Christ in Leviticus The Sacrifices – Part 1

Leviticus  The book of liturgical services:  Levi: priestly tribe  Leviticus: Book of worship and liturgical work  Key word: HOLINESS – used 87 times  Key verse: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God [am] holy.” (Lev 19:2)  Sacrifice is the basis for approaching God  Priesthood is the means to approaching Him

Leviticus  Outline:  Sacrifices (Lev 1:1-6:7)  The Law of the Offerings (6:8-7:38)  Consecration (8-9)  A Warning Example (10)  A Holy God Demands a Clean People (11-15)  Atonement (16,17)  Relationships of God's People (18-22)  The Feasts of Jehovah (23)  Instructions and Warnings (24-27)  Contains many symbols about Christ  Every offering, ceremony, feast, garment, utensil, and article

The Offerings  Two types  Sweet-savor offerings demonstrate that Christ was acceptable to God  Burnt  Grain  Peace  Non-sweet-savor offerings demonstrate that the sinner is unacceptable  Sin  Trespass

Burnt Offering  (Lev 1:1-9) – Christ the Perfect Sacrifice  Male animal without blemish:  ‘‘Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God'' (Heb 9:14).  Made voluntarily:  ''No man takes it [life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself'' (Jn 10:18)  Completely burnt:  Christ was completely consumed on our behalf and obeyed “until death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:8)  His sacrifice paid off the Divine Justice: “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” (Eph 5:2)

Burnt Offering  The offerer puts his hand upon the animal to identify himself with it:  Just as this lamb is about to die, so does the offerer deserve this sentence of death.  It is a transferring of the sins from the person to the sacrifice;  the sacrifice becomes a replacement or substitution for the person.  When its blood is shed, it is a proof that the redemptive work has been done on his behalf.  It confirms the punishment of sin being death.  He is a partaker of the sacrifice  We are partakers of Christ’s sacrifice: “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20)

Burnt Offering  The offerer puts his hand upon the animal to identify himself with it:  During Raising of Incense, the priest goes around the church and put his hand on each person’s head, while each person prays, “I ask you my Lord Jesus Christ to forgive me my sins, those I committed knowingly and unknowingly.” The priest then ascends and offers incense before to the Altar and prays to God to forgive the sins of the people  When the priest chooses the bread, he places his hand on it, praying on behalf of all believers:  “Remember, O Lord, all the Orthodox Christians, from North to South and from East to West, everyone according to his name and her name.”  Then he prays for his family, and those who wish to be prayed for - “prayer requests”  He finally prays for himself

Burnt Offering  The Sprinkling of the blood (Leviticus 1:5): “He sprinkles the blood all around the altar.”  This is a symbol that this sacrifice is killed for the whole world.  It is sprinkled in a circle, so as to show that there is no limit to its redemptive work.  Likewise the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ has no limit—it is offered for all sins, all people, at all ages.  In the Divine Liturgy, after the examination process, the priest takes the Lamb and goes around the altar in a circle.

Burnt Offering  The giving of the skin to the priests (Leviticus 1:6):  The first sacrifice offered was that of Adam and Eve:  Genesis 3:21 God clothed them in skins.  It is obvious that a sacrifice of animals was made and God used this skin for their covering.  The skin was given to the priests—symbolically  The skin stands for the work of priesthood in the forgiveness and covering of sins, through the mystery of Confession.

Burnt Offering  Flayed and cut in pieces, exposing the inner flesh, and washed with water :  Christ was completely exposed before the Father, and was found pure:  “Because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth” (Isa 53:9)  “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (Jn 8:46)  “Holy Holy Holy” – After the examination of the Lamb.  The sacrifice was divided into 4 parts:  The parts of the body with the Heart being the most important organ.  Blood — representing the soul (sprinkled all around) Head — representing the mind, thoughts Fat — representing energy or strength. When you do physical exertion, you burn fat.  The sacrifice should be offered “with all your heart, soul, mind, strength” (Mark 12:30).

Burnt Offering  Sprinkling of the water (Leviticus 1:9):  The water symbolizes cleanliness.  Christ was pure from within and without.  When a person offers God a sacrifice, he must offer it with a pure heart

Burnt Offering  Sweet aroma to the LORD (Lev 1:9)  Christ’s sacrifice was a sweet aroma  “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” (Eph 5:2)  To make atonement (Lev 1:4)

Burnt Offering  Two types of Burnt offering:  general (for all people)  specific (for individual)  The general offering was of 2 lambs:  “Now this [is] what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight” (Exo 29:38-39)  There was always fire burning on the Altar – God’s continual work – even while we (spiritually) sleep

The Offerings  Sweet-savor offerings demonstrate that Christ was acceptable to God  Burnt - Christ the Perfect Sacrifice  Grain  Peace

Grain Offering  (Lev 2:1-3, 11-13) – Christ the Perfect Person  Flour:  Crushed grains:  “But He [was] wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa 53:5)  b) White: Purity of Christ  Oil: Holy Spirit  Mixed with oil – unity of Christ with Holy Spirit  Anointed with oil – anointing of Christ with Holy Spirit – after Baptism  He was anointed: a prophet, a priest and a king  “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Act 10:38)

Grain Offering  Frankincense  Symbol of prayers – priestly work  “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” (Ps 141:2)  It is burned to give off a sweet aroma – as Christ suffered for us, and offered a sweet-savor sacrifice before the Father.  No Leaven: Symbol of sin  Chris is pure  No Honey: Symbol of pleasures  Christ’s life was void of any pleasures

Grain Offering  Salt: Preservative  Through Christ’s work, we were reconciled and preserved with God the Father  Fire: Sufferings – Christ’s life was full of Sufferings and pain  “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isa 53:3)  The priests ate from it:  They are partakers of His Service, and are led and guided by His life.

The Offerings  Sweet-savor offerings demonstrate that Christ was acceptable to God  Burnt - Christ the Perfect Sacrifice  Grain – Christ the Perfect Person  Peace

Peace Offering  (Lev 3:1-5; 7:11-21) – Christ the Eucharist  Offering of Thanksgiving (Lev 7:11) and Peace  Burned on the Altar of Sacrifices, on top of the Burnt Offering  Peace is a result of the redemption offered by the Burnt Offering

Peace Offering  Only Sacrifice that all the people are allowed to eat from:  Portion for the Alter – burned  The fat – the best part – given to God  Portion for the house of Aaron the priest  The breast: “And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons” (Lev 7:31)  He waves it first to the Lord – towards the tabernacle  Portion for the sacrificing priest  The right thigh: “Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.” (Lev 7:32)  He heaves it first to the Lord – on top of the Altar  Portion for the offerer – what’s left over  If any portion is left, it is given to the poor  It is a banquet – that Christ prepares for His People – the Eucharist

Peace Offering  It is broken in pieces:  “And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (1Cor 11:24)  Whoever eats of it, must be pure:  “…And as for the clean flesh, all who are clean may eat of it. But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people.” (Lev 7:19-20)  “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” (1Cor 11:27-30)

Peace Offering  Christ’s sacrifice by which we received  Peace:  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1)  Reconciliation  “…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (Jn 17:21)  A sacrifice and a banquet:  Same Body was crucified and we eat it:  “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51)

Peace Offering  Communion with God:  “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1Cor 10:16)  “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” (Eph 5:30)  Accompanied by burnt or sin or tresspass offering, which is preceded by confession  Eucharist is preceded by repentance and confession  Eaten on the same day, sometimes may be allowed for the next day, but never allowed for the third day:  For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (ps 16:10)  “…That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1Cor 15:3-4)

The Offerings  Sweet-savor offerings demonstrate that Christ was acceptable to God  Burnt – Christ the Perfect Sacrifice  Grain – Christ the Perfect Person  Peace – Christ the Eucharist  Non-sweet-savor offerings demonstrate that the sinner is unacceptable  Sin  Trespass