory offerings and included the sin and trespass offerings.
The second class was intended to be offerings made by believers
in fellowship; and these included the burnt offerings, peace offerings,
thank offerings, votive offerings, freewill offerings, and meal
and drink offerings.
Keep in mind that when several sacrifices were offered on the
same occasion, the propitiatory offerings were offered first,
followed by the burnt offerings, and then the peace offering.
The meal and drink offerings were offered with the burnt offerings,
or by themselves.
MATERIALS USED IN SACRIFICES
With respect to the materials used in the sacrifices, they
were divided into two classes: the blood sacrifices, in which
an animal was killed, and the bloodless offerings, the "meal"
(vegetable and mineral) and drink offerings.
Animals offered included oxen, sheep, goats, and turtledoves or
young pigeons. The pigeons were used by people who could not afford
the more expensive animals (Lev. 5:7; 12:8) and to serve as lesser
sin offerings. Both male and female cattle could be offered (Lev.
3:1-6), but among the sheep and goats special prominence was given
to the male animal (Num. 15:5 ff; 28:11 ff). The animal had to
be at least eight days old (Lev. 22:27; Exo. 22:30), although
sheep and goats were usually offered when a year old (Exo. 29:38;
Lev. 9:3), and oxen when they were three years old. Any animal
offered had to be free from any blemish (Lev. 22:20-24).
Vegetables offered were grain, olive oil, wine, salt, and incense,
which was partly vegetable and partly mineral. The grain was offered
roasted in the ear or as fine flour, to both of which incense
and oil were added (Lev. 2:1-15), or as unleavened bread or biscuits.
The bread was either baked in an oven, baked in a pan, or fried
in oil; in each case the flour was mixed with oil.
All of the animal and vegetable offerings had to be salted (Lev.
2:13; Eze. 43:24; Mark 9:49). Neither leaven nor honey were allowed
in any offering made to God by fire (Lev. 2:13).
The animals and meat offerings selected for sacrifice were from
the ordinary food of the Hebrews, in order to express gratitude
for blessings bestowed and to pray for continuation of His goodness.
As these offerings were the fruit of their life and work, and
presenting them showed a consecration to God of their life with
all its ability and energy.
THE METHOD OF PRESENTATION OF THE SACRIFICES
In animal sacrifices, the animal was brought to the door or
the tabernacle, near the altar. The person bringing the animal
placed his hand on the animal's head, then killed it at the north
side of the altar (Lev. 1:4,5,11; 3:2,8; 6:25; 7:2). When the
sacrifice was part of the regular services on festive occasions
or offered on behalf of the whole people, the animals were slaughtered
and cut up by the priests.
Once the animal was slain, the priest caught the blood in a vessel,
and depending on the nature of the sacrifice, sprinkled some of
it either on the side of the altar, on the horns of the Altar
of Incense, or on the Ark (Day of Atonement). The remainder of
the blood was emptied at the foot of the great altar. (Exo. 29:12;
Lev. 4:17 ff)
The animal was then skinned and cut into pieces by the offeror
(or priest), and either entirely burnt on the altar or just the
fat burnt on the altar, with any remainder being burnt outside
the camp. This "burning" amounted to cooking the animal,
and the animal was then eaten by the priests, or by the priests
along with the one who had brought the animal.
If the sacrifice was a bird, the priest wrung off the bird's head
and allowed the blood to flow on the side of the altar. He then
threw the viscera on the ash heap beside the altar, and the head
and body were burnt on the altar (Lev. 1:15).
If vegetable offerings were being made at the same time as burnt
offerings, part of the flour and oil, some of the ears of corn
and the cakes, along with the incense, were burned on the altar,
the remainder going to the priests, who were required to consume
it in the court of the tabernacle without leaven (Lev. 2:2ff;
6:9-11; 7:9ff; 10:12ff). If the offering was a thank offering,
one cake was presented as a wave offering (see below) to God,
and was given to the priest who spilled the blood (Lev. 7:14),
the remainder of the offering being eaten by those who presented
it.
THE SIN OFFERING
The sin offering was first directly commanded in Lev. 4. "If
a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments
of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and
shall do against any of them", then that conduct would required
a sin offering. The idea is that some sins are unintentional,
"in error", and may have been committed through ignorance,
hurry, lack of consideration, or carelessness, in other words,
sins which came from human weakness, as opposed to sins which
are deliberately and knowingly done in rebellion against God and
His commandments. [The penalty for presumptuous sin was to be
cut off from among God's people (Lev. 15:30).]
The effect of the sin offering was forgiveness of the sin and
cleansing from the pollution of sin (Lev. 4:20,26,31,35; 5:10;
12:8; 14:20; 16:19). Its presentation assumed that the offeror
was conscious of sin; and the laying on of the hands was understood
to mean that the sin was to be transferred to the animal (Lev.
4:4,14).
The soul was brought into fellowship within divine grace through
the pouring out of the blood of the sacrifice, analogous to the
death of Christ on the Cross. The burning of the fat on the altar
was an offering of a "sweet savour" to God, and was
symbolical of the handing over to God the better part of man,
that which is capable of cleansing and renewal, in order that
it might be purified by the fire of God's holiness and love.
The Material of the Sin Offering
The material to be offered was determined by the nature of
the offense and by the position, or rank, of the one making the
offering.
A young bullock was offered for a sin of the whole congregation
(Lev. 4:13), for a sin of the high priest (Lev. 4:3), for the
high priest on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:3), and for the consecration
of priests and Levites to their offices (Exo. 29:10,14,35; Num.
8:8).
A he-goat was offered on new moon and annual festivals (Num. 28:15,22,30;
29:5,11,16,19), at the dedication of the tabernacle (and Temple)
(Num. 7:16,22; Ezra 6:17, w/8:35), and for the sin of a prince
(Lev. 4:23).
A she-goat was offered for a sin by one of the common people (Lev.
4:28,32; 5:6).
A she-lamb of a year old was offered for the cleansing of a leper
(Lev. 14:10,19) and when a Nazarite was released from his vow
(Num. 6:14).
A pigeon or turtledove was used for purifying a woman after childbirth
(Lev. 12:6), for a man or woman who had protracted issues of blood
(Lev. 15:14,29), and for a Nazarite who had been defiled by contact
with a dead body (Num. 6:10). A bird was also used as a substitute
for a lamb in the case of poverty, for an ordinary offense (Lev.
5:7).
Method of Presenting the Sin Offering
If the offering was a bullock offered on behalf of the high
priest or of the whole congregation, its blood was taken into
the Holy Place and sprinkled seven times toward the inner veil,
then upon the horns of the altar of incense. The remainder was
poured at the foot of the altar of burnt offering (Lev. 4:5ff).
If the animal was a ram, a she-goat, or a lamb, the blood was
merely put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering.
On the Day of Atonement, the high priests took the blood of the
sin offering made for himself (the bullock) into the Holy of Holies
and sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat of the Ark. He then returned
to the altar and took the blood of the goat offered for the sins
of the congregation into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it in
the same manner.
In all cases, the next step was to separate the fatty portions
of the animal and burn them on the altar (Lev. 4:8-35).
In those cases in which the blood was sprinkled either in the
Holy Place or in the Holy of Holies, the flesh, along with the
skin, head, and all other parts of the animal were carried outside
the camp (later, outside the city of Jerusalem) to a clean place
where the ashes of sacrifice were usually placed, there to be
consumed by fire (Lev. 4:11ff; 6:23; 16:27). In the case of other
sin offerings, the flesh was eaten by the priests in the holy
place (Lev. 6:26; Num. 18:9,10).
Any earthenware vessel from which the priests ate was broken;
copper vessels were scoured. Garments on which blood had fallen
were washed (Lev. 6:27,28).
Typology of the Sin Offering
The sin offering presents Christ atoning for the guilt of
sin (Heb. 13:11,12). It shows Christ as actually burdened with
the believer's sin, standing in the sinner's place as his substitute.
This offering tells of the Lord's death as presented in Isaiah
53, Psalm 22, and 1 Peter 2:24. It carefully guards the holiness
of Him who "was made sin for us."
THE TRESPASS OFFERING
The trespass offering was also a propitiatory offering, but
it was made for a special offense, while the sin offering was
made for the person of the offender. "In fact, the trespass
offering may be regarded as representing ransom for a special
wrong, while the sin offering symbolized general redemption"
(Edersheim, The Temple, p. 100ff).
The trespass offering was a ram, which was valued by a priest
according to the shekel of the sanctuary (Lev. 5:15,18; 6:6; 19:21).
In the case of a leper or a Nazarite, this offering was a lamb.
These offerings were offered for the following offenses:
- Trespass in ignorance against things of the Lord, that is,
to inadvertently take away from God that which belonged to Him,
of sacrifices, first fruits, tithes, etc. Compensation for the
harm done accompanied the sacrifice, with the gift of a fifth
part of the value to the priests.
- Ignorant transgression of any definite prohibition of the
law (Lev. 5:17).
- Fraud, suppression of the truth, or perjury against a neighbor;
with compensation to the victim and an additional fifth part
of any property in question to the person wronged (Lev. 6:1ff).
- Rape of a slave (Lev. 19:20-22)
- At the purification of a leper (Lev. 14:12), and of a polluted
Nazarite (Num. 6:12).
In this offering, the skin of the animal and any meat offering
went to the officiating priest, except that portions that were
mixed with oil or were dry were divided among all the priests.
Typology of the Trespass Offering
This ritual shows Christ's atoning for the damage caused by
sin and has in view the injury of the sin as opposed to the guilt
of the sin. This aspect of the trespass offering is seen in Psalm
51:4, "Against thee and thee only have I sinned, and done
this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou
speakest and be clear when thou judgest."
THE BURNT OFFERING
The name for the burnt offering comes from the Hebrew word
holah, "ascending", because, as the animal was wholly
consumed in the fire (with the exception of the skin), the smoke
would rise toward heaven. (The animals in other sacrifices were
only partially consumed on the altar.) The burnt offering symbolized
the entire surrender to God of the individual or congregation,
God's acceptance of that surrender, and therefore the renewal
and restoration of the individual. This offering was not made
to atone for sin, as were the other offerings.
This offering was supposed to reflect the inward volition of every
true Hebrew and so was required to be presented regularly on the
following occasions:
- Every morning and evening (Exo. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-8).
- Each Sabbath day, double offerings (Num. 28:9,10).
- At the new moon, the three great festivals, the Day of Atonement,
and Feast of Trumpets (Num. 28:11-29:39).
Special burnt offerings were required:
- At the consecration of priests (Exo. 29:15; Lev. 8:18; 9:12).
- At the purification of women (Lev. 12:6-8)
- At the cleansing of lepers (Lev. 14:19).
- For removal of other ceremonial uncleanness (Lev. 15:15,30).
- On any accidental breach of the Nazarite vow, or at its conclusion
(Num. 6:11,14).
Freewill burnt offerings were made on any solemn occasion such
as the dedication of the tabernacle or the Temple (1 Kings 8:64).
The burnt offering was the only sacrifice that non-Israelites
were allowed to bring. The emperor Augustus had a daily burnt
offering brought for him of two lambs and a bullock; and this
sacrifice was regarded as indicating that the Jews recognized
him as their ruler. At the commencement of the Jewish war, the
high priest Eleazar rejected this offering, which was seen as
rebellion against Rome.
Typology of the Burnt Offering
In this offering, the idea of sin is not conspicuous, and
sets forth Christ offering Himself without spot to God to perform
God's will with joy; the offering is a sweet savour to God, so-called
because it deals with Christ in His own perfections and devotion
to the Father's will, as opposed to the non-sweet savour offerings
which show Christ carrying the believer's sin.
The sacrificial animals symbolize Christ in some aspect of His
redeeming character. The ox shows His patient endurance as Saviour
(1 Cor. 9:9,10; Isa. 52:13-15; Phil. 2:5-8). The sheep or ram
portrays Christ in His unresisting facing of death (Isa. 53:7).
The goat typifies a sinner, and, when it is used for Christ, shows
Him as the One who was "numbered with the transgressors."
The turtledove or pigeon symbolizes mourning innocence and portrays
poverty. It shows forth Him who became poor that we might become
rich. (Isa. 38:14; Heb. 7:26; Lev. 5:7; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6-8).
THE PEACE OFFERING
The peace offering was another sacrifice offered by a believer
in fellowship with God. It is divided into three kinds of offering:
(1) the thank offering, or sacrifice of thanks (Lev. 7:12; 22:29);
(2) the votive offering, or sacrifice which accompanied the taking
of a vow (Num. 6:14; 15:3,8); and (3) the freewill offering. The
peace offering always followed any other sacrifices that were
taking place.
Public peace offerings were customary on festive occasions, the
election of kings, and whenever some important enterprise had
been successful (Exo. 24:5; 2 Sam. 6:17ff; 1 Kings 8:63; 1 Sam.
11:15; Deut. 27:7; Josh. 8:31).
These offerings were specifically prescribed for the Feast of
Pentecost (Lev. 23:19). Festivals were observed with peace offerings;
and Solomon ordered a sacrificial festival of burnt and peace
offerings to be held three times a year (1 Kings 9:25).
The peace offerings speak of the state of grace of the believer
in fellowship with God, and they took place mainly in connection
with feasts commemorating God. They helped to establish people
more firmly in their walk with Jehovah and to be more mindful
of God when enjoying prosperity and mercies. The peace offering
also enabled the Hebrew to be reminded of God's nearness and protection
whenever adversity threatened to take his mind off the Lord.
The thank offering was offered in times of personal or national
prosperity or success, at any time, in fact, when the believer
felt thankful to God for what He had bestowed.
The freewill offering seems to have been centered in the desire
to thank God for the enjoyment of His provision and to make supplication
for its continuance.
The animals in the peace offerings were either unblemished oxen
or smaller cattle of either sex (Lev. 3:1,6; 9:4). Deformed animals
were allowable in freewill offerings (Lev. 22:23). There is no
mention of pigeons beings used. These sacrifices were always accompanied
by a meat and drink offering.
In the ritual, the offeror led the animal to the altar, laid his
hand upon its head, and killed it. The fat parts were taken from
the animal and burned on the altar, on the burnt offering (Lev.
3:3-16; 9:18ff). Thus, the peace offering presupposed the previous
reconciliation of the offeror with God and the holiness of his
life as a basis of admission to fellowship with God.
The breast and right shoulder were then separated from each other,
the shoulder being laid aside as the portion for the officiating
priest. The breast was "waved", that is, raised in symbolic
presentation to the Lord, and was given to the priests to be eaten
either boiled or roasted in some clean place (Lev. 7:30ff; 10:13ff).
The rest of the meat belonged to the offeror, furnishing food
for the sacrificial feast for himself and his family. In the case
of the thank offering, it must be eaten the same day; in other
cases it could have been eaten on the second day, but no later.
Whatever was not eaten had to be burned, but not on the altar
(Lev. 7:15-17; 22:30).
As the offeror and his family ate the material food of the peace
offering, it was a symbol of their being spiritual fed with the
mercies of God, of being satisfied with fullness of joy in the
presence of the Lord (Psa. 16:11). This was a feast of love and
joy, symbolizing the privilege of dwelling in the house and family
of the Lord, and so pictured the joy of His people before him
(Deut. 12:12,18; Luke 14:15; 22:30).
Typology of the Peace Offering
As a sweet savour offering, the peace offering shows Christ
as our peace. Jesus Christ made peace, He proclaims peace, and
He is our peace (Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:14-18). The offering sets forth
God as propitiated and the believer as reconciled - God and the
sinner brought together in peace, both satisfied with the finished
work of Christ.
MEAL AND DRINK OFFERINGS
The meal and drink (libation) offerings recognized the sovereignty
of God and His goodness in providing earthly blessings; thus the
best gifts were dedicated to Him, such as flour, as the main support
of life; oil, the symbol of richness; wine, as the symbol of vigor
and refreshment (see Psa. 104:15). The idea seems to be expressed
by David in 1 Chron. 29:10-14, "All that is in the heaven
and in the earth is thine...All things come of thee, and of thine
own have we given thee."
The material of the meal offering was sometimes grain, offered
partly unground and partly in refined flour, in both cases with
oil poured on and incense added. At other times cakes were prepared,
in three different ways (see above), with oil, but without leaven.
Both kinds of meal offering were to be seasoned with salt (Lev.
2:13). The drink offering was always wine.
Meal offerings were either public or private, and were either
brought in connection with burnt or peace offerings or by themselves.
They were never offered with sin or trespass offerings. The established
public occasions for the meal offering were; (1) the presentation
of the twelve loaves of showbread for the Holy Place, (2) the
omer, or sheaf of wheat presented on the second day of Passover,
and (3) the two wave loaves at Pentecost. Four private meal offerings
were prescribed by law:
- The daily meal offering of the high priest, according to
the Jewish interpretation of Lev. 6:14ff
- A meal offering at the consecration of priests (Lev. 6:20)
- A meal offering in substitution for an animal at the sin
offering, in case of poverty (Lev. 5:11,12), and
- A meal offering in the case of a husband's jealousy of his
adulterous wife (Num. 5:11-15ff).
In all of the baked meal offerings, an "omer", or
sheaf of grain, was made into ten cakes, except for the high priests'
meal offering of twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes
of Israel. In presenting the meal offering, the priest brought
it in the gold or silver dish in which it had been prepared, then
transferred it to a holy vessel, putting oil and frankincense
on it. Standing at the south corner of the altar, he took a "handful"
that was to be burned, put it in another vessel, laid some of
the frankincense on it, carried it to the top of the altar, salted
it, and placed in on the fire. The rest of the offering belonged
to the priests, except in the case of the twelve loaves of showbread
and loaves offered at the consecration of priests, which could
not be eaten but were entirely burned (Lev. 6:16ff; 6:20-23).
There is no regulation given as to how the wine was presented
or how it was disposed of!
Typology of the Meal Offering
This offering typifies Christ in His human perfection tested
by suffering. The fine flour represented His sinless humanity.
The fire is the testing by suffering, even unto death. The frankincense
symbolizes the aroma of His life toward the Father (Exo. 30:34).
The absence of leaven, a type of evil, shows forth His spotless
character. The oil mingled with the offering speaks of his conception
by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23). Oil poured on the offering
speaks of his enduement with the Spirit (John 1:32; 6:27).
HEAVE AND WAVE OFFERINGS
Some of the offerings are called "heave" or "wave"
offerings because of the special manner in which they were presented.
Those portions of the offerings which were "heaved",
or lifted up, were regarded as gifts to God, and were understood
to be handed over to the priests to be used only by them and their
families (Num. 18:19; Lev. 22:10).
The wave offering was placed upon the outstretched hands of the
offeror, and the priest put his hands under those of the offeror.
Then the priest moved the whole backward and forward in a horizontal
movement. The following offerings were to be waved before the
Lord:
- The breast of a private thank offering (Lev. 7:30)
- The fat, breast, and shoulder of the thank offerings at the
consecration of the priests (Exo. 29:22-26; Lev. 8:25-29)
- The first sheaf offered on the second day of Passover (Lev.
23:11)
- The two lambs as a thank offering at the Feast of Pentecost
(Lev. 23:20)
- The lamb and oil as a trespass offering for the purification
of the leper (Lev. 14:12)
- The thank offering of the Nazarite (Num. 6:20), and
- The jealousy offering (Num. 5:25)
THE RED HEIFER OFFERING
- When a person became ceremonially unclean by some contact
with an unclean animal or person or by contact with a dead person,
he was required to go through a ritual cleansing. The material
for this purification was composed of running water and the ashes
of the "red heifer" (Num. 19:1ff).
- The ashes were prepared as follows:
- A heifer, without blemish, and which had never been yoked,
was slaughtered outside the
camp.
- The son and successor of the high priest dipped his finger
in the blood and sprinkled it seven times toward the sanctuary.
- The heifer was burned in the presence of the priest, who,
at the same time, took the cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wood,
and cast them into the flames.
- A man who was free from defilement gathered the ashes and
carried them to a clean place, still outside the camp, where
they were stored for use as needed. All persons who were involved
with this ceremony were considered unclean until that evening.
The Procedure
When someone needed to have the purification rite performed
on him, a man, who was himself free from defilement, took some
of the ashes, put them in a vessel, and poured some fresh running
water over them.
He dipped a bunch of hyssop into the mixture and sprinkled it
upon the person to be purified, once three days after the uncleanness
had been contracted, and again seven days after.
At the same time, the tent in which a corpse had lain and all
the furniture were sprinkled with the same water.
Typology of the Red Heifer Offering
The red heifer offering is called a sin offering (Num. 19:9,17),
and it portrays the sacrifice of Christ as the medium of the believer's
cleansing from the pollution contracted by his contact with the
world. The order of cleansing is:
The slaying of the sacrifice
The sevenfold sprinkling of the blood, showing the completed
putting away of the believers sins before God (Heb. 9:12-14).
The burning of the sacrifice to ashes and their preservation
as a memorial of the sacrifice
The cleansing by sprinkling with ashes mixed with water, typical
of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (John 7:37-39; Eph. 5:26).
The whole ritual shows the fact that the Holy Spirit used the
Word of God to convict the believer of sin, thus making the believer
conscious that the guilt of sin was to be borne by Christ in His
sacrifice. Instead of losing hope, the convicted believer confesses
the unworthy act and is forgiven and cleansed (John 13:3-10; 1
John 1:7-10).
THE YEARLY SCHEDULE OF SACRIFICES
References for the following are taken from Exo. 12, Lev.
16 and 23, and Num. 28 and 29
Daily Offerings
The daily sacrifice, offered morning and evening:
* One yearling lamb, for a burnt offering
* A portion of flour, for a meal offering
* 1 1/4 pints of wine, for a drink offering
Sabbath Day Offerings
On the Sabbath, the daily offerings were made, plus the following:
* Two yearling lambs
* Two portions of flour mingled with oil
* 2 1/2 pints of wine
* Twelve fresh loaves of showbread
New Moon Offerings
On the occasion of the new moon, the regular daily offerings
were made, plus:
* Two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs, for burnt
offerings
* Flour mingled with oil, three portions for each bullock, two
portions for the ram, and one portion for each lamb
* A drink offering
Feast of Trumpets (or seventh New Moon)
The daily and new moon offerings were made, plus:
* One bullock, one ram, seven yearling lambs, for burnt offerings
* Flour mingled with oil; three portions for the bullock, two
portions for the ram, one portion for each lamb
* One kid of goats, for a sin offering
* Drink offerings
Feast of Passover
On Passover the daily offerings were made. In addition a kid
(lamb or goat) was selected, on the 10th of the month Abib, and
slain on the 14th, its blood being sprinkled on the doorposts
and lintels.
Feast of Unleavened Bread
The daily offerings were made on each day of the feast, held
from the 15th to the 21st of Abib (following Passover), plus,
daily:
* One goat for a sin offering
* Two young bullocks, one ram, and seven yearling lambs, for
a burnt offering
* Flour mingled with oil, distributed as in the new moon offering
In addition, on the 2nd day of the feast, the first sheaf of the
new harvest (barley) was offered by waving, not burning. With
this sheaf was offered a male yearling lamb, two measures of flour,
and 2 1/2 pints of wine.
Pentecost (Feast of Weeks)
The daily offerings were made, plus the following on each
day of Pentecost:
* A kid of goats for a sin offering
* Two young bullocks, one ram, seven yearling lambs, for burnt
offerings
* Flour and oil to accompany each burnt offering
* A drink offering for the ram and for each lamb.
After the above was presented, the new meal offering, "two
wave loaves", baked with leaven, were offered. With these
were offered seven yearling lambs, one young bullock, and two
rams (burnt offering); a he-goat (sin offering); and two yearling
lambs (peace offering).
The Day of Atonement
On the Day of Atonement the regular daily offerings were made,
plus:
* A bullock for a sin offering for the priesthood
* A ram for a burnt offering for the priesthood
* Two goats for a sin offering for the people
* A ram for a burnt offering for the people
* One young bullock, one ram, seven lambs, with accompanying
meal and drink offerings
The Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted eight days and there were
different combinations of offerings made on each of those days.
There were a total of 71 bullocks, 15 rams, 105 lambs, and 8 goats
offered during the feast, with accompanying meal and drink offerings.
Sources for this study:
Edersheim, The Temple
Edersheim, History of the Old Testament
Unger, Bible Dictionary
|