Sunday, February 28, 2021

The Five Offerings of Salvation-Trespass Offering

  Thanks to Kathy for encouraging people to read the Bible through this year. Several are in the book of Leviticus and are finding it not an exciting book and will be glad when you finish. I want to give you a perspective of this book that will open your eyes to its wonders and its importance in the plan of salvation. If you understand Leviticus, you will better understand the New Testament book of Hebrews and Paul's letter to Rome's Christians.

  And the Lord called unto Moses- This was the LORD's idea to make these five offerings.  These five offerings were to be the object lesson of the Plan of Salvation. There were to be symbolic of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Every detail was to be followed. The LORD required Israel to carry out His commands; they were always given in specific details. He did not ask them to do something without giving them the how, the when, and the where. Nothing was left to private interpretation.

 

A comparison can see the importance of the book of Leviticus of the explicit contents with the period occupied. Whereas in the ninety chapters of the two books of Genesis and Exodus, we have the history of approximately twenty-five centuries. In the twenty-seven chapters of Leviticus, we have the account of but a single month. God has attached to the information given in Leviticus importance we do well to recognize.

 

The contrast of places from where God spoke should be observed. In Exodus, God spoke from Mount Sinai. In the first verse of Leviticus, we find Him saying "out of the Tabernacle of the congregation." The purpose of the Tabernacle was to provide a place where God and His people could meet consistently. God in His holiness and Israel in their sins could not meet on the same level. There must be provision made to maintain the dignity, justice, and holiness of God, and at the same time, provide for the forgiveness and cleansing of the people from their sins if there was to be communion between God and Man. This is entirely provided for in the Tabernacle. This we know, as soon as the Tabernacle was erected "as the Lord commanded Moses," God manifested Himself there.

 

Let's examine the provisions made in the Tabernacle for God's dwelling among the people. In Exodus 25.8, we read, "Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." The plan was to come entirely from Him. They had nothing whatever to do with the planning of how or where they should meet God. He gave them the plans for the Tabernacle, and their part was to construct it according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount. The First Tables of Stone on which were written the ten commandments were broken by Moses when he beheld the idol calf the Israelites were worshipping when he descended from Mount Sinai. The second set of tables were now safe in the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat covering them, all behind the curtain in the holiest place. This signified that the law was perfectly kept. It was from above the mercy seat God spoke to Moses as stated in Exodus 25.22: "There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." Only based on the perfectly kept law can God consistently speak to Man. And since Man has broken the law, provision for its keeping must be otherwise provided. 

 

And spake unto him out of the Tabernacle of the congregation,-- Before the Tabernacle, God spoke from Mt. Sinai, and the people were afraid and asked Moses to speak with the LORD.

 

18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram's horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 "Speak to us yourself, and we will listen," they said to Moses. "But do not let God speak to us, or we will die."…Ex. 20:18-19.

 

Saying, 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.

 

For the people to approach the LORD, there were instructions they were to follow. They could not approach the LORD at any time. 

 

They were instructed how and when they could approach the LORD. Because the LORD is holy, only holy people could come to the LORD. These five offerings were given so the people could become holy before the LORD.

2 "Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2;

7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 20:7;

26 You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. Leviticus 20:26;

8 You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy. Leviticus 21:8;

6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." Exodus 19:6;

16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16;

7 For God has not called us for impurity but in holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7

 

This was a personal offering from their livestock. It was to be the best of their livestock.

 

God gives us His best; we have to provide him with our best. When God created the universe, He put in every effort to make everything excellent, great – the environment, everything we see around us is magnificent. 

 

It was man's sin that resulted in the FALL. Even at this point, God gave His best to redeem us – it was not an Archangel or a prophet, but His only begotten SON. When he came into this world to save humanity, He gave His best – His life's blood.

We have now descended the ladder of redemption with the Lord Jesus Christ as symbolized in these five great offerings of the opening chapters of Leviticus. Beginning with the work of reconciling God and His demands in the law by what is represented in the burnt, sin, and peace offering, we have followed the work of our Substitute down through the racial sin of Man until we reach the individual trespasser or sinner, be he of any nation or state in human estimates. We are going to look at the sinner climbing, as it were, this ladder of redemption.  Our starting point is the Trespass Offering or Guilt Offering.  Over the next five weeks we will look at the sacrificial death of Christ and the purpose of His death and its relationship to our salvation as seen in the Five Offerings.

Before we start our lesson on the Trespass Offering, I want to give you a short lesson in Hermeneutics.  This is the study of the practical principles of interpretation of the Bible. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17-  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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 2 Peter 1:19-21- 19 We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. 21 For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit…

 Hebraic Hermeneutics-

 I need to touch on the Hebraic methods of interpreting Scripture. The rabbis teach that there are four levels of Torah interpretation. The acronym for this is: PaRDeS, which is Hebrew for “paradise” and refers to a garden of delight (in other words, when we interpret God’s instructions correctly, our lives can produce a garden of the Almighty’s blessings). Let us take a look at what this acronym means.

Level One—Pashat: This is the literal meaning of the Scripture. It is the plain, simple meaning of the text in grammatical and historical context. We must remember that no method of interpretation can negate the Pashat level of the meaning of the text.  Peshat, among the four methods which make up Pardes, is most often defined as "straight," in reference to its tendency to describe the meaning of the text apparent at face value, considering the natural expressions, and focusing mostly on literal interpretation. It is often considered the most straightforward method for reading and understanding of biblical text. In this way, Peshat differentiates itself from the other methods present in Pardes - Remez, Drash and Sod, which look at what may be hidden in the text.

Level Two—Remez: This is the implied meaning of the text. The text is hinting at a deeper truth than what is being revealed.

Level Three—Drash: This is the allegorical, typological, homiletical meaning of the text being studied.

Level Four—Sod: This is the deep, hidden meaning of the text.

The hermeneutical principles used by evangelicals today, have adopted the first three methods. But for us to see the deeper meaning of the Offerings we will need to look at  the fourth level of Hebraic interpretation: the Sod level.

THE RULES OF PARDES  

 The modern manner of interpreting Biblical text is commonly called exegesis. This method concerns itself mostly with the literary and grammatical context of Scripture verses. Practitioners of exegesis sometimes view anything beyond the literal text as "eisegesis" and ignores it or regard it with suspicion. This is an unfortunate error, a result of a backlash against improper allegorizing of the Scriptures, resulting in a case where "the baby is thrown out with the bathwater."

With regard to the proper understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures in their proper context, including the "New Testament" books, there are in fact "levels" of interpretation that must be taken into consideration. This was the method used to write and interpret Scripture by the authors themselves as well as the audience of their time and culture.

THE RULES OF PARDES INTERPRETATION

The four level of interpretation are called: Parshat, Remez, D’rash & Sud. The first letter of each word P-R-D-S is taken, and vowels are added for pronunciation, giving the word PARDES (meaning "garden" or "orchard"). Each layer is deeper and more intense than the last, like the layers of an onion.

P'shat  (pronounced peh-shaht' - meaning "simple")

Remez  (pronounced reh-mez' - meaning "hint")’

D’rash (pronounced deh-rahsh' also called "Midrash," meaning "concept")

Sud  (pronounced either sawd, or sood [like "wood"] - meaning "hidden")

The p'shat is the plain, simple meaning of the text. The understanding of scripture in its natural, normal sense using the customary meanings of the word’s being used.  In the 1600s early Quakers called bright color clothing gay clothing.  Today, the meaning has changed and someone not familiar with Quaker language would interpret this expression differently.

It is important to understand the literary style, historical and cultural setting, and context of the writer. The p'shat is the keystone of Scripture understanding. If we discard the p'shat we lose any real chance of an accurate understanding and we are no longer objectively deriving meaning from the Scriptures (exegesis), but subjectively reading meaning into the scriptures (eisegesis). No passage loses its p'shat.

Note that within the p'shat you can find several types of language, including figurative, symbolic and allegorical. The following simple guidelines can be used to determine if a passage is figurative and therefore figurative even in its p'shat.

When an inanimate object is used to describe a living being, the statement is figurative. Example: Isaiah 5:7 - For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

When life and action are attributed to an inanimate object the statement is figurative. Example: Zechariah 5:1-3 - Then I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold a flying scroll.  And he said to me, What do you see? And I answered, I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.  And he said to me, This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth; for everyone who steals shall be cut off henceforth, according to it; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off henceforth, according to it.

When an expression is out of character with the thing described, the statement is figurative. Example: Psalm 17:8 - Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings ...

Remez  (pronounced reh-mez' - meaning "hint")

This is where another (implied) meaning is alluded to in the text, usually revealing a deeper meaning. There may still be a p'shat meaning as well as another meaning as any verse can have multiple levels of meaning. An example of implied "REMEZ" Proverbs 20:10 - Different weights, and different measures, both of them are alike an abomination to the Lord. The p'shat would be concerned with a merchant using the same scale to weigh goods for all of his customers. The remez implies that this goes beyond this into aspects of fairness and honesty in anyone's life.

D’rash (pronounced deh-rahsh' also called "Midrash," meaning "concept")

This is a teaching or explanation or application of the P'shat and/or Remez. (In some cases this could be considered comparable to a "sermon.") For instance, Biblical writers may take two or more unrelated verses and combine them to create a verse(s) with a third meaning.

There are three rules to consider when utilizing the d'rash interpretation of a text:

  1. A drash understanding cannot be used to strip a passage of its p'shat meaning, nor may any such understanding contradict the p'shat  meaning of any other scripture passage. "No passage loses its p'shat.
  2. Let scripture interpret scripture. Look for the scriptures themselves to define the components of an allegory.  What is true in the Old Testament will be true in the New Testament. (If “beasts” are governments in the Old Testament then they are governments in the New Testament).
  3. The primary components of an allegory represent specific realities. We should limit ourselves to these primary components when understanding the text.

Sud  (pronounced either sawd, or sood [like "wood"] - meaning "hidden")

This understanding is the hidden, secret or mystic meaning of a text.

Matthew 26:28 - "Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, Drink from it all of you,  This is my blood ..." Taken literally this verse would not only be a violation of the LORD’s commandment against consuming blood, but along with other verses about eating Jesus’ flesh (John 6:51-56), could be grounds for accusations of cannibalism. There is a far deeper, more mystical meaning here however (the sud), even one that those who heard Him did not understand (John 6:52).

 Without knowledge and application of the rules of PARDES, these verses we are about to study would not make sense just as what Jesus said in Matthew did not make sense to the disciples.

So, with that in mind let’s begin our study of the Five Offerings looking up the Ladder of Redemption.

The book of Leviticus starts with the Burnt Offering, which is the highest offering made in the five offerings. This is written with God looking down through the offerings. I will start with the first offering with a man looking up to God.

 

The trespass offering (KJV, NKJV) or guilt offering (NIV, ESV, NASB) is described in Lev, 5:14-19; 7:1-7; and 14:12-18.

 

 The trespass/guilt offering was required when a person unintentionally violated some of the Lord's holy things. "Holy things" would generally refer to something that had been dedicated to the Lord—anything from the sanctuary itself to the portion of the offerings that were usually reserved for the priests. How this could happen inadvertently is not spelled out. Still, perhaps a person forgot to fulfill a vow, made some mistake in fulfilling it, accidentally ate food reserved for the priests, or mistakenly ate the firstborn animal from his own flock. In these cases, the offender had to bring a sacrificial animal (an unblemished ram or male lamb) to offer and compensate the priests extra 20 percent for what they had been deprived of. (The priests and Levites were the recipients of many of the offerings that were offered to the Lord—this was the provision that the Lord made for their support as they had no land of their own.) The offender could also bring, instead of an animal, the price of the animal in silver. When a person with a very sensitive (perhaps oversensitive) conscience thought that he might have sinned against holy property, he could bring the trespass/guilt offering "just in case." Still, in that situation, no restitution was made to the priests.

 

 The trespass offering was also brought when a person had committed a violation against another person. In this case, the offender had to repay damages plus 20 percent in addition to making the animal sacrifice.

 

 In a trespass offering, the ram or male lamb was slaughtered; the blood was splashed on the altar, and some of the blood was applied to the right ear lobe, right thumb, and right big toe of the one making the offering. Then oil was applied to the same places, and the head of the one making the offering was anointed. Most of the sacrificial animal was burned; however, the priests could eat some portions while they were in the sanctuary.

 

 The trespass or guilt offering is primarily about making reparations. It demonstrates the seriousness of violations against God (even accidental ones) and one's fellow man. An atoning sacrifice has to be made before God, and restitution has to be made to man. The trespass offering was a bloody demonstration of atonement and reconciliation, but it was also a demonstration of grace as provision was made for reparations for the wrongdoing. This Old Testament sacrifice was not the final solution. It pointed to the ultimate Sacrifice of Christ by which sinners can be restored to fellowship with God and with each other (Heb. 9:15).

 

The Trespass Offering manifestly must be the first one offered. This deals with the actual transgressions of the seeking sinner. Read again the portion of Scripture that describes this offering, chapters 5.14 to 6.7. A study of these verses shows that trespasses are of two kinds -- trespasses against God and trespasses against fellow men.

 

14 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. 16 And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.  17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. 18 And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him. 19 It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord.

 

Chapter  Likewise, this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.

In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar. And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away: And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a trespass offering. Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.  As the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it.

 

12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: 13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy: 14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: 15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: 16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord: 17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering: 18 And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.

 

Regarding sin against God, observe from 5.17 that "though he wist it not, yet is he guilty." This is an important statement to consider. We find people who say they are not conscious of being sinners and cannot say they have ever been born again. They think they just grew up good because of good training, But in God's sight, and it is with Him we have to deal, such a person is guilty though he does not know it or realize it. Notice also that sin of ignorance is considered a trespass in verse 15. Every person in the world, on reaching accountability, becomes a trespasser in God's sight and needs what is pictured in the Trespass offering.

 

When it comes to trespass against a fellow man, observe that restitution must be made connected with the offering. And there is a point here that is not often emphasized by preachers when preaching on restitution: a fifth part of the thing stolen or found and kept must be added to the principal when restitution is made. 

 

The most important thing in connection with the Trespass offering is the offering itself. Restitution alone will not set the sinner right with God. The Trespass offering must be brought in connection with the making of restitution. 

 

Notice also that, while all the other offerings are graded, only one animal was required or permitted in the Trespass offering. In every case, whether the sinner was rich or poor, old or young, and regardless of how much he realized his sinfulness, the offering must be "a ram without blemish." See 5.15,18, and 6.6. It was the offering of the ram that set the sinner right with God regarding his sins of transgression.

 

The Christian Application of the truth outlined in the Trespass offering is essential. If we fail to see this, it is little worth our time to study the offerings. They become a mere record of obsolete customs of the ancient Jews. But when we come to the New Testament, we find Jesus called "the Lamb of God." He is the antitype of all the lambs offered as sacrifices in the Old Testament. The Trespass offering of the Old Testament emphasizes that phase of Christ's Sacrifice has to do with the forgiveness of sins. Note these passages: 

 

"In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Eph. 1:7); and"

In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1.14). 

 

Twice in the Epistles, which set forth the church's doctrines, we have identically the same words to express the offering of Christ as doing for us what the trespass offering of the Old Testament did for the ancient people of God. There are also many other passages in the New Testament setting forth the fact that Jesus Christ is our Trespass offering.

 

All Trespass is against God. It is essential to observe that every trespass against a fellowman is also a trespass against God. Note verse 2 of chapter 6: "if a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbor," etc. Every trespass is against God because it breaks His law. This is similar to civil laws. A man who steals from another man violates the state's law, and he is taken in custody by the state authorities, not by the man who is wronged. David recognized this principle when he made his confession of his trespass in 

 

Psalm 51:4: "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight." 

 

Conviction for sin is much greater when the sinner realizes he has God to deal with his trespasses. A sinner may escape the wrath of the man he wrongs, but there is no escaping the wrath of God. So, we see why all sin is against God, whether in the "holy things of the Lord," as stated in chapter 5.15, or against a fellow man.

 

The Confession. Pubic. It is to be observed that getting right with God and man was not a private matter. The trespasser was obliged to take his trespass offering to the Tabernacle. Everyone who saw him taking his ram without blemish knew he was going to the priest to confess his sins and make right with his neighbor the wrong he had committed. It is evident that in this dispensation, the public confessor receives help sooner than the secret seeker.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13 - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.

Matthew 10:33 - But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Romans 10:9-11 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  

1 John 4:15 - Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 

 

The details of this offering are essential, and as we look at them, keep in mind that Christ is represented in every aspect of the details.

 

14 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.

 

There are two basic ways we sin: either by omission or commission. Sins of omission are those in which we knew we should have done something right but refused . James 4:17

 

So, whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him, it is a sin.

 

A sin of commission is a sin we take action to commit. A sin of commission can be intentional or unintentional. Foreknowledge is not the issue. If you visit another country in which traffic drives in the left lane, and you drive in the right lane, you are still breaking the law whether you know it or not. The Old Testament Law prescribed special sacrifices for unintentional sins but were nevertheless sins.

 

but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people” Hebrew 9:15

 

Restitution was to be made with the offering.

 

 And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.  And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him.  It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord.

 

Chapter  Likewise, this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.

This offering is most holy because it represented Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:4-10It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

    but a body you prepared for me;

 with burnt offerings and sin offerings

    you were not pleased.

 Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

    I have come to do your will, my God.'" 

First, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.  10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the Sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 

In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.

 

The Brazen Altar was a type of the Cross. It was Most Holy in its use. It was the place where all blood sacrifices were made. It was the first step in approaching the LORD.

The place where we found Christ as our Savior at the Cross is the same place we give our service. Jesus said, Take up your cross and follow me.

 

And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away: And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a trespass offering.

 

Leviticus 3 talks about preparing animal sacrifices and ends by saying, "All fat belongs to the LORD. This is a permanent rule for your future generations, wherever you live. You must not eat any fat or blood." (Lev. 3:16-17) What is this about? Why would God single these things out?

 

While God's Spirit gives life in the breath, the physical substance that ensures the oxygen in the breath gets to all parts of the body and sustains life is the blood. Blood is the stuff of life and is, therefore, the most precious part of any offering. The blood is God's gift and should be given back to its Maker once it is no longer needed.

 

Blood is precious; we should not lust for blood. We should not shed the blood of others and, if someone lies bleeding before us, we should rush to stem the bleeding. Treating the blood with reverence is a symbolic way of reverencing all life. And refraining from eating blood is a way to symbolically recognize that we don't live by taking another life. Our lives are God's direct gift.

 

The fat is slightly different. Fat in an animal-human or otherwise--is stored energy that the body is not currently using. It's excess fuel that is conveniently stored for a time when food is less plentiful or when a person or animal is otherwise unable to eat for a time due to illness, hibernation, or other circumstance. You then live off the fat until you can eat again. In the Bible, fat signifies abundance. The Bible talks about fat times and lean times like the dream Joseph interprets for Pharaoh in Genesis 41 and describes an area rich in resources as a fat land. So fat is generally a good concept in the Bible, bringing up images of a land that can produce an abundant harvest, where there is enough to feed everyone.

 

But the Bible also uses fat in a negative way, especially in the prophets. In the Bible, that abundance or fatness is good only when it is shared. If a king or someone of means has grown fat while others are left wanting, dire warnings abound. Read Ezekiel 34 shows God's anger about this kind of injustice. Ezekiel 34:20 sums up the warning with, "I will judge between the fat and the lean sheep." In God's economy, fatness represents taking more than we need, which creates scarcity for others. The need of the "lean sheep" brings God's wrath on those of us who have failed to carve off our excess so that others might have enough.

 

So here in Leviticus, mandating that "All fat is the Lord's" is a way of creating a symbolic gesture that recognizes that any abundance belongs to God. We are not to take more than we need for ourselves. Fat is extra, and that goes back to God. Always. God has provided plenty for all, but only if we return any fat.

 

Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.  As the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it.

 

12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: 

13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy: 

And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed.

 

right ear of him that is to be cleansed

The blood covers us for the things we heard that would be a sin.

 and upon the thumb of his right hand, 

The blood covers us for the things we did that would be a sin.

and upon the great toe of his right foot: 

The blood covers us for the places we went that would be a sin.

 

15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: 16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord: 

 

Seven times represent the perfection of the oil (Holy Spirit) before the LORD.

 

17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering: 18 And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.

 

The Holy Spirit directs what we hear, what we do, and where we go. The Holy Spirit anoints us. Judicial sanctification has taken place.

 

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Rom. 5:8-10

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment