In this next section God gives Moses instructions for the priests as to how they are to administer the five types of offerings, burnt, grain, peace, sin, and trespass.
Leviticus 6:8 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 The priest shall put on his linen garment, and he shall put on his linen trousers upon his body; and he shall remove the ashes from where the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 He shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning. He shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
The first thing to understand is that it was God, himself, that lit the fire on the altar, Leviticus 9:24, with holy fire from heaven. It was the responsibility of the priests to keep the fires on the altar perpetually burning. For the worshipper bringing his offering to the Lord, the divine fire represented God’s eternal presence with his people. And as the repentant sinner watched his sacrifice consumed on the altar he understood in a visual way that his confession and petitions were ascending to God. God had heard his prayers.
Of course, the Old Covenant picture of fire descending from heaven representing God’s perpetual presence with his people foreshadowed Christ’s promise to send the Holy Spirit to everyone in all the nations of the world who repented and trusted in the sacrifice of Christ, the blood of the Lamb, Revelation 12:11, in the New Covenant.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them…Each heard their own language being spoken. Acts 2:1-4,6
Though the people in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost were from many nations around the world each heard the Gospel preached in their own language.
If you remember, after the flood in the time of Noah, God commanded Noah and his sons to, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” Genesis 9:1 However, rather than being obedient they said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we can make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4
Rather than destroying disobedient mankind for their presumptive arrogance God miraculously gave each family line, Genesis 10, a different language making it impossible for their building project to continue. In speaking different languages they sounded like they were babbling to each other, thus the enduring name indicating confusion, the tower of Babel. And so began the migrations described in Genesis 10 with each language group setting off to settle the earth.
God’s plan to divide mankind by language and nation was his way of preserving mankind until the coming of the Messiah. God knew “every inclination of the heart is evil…” Genesis 6:5, and God knew that if as one people speaking the same language… nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Genesis 11:6
For this reason, throughout the Old Covenant God revealed his plan of rescue and redemption through one nation, Israel, his kingdom of priests. Exodus 19:6 But with the coming of the Messiah, the Lamb of God, Christ made it possible for all nations to return to God, teaching, “go make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19. So at Pentecost the Promise to the nations is fulfilled. Everyone heard the mystery of God’s plan explained in their own language. As Peter taught the new believers, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…you were not a people but now you are the people of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10
In fact, this is why Christians are called the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19, because the Spirit no longer dwells in the temple, but dwells within all who believe. Through Christ, the scattered nations can once again be united within the Church. There is no longer Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free; but Christ is in all. Colossians 3:11
And just as the Old Covenant priests were under strict instructions to keep the holy fire burning, Christians are admonished, Do not quench the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25. God is now constantly with Christians and we are expected to live accordingly displaying in our lives the Spirit’s fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
Leviticus 6:14 “‘This is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before Yahweh, before the altar. 15 He shall take from there his handful of the fine flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the grain offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma, as its memorial portion, to Yahweh. 16 That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 17 It shall not be baked with yeast. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire. It is most holy, as are the sin offering and the trespass offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as their portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy.’”
19 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 20 “This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer to Yahweh in the day when he is anointed: one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil in a griddle. When it is soaked, you shall bring it in. You shall offer the grain offering in baked pieces for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 22 The anointed priest that will be in his place from among his sons shall offer it. By a statute forever, it shall be wholly burned to Yahweh. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”
24 Yahweh 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 shall be killed before Yahweh. It is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 27 Whatever shall touch its flesh shall be holy. When there is any of its blood sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled in a holy place. 28 But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy. 30 No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire.
Leviticus 7:1 “‘This is the law of the trespass offering: It is most holy. 2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering, he shall kill the trespass offering; and its blood he shall sprinkle around on the altar. 3 He shall offer all of its fat: the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards, 4 and he shall take away the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys; 5 and the priest shall burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to Yahweh: it is a trespass offering. 6 Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
7 “‘As is the sin offering, so is the trespass offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with them shall have it. 8 The priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered. 9 Every meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is prepared in the pan and on the griddle, shall be the priest’s who offers it. 10 Every meal offering, mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as another.
11 “‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to Yahweh: 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil. 13 He shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving with cakes of leavened bread. 14 Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to Yahweh. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings. 15 The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.
16 “‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a free will offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it shall be eaten, 17 but what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire. 18 If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it shall not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
19 “‘The meat that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. As for the meat, everyone who is clean may eat it; 20 but the soul who eats of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings that belongs to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from his people. 21 When anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to Yahweh, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat. 24 The fat of that which dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of animals, may be used for any other service, but you shall in no way eat of it. 25 For whoever eats the fat of the animal which men offer as an offering made by fire to Yahweh, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people. 26 You shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or of animal, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whoever it is who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
28 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 29 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to Yahweh shall bring his offering to Yahweh out of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 With his own hands he shall bring the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before Yahweh. 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. 32 The right thigh you shall give to the priest for a heave offering out of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. 33 He among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion. 34 For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.’”
35 This is the consecrated portion of Aaron, and the consecrated portion of his sons, out of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister to Yahweh in the priest’s office; 36 which Yahweh commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion forever throughout their generations. 37 This is the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecration, and the sacrifice of peace offerings 38 which Yahweh commanded Moses in Mount Sinai in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai.
As we have seen, God carefully designed the Old Covenant ceremonial sacrifices to serve as pictures that would find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As Christ explained to his disciples:
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27
Just as Christ explained how the Old Covenant sacrifices pointed to him, the disciples, in turn, in writing the Gospels, Epistles, and letters of the New Testament have left us a record of Christ’s teachings so that we could understand how he perfectly fulfilled all of the Scriptures. God had planned out our salvation from the very foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4. And the mysteries of that plan have been unfolded for us to understand throughout the pages of the Scriptures.
Another valuable lesson that we can learn from God’s careful attention to detail in the five prescribed sacrifices is that because we are vile sinners in our thoughts, words, and deeds, we must approach God with reverence and awe. Let us offer God acceptable worship with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29. It is becoming commonplace in many of our churches to approach God casually. Rather than approaching God in reverence and awe we instead come to worship unrepentant, proud, distracted, and unprepared. In fact, spontaneity, as opposed to preparation, has become associated with true spirituality.
However, we would do well to remember Christ taught that God is to be worshipped in both Spirit and in truth. God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. John 4:24. When the Corinthian church confused spontaneity with spirituality, their worship services were an affront to God, devolving into confusion and disorder. The Apostle Paul wrote to them admonishing them to help get them back on track. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33
What is the role of the Spirit in worship?
First, the Spirit reveals to us our sin, John 16:8, making it possible for us to come to God confessing our sins. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me. Psalm 66:18
Second, the Spirit helps believers to understand the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10
Third, the Spirit enables us to worship God with rejoicing. Acts 2:46-47
No congregation is likely to worship our Holy God in a worthy manner without careful direction by a well-instructed minister. (G.J.Wenham, The Book of Leviticus, Eerdmans)