Chapter 1, Leviticus chapter
1, and I'll read the first nine verses. And the Lord called unto Moses,
and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation,
saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, you shall bring
your offering of the cattle, even of the herd and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice
of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish. He shall offer
it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation before the Lord. And he shall put his hand
upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for
him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock
before the Lord. And the priest, Aaron's son,
shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood round about upon the
altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering
and cut it into his pieces. And the sons of Aaron, the priest,
shall put fire upon the altar and lay the wood in order upon
the fire. And the priest, Aaron's son,
shall lay the parts, the head and the fat, in order upon the
wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar. But his inwards
and his legs shall he wash in water, and the priest shall burn
all on the altar. to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering
made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord. I mentioned last
week, we looked at the meat offering, the meal offering, but I mentioned
that the book of Leviticus, that word Leviticus literally means
the law of the priest. It's part of the law that God
gave to Moses when they were in the wilderness after they
had been delivered out of Egypt and were on their way to the
land of Canaan. In the book of Exodus, God gave
Moses instructions concerning the tabernacle. Each piece was
designed, the measurement was given, and it was to be built
exactly as God commanded Moses. You remember in Hebrews the scripture
says that Moses was faithful in his house. In other words,
he was faithful in completing the law of commandments that
was given through him to the nation of Israel. But now after
the tabernacle had been set up and God had taken up residence
in the tabernacle, that is, a manifestation of his presence dwelt. It's called
the Shekinah, which is the glory, which dwelt above the mercy seat
between the cherubim. And now, the book of Leviticus,
we learn about the priest. the sacrifices, the times of
their sacrifices, and their other rites and ceremonies which were
given to them in the book of Leviticus. Now the offering we're
looking at tonight is called the burnt offering. Those of
you who were here last week will remember that of these five offerings,
the first one is the burn offering and then the meat offering we
looked at last week. And I did that on purpose because
the meat offering speaks to us and pictures to us the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. His person, fine flour. It showed
his sinlessness, his holiness, how that he was holy, undefiled,
separate from sinners. And now this burn offering. But
I gave us a scripture for each one of those five offerings.
A scripture in the New Testament. And the scripture I gave us for
this burn offering is the one in Hebrews chapter 9 and verse
14, which says, who through the eternal spirit offered himself,
now here it is, offered himself without spot to God. without spot to God. The Lord
Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, He offered Himself
without spot unto God. Now, look at these three truths
before we consider the burnt offering itself. First, the use
of blood to make an atonement did not begin with these offerings
of the tabernacle. We know that in Genesis chapter
3, just after Adam had disobeyed God and sinned, that God came
and God made coats of skins to clothe Adam and Eve. Now those
coats of skins had to come from animals whose blood was shed
to make a covering for Adam and Eve. And remember that's what
the word atonement literally means, a covering. Blood is the substance of life. The scripture says the life of
the flesh is in the blood. The blood runs all through our
bodies, doesn't it? Carrying oxygen and food, sugar. Blood is the substance of life. And sin involves the forfeiture
of life. Without the shedding of blood,
There is no remission. That's what God has declared.
So first of all, as I said, this law that is given to Moses to
the nation of Israel, this is not the beginning of blood sacrifices. This began in the beginning,
if you please, in Genesis chapter 3. And then just after that,
when Abel, when he offered an acceptable sacrifice to God. Remember Cain's offering was
not acceptable. It was not a blood offering. It was not a blood sacrifice. But God had respect unto Abel
and unto his offering. Now his offering was an offering
of blood. A lamb that was slain. And then when Noah, Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord, and God told him to build the
ark. God was going to destroy all
flesh outside of the ark, all human flesh outside of the ark.
And he did so. He did so. Noah built the ark. God told him to go in, took his
wife and his three sons and their wives and all the animals that
went in with him. God shut the door. and the rains
began to fall. Now, after the rains, the water
had covered the earth, the scripture says, and all flesh outside of
that ark were drowned. People think that God will not
punish sin. They need to read their Bibles,
don't they? You say, well, do you, how many, I don't know how
many people died. But I know this, everyone who
was not in the ark died. I know that. But what happened? Just as soon as the land dries
up and God allows and tells Noah to come out of that ark, what's
the first thing he does? Look with me in Genesis chapter
8. The very first thing he does. He offers a sacrifice. In Genesis
chapter 8. And verse 20, And Noah built an altar unto
the LORD, and took of every clean beast, this is Genesis chapter
8 and verse 20, Noah built an altar unto the LORD, and took
of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered
burnt offerings on the altar. We're looking tonight at the
offering, the burnt offering. Noah offered burnt offerings
on the altar, and the Lord, this is so important to understand
this, and the Lord smelled a sweet savor. It was a savor of rest. God smelled a sweet savor. And the Lord said in his heart,
I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake. For the
imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither
will I again smite anymore everything living as I have done. So the
first thing I call our attention to is the use of blood to make
an atonement and offering unto the Lord did not begin with the
law that God gave to Moses. And everywhere Abraham, as you
read through the book of Genesis, when he moved from place to place,
he erected an altar. And we may assume that on that
altar he offered sacrifice, blood sacrifices. Now second thing
that I point out to us, these offerings of the tabernacle were
given to the nation of Israel through a mediator. Notice back
in Leviticus chapter 1 and verse 1 we read, The Lord called unto Moses and
spake unto him. The Lord called unto Moses. Now
these offerings, the law concerning the offerings, were given to
the nation of Israel, but they were given through a mediator. God called to Moses and spoke
to Moses. You know, the Israelites, as
far as I can see, the only thing they ever did right in the wilderness
is they asked for a mediator. That's the only thing. that they
ever did write. If you look back in Exodus chapter
20, in the same chapter where we have the covenant given, the
Ten Commandments, in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 19. And they said unto Moses, Speak
thou with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us,
lest we die. They recognized that if they
dealt with God themselves, apart from and beside a mediator, they
felt like they would meet God as He is described as a consuming
fire. They needed a mediator. You know, that word, or that
term, or that office, I should say, is given to us in the book
of Job as a daisman, a referee. We don't use that word daisman,
and probably we don't understand it unless we think about it and
have it explained to us. But that's what Job desired,
and that's what I desire, and that's what you desire, and that's
what God did. He spoke to the nation of Israel
through a mediator. Job said, O that there was a
daisman between us, one who could lay his hand upon God and upon
me. An intermediary. And that's the
work of the Lord. There's one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus. And that's the reason that scripture
says the man Christ Jesus. He had to be a man. Yes, God.
God-man. God-man. He could lay his hand on both
because he is both. Now, if sinful men are ever to
be brought peaceful news from heaven, it must come through
a mediator. And a third thing that we see
here is that the Lord spoke out of the tabernacle. Notice that.
Verse 1 of Leviticus 1, and the Lord called unto Moses and spake
unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation. The Lord
spoke out of the tabernacle. Now where did he take up residence
in that tabernacle? From the mercy seat. In other
words, we see here the Lord speaking from the mercy seat. God had
before spoken to Israel from that fiery mountain, from Mount
Sinai. But now he speaks from the mercy
seat, from the place of propitiation. That's what mercy seat means,
isn't it? Propitiation. What does that mean? It means
that God's anger is turned away. That God's anger is averted. How? By the shedding, by the
sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat. Here in his love, John
said, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his
son to be the propitiation for our sin, to be the mercy seat.
He spoke from the mercy seat. This teaches us that the tabernacle
we know is a type or a system of types and ceremonies that
shows us God's remedy for sin. We can't deny that we are sinners. If we do, we deceive ourselves. What's the remedy? What's God's
remedy, I should say? Man's come up with a lot of so-called
remedies, but None of them will avail to take away sin. What's
God's remedy? Well, it's pictured to us. It's
taught us in the sacrifices and the ceremonies here in the tabernacle. The law that God spoke from Sinai
ministers death. The soul that sinneth, it shall
surely die. But the law of ceremonies out
of the, from the mercy seat, pictures the gospel. Even as
we read in John chapter one, for the law was given, I know
in our King James translation it says the law was given by
Moses, but I believe it would be better through Moses. It was God's law he gave to the
Israelites through Moses. But, aren't you glad for this? Grace, that's what I need, grace,
unmerited favor. Truth, God's faithfulness. Grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ or through Jesus Christ, that
is, through the mercy seat. He is the mercy seat. Now this
surely doesn't say that the gospel compromises makes a compromise
with sin because it doesn't. It presents death as a just penalty
for sin, but at the same time it holds up the blood of Jesus
Christ as the only remedy, as the only atonement, as the only
covering. Now tonight let's look at four
things about the burnt offering. First, the offerer was to bring
an animal for a burnt offering, a male without blemish. Notice that in verse 3. If his
offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a
male without blemish. A male without blemish. In verse 2, God told Moses that
if the offering was of the cattle, the herd, or of the flock, Now
there's three types of animals there. If it is of the cattle,
then that would respect an ox or a bullock. And the thing about
this that speaks to us of Christ is the strength, the strength
of the Lord Jesus Christ to bear the sins of his people. The bullock. pictures the Lord in his strength,
in his labor. And then if it was of the herd,
this would be a sheep. And we know that sheep pictures
Christ many times in the word of God. It speaks of his innocence,
his harmlessness. I'm sure all of us have gone
to the petting zoo at some time or another with little children,
and they always have those little lambs in there, don't they? They're
not going to hurt anyone. They might run over a baby, and
babies are not afraid of them. What a picture of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Harmless, undefiled, holy, separate
from sinners. And not only harmless, innocent,
but patience. When you think of a lamb, a sheep,
you think of patience. Patience. Now if it were a goat,
that's a third class. If it were a goat, that is of
the flock, then, and I say this may, this may be, it represented
the Lord as people thought, as people perceived Him to be. And that is that by others He
was perceived to be a sinner. Even though He came in the likeness
of sinful flesh. But we know that he had no sin. But no matter which one of these
animals was brought, it had to be without blemish. It's going
to picture our perfect Savior. It has to be without blemish. And then, in cases of extreme
poverty, we know that they could bring two turtle doves or two
pigeons. And that could be used in this
burnt offering. So first of all, the first thing
that we see is if a man brought an offering, it could be of an
ox or a sheep or a goat, but it had to be without blemish. All right, the second thing that
I point us to tonight is the offerer was to lay his hands
upon the animal's head. Now here he comes. from one of
the tribes of Israel, and he comes to the tabernacle, and
he's leading an animal. One of these animals, which he's
inspected, and as best he can tell, there's no blemish in this
animal. And what does he do? He's to
lay his hands upon the head of the animal. Now I see in this
three things. In the person laying his hands
upon the animal. It pictures to us these three
things. Maybe more, but at least these
three. First of all, I see that this man who brings the animal
lays his hand upon the head of that animal. It pictures a transference
of his sins to the animal. to the sacrifice, to the victim. And we know this, that what that
pictured was actually done, because in Isaiah chapter 53 and verse
6, we read, all we like sheep have gone astray, we've turned
everyone to his own way, and the Lord, the Lord, the Lord
God, Lord God Almighty, he hath laid on him. Upon whom? Upon Christ, the burnt offering,
the iniquity of us all. So that's the first thing I see
there, a transference of the sin of the man who brought the
animal to the animal. And then second, I see that the
man who brought the animal, he acknowledges he deserves to die. This animal is going to die in
my place. And isn't that what we all confess
tonight? If God gives us what we deserve,
where would we be? What hope would we have? Sometimes
you meet with people and bless their heart, they're just ignorant
of the God of the Bible, but they say, well, all I want is
God. to be just with me. That's all I want. Well, I want
God to be merciful unto me. I want, I acknowledge if he gives
me what I deserve, there's only one place for me. And this was
acknowledged when the man laid his hands upon that victim. This
animal's going to die, but I'm the one who deserves to die.
It's going to die in my place and my stead. And third, the
offerer identifies with the victim, picturing our trust. We unite. We put our hands upon the animal.
Doesn't that picture our faith? We lay hold upon Christ by faith. Faith in Christ. The Scripture
says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
We've got to be in union with Christ as a branch is in the
vine. We must be in union with Christ. And I see that pictured in the
hands laid upon the animal. We must be in union with Christ
and hope to be accepted for Christ's sake. Now the third thing that
I see here is the offerer and the priest were both given things
to do. The man who brought the animal,
the offerer, it was his job to kill the animal. As far as we
can tell, as far as the Word of God reads, he's the one who
kills the animal and flays the animal. That's his job. the offerer,
the man who brings, or the woman who brings the animal. Now the
priests, they had three things they were to do. First of all,
they were to take some of the blood from that animal and sprinkle
it, it says, round about the altar. Now remember this is an
altar, it's a big altar. I forget the actual dimensions,
but the brazen altar was a large altar, and it had four horns
on it. And so when we read round about
the altar, what it's speaking of is the four horns of the altar. Blood was to be sprinkled on
each one of the horns. And the altar on which the blood
was sprinkled typifies the Lord's divinity, His Godhead. Remember in the New Testament,
He tells us that the altar sanctifies the gift. Now the gift, the sacrifice
is the blood, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. But what sanctifies
that offering is His deity. That's how the death of one man
who is God avails for the many. That's the first thing the priest
was to do. He was to sprinkle the blood.
And remember this in the New Testament. The blood of Christ
is called the blood of sprinkling. The second thing the priest was
to do, he was to lay the pieces in order upon the wood. There
was an order. He was to lay the pieces in order
upon the wood. And you notice the exact order
that was laid out for the priest to do. And it shows that everything
was burnt about this animal except its skin. Everything else was
burnt. It's a whole, W-H-O-L-A, a whole
burnt offering. It's a whole burnt offering.
And he had the inside of the animal, the entrails of the animal,
they had to be washed and placed on the altar, and the outside,
The head and everything else had to be put on the altar. And
then the third thing he was to do, he was to burn. All was to be burned on the altar. Everything, when you think about
the order here, what this shows to me is everything about the
death of Christ was predicted. and everything took place in
order. When you read Matthew and Luke
and John, Mark, their account of the crucifixion of the Lord
Jesus Christ, you read one thing after the other that was done
to fulfill the scripture. Everything was done in order
exactly as God had plan and as God had prophesied in the Old
Testament. Everything about Christ was predicted
and everything took place in order. God's a God of order,
isn't He? That's what the scripture says.
And you see it in creation. You see it in creation. But here's
the last thing, the fourth thing. The offer was to know He was
to know it was a sweet savor unto the Lord. Notice that in
verse 9. It says, but his inwards and his legs shall he wash in
water and the priest shall burn all on the altar to be a burnt
sacrifice and offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the
Lord. The Lord accepted the offering
and he smelled a sweet savor, a sweet savor of rest. In Isaiah 53 again, the scripture
said, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. God was pleased with the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you might say tonight, well
what does all that mean to us? Here we are living today and
what does all of that mean to us? Well let me tell you what
I think it should mean to all of us. The law commanded that
we love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our being. The Lord Jesus Christ said the
law was built upon these two commands. That first one, to
love the Lord and to love our neighbor as ourself. Have we
done that? Anybody here? Not hardly. What we see in Christ, a whole
burnt offering. And everything about him, inside,
outside. Suffering in soul, suffering
in body. Loving God with all his heart,
all His soul, all His being, even when that meant dying the
death on the cross. That's what it means to me. He
fully obeyed God. And He did so in our stead and
in our place. And in Him, you and I, those
of us who know Him as our Lord and Savior, we too, love God
with all our heart, all our soul, and all our being, because we
are in Him, accepted in the beloved. I trust the Lord blessed these
words to all of us here this evening. Now, let's sing a