Leviticus and Offerings: Part 1

Five Offerings

I have always tried to read through the Old Testament once a year (and the New Testament more frequently).  When I got to Leviticus, I usually skimmed through the first chapters quite quickly because I was not interested in the detail the book gives about how sacrifices/offerings should be done.  I assumed that because they had all been fulfilled by Jesus' death on the cross, I did not really need to understand how they operated.

A few months ago, I arrived at Leviticus once again, but felt prompted to go through it in detail this time.  I was amazed at what I found.  The detail given is strangely interesting and important for understanding God's purposes.  I have written up what I discovered in an article that I will post on Substack, in three parts.

We tend to assume that the law and the tabernacle offerings were God's first attempt to bring deliverance in the world, but Moses and the prophets failed, so God had to have another go, and send Jesus to do the job properly.  However, God does not make mistakes, so this is wrong.  The Law and the Tabernacle were perfect for the purpose for which they were given.  They actually achieved the purpose that God had created them for.  

When I approached the tabernacle offerings from this perspective, (rather than seeing them as part of a failed system from the past) they suddenly made more sense.  I discovered what God had achieved through them.

Five Offerings

God revealed to Moses his plans for the Tabernacle, which would be the focus of worship for the children of Israel.  Leviticus 1-7 describes the various offerings/sacrifices that would be offered on the altar at the entrance to the enclosed area surrounding the tent where God dwelt.  Moses describes five different types of sacrifices that could be offered to God.

Since Jesus died on the cross, and the Jerusalem temple was destroyed, the Tabernacle sacrifices no longer need to be offered to God because Jesus satisfied all the requirements of human salvation.  However, they are worth studying, because they point to the fuller salvation that Jesus provided.  We can't fully understand what Jesus achieved unless we understand what the Levitical offerings did, and how they did it.

Leviticus does not spell out in detail what the various offerings achieve and how they do it.  We need a three-agent view of the universe to fully understand what they accomplished and why they made a difference.

Sacrifice or Offering

Most English translations of Leviticus use the word “sacrifice” to describe the actions to be undertaken in the Tabernacle.  However, the word “sacrifice” creates confusion, because people assume it refers to a death of an animal on an altar.  What Moses was describing was different and more complicated.  It involves several steps by different people.  Likewise, this word leads to the idea that Jesus’ salvation was fully achieved by his death, when in reality, his resurrection and ascension are equally important.

The Hebrew word used throughout Leviticus in this context is “qorban” (Lev 2,3).  It is related to a verb meaning “bring near”.  It describes something that is being brought near, sometimes to the altar of God as an offering.  For this reason, I will use the word “offering” when analysing the instructions in Leviticus 1-7.  The person brings near an animal, or some grain, and offers it to God.

There is a sacrifice involved in an offering, but the animal that dies does not make the sacrifice.   The cost is born by the person who brought the animal or the grain.  When they offer it to God, they lose something that is valuable to them, and they don’t get it back.  On the other hand, the priest who actually places the offering on the altar does not bear any cost.  He actually receives some free food, so it is not a sacrifice for him, which is interesting given that Jesus is the high priest who offered his life.

Types of Offering

Leviticus 1-7 describes five different types of offering.  The names used in many English translations are not very helpful.   In this section, I will review and describe their names.  In subsequent sections, I will analyse each offering to identify what it achieves and how it does that.

1.  Ascending Offering
Most translations use the expression “burnt offering” for the offering described in Leviticus 1.  This is misleading because it focuses on the burning of the offering.  People assume that the offering works because the animal is burnt, but that is the wrong focus.

The Hebrew word “olah” means “step” or “stairs”.  It comes from a verb for “ascending”.  In this context, it refers to the smoke ascending to God.  It could be called a “smoke offering”, but that would be misleading because it is the pleasing smell/odour, which is what goes to God, and the word smoke could indicate an unpleasant smell.  Therefore, I have chosen to refer to it as an ascending offering, using the literal meaning of the Hebrew word “olah”.

2.  Gift Offering
English translations usually refer to the offering described in Leviticus 2 as a “grain offering” because it is a product of grain (flour or bread) that is offered.  However, the Hebrew word “minchah” literally refers to a “gift” or a “donation”, so I have chosen to refer to it as a “gift offering”.  It is more important to understand its purpose than what it is composed of.

3.  Wellbeing Offering
The offering described in Leviticus 3 is often referred to as a “peace offering”, but the Hebrew word is “shelem”.  It is closely connected to the word “shalom”, which means peace, but takes a broader meaning that includes “wellbeing, safety, completeness”, so I have chosen to call it a “wellbeing offering” to capture this broader meaning.

4.  Decontamination Offering
Leviticus 4 describes a “sin offering”.  The Hebrew word is “chattah”, which means sin or offence.  John Goldingay calls the “decontamination offering” in his First Testament.  Although this is a big word, it is a good label because it describes what the offering does, so I have decided to use it. 

5.  Guilt Offering
The final offering is the guilt offering.  This is possibly another name for the Decontamination Offering.  The Hebrew word used is “ashamaw”, which means guilt.

I will describe these five offerings in the next few sections.  Leviticus has a chapter about each one, but more instructions about them are given in chapters 6 and 7.

An offering is a process.  It is not just the death of an animal.  Each offering has several steps.  Some are the same, but other steps vary according to the offering.

1.  Ascending Offering

The ascending offering involves the slaughter of an animal.  The type of the animal depends on what the bringing of the offering can afford.  Some will bring a young bull or ram, but poor people can bring a couple of doves.  Taking into account the wealth of the person bringing it is common to all the offerings.

The Ascending Offerings has several steps.

• The person chooses the animal that they will offer.  It must be flawless.  They cannot use the offering to get rid of a dud (Lev 1:3).

• They must bring the animal to be offered to the entrance of the Tabernacle courtyard (Lev 1:3).

• The person must lay their hand on the head of the animal (Lev 1:4).

• The person presenting the animal must slaughter the animal (Lev 1:5).

• The priest must capture the blood when the animal is killed.

• The priests present the blood (not the person who brought the offering). 

• The offering is distinct and separate from the slaughter of the animal. 

• Ordinary people cannot approach the altar.

• The priests splatter the blood on the side of the bronze altar that is outside the Tabernacle tent, but inside the tabernacle courtyard (Lev 1:5).

• The person bringing the offering must skin the animal (Lev 1:6).

• They must cut the animal into parts; literally, piece it into pieces (Lev 1:6).

• The priest puts fire on the altar and arranges the wood (Lev 1:7).

• The priest puts the meat parts, the head and the fat on the fire on the altar.

• The person making the offering must wash the entrails and the shanks (the part of the leg below the knee or hock).

• The priest offers it all up in smoke.  (I will discuss what “all means” below).

• The offering provides a pleasing odour/smell for Yahweh (Lev 1:9,13,17).

• The offering is a gift for Yahweh from the person bringing the offering(Lev 1:9,13,17).

The process is similar if the offering is a bird, except that the priest kills the bird by pinching its head off, and it is not divided into parts because it is too small.

Several things should be noted about the Ascent Offering.

• By laying his hand on the head of the animal being offered, the person makes it clear that the offering is “accepted for himself”, not for the priest.  The Hebrew word “ratsah” signifies “satisfying a debt”.  The placing of the hand links the offering to the person giving it.

• Leviticus 7:8 explains that when an offering is not for sin, the hide of the animal belongs to the priest who offers it on behalf of the person bringing it.  So I presume that the priest is able to take the hide of the animal offered in the Ascent Offering once it has been skinned.

• The instructions in subsequent chapters give a fuller description of the process for extracting the fat from the animal.

• All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys (Lev 7:3-4).
  
  The biggest lump of fat will be around the kidneys, which will be extracted from it.  There will usually be a lump of fat around the tail.  Additional fat from near the loins and the lobe of the liver will be extracted too.  All this fat is offered to Yahweh because it all belongs to him.

• I was puzzled why the head if offered with the fat.  This is odd, because once the head is skinned, it has very little flesh and almost no fat.  Bones do not burn well, so the skull bone and jaw bone will not burn up.  I believe that the head is put on the altar with the fat, so it remains clear what was offered and who it belongs to.  The head remains on the altar to record the ownership of the offering as the fat is being burned up.

• The lower part of the leg (the shank) is difficult to skin, so it is not put on the altar with the meat of the animal.  The person who brings the animal must wash them carefully.  It is not clear what is done with them, but I don’t think they are burned, because they will be mostly bone.

• The stomach and intestine of the animal will be full of partly-digested food that the animal has been eating.  If it was put on the altar, it would make a rotten stink, which would not be pleasing to Yahweh.  The owner must wash the entrails.   It is not clear what is done with them, but I don’t think they will be placed on the fire of the altar because even after washing, they would still stink if they were burned.
  
  When a bird is being offered as an Ascent Offering, the priest rips out the gizzard, which contains half-digested food, and throws it on the waste heap beside the altar, along with the feathers.  This confirms that the entrails of any animal offered would not be burnt on the altar.

• Leviticus 1:9 says that the “whole of it” is to put on the fire on the altar.  However, it is not clear what the word “whole” applies to.  Many commentators suggest that the whole of the animal is put on altar fire and that the offering could be a “whole offering”.  I don’t agree with this, as there would be problems if the offal was put on the fire.  I believe it is all of the meat that is put on the fire.  If an ox was being offered, a big heap of meat would be available once it was cut up.  Later passages explain that the meat is to be eaten by the priests and their families once it is cooked on the altar. 

Even a young ox would produce a lot of meat, so the priests might be tempted to store some of it for subsequent days when less meat might be offered.  This might seem sensible, but Leviticus instructs that all the meat must be offered.  In a hot desert climate keeping raw meat for several days would be unwise, because it would go off quickly.  Therefore, I assume that reference to the “whole of it” applies to the meat, not to the whole of the animal.

If the offering is a bird, it is split in half but not divided up.

• The smoke goes up to Yahweh, not into the altar Holy of Holies where he dwells.  This suggests that Yahweh is not the one who needs to be appeased.  He just needs to be pleased with a pleasant smell.

• The fire on the altar must not be allowed to go out (Lev 6:8).

• In the morning, the priest must push the fatty ashes off the altar to one side.  After the priest has changed his garments, they must be taken outside the camp (Lev 6:8-11).

• The fire must not be allowed to go out while the ashes are removed.  It must be a continual fire (Lev 6:12-13).

My Confusion

I grew up on a sheep farm in New Zealand.  In the spring, when lambs are born, we would have about 2000 ewes giving birth.  Although they were watched carefully, about twenty would die each spring due to various natural causes.  Once the lambs had grown up, we would have 4,000 sheep on the farm.  Some of these would die from time to time for various reasons.

The law required that dead sheep be disposed of within two weeks.  This was an unpleasant task.  These days the carcasses are buried in deep pits that have been dug in the ground.   When we were young, we did not have the machinery to do this, so for a while, Dad tried to burn the carcasses of the sheep that died.  My brother and I would assist with this task, making sure that the carcasses burnt up as much as possible.

We would pluck the wool of the dead sheep because it could be sold, once it was scoured clean.  We would then transport the carcass to the site where we burnt them.  We used a couple of metal harrows to keep the carcass off the ground.  Four of five carcasses would be burnt at the same time.

I learned that getting the carcass of a sheep to burn is a very difficult task.  We had to put an accelerant like kerosene on the sheep to start the fire burning because otherwise, it would just go out.  Only when the fire was really hot, and the fat started to melt and drop onto the fire, would it burn strongly.  Even then, the fire would go out if we did not watch to ensure that it had plenty of fuel.

The other problem is that when the carcass is burnt with its entrails still inside, it creates a terrible stink.  The smell was vile.  This is why I was always puzzled when I began to read that the offerings in Leviticus would make a pleasant smell for Yahweh.  I could not understand how he would enjoy such a vile smell.  It doesn’t make sense.

Having studied Leviticus more carefully, I now realise that the entire carcass was not placed on the altar.  According to the instructions in Leviticus, only the best parts of the carcass are placed on the altar.  The fat is placed on the wood.  When the fire gets hot, the fat will melt and become the fuel of the fire.  The fire will burn clear and hot.  A cold fire produces a lot of smoke with a dirty smell.  A hot fire produces clear smoke that does not have a dirty smell.  I can see how this would be pleasing to Yahweh.

The priest places the lumps of meat on the altar beside the burning wood, so it will cook.  When it is ready to be eaten by the priests, it will be removed from the fire, so it does not burn.

So the offering process will produce the smells of meat cooking and the fat burning hot and fast.  This smell is very different from the smell that I remember from burning the carcasses of dead sheep.  The smell from the altar would be more like the smell that I get when I am cooking beef steak on a gas-fired barbecue.  This is a pleasant smell that makes me feel hungry.  I can see how this smell would be pleasing to Yahweh.

Expiation or Atonement

The interesting thing about the Ascent Offering is that there is no mention of sin.  It is not an offering for sin.  A person brings the ascent offering as a way of expressing their love for the Lord.  Yet, Leviticus 1:4 declares that the ascent offering makes atonement/expiation for the person offering it.  This is odd.  If the offering was not for dealing with sin, why does it produce expiation or propitiation?  Leviticus provides a different offering for providing expiation for sin, whatever that means, so why would it have another offering that is not for sin, but which also makes expiation?  To resolve this conundrum, we need to analyse the Hebrew word translated “atonement” or “expiation/propitiation”.

The Hebrew word “kipper” is hard to translate.  When Tyndale made the first English translations, he made up the word atonement for this word and its equivalent in the New Testament.  It originated with a Middle English phrase “at onement” which means “in harmony”.  It describes reconciliation between humans and God.  The problem with this word is that it confuses the process of the offering with the outcome.  Leviticus does claim that the offerings described establish reconciliation with God.  They are just a step towards that objective.

Most English versions translate “kipper” with the word “expiation”, “atonement” or “propitiation”.  The problem is that these are religious words that carry meanings that are not in the Hebrew word “kipper”, so we get a distorted understanding because we assume Leviticus is saying more than it contains.  We must avoid imposing religious/theological meanings on the word that go beyond its actual sense. 

The verb “kipper” is a denominative verb, which means that it is derived from a related noun.  We can deduce some of its meaning by understanding the parent noun.  The noun “kipper”  is a ransom gift.  The word is not used in Leviticus.  In Exodus 30:12, it refers to a ransom paid by the children of Israel to God.  Numbers 35:31 describes a payment made in exchange for his life by a murderer.  It is used in a bad way in 1 Samuel 12:3 to describe a bribe. 

The related verb “kipper” means “cover”, “clean”, purify” or “remove a contaminant”.  It does not mean “reconcile” or “forgive”.  This verb is used throughout the description of the offerings in Leviticus.  In the case of the Ascent Offering, there is no sin to remove, so “cover” could be a better translation, because in addition to being an act of worship, it proves spiritual protection for the people of God.

What is Achieved

The Ascent Offering achieves three things for the people of God.

1.  Worship
The Ascent Offering is primarily an expression of worship of Yahweh.  The offering produces a pleasing smell for God to enjoy.  However, it is not just a smell.  The smell represents the worship of the person bringing the offering at considerable cost to themselves, and the priests whose lives are devoted to serving God by making regular offerings.  Bringing an offering to Yahweh would be an act of worship for the giver.

2.  Food for Priests
The priests and their families receive meat and bread to eat.  They do not have any land of their own, so they cannot grow their own food.  They do not have any other source of income.  The priests and their families live on the meat and bread that are brought in the various offerings brought by the people of God.

The meat must be eaten within three days of being offered.  Any meat not used up within three days must be burned (Lev 7:16-17).

The pots used for cooking must be kept separate from normal use (Lev 6:26-29).

3.  Spiritual Protection
Through the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the spiritual powers of evil gained authority over humans on earth.  When the children put Passover blood on their doorposts, they were protected from the destroyer who killed the firstborn of Egypt.  This defeat of the powers of evil enabled them to escape from Egypt.  The victory continued when the Egyptian army was destroyed in the Red Sea, but the spiritual powers of evil did not give up.  They continued to harass God’s people as they travelled through the wilderness.

The Tabernacle offerings provided an effective method of spiritual protection for the children of Israel.   This protection was not possible, but it was the best protection possible prior to the death of Jesus and the total defeat of the spiritual powers of evil on the cross.

The fall placed humans under the power of the spiritual powers of evil.  They demanded blood as the ransom price for setting them free.  To live in peace, the children of Israel need to pay a ransom in blood to the spiritual powers of evil who had enslaved them.  Prior to the cross, the blood of animals was the ransom they would accept.  Unfortunately, this price was not one-off and complete.  The ransom price had to be paid again and again.  That was painful, but it was worth it to escape the control of the powers of evil.  The benefit was that the ransom price was “acceptable” to the spiritual powers of evil (Lev 1:4).

This spiritual protection had a significant economic cost for the children of Israel because some of the best livestock (without flaws), which were essential for their agrarian economy, had to be killed in their prime.  Killing their best animals just as they reached maturity was a big setback for a small-time farmer.  Giving up such a valuable animal would be rarely painful for them.

Because the offering brings spiritual protection, “covering” is a good translation of “kabar”.  The offering is a ransom price that provides spiritual covering against the spiritual powers of evil.  This is why Leviticus 1:4 says that the Ascent Offering makes kipper (covering) because it provides spiritual protection.

The blood belongs to God because it is life.  He loves life, so he does not seek bloodshed.  The spiritual powers of evil love death, so they demand bloodshed at every opportunity.  The Ascent Offering was one way the children of Israel could escape their harassment by offering them the blood that they demanded.

The priest did not burn the blood and offer it to God.  Rather he splashed a little on the side of the altar and poured out the rest of the blood on the ground all around the altar at the entrance to the tabernacle courtyard (Lev 1:5).  This is the place where the spiritual powers of evil gathered, so this is where blood was offered to them.  When Abel killed Cain, the ground cried out for blood (actually, it was the spiritual powers of evil who demanded it (Gen 4:10).  So when they are given a ransom price of blood, it is not treated in a special way, but just poured on the ground.  They don’t get any special treatment.  Something for God goes up, while something for them goes down.

2.  Gift Offering

The Gift Offering is described in Leviticus 2.  The Hebrew word “minchah” used to name the offering literally means “gift”.  The offerings were of two types: raw flour and bread that had been baked in an oven.  This offering had a similar role to the Ascent offering, but it was an option for people who had access to grain and not livestock.  I presume that it was a cheaper option than offering a bull or a sheep for those who were poor.  However, it was pleasing to God.

According to the letter to the Hebrews, the priests of the Tabernacle are expected to bring both “gifts and offerings” to God (5:1,8:3,9:9).

The steps involved in making a Gift Offering were similar to those for an Ascent Offering, but there were some differences.

• The offering is brought by a person wanting to bless Yahweh.

• The flour used for the offering or baking of the bread must be of the best quality.  Only the best is good enough to offer to God.

• Oil was poured on the flour, perhaps to hold it together on the altar (Lev 2:1).

• Frankincense was also put on the flour (Lev 2:1).  I presume that this produces a pleasant smell when heated on the altar.

• The priest scoops some flour out of the container the flour was brought in and puts it on the altar (Lev 2:2).

• The priest offers the scooped-up flour on the altar as an offering to Yahweh.  The smoke rises up to him (Lev 2:2).

• The offering of flour is a memorial/reminder (Lev 2:2).  It reminds Yahweh of the loyalty/allegiance of the person who has brought the offering.

• The remainder of the offering, which will be most of it, belongs to the priests and their families.  They use it as a source of food (Lev 2:3; 6:16).

• The Gift Offering is a pleasing aroma for Yahweh (Lev 2:2).

• If the Gift Offering is already baked into bread, it must be unleavened (Lev 2:4). 

• Olive oil is smeared on the bread (Lev 2:4).

• Sometimes the bread will be cooked on a griddle or in a pot after it has been brought (Lev 2:5,7).

• However it is made, the bread is broken up into pieces before it is placed on the altar.

• The person brings the bread, but the priest must put it on the altar.

• No honey should be put on bread offered to Yahweh(Lev 2:12).

• All grain-based offerings must be seasoned with salt (Lev 2:13).

A couple of points should be noted.

• The Gift Offering is not an offering for sin.  There is no blood involved, so it does not appease the spiritual powers of evil.  It is offered to God only.  This is why it is called a Gift Offering.

• Leaven symbolises evil, so it must not be offered to God.

• The person bringing an offering of flour or bread was expected to be generous so that plenty of food would be provided for the priests and their families.

• ·      Frankincense is added to the Gift Offering to improve the smell that goes up to Yahweh.

• ·      The priest must offer a portion of the grain of the Gift Offering as their own offering to Yahweh (Lev 6:19-23;).

The gift offering has two purposes.

·      It is an expression of worship to God.

·      It provides food for the priests (Lev 7:9,14.

3 Wellbeing Offering

The Hebrew word “shelem” is closely connected to the word “shalom”, which means peace, but it takes a broader meaning that includes “wellbeing, safety, and completeness”.  The offering is an expression of thanks to Yahweh for his blessing on a person’s life.

The process for offering a Wellbeing Offering is very similar to the Ascent and Gift Offerings, so I will just outline the differences.

• The Wellbeing Offering can be a bullock or a sheep.  The difference is that a goat can also be presented.  This was probably a cheaper option for those who needed it.

• The person brings the animal and lays his hand on it before slaughtering it near the altar.

• When describing this offering, Leviticus gives more detail about the extraction of the fat around the kidneys.

• Like the other offering, the priest splashes the blood on the side of the altar and burns the fat on the wood fire, so it becomes a soothing aroma for Yahweh.

Two things should be noted.

• Leviticus 3:5 confirms that the Wellbeing Offering is also an Ascent Offering.

• Laying a hand on the head of the animal does not signify a transfer of sin because this offering does not deal with sin.  It indicates ownership of the owner.

The Wellbeing Offering has three purposes.

• It is an expression of worship to God.

• It provides food for the priests.

• The blood poured out on the ground by the altar provides spiritual protection against the spiritual powers of evil.

4.  Decontamination Offering

Leviticus 4 describes a Decontamination Offering that was used when someone strays from God’s way unintentionally, and their sin becomes known.  Different offerings are specified depending on who has sinned and the seriousness of their sinning.

• Anointed Priest                                  Young bull

• Entire community of Israel                Young bull

• Leader                                                 Male goat

• Ordinary person                                 Female goat or sheep

The sins of a high priest or a leader do more harm than those of ordinary people, so a more costly sacrifice is required when they sin.

These offerings are for unintentional sins.  The person does something without realising what they are doing is wrong.  They have gone astray and made a mistake.  The offering is made when the sin is made known to him.  In contrast, intentional sins are dealt with on the Day of Atonement.

The Decontamination Offering has the following steps.

• The person who sinned brings the animal to the Tabernacle (Lev 4:4).

• For the ordinary person, there is a suggestion they may have pleaded guilty before a judge (Lev 4:4).

• The offerer places a hand on the head of the animal and slaughters it (Lev 4:4).  If the whole community has sinned, some elders place their hands on the animal's head (Lev 4:15).

• The priest pours out blood on the ground beside the bronze altar in the tabernacle courtyard (Lev 4:4).

• The priest then takes the fat from the animal and places it on the wood on the bronze altar to produce a pleasant odour for Yahweh, in the same way as is done for the Wellbeing Offering (Lev 4:9).

• The smoke rising is an Ascent Offering for Yahweh (Lev 4:7).

• In contrast with the other offerings, the hide, the meat, the head and legs, and the entrails and dung must be taken outside the camp and burned on the pile of fatty ash pile, where the ash from the bronze altar is dumped (Lev 4:11-12, 21).  This only applies to an offering by an anointed priest of the entire community.

• If the Decontamination Offering is for a leader or ordinary person, the priest does not take any blood into the Tabernacle (see Holy of Holies below).  Instead, they sprinkle some blood on the horns of the bronze altar in the temple courtyard (Lev 4:25,29).  The remainder of the blood is poured on the ground beside the altar, as with the Decontamination Offering for the priest and the entire community.

• The fat is burned on the altar as an Ascent Offering, as with the other offerings, and with the Decontamination Offering for the anointed priest and the entire community’s.

• In every case, the priest offers a ransom price (kipper) on behalf of the person(s), and they will be forgiven (Lev 4:20,26,31).

Holy of Holies

When the Decontamination Offering is brought by an Anointed Priest who has sinned, or on behalf of the entire community of Israel for a common sin, the form of offering is different as some blood is taken into the Holy of Holies. 

• The high priest takes some of the blood into the Tabernacle (Lev 4:5). 

• The priest dips his finger in the blood and sprinkles some on the ground in front of the curtain that separates off the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant is kept (Lev 4:27).

• The priest must smear some blood on the horns of the golden altar that stands in the Holy Place inside the Tabernacle (Lev 4:7).

This practice suggests that the sin of the anointed priest and a common sin committed by the entire community are far more serious than those of the ordinary people, and even leaders.

• The anointed priest has authority over the Tabernacle.  If the spiritual powers of evil can persuade the priest to sin, they gain some authority over him and over the Tabernacle.  Authority for evil spirits to intervene within the Tabernacle would be a serious setback in the spiritual battle taking place where the Tabernacle stands.

• The Tabernacle belonged to the entire community of the Israelites.  They camped around the Tabernacle on all sides.  If the entire community sinned and came under the influence of the spiritual powers of evil, they would have authority to interfere in the Tabernacle.  If they gained a stronghold there, the spiritual protection that the Israelites gained through the Tabernacle system would be severely weakened.

• God dwells in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, but he does not stay where he is not welcome.  If the priests or the Israelites allow the powers of evil into the Tabernacle, he will withdraw.  This would be really dangerous for the Israelites.

• The blood sprinkled on the gold altar and on the ground in front of the tabernacle curtain is a sign to the spiritual powers of evil that they should keep out of the Tabernacle because it belongs to God. 

• The blood on the altar parallels the blood on the doorpost during the first Passover, which warned the angel of death to stay away from the homes of the Israelites and allow their firstborn sons to live.

• The blood was taken into the Holy Place and sprinkled on the horns of the altar to restore the spiritual protection back to the level that prevailed before the priest or the people fell into sin.  Horns are a symbol of power.  The sprinkling of the blood on the horns reminds the spiritual powers of evil that Yahweh’s power is greater than theirs.

• The blood on the ground in front of the curtain is a warning to the spiritual powers of evil that they should not attempt to enter the Holy of Holies.

• The remaining blood from the bull is sprinkled on the ground beside the bronze altar at the entry to the tabernacle entrance.

• The other big difference with the Decontamination Offering for the anointed priest or the Israelite community is that the hide, the carcass, the entrails and dung must be taken outside the camp and burned on the pile of fatty ash pile, where the ash from the bronze altar is dumped (Lev 4:11-12, 21).  I presume this is because the person or people who brought the offering were spiritually compromised, so the animal they brought could be compromised too.  Therefore, it was safest to burn it outside the camp, where evil spirits could do no harm.

A situation where these offerings are necessary should be rare.

Purpose of the Decontamination Offering

The Decontamination Offering has four purposes.

• A person gets to confess their sins.  This offering only deals with unintentional sins.

• The offering is an expression of worship to God (burning fat).

• In some situations, the offering provides food for the priests.

• The blood poured out on the ground by the altar provides spiritual protection against the spiritual powers of evil.

Additional Sins

Leviticus 5 describes some other sins that need a Decontamination Offering.

• A person fails to testify in support of someone falsely accused (Lev 5:1).

• A person touches something ceremonially unclean Lev 5:2-3).

• A person swears an oath thoughtlessly that they cannot honour (Lev 5:4).

The person who is guilty of these sins must confess their fault (Lev 5:5).  Leviticus promises that they will be forgiven.

They must bring a female sheep or goat to the priest to be offered as a Decontamination Offering.

There is an allowance for poverty.  If the person cannot afford an animal, they must bring two young turtle doves or pigeons (Lev 5:7).  One bird is for a Decontamination Offering, and the other is for an Ascent Offering (Lev 5:7).

If the sinner cannot afford two birds, they are able to bring a couple of litres of flour (Lev 5:11).  The priest takes a fistful and mixes it with oil and frankincense and places it on the bronze altar.  The remainder of the grain will belong to the priests for their food.  This offering is effective without any shedding of blood, so it suggests that the person’s confession is sufficient to make peace with God.

5.  Guilt Offering

The final offering described in Leviticus 5:14-6:7 is the Guilt Offering.  The Hebrew word used is “ashamaw”, which means guilt.  Leviticus specifies the situations in which it applies.

• A breach of the regulations for the holy things of Yahweh (Lev 5:14).

• When a commandment is violated without knowing, but this is discovered afterwards (Lev 5:17).

• When a person deceives a fellow citizen regarding something held in trust, a pledge, something stolen or extorted, or something found and swears falsely (Lev 6:2-3).

The process is similar to the Decontamination Offering. 

• The guilty person must make full restitution of any property that has been taken.  They must add a fifth by value to compensate for the inconvenience (Lev 5:16; 6:5).

• A ram must be brought to the entrance of the Tabernacle entrance (Lev 5:15; 5:18; 6:6).

• Leviticus does not give details about how the ram should be offered, so I presume that it will be the same as the Decontamination Offering.

The Guilt Offering has four purposes.

• A person gets to confess their sins.  This offering only deals with unintentional sins.

• The offering is an expression of worship to God by burning fat for a sweet smell.

• The offering provides food for the priests.

• The blood poured out on the ground by the altar provides spiritual protection against the spiritual powers of evil.

Infrequent

The Israelites were small farmers, so sacrificing an animal would be a significant economic burden.   It would not be something that they could do every few months.  I suspect that most families would only be able to give up a prime animal from their flock or herd, every few years, at most.  

Israel had more than a million people, so animals would be offered all the time, but each family would only make an offering infrequently.  It would not be something they could do every time they sinned.

Fit for Purpose

The Old Testament offerings were effective (Heb 9:13), but their effect did not last because the spiritual powers of evil are tricky and refuse to give up in the face of setbacks.  The Tabernacle offerings fulfil their purpose, but not permanently, so they have to be repeated again and again (Heb 10:1).  The effect of the Day of Cleansing was not permanent, but it was sufficiently effective that it only needed to be repeated once a year.  And I presume that timetable had a margin for safety.

The Old Testament offerings could not make people perfect, but that was not their purpose.  It is not fair to expect them to complete a task that only the Holy Spirit can do.  The purpose of the tabernacle offerings was to restrain the spiritual powers of evil, and they did that well.  They could not do it perfectly, but they did the job well enough to allow God to accomplish his purposes for his people.  The Tabernacle sacrifices were fit for purpose.