Moses, the man of God
A study
Part 17
Five offerings
Lev.1 – 7
After the Tabernacle was built, God started to dwell in the Tabernacle, in the midst of His redeemed people. Earlier God spoke from the top of the fiery mount, but now He called unto Moses and spoke unto him out of the Tabernacle. God commanded the people to bring FIVE kinds of offerings. All what these offerings signified were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read, "For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he comes into the world, he says, sacrifice and offering thou would not. But a body did thou prepare for me. In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou has no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou would not, neither has pleasure therein (the which are offered according to the law), then has he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He takes away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb.10: 4 – 10)
All those Five Offerings give us a beautiful picture of the humble sacrificial life and the great sufferings and the substitutive death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Five offerings Lev.1-7
These five offerings are 1) The burnt offering, 2) The meal offering, 3) The peace offering, 4) The Sin offering and 5) The Trespass offering. These offerings were fully or partly burnt, and WENT UP IN SMOKE. Similarly, our Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself a sweet smelling savor unto God. (Eph.5: 2)
1) The burnt offering (Lev.1; 6:8-13)
All of this sacrifice went up in smoke. This points to the complete surrender of the Lord Jesus. (Psa.40: 8, Heb.9: 14) We too are called to surrender and consecrate our life totally into His hands. (Rom.12: 2)
Five creatures were acceptable for sacrifice. Each of these creatures remind us about the unblemished exceptional nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself so much that He was well pleasing and His sacrifice was completely acceptable to the Father.
| 1 | Bullock or ox | Obedient unto death | Isa.52:13-15; Phil.2:5-8 |
| 2 | Sheep or lamb | Surrender to the cross | Isa.53:7; Acts.8:32-35 |
| 3 | Goat | Numbered with sinners | Isa.53:12; 2Cor.5:21,Gal.3:13 |
| 4 | Turtledove | Mourning innocence | Isa.38:14; 59:11; Matt23:37, Heb.7:26 5 |
| 5 | Pigeon | Became poor | Lk.9:58, 2Cor.8:9, Lk.2:24 |
2) The meal offering (Lev.2; 6:14-23)
God gave many detailed instructions here, about the meal offerings to be brought before Him. All these details point to the nature and work of our Lord Jesus Christ as given below.
- Fine flour—the perfectly even & balanced life of our Lord Jesus Christ
- Oil mixed—deep indwelling of the Holy Spirit in His life
- Oil poured—powerful outworking of the Holy Spirit in His life
- Frankincense—the fragrance of His life before God & among men
- Preparation without leaven—exclusion of all evil
- Preparation without honey—had no need to add outward sweetness
- Preparation under fire—tested from the manger to Gethsemane & overcame all trials
- Part of it burnt up—offered to God
- Remnant of it is food for the priest—Living Bread for us
3) The peace offering (Lev.3, Lev.7: 28-32)
This offering typifies our Lord who is the basis of our peace and fellowship, (Eph. 2:14) first with God and then with other believers. 1John 1: 3; 1Cor.1: 9
- Fat and inward parts --------to God
- Other parts --------to the offerer and his friends and priests.
4) The sin offering (Lev.4, Lev.6: 25-30)
This offering typifies our Lord, the sinless One, who became sin for us and took the whole punishment of sin on Himself. (Rom.8: 3) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2Cor. 5:21) The Just suffered for the Unjust so that He might bring us to God. (1Pet.3: 18)
- Fat, kidneys, liver---burnt on the brazen altar ---to please God. Eph.5: 2.
- Other parts -----------burnt outside the camp------pointing to the judgement that came upon our Lord outside the gate, on the cross of Calvary, for our sins. Heb.13: 11,12
5) The guilt or trespass offering (Lev. 5, Lev. 6:1-7; 7:1-7)
This offering typifies that our Lord not only bore our sins, but also bore the consequences of our sins. (Gal.3: 13)
The offender has to make full restitution and one fifth more on the very same day of the guilt offering. Matt.5: 23-25
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