1. Leviticus 2. If burnt offerings – blood sacrifices – were for taking away sin, for what purpose was the “grain” offering? This was a “thank-You” offering, given freely and in whatever amount desired. It was a sacrifice, also, for those who could not afford animal gifts. This sacrifice was not intended for forgiveness of sin, but merely to show one’s love for God and His people, the priests being the recipient of much of it.
2. Leviticus 3. What is meant by a “peace” offering?
Here was a way to express gratitude for, and prayers for more, prosperity, “peace”, fellowship with God. In these offerings, the one who offered could also partake of the offering, another symbol that the person was in proper relationship with god and man.
3. Leviticus 3:17. Why was Israel forbidden to eat certain fats?
- These portions of the animal, some of them desirable to the palate, were given as an offering to God. You may recall that Eli’s sons ( 1 Samuel 2:12-17) were taking the fattest portions of sacrifices offered, for themselves, instead of burning it before the Lord.
- Some of this fat was not the best for one’s health.
4. Leviticus 1 and 4. What is the difference between the “burnt” offering and the “sin” offering?
It would seem that chapter one is merely a summary for all animal sacrifices burnt before the Lord, whereas “sin” and “trespass” and other offerings are merely examples of burnt offerings.
5. Leviticus 4:35 and other places state that after these offerings are given, “a man’s sin “shall be forgiven him.” But what of Hebrews 10:4: “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ...” Would Moses tell them their sins were forgiven if they were not?
The participants in Jewish sacrifice did not understand that everything they were doing pointed to the Only Sacrifice that mattered. Moses himself did not understand all that was involved. But to promise them forgiveness was not in any way deceiving. Those whose hearts were pure before God during these rituals would indeed receive the forgiveness of Calvary that these gifts pictured.
- Leviticus 4 and 5. What is the difference between the “sin” and “trespass” offering?
One commentary puts it like this: “The sin offering of Leviticus 4 covers our evil nature, the heart's sin. The trespass offering of Leviticus 5 atones for the fruits of that evil nature, the acts that are actually performed.”
Not sure the text bears this out, though many seem to think it does. For me, the main clue is in 5:1. Up until then, there is community, or self, awareness of a wrong-doing. When it is discovered, an offering (sin) is given. But 5:1 seems to say that now this thing has come “to court” as it were. A public pronouncement has been made. There is no question of guilt, and “payment” is now required.
Even that summation does not do the question justice. There seems to be a lot of overlapping of these offerings, given at various stages of the life of the sin: first awareness to public judgment.
- Leviticus 7:30-32. What are “wave” and “heave” offerings?
Symbolic actions made by the priests can instruct us in our praise life, for praise is truly the sacrifice well-pleasing to Him now. Waving an offering from side to side symbolized the recognition of God as Ruler over all the Earth. Lifting the sacrifice up and down (heave) pictured the Lord as ruler over Heaven. The lifting of hands and waving them before the Lord in our day is nothing more than a carry-over from the days of sacrifice of animals and presenting them before the Lord.
- Leviticus 8:8. What is meant by “Urim” and “Thummim”?
The words mean “lights” and “perfections.” Revelation, and Truth.
Moses himself, by order of God, placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate of Aaron, the High Priest. They were thus, objects, perhaps precious stones, by which God spoke wisdom and direction to His people. Some speculate that they lit up by God’s anointing, others that they were cast as lots and answered yes/no questions given to them by the way they fell.
1 Samuel 14, in a story involving Saul and Jonathan, is one of the rare times when we see Urim and Thummim being used in Israel. It is alluded to in other places, but a mystery remains about what it actually was.
For sure it was one of several ways God communicated His will to His chosen people.
- Leviticus 10:6. Why was it improper to mourn when God’s judgment fell?
God’s people must line up with God’s thinking, not the other way around. When God, whose heart and character are Mercy, finally says, Enough! , God’s people must also stop being merciful.
Consider Samuel’s grieving over Saul, but God’s intervening message to his prophet: I’ve chosen someone else!
Consider the Canaanites, given centuries to repent of their wickedness, then scheduled for annihilation at the hands of Israel when their cup was full.
Consider the very presence of the Lake of Fire where wickedness will be punished for ever and ever.
Look at the destruction of Babylon in Revelation 18, and the mourning world. But look at the next chapter, and the joy that is in Heaven over the same destruction: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God… for He has judged the great Harlot!
Be sorry when God is being sorry in His great mercy and love for humanity. But when God finally judges, rejoice!
- Leviticus 11:3. Why the food regulation concerning animals that chew their cud and have divided hooves?
There is much science behind this regulation. Suffice it to say here that God has good health in mind for His people. His rules are not arbitrary or whimsical. He wants us to eat properly, and thus none of the diseases that fall on the world will fall on us. Though Christians like to boast that they are not under the law, not under rules and regulations, they would do well to examine God’s way of thinking and understand that a way that is better than the world’s way has been laid out for them.
- Leviticus 18:28. What effect does sexual perversion have on a nation?
It gives the nation a spiritual indigestion that eventually results in its being vomited out. Nations that forget God are exterminated by the One Who initially put them in place and gave them a location all their own.
- Leviticus 19:19. Why the rules about mixtures?
There seems to be a practical and a spiritual application in all these regulations. For example, “the observations and researches of modern science have proved that ‘ wool, when combined with linen, increases its power of passing off the electricity from the body. In hot climates, it brings on malignant fevers and exhausts the strength; and when passing off from the body, it meets with the heated air, inflames and excoriates like a blister’ " [Whitlaw, quoted by Jamiesson-Faucett-Brown commentary]
But the principle, whether in animals, grains, fibers, is the same: Mixtures are generally not good. And as is the natural, so the spiritual. Rome is a perfect example of the mixture of perfect truth with perfect falsehood. Many Protestant groups have mixed in to God’s perfection, greater or lesser amounts of the Enemy’s ingredients. Judgment Day will tell all.
Individually, God wants His people to hear His Voice and His alone. Yielding to the siren calls of this world will yield a doublemindedness that is always displeasing to God. Keep thyself pure! Is God’s wish for His people.
- Leviticus 20. What does it mean to give one’s descendants to Molech?
Barnes: Molech was literally, "the King", called also Moloch, Milcom, and Malcham, known in later times as "the abomination of the Ammonites" 1 Kings 11:5. He appears to have been the fire-god of the eastern nations; related to, and sometimes made identical with, Baal, the sun-god.
Gill: “the Phoenicians or Canaanites, whose customs the Israelites were in danger of imitating, and therefore cautioned against, did sacrifice human creatures, and these the dearest to them, even their beloved and only begotten children, to Saturn… [and] Molech, or the sun:”
- Leviticus 21:21. Why could no one with a defect, offer offerings to God? What is the implication for today’s priesthood?
Physical deformity of any sort could take away attention from the Sacrifice and give it to the sacrificer. There is some carry-over into the Christian ministry, but we all know of blind or crippled preachers whose lives and messages have been overwhelmingly helpful.
The true priesthood of God today is the spiritual one, made up of those filled with the Spirit of God. These who stand before God in praise and intercession must be first cleansed by the blood and Spirit of Jesus. Imperfection in the spiritual realm will cause all ministering to be superfluous and vain.
- Leviticus 27. Why the different monetary values on males and females?
This passage deals with vows given to the Lord for some physical service to the Lord. It was assumed that men are stronger than women and could therefore carry out the vow more readily. Thus they would be more “valuable” to the one being served. This is not about inherent worth of the soul or any such thing.
Women today do not like to think of themselves as the “weaker” gender any longer. But they, as a class, still are. Nothing has changed in our biological make-up.
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