Leviticus 1:1-2 - Homiletics

The sacrificial system.

The religion of Israel, as exhibited to us in the Law, bears at first sight a strange appearance, unlike what we should have expected. We read in it very little about a future life, and not much about repentance, faith, and prayer, but we find commanded an elaborate system of sacrifices, based upon a practice almost coeval with the Fall.

I. SACRIFICE WAS USED IN ANTE - MOSAIC DAYS AS A MEANS OF APPROACH TO GOD . "In process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof" ( Genesis 4:4 ). The covenant with Noah was made by sacrifice: "And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour.… And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you" ( Genesis 8:20 , Genesis 8:21 ; Genesis 9:8 , Genesis 9:9 ). When Abraham first entered Canaan, he "builded an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him" ( Genesis 12:7 ), as the means of communicating with him. At his next halting-place, "he builded an altar unto the Lord," as the means of "calling upon the name of the Lord" ( Genesis 12:8 ; Genesis 13:4 ). On removing to Hebron, again he "built there an altar unto the Lord" ( Genesis 13:18 ). The covenant with Abraham was made by sacrifice ( Genesis 15:9 ); and at Jehovah-jireh, Abraham "offered a ram for a burnt offering in the stead of his son" ( Genesis 22:13 ). At Beer-sheba Isaac "builded an altar and called upon the name of the Lord" ( Genesis 26:25 ). At Shalem Jacob "erected an altar and called it El-elohe-Israel" ( Genesis 33:20 ). At Beth-el he "built an altar and called the place El-beth-el" ( Genesis 35:7 ). At Beer-sheba he "offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac" ( Genesis 46:1 ). During the sojourn in Egypt it is probable that the practice of sacrifice was discontinued through fear of giving offense to the religious feelings of the Egyptians ( Exodus 8:26 ); but the idea of sacrifice being the appointed means of serving God was preserved ( Exodus 5:3 ; Exodus 8:27 ). Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel took part in a sacrificial meal with Jethro in the wilderness ( Exodus 18:12 ). And the covenant made at Sinai was ratified by burnt offerings and peace offerings ( Exodus 24:5 ). Indeed, the Book of Psalms declares the method of entering into covenant with God to be "by sacrifice." "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice" ( Psalms 1:5 ). The Christian covenant was thus ratified ( Hebrews 9:15 ), as well as the covenants of Noah, Abraham, and Moses:

II. THERE ARE THREE CLASSES OF SACRIFICES UNDER THE MOSAIC DISPENSATION , ESSENTIALLY DIFFERING IN CHARACTER —

Burnt offerings;

Peace offerings;

Sin offerings;

beside Meat offerings, ordinarily attached to the burnt offerings, and Trespass offerings, a species of sin offering.

III. WHAT WAS THEIR MEANING .

1 . In general, they served, as before, as a means of reconciliation between God and man, as a means of access for man to God. This purpose they fulfilled to all humble-minded men, whether their full meaning was understood or no. To the more spiritually minded they were also a means of instruction in sacred mysteries to be revealed hereafter.

2. Specifically, they each taught their own lesson and brought about, symbolically and ceremonially, each their own effect.

The sin offering taught the need of, and symbolically effected, the propitiation of God's anger and the expiation of man's sin.

The burnt offering taught the lesson of self-surrender, and symbolically effected the surrender of the offerer to God.

The peace offering taught the lesson of the necessity and joyousness of communion between God and man, and symbolically represented that communion as existing between the offerer and God.

IV. WHENCE THEY DERIVED THEIR EFFICACY . Their efficacy was derived from representing and foreshadowing the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the sin offering typifying the propitiation and expiation once for all there wrought, the burnt offering the perfect self-surrender of the sinless sufferer, the peace offering the reconciliation thereby effected and continued between God and his people.