The BOOK – Atonement Offerings

In the book of Exodus we see how God gave instruction to Moses to build the tabernacle. We can also see Moses walking with God and getting glory in God’s presence. In Leviticus God is continuing to give laws and commands to observe and obey. One of them is keeping the body holy as well as soul. We can find lessons of hygiene and sanitation for the care of the body. This book deals with the service of Levites and the Priests.

With respect to the second verse we can believe that God expects each person to listen to it and obey. This book tells us about five offerings such as Burnt offering, Grain offering, Fellowship offering, Sin offering and Guilt offering. It also tells us about eight feasts – Sabbath, Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, Sabbath Year and Jubilee. As this book is called the Book of Atonement, it reveals God’s picture pointing forward to the work of Jesus Christ.

When you check the book of Leviticus from Chapter 1 to 6, we see how an unholy person can approach a Holy God? It shows, the way to God is sacrifice and the walk with God is by separation. All people believe that sin separates them from their God. Unbelievers nowadays also do sacrifices to their Gods to come out of sins. But in this book all the sacrifices mentioned points to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29). Sin may be forgiven, but it must receive its penalty and the penalty of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). You cannot have fellowship with God until your sins are forgiven. (Hebrews 9:22). In this book, five offerings are mentioned here to sacrifice each day.

Burnt Offering: This is the first offering to be done. This can be termed as an offering of Dedication. This was the most common sacrifice in the ancient temple. We can see how the preparations are to be done and how the sacrifice needs to be done. This symbolizes Christ offering himself without spot to God. Dedication is our part and Consecration is God’s part. We dedicate ourselves to God and he consecrated us to his service.

Grain Offering: As the burnt offering typifies Christ in death, grain offering typifies Christ in life. Fine flour speaks about Christ’s perfection in thought, in word and in action. We must come with burnt offering and then grain offering. We must dedicate our self to God and have the same thought, word and action as of Christ in having a fellowship with God.

Fellowship Offering: This thanksgiving offering represents fellowship and communion with

God. While reading this, think about Christ who is our peace, who reconciled all things to himself by making peace through his blood. Because of Christ we have peace with God.

Sin Offering: In the other offerings the offerer comes as a worshipper, but here as a convicted sinner. In this offering we see an acknowledgement of sin. God has accepted the one offering of his son, which every lesser offering typified. In unbelievers, worshipers bring sacrifices to their god; Christians accept the sacrifice from the God.

Guilt Offering: The blood of guilt offering cleanses the conscience and the injurer is forgiven and the injured becomes a gainer. 

The bullocks, oxen, goats, sheep, turtle, doves and pigeons are mentioned for sacrifices. None of these sacrifices forgave sin. They only pointed forward to the true sacrifice of God’s very own sons.

Here what we bring is our sin and what Christ brings is the offering and the atonement for the sin. 

Some people may find it tough to understand these offerings. These are some theological meanings on how Jesus gave his life for us. We are sinners by birth and we do sins in our daily life. Not only had us, Israelites also done the same. Since we are humans, we sin. But God is holy and with the sin we cannot talk with God. In simple words, if you are a sinner, the prayers you pray will not be listened by God. So for taking out that separation between God and sinners, God gave these sacrifices and offerings to Israel. But all these are temporary way of salvation. So God himself came as man, lived a holy life, and died for not his sins, but for our sins so that we can be saved. 

Now since Christ became our sacrifice and offering, we no need to do any other sacrifice. Christ’s death was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We need to accept Christ as our saviour, repent of our sins and directly come before God and our prayers will be listened by God.

I pray that you understand the real sacrifice of Christ Jesus for your sin, accept him, and repent of your sins and live a testimonial life.