Explanation…

This month will be slightly different. We have just started a series on the book of Leviticus in our Sunday sermons. So for our February devotions, we will read all the way through Leviticus. The readings will be a bit longer than normal, so there won’t be much by way of reflections or comments – we’ll mostly just listen to the text and immerse ourselves in the world of the Bible.

We are also going to trial a different modern English translation, called the Berean Standard Bible (or BSB). It is a good-quality public domain translation, so we can use it without restrictions.

To set the scene for Leviticus: Israel is camped at Mount Sinai. In the book of Exodus, God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Mount Sinai, the mountain of his holy and glorious presence. There, he made a covenant with them, that he would be their God and they would be his obedient people. He instructed Moses to build a special tent of meeting, or tabernacle, so that his presence would dwell in the midst of his people. At the end of the book, God’s glory filled the tabernacle – which sounds great, right?

But there was a huge problem. The people had shown that their hearts were sinful and rebellious. They broke the covenant about 5 seconds after it was made – and they were almost destroyed as a result.

So the problem is: Sin cannot survive in God’s holy presence. So how will Israel survive with God’s presence in their midst? That’s the question the book of Leviticus starts to answer – though the final answer only arrives with the coming of Jesus.

1 Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, you may bring as your offering an animal from the herd or the flock.

3 If one’s offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the LORD. 4 He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

5 And he shall slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 6 Next, he is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.

7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put a fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests are to arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, atop the burning wood on the altar. 9 The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

10 If, however, one’s offering is a burnt offering from the flock—from the sheep or goats—he is to present an unblemished male. 11 He shall slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. 12 He is to cut the animal into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and fat, atop the burning wood that is on the altar. 13 The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall bring all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

14 If, instead, one’s offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to present a turtledove or a young pigeon. 15 Then the priest shall bring it to the altar, twist off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood should be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 And he is to remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the altar, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, without dividing the bird completely. And the priest is to burn it on the altar atop the burning wood. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Written by Stephen Shead

Tomorrow we’ll continue with the next kind of burnt offering. For now, what were your reactions as you were reading it? Remember that all of this has to do with the drastic measures that have to be taken because of sin – and bring your reactions to God.

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