Gold for the heart - Leviticus 5-7

Leviticus5

God’s commands protect us

1 And if a soul sins and hears the voice of cursing/swearing and is a witness, whether he has seen it or knows of it; if he does not tell it, then he will bear his iniquity. 2 Or if a soul touches any unclean thing, whether it is a carcass of an unclean animal, or a carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and if it is hidden from him; he also is unclean, and guilty. 3 Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever uncleanness it is that a man is defiled with, and it is hid from him; when he knows of it, then he is guilty. 4 Or if a soul swears, pronouncing with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever that man pronounces with an oath and it is hidden from him. when he knows of it, then he is guilty in one of these. 5 And when he is guilty in one of these things, he is to confess that he has sinned in that thing.

God is constant. He is constant holiness, justice, and love.
Man is the variable.
If man chooses God’s way it brings blessing. If man chooses evil, then judgment or discipline must follow.
These particular offerings were apologies to God when the people had offended Him in some way.
‘I swear to God’ is commonly heard today. We are not to use God’s name to guarantee our honesty or to guarantee business deals (Exodus 20:7).
Ignorance is no excuse. God has made Himself clear. This was commanded as a protection against evil so that the nation might be holy to God and live in all the vast blessings that God desired for them.

He has atoned for our sin

6 And he is to bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin that he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin. 7 And if he is not able to bring a lamb, then he is to bring for his trespass that he has committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons to the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. 8 And he is to bring them to the priest who will offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but not divide it in two: 9 And he will sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood will be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10 And he is to offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance: and the priest will make atonement for him for his sin that he has sinned, and it will be forgiven him.

The word ‘atonement’ means to cancel. It also means ‘a covering.’
Imagine the great load of sin and guilt that would be piling up to our account without God’s forgiveness in Christ.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

11 But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he that sinned is to bring for his offering a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he is to put no oil on it, he is to put no frankincense on it: for it is a sin offering. 12 Then he will bring it to the priest, and the priest will take his handful of it, a memorial from it, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD: it is a sin offering. 13 The priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in one of these, and it will be forgiven him: and the remainder of it will be the priest's, as a food offering.

The oil represented the Holy Spirit.
This was a sin offering.
The Holy Spirit has no part in sin except to convict our hearts when we are guilty of it.
God makes a way for all to obey, both rich and poor.

14 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 15 If a soul commit a trespass and sins through ignorance in the holy things of the LORD; then he is to bring for his trespass to the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks with your estimation by shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary for a trespass offering: 16 And he is to make restitution for the harm that he has done in the holy thing, and will add the fifth part to it and give it to the priest: and the priest will make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it will be forgiven him.

The trespass offering was for injury to God as rightful possessor of all things as Creator.
Christ also fully removed any injury to God that we have done through our sin.
We injure God most with our sin because He is everywhere and sin is an insult to His holiness.
God wants us to know for certain that we are forgiven.

Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being.

17 And if a soul sins and commits any of these things that are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he did not know it, he is still guilty and will bear his iniquity. 18 And he is to bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock with your estimation, for a trespass offering: and the priest will make atonement for him concerning his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him. 19 It is a trespass offering: he has certainly trespassed against the LORD.

Christ’s death on the cross paid for sin in full.
The real payment is in effect so these portrayals of it are no longer necessary.
Today God only requires that we acknowledge (confess) our sins to Him and receive His forgiveness.
He doesn’t expect perfection, just cooperation. He wants us to deal with our lives honestly. He wants diligence is seeking and following His will and His way.

Hebrews 2:3 How will we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.

Leviticus 6

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 2 If a soul sins and commits a trespass against the LORD, and lies to his neighbor in what was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or has deceived his neighbor; 3 Or has found what was lost and lies about it, and swears falsely; in any of all these that a man does, sinning in this: 4 Then it will be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he is to restore what he took violently away, or the thing that he has gotten deceitfully, or what was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing that he found, 5 Or all that about which he has sworn falsely; he is to restore it in the principal, and add a fifth part more to it and give it to him to whom it belongs, in the day of his trespass offering. 6 He is to bring his trespass offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flock with your estimation, for a trespass offering to the priest: 7 And the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD: and it will be forgiven him for anything of all that he has done in trespassing.

God has spoken to us and given us very specific instructions.
‘fellowship’ is the Hebrew ‘putting of the hand,’ a business agreement or personal promise.
Notice that a sin against another is a sin against the Lord.
God says RESTORE-- make it right.
God forgives when Christ’s work is applied.
Atonement means to cancel.
Whatever the sin or trespass was against the other person.
When restoration was made and 1/5 the value added to the person, then an offering was to be brought to the Lord which pictured Christ’s death for that sin.
God had them make it right with the other person first.
So stunning is this gift of the cross and what God has forgiven us, that anything we need to forgive of others is very small.

Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.

Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you; 24 Leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

8 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 9 Command Aaron and his sons saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because it is burning on the altar all night to the morning; the fire of the altar is to be burning in it. 10 And the priest is put on his linen robe, and he is to put his linen pants on his flesh, and take up the ashes the fire has consumed with the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he is to take off his clothes, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar is to be burning in it; it is not to be put out: and the priest is to burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he is to burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. 13 The fire will always be burning on the altar; it is never to go out.

God’s great love to be poured out for us was to be remembered every morning and evening.
Each sacrifice was a picture of Jesus Christ dying for our sins.
He was consumed for us. His love for us never dims. He is always available.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

14 And this is the law of the grain/food offering: the sons of Aaron will offer it before the LORD, before the altar. 15 And he is to take a handful of the flour from the food offering and from its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn it on the altar for a sweet fragrance, a memorial of it to the LORD. 16 And Aaron and his sons will eat the remainder of it: it will be eaten with unleavened bread in the holy place; they are to eat it in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. 17 It will not be baked with yeast. I have given it to them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering and as the trespass offering. 18 All the males among the children of Aaron are to eat of it. It will be a statute forever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that touches them will be holy.

Yeast or leaven is the symbol of sin that permeates everything.
God provided for His priests through the offerings of the people.
God’s touch makes us holy.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

19 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons that they are to offer to the LORD in the day when he is anointed; a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a perpetual food offering, half of it in the morning, and half of it at night. 21 It will be made in a pan with oil; and when it is baked you are to bring it in: and you are to offer the baked pieces of the food offering for a sweet fragrance to the LORD. 22 And the priest who is anointed in his place, from his sons, is to offer it: it is a statute forever to the LORD; it is to be wholly burnt. 23 For every food offering for the priest will be wholly burnt: it is not to be eaten.

This was an offering for the occasion of the anointing, or induction into service, of the high priest; Aaron was the first high priest.

24 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 25 Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed the sin offering is to be killed before the LORD: it ismost holy. 26 The priest that offers it for sin is to eat it: it will be eaten in the holy place, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. 27 Whatever touches its flesh will be holy: and when its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you are to wash that on which it was sprinkled in the holy place. 28 But the clay pot in which it is soaked is to be broken: and if it is soaked in a bronze pot, it is to be both scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests is to eat of it: it is most holy. 30 And no sin offering of which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile it in the holy place, is to be eaten: it is to be burnt in the fire.

Remember that each sacrifice is a picture of Christ dying for our sins.
He makes us holy with His holiness.
The word ‘holy’ means to be set apart to God.
He has brought us to the highest heights.
Whenever you see this phrase about being burnt by fire remember God was willing to be totally consumed for you because His love for you is so great.

Ephesians 1:4 According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

Leviticus 7

1 And this is the law of the guilt offering: it is most holy. 2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they are to kill the guilt offering: and he is to sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 3 And he will offer all its fat, the rump, and the fat that covers the insides, 4 the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks and the midriff that is above the liver, by the kidneys, he is to take it out: 5 And the priest will burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to the LORD: it is a guilt offering. 6 Every male among the priests is to eat of it: it will be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.

God is infinite and eternal righteousness.
We are not acceptable in His presence on our own.
He is most holy. He was sacrificed for our trespasses

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:

7 The guilt offering is like the sin offering: there is one law for them: the priest that makes atonement with it will have it. 8 And the priest that offers any man's burnt offering, that priest is to have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered. 9 And all of the food offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan, will be the priest's that offers it. 10 And every food offering, mixed with oil and dry, all the sons of Aaron are to have, one as much as another.

God provided food for the priests from the offerings of the people. It was evenly divided.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that will be brought near to the LORD. 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he is to offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil, of fine flour, fried. 13 Besides the cakes, he is to offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. 14 And from it he is to offer one out of every offering for a heave offering to the LORD, and it will be the priest's that sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings. 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving is to be eaten the same day that it is offered; he is not to leave any of it until the morning.

God deserves all our gratitude since life and breath and all things come from Him.
And above this He loves us so much that He died so that we sinful beings can dwell forever in infinite blessedness.

Acts 17:25…since he gives to all life, and breath, and all things;

16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a voluntary offering, it is to be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice: and on the next day the remainder of it can be eaten: 17 But on the third day the rest of the flesh of the sacrifice is to be burned with fire. 18 And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten at all on the third day, it will not be accepted, nor will he be accepted that offered it: it will be an abomination, and the soul that eats of it will bear his iniquity.

Christ took all our sin on Himself: there is nothing left over. Nothing was left unfinished by God.
Christ rose on the third day.
Each sacrifice is a picture of God saying to each of us—this is how very much I love you!
God’s sacrifice of His Son puts those who accept God’s gift in Christ.
Those who didn’t follow the instructions weren’t covered by the promised sacrifice of Christ.

19 And the flesh that touches any unclean thing is not to be eaten; it will be burned with fire: and as for the flesh, all that are clean may eat of it. 20 But the soul that eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul will be cut off from his people. 21 Moreover the soul that touches any unclean thing like the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which belong to the LORD, that soul will be cut off from his people.

We must not approach our holy Maker, the Sovereign of the Universe, unclean.
God provided for us the holiness that He requires.
God made it simple. No one has to die for his own sins.
But if the simple rules are not followed we suffer the consequence.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be holy; for I am holy.

22 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 23 Speak to the children of Israel saying, You are to eat no kind of fat, from ox, or from sheep, or from goat. 24 The fat of the beast that dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn by beasts may be used in any other use: but you are never to eat it. 25 For whoever eats the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, the soul that eats it will be cut off from his people. 26 Moreover you are to eat no kind of blood, whether it is from bird or from animal, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whatever soul it is that eats any kind of blood, that soul will be cut off from his people.

God forbid the eating of fat and blood.
The blood was the symbol of the covenant with God.
It showed His great love for us poured out on the cross by His holy Son, Jesus.
It was therefore sacred and not to be eaten.

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

28 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 29 Speak to the children of Israel saying, He that offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD is to bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 His own hands are to bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, he is to bring it so that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

31 And the priest will burn the fat on the altar: but the breast will be Aaron's and his sons. 32 You are to give the right shoulder to the priest for a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings. 33 He among the sons of Aaron that offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat, is to have the right shoulder for his part. 34 For I have taken the wave breast and the heave shoulder from the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons by a statute forever from among the children of Israel. 35 This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister to the LORD in the priest's office 36 that the LORD commanded to be given them from the children of Israel in the day that he anointed them by a statute forever throughout their generations. 37 This is the law of the burnt offering, the food offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the consecrations, and the sacrifice of the peace offerings 38 that the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to present their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.

Sinful man cannot enter God’s holy presence.
But God made a way.
The priest was the holy mediator.
He represented the people before God and he represented God to the people.
He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 8:6 But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

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SUMMARY: Leviticus 5-7

God's commands protect us
He atoned for our sins
He has forgiven
Touching Him makes us holy