Laws: Sacrificial Offerings

Instructions to the people about giving sacrificial offerings

1:1-2

• God speaks to Moses from the tabernacle [while the Israelites were at Sinai, see 7:37-38], saying,
• ‘Sacrificial animals must only be taken from a herd [of cattle] or flock [of sheep or goats]’

1:3-17

Burnt Offerings:

• How to correctly sacrifice the animals or birds (doves or young pigeons)

ch. 2

Grain Offerings:

• How to offer flour, bread & firstfruits of grain:

i. burn them with oil & incense;

ii. do not add yeast nor honey [with fermenting properties];

iii. always add salt [with preserving properties] as a sign of God’s covenant [which will last forever, e.g. cf. 2 Chron 13:5]

ch. 3

Peace [Fellowship] Offerings:

• Blood must be sprinkled on the altar & fat portions burnt on the altar to God
  • v17, Law: The Israelites must never eat fat nor blood [cf. 17:10-14]

4:1 – 5:13

Sin Offerings:

• Give sin offerings based upon:

i. ch. 4, who committed the sin;

ii. 5:1-6, what sin was committed;

iii. 5:7-13, how much the sinner can afford to give as an offering

5:14 – 6:7

Guilt [Trespass] Offerings:

• If you have:

i. EITHER (5:14-19) sinned against holy things [e.g. cf. 22:1-16];

ii. OR (6:1-7) inflicted a loss on a fellow Israelite:

• THEN, make compensation & give an offering

Instructions to the priests about making sacrificial offerings

6:8-13

Burnt Offerings:

• Altar ashes must be removed correctly; the fire must burn continuously

6:14-18

Grain Offerings:

• A handful of flour must be burnt, the remainder is food for the priests

6:19-23

The [High Priest’s] Ordination Offering:

• A flour pancake must be fully burnt & not eaten

6:24-30

Sin Offerings:

• These are holy & are eaten by priests [e.g. sacrifice in 4:24-25]
• But sacrifices where blood is sprinkled in the Holy Place must never be eaten [e.g. sacrifice in 4:4-12]

7:1-7

Guilt Offerings:

• Sprinkle the blood, burn the fat portions, & let priests eat the meat

7:8-10

• Priests receive from offerings: [leather] hides; AND baked [bread] & oily or dry [corn & flour]

7:11-34

Peace Offerings:

• Priests receive a loaf of bread
• Rules are given about eating the holy [sacrificial animal] meat
• Do not eat fat nor blood
• Priests receive breast & thigh meat

7:35-38 Recap:

• These offerings [in chs. 1–7] are to be brought to Aaron & sons after their ordination

History: The priesthood begins

Days #1–7: Ordination of the priests

ch. 8

• Moses ordains Aaron & sons [cf. Ex 29:1-35, 30:30, 40:12-15];
  • v10-11, He also anoints the tabernacle & altar [cf. Ex 30:25-29, 40:9-11];
  • v14-15, He also consecrates the altar [cf. Ex 29:36-37]

Day #8: Services begin but two of Aaron’s sons die

9:1-21

• Aaron makes offerings to atone for himself, then further offerings to atone for the people

9:22-24

• Aaron & Moses bless the people;
• God reveals His glory & sends fire on the sacrifice-altar

10:1-5

• Nadab & Abihu burn unauthorised incense offerings; God sends fire & they die

[Possibilities:

  i. Were they drunk? (cf. 10:9);

 ii. Were they using wrong coals? (16:12);

iii. Was it bad timing? (16:1-2, Ex 30:7-8);

 iv. Was it bad incense? (Ex 30:9)]

10:6-7

• Moses warns Aaron not to visibly grieve: he must stay holy while anointing oil is on him

10:8-11

• Moses warns Aaron, ‘Never drink alcohol when entering the tabernacle or you will die!’

10:12-20

• Moses says, ‘Eat the offerings!’ Instead the meat is burnt up because Aaron refuses to eat

Laws: The Ritually ‘Clean’ and ‘Unclean’

ch. 11

Animals:

• Some land-animals, sea-creatures, birds & insects must be avoided as ‘unclean’
  • (11:44-45) Reason #1: God’s people must be holy (& avoid ‘unclean’ animals) because God is holy

ch. 12

Childbirth:

• After childbirth, a mother must give offerings to become [ritually] ‘clean’

13:1-46

Skin Diseases #1:

• A priest must determine if a skin blemish is [ritually] ‘clean’ or ‘unclean’

13:47-59

Mildew #1:

• Mildew [or mould] is ‘unclean’; affected clothing must be burnt or ‘cleansed’

14:1-32

Skin Diseases #2:

• Having become healthy, a person must give offerings to become ‘clean’

14:33-57

Mildew #2:

• Affected houses must be ‘cleansed’ with repairs & offerings, or be destroyed

ch. 15

Bodily Discharges:

• Affected people & objects must be ‘cleansed’ with water (or offerings)
  • (15:31) Reason #2: The people will die if they defile God’s tabernacle (cf. 10:1-3)

Gen / Ex / LEV / Num / Deut