leviticus 3 and 4

Read Leviticus 3 and 4 at Bible Gateway.

Offerings brought under the Levitical sacrificial system:

1) burnt sacrifice (Lev 1:1-17)

We saw yesterday that a burnt sacrifice (or burnt offering) is olah in Hebrew, a rising up (as smoke) in worship. The olah was a voluntary offering (Lev 1:3) brought by a man in right relation with God. It is the voluntary, entire, wholly consumed by fire olah that Paul was referring to:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:1

2) grain offering (Lev 2:1-16)

Grain offering is minchah in Hebrew, a gift or rest in worship. It was made with flour and prepared in various ways. While the olah was burned entirely on the altar, only a memorial portion of the minchah was burned on the altar, and the rest given to the priest.

The final instruction concerning the olah is combined in a strong theme with the instructions for the minchah:

Lev 1:14-17 {s} The law of the whole burnt offering (olah) of the birds
Lev 2:1-3 {s} The law of the grain offering (minchah) of flour
Lev 2:4 {s} The law of the grain offering (minchah) of unleavened cakes
Lev 2:5-6 {s} The law of the grain offering (minchah) of unleavened bread
Lev 2:7-13 {s} The law of the grain offering (minchah) of unleavened porridge
Lev 2:14-16 {p} The law of the grain offering (minchah) of firstfruits

This is Scripture’s way of teaching us that just as the olah was a voluntary offering brought by a man in right relationship with God, so is the minchah. In fact this strong theme teaches what is the whole burnt offering acceptable to God in case of poverty: that man is not excluded from drawing near to God in worship.

3) peace offering (Lev 3:1-17)

Lev 3:1-5 {p} The law of the peace offering (shelem) of the herd
Lev 3:6-11 {p} The law of the peace offering (shelem) of the flock
Lev 3:12-17 {p} The law of the peace offering (shelem) of the goats

Peace offering is in Hebrew, shelem, from the same root as shalom, peace, completeness, wholeness. The idea is that when YHVH adds blessing to or subtracts cursing from a man, to bring him to completion or wholeness, to bring him into shalom, the man responds with a peace offering, a shelem; thus some Bibles translate shelem as a thank offering.

The shelem was a voluntary offering brought as a form of worship by a man in right relation with God.

Notice that Lev chapters 1-3 are all part of the same speech: Lev 1:1 begins with the LORD speaking to Moses, saying: and then the law for the burnt offering or olah, the grain offering or minchah, and the peace offering or shelem, follows. In Lev 4:1, the LORD begins a new speech. It is because the offerings which follow are in a new class of offering.

4) sin offering (Lev 4:1-35)

Lev 4:1-12 {p} The law of the sin offering (chattath) of the herd when the priest sins unintentionally
Lev 4:13-21 {p} The law of the sin offering (chattath) of the herd when the congregation sins unintentionally
Lev 4:22-26 {p} The law of the sin offering (chattath) of the goats when a ruler sins unintentionally
Lev 4:27-31 {p} The law of the sin offering (chattath) of the goats when a common person sins unintentionally
Lev 4:32-35 {p} The law of the sin offering (chattath) of the lambs when a common person sins unintentionally

Sin offering is in Hebrew, chattath, and is from the root word for sin, “to miss the mark.” The picture the ancient pictographs are painting, is of an arrow being shot at a target, only the target is the LORD’s commandments or Torah. If the target is missed, that is chata, sin. A chattath is brought when it is discovered that a chata has occurred.

The chattath was a mandatory offering brought by a man who is not in right relation with God, because of sin. A man in this state cannot bring an olah, minchah, or shelem. He must first bring a chattath to restore his relationship with God, then he may bring voluntary offerings again.

Please notice that a common theme of the law of the sin offering is that it is provided to restore a man after an unintentional, not malicious or willful, sin; and when the priest offers the sin offering, “the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them,” (Lev 4:20, 4:26, 4:35).

The Law or Torah was given to God’s people who had lived their whole lives in pagan Egypt. It not only taught His people who YHVH is, what righteousness and sin is, what justice looks like, what love looks like, but also provided for mercy (as in the law of the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat) and forgiveness (as in the law of the sin offering) when that righteousness and that justice was transgressed. Is the God of the Old Testament the vengeful and wrathful God while the God of the New Testament is the loving and forgiving God? That is not what Scripture is teaching us!

Please also notice that three times in Lev 4, the chapter of the law of the sin offering, the priest who offers the sacrifice is called the anointed priest. The priest who offers the burnt offering or olah is not called the anointed priest. The priest who offers the grain offering or minchah is not called the anointed priest. The priest who offers the peace offering or shelem is not called the anointed priest.

This break in pattern draws our attention. Moreover it occurs three times, and three is a sign of Messiah in the Hebrew Scripture. The Hebrew word “Messiah” means “anointed.” Torah is proclaiming that when the one who is anointed – Messiah — makes atonement for sin, sin shall be forgiven him. Yippee!