Leviticus 1:1-6

Introduction to Leviticus 1
This book begins with the laws concerning sacrifices, of which the most ancient were the burnt-offerings, about which God gives Moses instructions in this chapter. Orders are here given how that sort of sacrifice must be managed. I. If it was a bullock out of the herd (Lev_1:3-9). II. If it was a sheep or goat, a lamb or kid, out of the flock (Lev_1:10-13). III. If it was a turtle-dove or a young pigeon (Lev_1:14-17). And whether the offering was more or less valuable in itself, if it was offered with an upright heart, according to these laws, it was accepted of God.

Lev 1:1 And Jehovah called to Moses and spoke to him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

The tabernacle of the congregation - Rather, the tent of meeting when the Lord was about to give His people the Law of the Ten Commandments Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up to God, and Jehovah called to him out of the mountain, saying, You shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel: He called to Moses from the top of Mount Sinai in thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud. When He was now about to give them the laws by which their formal acts of worship were to be regulated, He called to Moses out of the tabernacle which had just been constructed at the foot of the mountain. Exodus 25:22. And I will meet with you there, and I will talk with you from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubs on the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the sons of Israel

Lev 1:2 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, If any one of you brings an offering to Jehovah, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock.

Speak unto the children of Israel - It is important to observe that these first instructions Lev. 1:2–3:17 are addressed expressly to the individual who felt the need of sacrifice on his own account. They were not delivered through the priests, nor had the officiating priest any choice as to what he was to do. He was only to examine the sacrifice to see that it was perfect and to perform other strictly prescribed duties. The act of offering was to be voluntary on the part of the worshipper, but the mode of doing it was in every point defined by the Law. The presenting of the sacrifice at the entrance of the tabernacle was in fact a symbol of the free will submitting itself to the Law of the Lord.

Lev 1:3 If his offering is 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 Jehovah.

A male without blemish - Males were required in most offerings. But females were allowed in peace-offerings Lev_3:1, Lev_3:6, and were expressly prescribed in the sin-offerings of the common people Lev_4:28, Lev_4:32; Lev_5:6.

At the door of the tabernacle of the congregation - The place denoted is that part of the court which was in front of the tabernacle, in which stood the brass altar and the laver, and where alone sacrifices could be offered. Every other place was forbidden, under the highest penalty (Lev_17:4). This farther signified, that men could have no entrance, neither into the earthly tabernacle, the church, nor into the heavenly tabernacle of glory, but by Christ, who is the door, John10:7, John10:9, by whom alone we have access to God.

A burnt sacrifice - Strictly so called, such as was to be all burnt, the skin excepted. For every sacrifice was burnt, more or less. The sacrifices signified that the whole man, in whose stead the sacrifice was offered, was to be entirely offered or devoted to God's service; and that the whole man did deserve to be utterly consumed, if God should deal severely with him. It was designed to propitiate the anger of God incurred by original sin, or by particular transgressions; and its entire combustion indicated the self-dedication of the offerer--his whole nature--his body and soul--as necessary to form a sacrifice acceptable to God Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. This was the most ancient as well as the most conspicuous mode of sacrifice.

The burnt-offering
1. typifies Christ offering Himself in delight to do His Father's will even in death.
2. it is atoning because the believer has not had this delight in the will of God; and
3. substitutionary (Lev_1:4) because Christ did it in the sinner's stead.

The creatures acceptable for sacrifice are five:

(1) The bullock, or ox, typifies Christ as the patient and enduring Servant "obedient unto death". His offering in this character is substitutionary.

(2) The sheep, or lamb, typifies Christ in unresisting self-surrender to the death of the cross Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. Also Act_8:32-35.

(3) The goat typifies the sinner Matthew 25:33 And indeed He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats off the left. and, when used sacrificially, Christ, as "numbered with the transgressors"; Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide to Him with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul to death; and He was counted among the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for transgressors (Luk_23:33) and "made sin," and "a curse"; (Gal_3:13); 2Corinthians 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him as the sinner's substitute.

(4, 5) The turtle-dove or pigeon. They are associated with poverty in Leviticus 5:7 'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering and speaks of Him who for our sakes become poor and whose pathway of poverty which began with laying aside "the form of God," ended in the sacrifice through which we became rich; 2Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty. Philippians 2:6-8 who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The sacrifice of the poor Man becomes the poor man's sacrifice.

There is in these things a type of the sufferings of the Son of God, who was to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world? The burning body of an animal was but a faint representation of that everlasting misery, which we all have deserved; and which our blessed Lord bore in his body and in his soul, when he died under the load of our iniquities.

1. The beast to be offered must be without blemish. This signified the strength and purity that were in Christ, and the holy life that should be in his people.

2. The owner must offer it of his own free will. What is done in religion, so as to please God, must be done by love. Christ willingly offered himself for us.

3. It must be offered at the door of the tabernacle, where the brazen altar of burnt-offerings stood, which sanctified the gift: he must offer it at the door, as one unworthy to enter, and acknowledging that a sinner can have no communion with God, but by sacrifice. Jesus is the door, and through Him we come to the Lord.

4. The offerer must put his hand upon the head of his offering, signifying the substitutionary sacrifice, to make atonement for him.

5. The sacrifice was to be killed before the Lord, in an orderly manner, and to honour God. It signified also, that in Christians the flesh must be crucified with its corrupt affections and lust.

6. The priests were to sprinkle the blood upon the altar; for the blood being the life, that was it which made atonement. This signified the pacifying and purifying of our consciences, by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ upon them by faith.

7. This is said to be an offering of a sweet savour. As an act of obedience to a Divine command, and a type of Christ, this was well-pleasing to God; and the spiritual sacrifices of Christians are acceptable to God, through Christ, 1Peter 2:5 you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Lev 1:4 And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering. And it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering - The usual ceremony. By it the sacrificer identified himself with his victim. According to the Targum of Jonathan, it was his right hand; but it is generally thought by the Jewish writers that both hands were laid on. Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the sins of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send away by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness. He that lays on hands ought to lay on with all his strength, with both his hands upon the head of the beast, as it is said, "upon the head of the burnt offering": not upon the neck, nor upon the sides; and there should be nothing between his hands and the beast: it must be his own hand, and not the hand of his wife, nor the hand of his servant, nor his messenger; that at the same time he made confession over the burnt offering both of his sins committed against affirmative and negative precepts: and indeed by this action he owned that he had sinned, and deserved to die as that creature he brought was about to do, and that he expected pardon of his sin through the death of the great sacrifice that was a type of the sacrifice of Jesus. Moreover, this action signified the transferring of his sins from himself to this sacrifice, which was to be offered up to make atonement for them. This denotes the translation of our sins from us, and the imputation of them to Christ, who was offered up in our room and stead, to make atonement for them. Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and Jehovah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. The burnt offering should be accepted in his place, and hereby an atonement of his sins should be made for him, typical of that true, real, and full atonement made by the sacrifice of Christ.

He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering - By the imposition of hands the person bringing the victim acknowledged,

1. The sacrifice as his own.
2. That he offered it as an atonement for his sins.
3. That he was worthy of death because he had sinned, having forfeited his life by breaking the law.
4. That he entreated God to accept the life of the innocent animal in place of his own.
5. And all this, to be done profitably, must have respect to Him whose life, in the fullness of time, should be made a sacrifice for sin.
6. The blood was to be sprinkled round about upon the altar, Lev_1:5, as by the sprinkling of blood the atonement was made; for the blood was the life of the beast, and it was always supposed that life went to redeem life.

The laying of the offerer's hand signified acceptance and identification if himself with his offering. In type it answered to the believer's faith accepting and identifying himself with Christ. The believer is justified by faith, and his faith is reckoned for righteousness, because his faith identifies him with Christ, who died as his sin-offering; 2Corinthians 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 1Pe 2:24 He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.

Lev 1:5 And he shall kill the young bull before Jehovah. And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Sprinkle the blood - Rather, throw the blood, so as to make the liquid cover a considerable surface. The blood round was sprinkled about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; which was the altar of burnt offering, and not the altar of incense, as appears by the situation of it (see Exo_40:5). The "altar" on which the blood was sprinkled typified the divinity of Christ, which gave virtue to his blood, whereby it made atonement for sin; and in allusion to this rite Christ's blood is called "the blood of sprinkling” which being sprinkled on the heart by the Spirit of God clears it from an evil conscience, and purges the conscience from dead works, and speaks peace and pardon there, Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water. The Christian significance of this typical action is referred to in Hebrews 12:24 and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel; 1Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. That the blood of Christ should be poured forth for sinners, and that this was the only mean of their reconciliation to God, and acceptance with him.

sprinkle the blood-- The blood being considered the life, the effusion of it was the essential part of the sacrifice; and the sprinkling of it--the application of the atonement--made the person and services of the offerer acceptable to God

The burnt offering was to be killed in the court before the Lord; and this was typical of the death of Christ, who, according to these types, as well as to other prophecies, dies for the sins of men. The one who brought the sacrifice, not the priest, killed the sacrifice, denoting that the sins of God's people, for whom Christ's sacrifice was offered up, were the cause of his death.

Lev 1:6 And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

The hide was the gratuity of the officiating priest. Leviticus 7:8 And the priest that offers any man's burnt offering, that priest shall have the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered; it is his.

The red heifer alone was not flayed, but the whole body, with the skin, etc., consumed with fire. Numbers 19:5 And he shall burn the heifer in his sight, her skin and her flesh and her blood with her dung, he shall burn.

Note the comparison to the Lord God making coats of skins for Adam and Eve in the first animal sacrifice for first sin, Genesis 3:21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.