Leviticus 1:1-17
1 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.
4 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.
10 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.
14 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,a 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.
Leviticus 1:4. Make atonement for him, he having first laid his hand on the head of the bullock, and confessed his sin. A burnt-offering for sin is here mentioned as the first of all the sacrifices, because deliverance from guilt, and reconciliation with God, should ever be our great and principal concern. It must be offered at the door of the tabernacle, then slain and cut in pieces, and its parts conveyed to and burnt upon the altar, for there is no entrance into this holy habitation without the shedding of blood.
Leviticus 1:5. Sprinkle the blood round about the altar; and elsewhere, pour the blood at the foot of the altar; to prefigure the blood of our Saviour poured out at the foot of the cross.
Leviticus 1:6. He shall flay. The priest, aided by the levites, 2 Chronicles 29:34. They cut the victim's throat across, separating the windpipe at a single stroke.
Leviticus 1:7. Put fire; that is, increase the fire by fresh wood, which was always kept burning.
REFLECTIONS.
God being high and holy, and his people corrupt and sinful, there was no access to him but by a hallowing process of mediation and sacrifice. The animals selected for the altar were bulls, sheep and doves. The latter were received principally in behalf of the poor, who could not bring a richer gift. These oblations were not for individuals only; but sometimes large burnt- offerings were presented in favour of the nation, when afflicted with grievous calamities, or when anxious to obtain some signal mercy. So Israel, when twice defeated by Benjamin, in the wicked affair of the Levite's concubine; and the Lord heard their prayers. So Samuel, when the Philistines invaded the land, and the Lord drove them back by the terrors of supernatural thunder. So David, during the plague, and the Lord stayed it; and so Solomon, when he sought wisdom to govern the kingdom.
The sin-offering must be a male, without spot or blemish; and in that view we have a more striking figure of the Lamb of God, who was holy and undefiled. The animal must be tied to a convenient place; so was the Saviour bound for us. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
The offender laid his hand on the head of the victim. This was a most significant action. Hereby he acknowledged his sin, and his worthiness to die; and if he had the shadowy light which irradiated some of the prophets, he desired that the Messiah's atonement and death might procure his life and salvation; and if he was ignorant, as was generally the case, a sincere heart was accepted. By putting his hand on the head of the victim, we learn that it is not sufficient to approve of Christ and his gospel, we must actually put forth the hand of faith to lay hold of the benefits of his sufferings and death. It marked also, that the worshipper brought his beast with a willing and a contrite heart; and with a firm purpose not to return to his sins. If these dispositions were wanting, the richest offerings were but an abomination to the Lord.
The victim so presented was slain, flayed, and burnt on the altar, with the blood; and so consumed, it was a sweet savour to God, and made atonement for the sin of the soul. Here we have the holy and immaculate Lamb of God evidently set forth before our eyes. His back was flayed with the scourges, his whole humanity endured the sorrows of death, and sustained the fire of divine justice for our redemption. All his merits were a sweet savour unto God, and life and salvation are obtained by the blood of the cross.
Having therefore redemption in his blood, let us think of making some returns to heaven for the great riches of its grace; let us present our bodies to the Lord, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable service. Let us devote that life to his glory which has been so dearly ransomed by the oblation of the Son of God. Thus purged in conscience, and sanctified in heart, we poor sinners shall be counted worthy to enter the congregation of the Lord, and to dwell in his presence for ever.