Hand On Head וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ

We are moving into chapter three of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ lay his hand on the head. It is used 3 times in the Old Testament. We see our phrase used in reference to the peace offering in our chapter today. Leviticus 3:1-2 If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting. We find our phrase used in regards to the sin offering. Leviticus 4:22-24 When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. We see our phrase used in the context of the burnt offering. Leviticus 1:3-5 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord. Did you notice the reference to being accepted to make atonement for him. This is saying that the sacrifice takes the place of the sinner. This is what is symbolized by the placing one’s hand on the animal’s head. The meaning is that the animal is taking your place as the one who will be punished for your sin or in other words who will face the consequences of your sin instead of yourself. This is what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He is the substitution who took our place for our sins that separated us from God. I’ll close with this great reminder. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.