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.
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.
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:
- 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.
- 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).
- 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 7 Likewise,
this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.
2 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. 3 And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the
rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, 4 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: 5 And
the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the
Lord: it is a trespass offering. 6 Every male among the priests
shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy. 7 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 7 Likewise,
this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.
This offering is
most holy because it represented Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:4-104 It
is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore,
when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and
offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then
I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I
have come to do your will, my God.'"
8 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. 9 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.
2 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.
3 And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the
fat that covereth the inwards, 4 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: 5 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.
6 Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be
eaten in the holy place: it is most holy. 7 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.
8 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
