DBG - February 4 - Leviticus 5-7

In this chapter we continue with instructions on the Sin Offering and begin looking at the Trespass Offering.

vs. 1-4 – We have four circumstances given when a someone should offer a Sin Offering to God: withholding information (vs. 1), contacting unclean animal carcass (vs. 2), contacting unclean human discharge (vs. 3), and making rash oaths that prove untrue (vs. 4).

vs. 5 – Note that confession is required.  This is evidence of repentance.

vs. 6-13 – Various options are given for this sacrifice to accommodate the ability of the offerer. It could be a lamb, goat, two doves, two pigeons, or 1 omer (~5 pints) of flour.  The lamb or goat was offered as a Sin Offering.  When two birds are used, one is for a Sin Offering and the one for a Burnt Offering.  If flour, no oil or frankincense is added and it is offered as a Meat Offering.

vs. 14-19 – The Guilt Offering was to be made when someone had been defrauded.  This could be failure to pay what was owed to God or man.  Here it is the case where someone has failed to give God what He was due, such as in tithes.  A ram is offered and restitution is paid with silver, adding an additional 20% to it.

In this chapter we various directions for offerings and the priests.

vs. 1-6 – Here are the instructions for the Guilt Offering in the case of a person defrauding another person.  A ram is offered and restitution is paid with silver, adding an additional 20% to it.

vs. 7-13 – The fire on the Brazen Altar was to be kept burning perpetually.  When tending the fire, the priests were to were their priestly garments to remove the ashes from the altar.  They were to change into other clothes to removed the ashes and dump them outside the camp.

vs. 14-18 – When a Meat Offering was made, the priests were to burn only a handful on the altar.  They rest was given to the priests to eat in the Tabernacle.

vs. 19-23 – A daily Meat Offering was to be made by the priests.  If was to be made from 1/10 ephah (which is 1 omer = 5 pints) of flour mixed with oil and made into a loaf.  Half was burned in the morning and half in the evening.

vs. 24-30 – When offering the Sin Offering the priests were allowed to eat their assigned portions of the sacrifice unless it was made on behalf of the priest or people (see 4:5-7 & 16-18 where these required applying blood in the Tabernacle).  In vs. 27-28 are commands regarding the blood of the sacrifice contacting the priestly garments or earthen vessels.  The garments were to be washed and the vessels broken.  The idea seems to be that the garments could be cleansed from the blood, but the porous nature of pottery meant not all traces could be removed so it was destroyed lest the blood be defiled.

In this chapter we see additional commands for the sacrifices we have already covered.  Much of this focus is on what is done with portions of the sacrifice not consumed in fire.

vs. 1-7 – These are additional directions for the priests in offering the Trespass Offering we saw in 5:14-6:8.

vs. 8 – The skin of the sacrifice in a burnt offering was given to the priest.

vs. 9-10 – Regarding Meat Offerings, if they were baked, they were given to the priest who performed the sacrifice.  If they were not baked, they were divided among the priests.

vs. 11-14 – In the case of Peace Offerings made in thanksgiving, the priest received whatever of the Meat Offerings he lifted as a heave offering.

vs. 15-21 – Here are various regulations for eating the meat of a Peace Offering.  Remember that much of the meat was given back to the offerer.  If it was offered in thanksgiving, it was to be eaten by the next morning.  If it was offered voluntarily or in completion of a vow, it could be eaten on the second day also.  On the third day whatever remained was to be burned.  There was a sacredness to partaking in eating this sacrifice.  Those ceremonially unclean were forbidden from taking part in it.

vs. 22-27 – The children of Israel were forbidden to eat two parts of any cattle, sheep, or goat.  The reason is that God claimed the right to these.  First was the fat of the animal.  John Gill cites a rabbi when he writes  “that which was not separated from the flesh, but mixed with it, might be eaten, but not that which was separated”. The second is the blood. This command is first seen in Genesis 9:4 and expanded on in Leviticus 17:10-16.

vs. 28-36 – Here it is established that the right shoulder and breast of sacrifices were to go to the priests.

vs. 37-38 – A summary to close this section on offerings.

Admittedly, this section is a difficult section to read through.  These opening chapters of Leviticus are filled with minute details of sacrifices that we are not bound to offer today.  However, these are extremely important chapters as we move forward.  I think it may actually be helpful to turn back to these chapters whenever we come across a sacrifice being offered.  This helps you understand, for instance, the meaning of the Day of Atonement in chapter 16 and why the peace offerings made by Solomon at the dedication of the Temple in I Kings 8:62-66 tell us there was a festive atmosphere.

Our hymn text today is by Charles Wesley and generally titled by its first line, “My God, I Know, I Feel Thee Mine”, as was quite customary in the 18th century.  We connect it to our reading today by the idea of fire on the altar burning always.  This hymn is a rare one that keeps that picture of fire as judgment or refining, instead of it speaking poetically of passion within.

My God! I know, I feel thee mine,
And will not quit my claim,
Till all I have is lost in thee,
And all renew'd I am.

I hold thee with a trembling hand,
But will not let thee go,
Till stedfastly by faith I stand,
And all thy goodness know.

Jesu, thine all-victorious love
Shed in my heart abroad!
Then shall my feet no longer rove,
Rooted and fix'd in God.

O that in me the sacred fire
Might now begin to glow!
Burn up the dross of base desire,
And make the mountains flow!

O that it now from heav'n might fall,
And all my sins consume:
Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call,
Spirit of burning, come.

Refining fire, go through my heart,
Illuminate my soul;
Scatter thy life through ev'ry part,
And sanctify the whole.

Sorrow and sin shall then expire,
While enter'd into rest,
I only live my God t' admire,
My God for ever blest.

My stedfast soul, from falling free,
Shall then no longer move;
But Christ be all the world to me,
And all my heart be love.