Leviticus 1-6

With the tabernacle set up and the priests ordained, sacrifice can now begin.
Here is detailed instruction on how to offer each sacrifice.

Burnt, whole, or ascension offering: chapter 1
Whether cow, sheep, goat or bird, it is killed, blood applied to altar base/sides, meat put on altar, rest of body washed and put on altar and burned as "a food offering with a pleasing aroma to Yahweh."

Grain offering: chapter 2
Raw or baked, it is given with oil.  A handful is burned on the altar, the rest is for the priests to eat.
No leaven or honey is to be burned on the altar.  Salt is to be used with every grain offering.
The best elements are always to be used (fine flour, fresh ears, new grain - vss. 1, 14; animals without blemish - 3:1 and 1:3).

Peace offering: chapter 3
Cow, sheep or goat, it is killed, blood applied to the altar, and fatty parts burned.
Fat is the Lord's (because it's the best/tastiest, I think, not because it's bad for you).
Blood not to be eaten.
Nothing is said about the meat, but it's explained later.  It was eaten by the one offering the sacrifice, with part of it going to the priest (Lev. 7:11-18; Deut. 12:6-7).

Sin offering - chapters 4-5
Sinner brings an animal, lays hand on it, it's killed, the blood is applied to the altar (and sprinkled before the veil in the temple if it's a leader's sin or a corporate sin), the fat is burned, the rest of the body is burned outside the camp.  The animal varies based on who sinned: bull for priest or congregation, male goat for leader, female goat or lamb for commoner.

These unintentional sins are specified: failing to testify when you're a witness, becoming unclean without knowing it, or taking a rash vow.  When you realize it, you bring a female lamb or goat, 2 turtledoves, or a 3/5 a bushel of grain, depending what you can afford.

Some sins against the temple required compensation based on the value of the thing defiled.  A ram was offered, and 1/5 was added to the restitution needed, and paid in silver shekels.

Guilt offering (6:1-7)
Intentional sins: offer a ram as a sin offering and pay it back with 1/5.


How this is about Jesus

• Jesus is the sacrifice God provides for us, so that God can be pleased with us, so that we can draw near to Him and be accepted by Him (1:2-3).
• As the sin offering, He is taken outside the camp (Heb 13:11-12).
• Our sins are laid on Him (1 Peter 2:24).
• He was a pleasing sacrifice to God (Isaiah 53:10).
• His blood was sprinkled before God and atones for our sin (Rev. 1:5).  Hebrews 9:12 - "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."