20131028 Monday, October 28 2013
Leviticus 06: Atonement Offerings

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

During the era of animal sacrifices at the Tabernacle (see Exodus 26: The First Christian Tabernacle), there were three primary object lessons. They all portrayed and prophesied the Messiah's coming to establish God's Kingdom that will be populated by the then-sinless children of God (see What Was The Lesson Of John 3:16? and The Church: Mission Accomplished).

The Passover lamb and the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement directly and personally portray the Messiah's own sacrifice. The sacrifice of other innocent blood (see Innocent Blood and Leviticus 5: What Does The LORD Say About Your Soul?) was a ceremonial purification of the general population, so that they would not be cut off from the nation, or of the priest, and particularly the high priest, who needed to be ceremonial sinless in order to accept and offer the sacrifices made for themselves and by the people (see The Blood Of Bulls And Goats). The third category was the "scapegoat," that portrayed Satan, that was exiled to the wilderness - as Satan will be put away when Christ returns (see the Fact Finder question below).

"6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6:2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; 6:3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: 6:4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, 6:5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. 6:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: 6:7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein." (Leviticus 6:1-7 KJV(

After they were made ceremonially sinless, the high priest and other Levites were regarded as clean, to offer the sacrifices of the people - just as the sinless Messiah offered Himself as atonement for those who have made themselves clean by genuine repentance (see Christ Died For Repentant Sinners).

"6:8 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6:9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. 6:10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 6:11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. 6:12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. 6:13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." (Leviticus 6:8-13 KJV)

Burnt offerings to the LORD were done long before Israel existed (see Leviticus 1: The Burnt Offerings Of The Ancients), but the purpose and principle of them was always the same (see also Exodus 30: Frankincense, Incense and The Anointing Oil).

"6:14 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar. 6:15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD. 6:16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 6:17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 6:18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.

6:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6:20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. 6:21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD. 6:22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the LORD; it shall be wholly burnt. 6:23 For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten." (Leviticus 6:14-23 KJV)

While the place of offering was in the courtyard of the Tabernacle (see Exodus 38: The Courtyard Of The Tabernacle), the place of deliverance was in the Holy Place (see The Holy Place In History And Prophecy).

"6:24 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6:25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy. 6:26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. 6:27 Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place. 6:28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water. 6:29 All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy. 6:30 And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire." (Leviticus 6:24-30 KJV)

Fact Finder: On the Day of Atonement, one goat was sacrificed while another was exiled alive in the wilderness. Who did the sacrificed goat portray in prophecy (past and present tense)? Who does the exiled alive goat portray in prophecy (future tense)?
See Sending Away The Escapades Goat, Why Do Christians Observe The Messiah's Day Of Atonement? and What Happened When The Messiah Arrived In Heaven?