If we are honest with ourselves and with others, we want God to be unfair. We want Him to give us mercy. But if we don’t want Him to give others mercy, He will not give us mercy (Matt. 7:2; Mark 4:24; Luke 6:38). Neither atonement nor forgiveness are fair, yet we want it that way. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all offerings of the Tabernacle are equal or identical. When we confuse them and lump them all together, it’s too easy to dismiss them and throw them out as obsolete. וַיִּקְרָא Vayiqra (“he called out,” Leviticus 1–5), the beginning reading from the Torah book by the same name, teaches us that God has a purpose in mind for each of the offerings. We’ll learn what each are and more about what God is trying to teach us.

4 kinds of offerings

Often called “sacrifices,” the best way to translate the Hebrew word קָרְבָּן qorban is “that which draws near.” The Hebrew word that does mean “sacrifice” is זֶבַח zebakh.

The first offering described in Vayiqra is the עֹלָה olah (“that which goes up,” i.e., burnt).  It’s all burned up, all of it is consumed in fire. None of it is eaten. This is a voluntary offering for atonement. The one bringing the offering places his hands upon it and declares the reason for it before the officiant kills it for the priest to offer on one’s behalf. 

The second offering is מִנְחָה minkha (grain). It is a voluntary offering but there is no atonement associated with this offering. The elements of flour and oil can be presented either pre-cooked or raw. The portions that are burned are mixed with incense and salt but can never include honey or fruit sweetening. The portions that are not burned are gifts to the priests.

The third offering type are שְׁלָמִים shelamim (“things that are complete or at peace”). The person bringing it places his hands on it and declares the reason for the offering before killing it and giving it over to the priest. It is not an atonement offering. The animal is carved up and part of it is burned up but part of it is eaten by the person bringing the animal, unless it’s the peace offering of Shavuot. The peace offering of Shavuot is shared by the priests and the entire community.

The fourth offering type is תֶחֱטָא בִשְׁגָגָה tekheta bishegagah (“sin with error or inadvertence,” i.e., unintentional goof). But the type of offering presented is different depending on who committed the sin: priest, congregation, king. The offering for unintentional sin of a priest, congregation at large, the leader of the community or a common person are not consumed and is split up and burned in different areas and the blood disposed of in various places. 

There is a difference between atonement and forgiveness. Atonement covers over sin while forgiveness is a pardon or a removal of sin. 

God can grant: 

* Atonement only

* Forgiveness only

* Atonement and forgiveness

* Neither atonement nor forgiveness

Leviticus 5:1–4 has examples of passive, rather than active sins. 

Power isn’t only in the blood?

Blood is not the only thing that can atone or forgive. This is important for Christians to understand. A grain offering also can atone for sins of omission. But what about this?:

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22 KJV)

The writer of Hebrews was well-schooled in the Torah, thus the use of “almost all things.” From later in the book of Vayiqra, we an important exception to atonement by blood:

“And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to mak...