Leviticus 1
The Way to Meet God(Leviticus 1:1-17)
We saw in the last part of Exodus that the tabernacle was built among the Israelites for God to dwell.
And in the first part of Leviticus, which we will examine today, the “rules for sacrifices” offered at the entrance of the tabernacle
are spoken of through Moses. The name “Leviticus” comes from the Septuagint, meaning “of the tribe of Levi.”
Leviticus mostly deals with the topics of “sacrifice and priesthood.”
The Hebrew title of Leviticus is “Vayikra,” which means “and He (God) called,” which is the first word in the book.
Leviticus is the model of worship that God commanded for those whomHe called.
1. Burnt offerings that the LORD is pleased to accept
1) The burnt offering was a confession of faith in the covenant of Christ, the way to meet God that had been passed down
from Adam to Abel and Noah. The burnt offering had to be a “male without defect” from the herd—a cow or a sheep,
and those who were not well off could offer a dove. The reason the animals offered as burnt offerings were different was
that they could be offered voluntarily according to status and financial abilities.
2) Anyone who repented and wanted to hold on to the covenant of Christ could offer a burnt offering and confess.
And the important thing was that the effect was the same regardless of which animal was offered as a burnt offering.
In other words, it was more important that the animal offered as a burnt offering was a “sacrifice without defect.”
3) The first of the two reasons why a “sacrifice without defect” must be offered is that it must be offered so that God will be
pleased with it. Therefore, we offer our best with all our heart. Abel’s offering in Genesis 4:4 was like this.
Second, the person offering the sacrifice must place his or her hands on the head of the sacrifice, an act of laying hands on it
so that his or her sins are transferred to the animal being offered.
4) By the sacrifice dying on behalf of me, a sinner who deserves to die because of my sins, I am forgiven.
The person who comes to offer the sacrifice confess his or her sins by laying hands on the sacrifice, and he or she could
learn directly with his or her skin, eyes, and nose what kind of sacrifice his or her sins required.
2. The purpose of the burnt offering is “atonement.”
1) The Hebrew word for atonement, “kippur,” means a covering, ransom. The “male without defect” used as a burnt offering
would be paying his or her ransom. The burnt offering was offered with the mindset that one’s own life that could not be
exchanged for anything else was being offered. And God incarnated and became the burnt offering.
2) The “offerer” must personally bring the calf, slaughter it, skin it, cut it into pieces, and wash the entrails and shins with water.
All of this must be done by the offerer. In this way, worship is not something to be observed but to be actively given.
3) The “priest” takes the blood of the already dead sacrifice and sprinkles it around the altar in front of the door of
the tabernacle. He sets fire to the altar and arranges the already cut body, head, and fat. He also puts the washed entrails
and shins on the altar and burns them as a burnt offering.
4) The important thing is that, unlike other sacrifices, all burnt offerings are burned to God. This is because the person offering
the sacrifice is identified with the burnt offering and is burned in the fire of hell to atone for sin. I die and only Christ remains.
3. Leviticus teaches us the way and method of meeting God
1) The Hebrew title of Leviticus is “Vayikra,” which means “and He (God) called.” We cannot approach God unless God calls us.
When the tabernacle was dedicated, the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Because of this, Moses could not enter
the tabernacle, but God called Moses.
2) God told Moses how to approach God. There is only one way for humans who have left God to approach God: Christ.
It is to offer the prescribed sacrifices as blood sacrifices and burnt offerings as a confession of faith in the covenant of Christ
who will atone for all our sins.
3) The Hebrew word translated as burnt offering is “olah,” which literally means “to ascend.” A burnt offering is an offering in
which the entire offering is completely burned. When the offering is burned, the smoke rises upward and becomes
a fragrant aroma, and is accepted by God.
4) When the one giving the offering transfers his sins by laying his hand on the head of the offering and offers it as a burnt
offering, the offering becomes an atonement for the offering and is gladly accepted by God. When the offering dies
and is burned on the altar, the offerer sees that this death is the result of his sins, and in this way, he believes and enjoys
that he can be accepted by God through Christ.
Conclusion: Leviticus is a model for Old Testament sacrifices and New Testament worship
1) Most people think that the procedure of this sacrifice was mainly performed by the priest. However, if you look at
the procedure of the sacrifice, you will find that the offerer had a surprisingly large role. The offerer had to raise the animal
to be offered as a sacrifice and bring it, and after laying his hands on it before the altar of burnt offering in the courtyard of
the tabernacle, he had to go to the north side of the altar and kill the animal.
2) Then the priest puts the blood of the animal in a bowl and sprinkles it around the altar of burnt offering.
The offerer continues to skin the animal with his own hands and cut it into pieces. Then the priest takes it and puts it
on the altar and burns it. When he personally killed the sacrifice that he identified himself with through laying on his hands,
skinned it, cut it into pieces, and washed its internal organs, I wonder what kind of mind he had.
3) What about our worship today? I see many Christians coming to church, passively attending the worship service,
and then leaving, as if they were going to the theater to watch a movie. This is by no means the right attitude toward worship.
4) The offerer prepared the sacrifice diligently before coming to the tabernacle, and when he came to the tabernacle,
he slaughtered the sacrifice that represented him. Even in the New Testament era, we are to offer a living worship service,
carrying our own cross and following the Lord every day. The form of the Old Testament sacrifice and our worship today is
very different, but the heart and attitude of the worshiper should never be different.
There were three kinds of burnt offerings: a bull without defect, a ram or goat without defect, and a dove.
Verse 2 shows that the livestock originally offered as sacrifices were cattle and sheep. Of these, the one they chose had to be
the most valuable. Naturally, they were rare and expensive. Does this mean that poor people cannot approach God even if
they want to? No. Doves were an offering for the poor. What is surprising is that regardless of the kind of sacrifice,
God accepted them all equally and gladly (9, 13, 17). Special consideration for the poor who offer pigeons as burnt offerings is
recorded in verses 14-17. Anyone, rich or poor, can approach God by relying on faith in Jesus Christ. God accepts us all equally
in Christ.