Journaling: Leviticus 1-4

ADDENDUM to last week (Exodus 37-40):God’s “shekinah glory train” runs from the tabernacle/temple to Jesus to the church (Exo 40; 1Ki 8 w/Joh 1 w/2Co 8:23 and Joh 17:22).Moses’ finished tabernacle work (Exo 40:33) is meant to communicate that God’s new (or redeemed ) creation work is finished (Gen 2:2). As such this is how/where people will again come into God’s presence and receive His guidance.Leviticus 1-4The burnt, grain, peace and sin offering represent (four of the six) kinds of “sacrificial gift(s)” (1:10) a person could/would give to the Lord under the Old Covenant (chs 1-4). Each offering served a specific purpose: 1) the burnt offering was to atone for intentional sin (1:1-17; 1:4 w/16:5; see also Gen 3:20 w/Lev 7:8), 2) the grain offering was a memorial/tribute paid to God acknowledging our loyalty/service to Him as king (2:1-16 “frankincense” w/Mat 2:11; 2:2,9, 16, 12-14; Hebrew term for grain offering = tribute, Jdg 3:15), 3) the peace offering was to express thanksgiving and the continuance of fellowship/relationship/covenant fidelity between God and the donor (3:1-17 w/7:11-25), 4) sin offering was to atone for unintentional sins (sins of ignorance) (4:1-35; 4:1-2, 13-14, 20-23, 26-27, 31, 35 w/5:1-2, 4, 15, 17, 6:4-5, 16:5).The burnt, grain, peace and sin offering are reflected/fulfilled under the New Covenant in/thru: 1) Jesus’ sacrificial death (burnt and sin offering – Lev 16:1-5 = Yom Kippur), 2) Our sacrificial lives for Jesus (grain offering – Rom 12:1 “living sacrifice” = life of sacrifice to our King); 3) The Lord’s Table (peace offering – 1Co 11:24-34 = perpetual sacrament of covenant fidelity).Christ’s comprehensive lordship (i.e. that His way/will is to be implemented in relation to every aspect of our life – including our worship) is demonstrated through the sacrifices when we consider the many details that were to be followed in preparing/offering them (e.g. location of slaughter [1:3-5 versus 1:10-11; 3:1-2 versus 3:7-8, 12-13]; application of oil in the grain offering [2:1-2 versus 2:4 versus 2:5-6 versus 2:7]; distribution of blood in the sin offering [4:6, 17 versus 4:25, 30]; three had portions that were to be eaten by the priests [grain – 2:10, 7:9-10; peace – 7:11-21, 29-36, sin – 6:26, 29, 7:6, 17]; one was to include “salt” [grain – 2:13], none were to be blemished or leavened [burnt – 1:3; grain – 2:11; peace – 3:1; sin – 4:3]).Drawing near to God thru a mountain (or heap) of burning sacrifice w/its rising cloud of smoke must have not only reminded God’s (Old Covenant) people of their first time drawing near to God on a burning mountain w/a rising cloud of smoke, but also afforded additional/new meaning (Exo 19:15, 24:15-18).It is the loins of the animal (its legs and entrails/genitals) that are treated as the most holy part of the burnt offering (1:9 – “wash [cleanse/baptize] w/water”) indicating also the reason God views sexual sin so seriously (b/c we have taken what is most sacred and defiled it; Consider 1Co 12:22-24).We are to give God our best (3:16).