Notes: March 17, 2008 – Leviticus 3 and 4

I. The peace offering (Leviticus 3)

  • animal sacrifice
  • burnt sacrifice

II. The sin offering (Leviticus 4)

  • priest (3-12)
  • congregation (13-21)
  • ruler (22-26)
  • commoner (27-35)

Meditation Points:

  1. No fat to be included in either offering
  2. The person who brings the offering is to lay his hands upon the animal to show that he accepts the judgment of his sin and wishes that the penalty be transferred to the animal. 1 John 1:9 calls it confession of sin. Luke 13:3-5 speaks of repentance. Ephesians 2:8-9 discusses faith. All of these are present in the symbolic act of laying hands upon the sacrifice and turn our eyes to the repentant sinner who admits his guilt and confesses that God’s judgment upon him is just, who then turns his eyes upon Jesus and believingly cries, “Lord Jesus, I trust that your sacrifice at Calvary shall satisfy God’s justice on my behalf.”
  3. If a sin offering must be offered for the sins committed in ignorance, how much more then should sacrifices be required for the sins committed intentionally?
  4. Sin is not limited to one class of people or another. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
  5. A national sin is considered, too (13-21). See Psalm 33:12; Proverbs 14:34.
  6. It is striking that office holders and people in authority were required to bring male sacrifices (Leviticus 4:23), but the common folks were to bring female ones (Leviticus 4:28, 32). Maybe this is because after all the sins of all the politicians had been accounted for, there wouldn’t be any more male animals left to sacrifice.

 

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