Plymothian

Sometimes it is hard to carry on.  When so many circumstances seem harsh and undeserved, it is hard to minister.  It is hard to serve others.  Aaron lost his sons to God because they got the details wrong.  It seems that Nadab and Abihu didn’t follow the instructions that God had prescribed.  They had come before God, they had offered fire – but it wasn’t quite right.  So they died.  The remarkable thing is that Aaron is not allowed to mourn.  He has to carry on serving the LORD as if nothing had happened.  Sometimes ministering to others is hard.  Sometimes it is hard to carry on.

Leviticus 10

¹ Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. ² So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. ³ Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said:
       ” ‘Among those who approach me
       I will show myself holy;
       in the sight of all the people
       I will be honored.’ ”
      Aaron remained silent.

 ⁴ Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.” ⁵ So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

 ⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt, ^[a] and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire. ⁷ Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting or you will die, because the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

 ⁸ Then the LORD said to Aaron, ⁹ “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. ¹⁰ You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, ¹¹ and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses.”

 ¹² Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the offerings made to the LORD by fire and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy. ¹³ Eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire; for so I have been commanded. ¹⁴ But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. ^{[b] 15} The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire, to be waved before the LORD as a wave offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”

 ¹⁶ When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the LORD. ¹⁸ Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”

 ¹⁹ Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the LORD have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Questions

1. What word describes Nadab and Abihu’s fire?
2. What does Moses say to Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithmar?
3. What should not be consumed before going into the tent?
4. How does God show his holiness in this passage?
5. Do you ever get casual or disengaged in following God?

When I was eighteen I was comissioned by the elders of my church in England and sent as a missionary to Pakistan.  I remember being set apart for the work by kneeling at the front of the church.  The elders stood behind me and layed their hands on my shoulders.  Out of kind regard, my relatives came to the service and thought the whole thing quite strange.  In the passage Moses holds a special ceremony setting apart the sons of Aaron for priesthood.  It shows that God’s servants are distinct.  However, with the coming of Christ, all believers have become priests.  we are all set apart for a special work God has in store for us to do.

Leviticus 8

 ¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, ³ and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” ⁴ Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

 ⁵ Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.” ⁶ Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. ⁷ He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him. ⁸ He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. ⁹ Then he placed the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 ¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. ¹¹ He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. ¹² He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him. ¹³ Then he brought Aaron’s sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 ¹⁴ He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. ¹⁵ Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it. ¹⁶ Moses also took all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. ¹⁷ But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 ¹⁸ He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. ¹⁹ Then Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood against the altar on all sides. ²⁰ He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. ²¹ He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 ²² He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. ²³ Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁴ Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. ²⁵ He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. ²⁶ Then from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the LORD, he took a cake of bread, and one made with oil, and a wafer; he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. ²⁷ He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering. ²⁸ Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. ²⁹ He also took the breast—Moses’ share of the ordination ram—and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 ³⁰ Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.

 ³¹ Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ^[a] ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ ³² Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. ³³ Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. ³⁴ What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. ³⁵ You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the LORD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.” ³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD commanded through Moses.

Questions

1. Who was Moses to take?
2. What clothing did Moses place on Aaron and his sons?
3. What did Aaron and his sons lay their hands on?  What happened to that thing?
4. Who was commissioned for particular work in the New Testament?
5. Do you see yourself as a priest in the same way as your pastor is a priest?  Why?  Why not?

A couple of things struck me from this reading.  Firstly, God’s workers receive a cut.  In effect a minister of God deserves pay for looking after the LORD’s work.  Secondly, the gift is made from a thankful heart.  When we are aware of all that the LORD has given we give back.  It is also interesting that the person giving the sacrifice does so in a way that God dictates.  In other words, God decides how he will use what we bring to him from our thankful hearts.

Leviticus 7:11-38

¹¹ ” ‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering ^[a] a person may present to the LORD :

 ¹² ” ‘If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well-kneaded and mixed with oil. ¹³ Along with his fellowship offering of thanksgiving he is to present an offering with cakes of bread made with yeast. ¹⁴ He is to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the LORD; it belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. ¹⁵ The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning.

 ¹⁶ ” ‘If, however, his offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day he offers it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day. ¹⁷ Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up. ¹⁸ If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who offered it, for it is impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.

 ¹⁹ ” ‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. ²⁰ But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. ²¹ If anyone touches something unclean—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean, detestable thing—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.’ “

 ²² The LORD said to Moses, ²³ “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. ²⁴ The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. ²⁵ Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be ^[b] made to the LORD must be cut off from his people. ²⁶ And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. ²⁷ If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’ ”

 ²⁸ The LORD said to Moses, ²⁹ “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the LORD is to bring part of it as his sacrifice to the LORD. ³⁰ With his own hands he is to bring the offering made to the LORD by fire; he is to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the LORD as a wave offering. ³¹ The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. ³² You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution. ³³ The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. ³⁴ From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.’ ”

 ³⁵ This is the portion of the offerings made to the LORD by fire that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests. ³⁶ On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their regular share for the generations to come.

 ³⁷ These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering, ³⁸ which the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the Desert of Sinai.

Questions

1. What kind of offering is central to this passage?
2. After how many days must the left overs be disposed of?
3. What must not be eaten?
4. When would Israelite people be thankful?
5. How do you sacrifice out of gratitude?

The olympics will begin soon.  A symbol of the olympics is the flame that is carried from town to town around the world and then burns continuously in some prominent place.  The Israelites received fire from the LORD.  He lit their altar and then it was the duty of the priests to keep this flame burning.  The flame was a symbol of God’s holiness.  It also foreshadows the work of Jesus.  By the fire the meat offered by people was transformed into the smoke which rose to God.  By Jesus the sinful lives that we live are transformed into lives that are holy and presentable to God.

Leviticus 6:8 – 7:10

⁸ The LORD said to Moses: ⁹ “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. ¹⁰ The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. ¹¹ Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. ¹² The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings ^[a] on it. ¹³ The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

 ¹⁴ ” ‘These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar. ¹⁵ The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ¹⁶ Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁷ It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. ¹⁸ Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy. ^[b] ‘ ”

 ¹⁹ The LORD also said to Moses, ²⁰ “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the LORD on the day he ^[c] is anointed: a tenth of an ephah ^[d] of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹ Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken ^[e] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ²² The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the LORD’s regular share and is to be burned completely. ²³ Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

 ²⁴ The LORD said to Moses, ²⁵ “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. ²⁶ The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. ²⁷ Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. ²⁸ The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. ²⁹ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it; it is most holy. ³⁰ But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned.

¹ ” ‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: ² The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides. ³ All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts, ⁴ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. ⁵ The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is a guilt offering. ⁶ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.

 ⁷ ” ‘The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them. ⁸ The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide for himself. ⁹ Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who offers it, ¹⁰ and every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

⁸ The LORD said to Moses: ⁹ “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. ¹⁰ The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. ¹¹ Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. ¹² The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings ^[a] on it. ¹³ The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

 ¹⁴ ” ‘These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar. ¹⁵ The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ¹⁶ Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁷ It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. ¹⁸ Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy. ^[b] ‘ ”

 ¹⁹ The LORD also said to Moses, ²⁰ “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the LORD on the day he ^[c] is anointed: a tenth of an ephah ^[d] of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹ Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken ^[e] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ²² The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the LORD’s regular share and is to be burned completely. ²³ Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

 ²⁴ The LORD said to Moses, ²⁵ “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. ²⁶ The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. ²⁷ Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. ²⁸ The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water. ²⁹ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it; it is most holy. ³⁰ But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned. 

Questions:

1. How long is the burnt offering to be on the altar?
2. What is to happen to the grain offering for the priests?
3. Why couldn’t the priests keep a portion of their own grain offering to eat?
4. Why do you think the flame is to be kept burning 24/7?
5. How do you live as a continuous sacrifice to God?

Tonight we talked about justice and how it is worked through in the Bible.  Some things, like murder, you can not make right.  Other things you can.  Leviticus 6 starts with a list of crimes that can be made right.  Some value can be given to the material loss of the victim.  On top of that the guilty party must give a fee that shows the debt is more than what was lost.

Leviticus 6: 1-7

¹ The LORD said to Moses: ² “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, ³ or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- ⁴ when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, ⁵ or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. ⁶ And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. ⁷ In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty.”

Questions

1. When someone sins, who do they break faith with?
2. What examples of sin can a person make up for?
3. What must a person give to make up for their offence?
4. How is God also repayed for the sin?
5. Have you given more than the minimum when you realise that you have done someone wrong?

“My mother blames me for things I don’t do!”

“That sounds terrible!”

“I don’t do the dishes!  I don’t take out the garbage!  I don’t tidy my room!”

Leviticus 5 focuses on the sin taht someone commits by just standing by.  james tells us that the one who knows what he should do and does not do it sins” (James 4:17).  We sometimes think that we can stand idly by when others suffer.  However, when something goes wrong we must act if we can.  At this time Haiti is in dire need.  They just had an aftershock that registered as a 6 on the scale.  My wife and I have made ourselves available to care for orphans.  What can you do?

Leviticus 5

 ¹ ” ‘If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.

 ² ” ‘Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean—whether the carcasses of unclean wild animals or of unclean livestock or of unclean creatures that move along the ground—even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.

 ³ ” ‘Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything that would make him unclean—even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.

 ⁴ ” ‘Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil—in any matter one might carelessly swear about—even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty.

 ⁵ ” ‘When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned ⁶ and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

 ⁷ ” ‘If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for his sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. ⁸ He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not severing it completely, ⁹ and is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

 ¹¹ ” ‘If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah ^[c] of fine flour for a sin offering. He must not put oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. ¹² He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. It is a sin offering. ¹³ In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.’ “

Questions

1. What does the person omit to do in verse 1?
2. What might a person have touched in verse three?
3. How do the sacrifices descend in price?
4. How do people become aware of faults they have not noticed before?
5. How have you made amends for wrong that you committed without knowing?

Sometimes we think that if we do something unintentionally it isn’t our fault.  This chapter shows that even if my conscience is clear, it does not mean that I am innocent.  It is the LORD who judges me.  in my lack of awareness I act in ways that transgress God’s laws.  God has designed the world to function in distinct ways.  When the world does not function that way things need to be put right. 

Leviticus 4

 ¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands-

 ³ ” ‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. ⁴ He is to present the bull at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD. ⁵ Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the Tent of Meeting. ⁶ He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. ⁷ The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁸ He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, ⁹ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys- ¹⁰ just as the fat is removed from the ox ^[a] sacrificed as a fellowship offering. ^[b] Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. ¹¹ But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the inner parts and offal- ¹² that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap.

 ¹³ ” ‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty. ¹⁴ When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁵ The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD. ¹⁶ Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁷ He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain. ¹⁸ He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁹ He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar, ²⁰ and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. ²¹ Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.

 ²² ” ‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty. ²³ When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. ²⁴ He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering. ²⁵ Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ²⁶ He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.

 ²⁷ ” ‘If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, he is guilty. ²⁸ When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. ²⁹ He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. ³⁰ Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ³¹ He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

 ³² ” ‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he is to bring a female without defect. ³³ He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. ³⁴ Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ³⁵ He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

Questions

1. In what manner does the sinner sin in this passage?
2. What part of the altar is the blood put on?
3. What categories of people are covered in this chapter as they sin?
4. How was Jesus raised up to forgive uniintentional sin?
5. How do you find out that you sin unintentionally?

Yummy.  Great tasting cakes.  because Leviticus 2 involves flour and salt, it reminds me even more of putting together a great recipe.  Remember that in effect God says, “Yes, I will be present at dinner.  However, just to remember what a special guest I am, here is the recipe for what I will eat.”  It is only under these conditions that God will descend and be present with the people of Israel.  When it was shown that mankind can not fulfil God’s righteous requirements, jesus came and fulfilled them all.

Leviticus 2

¹ ” ‘When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it ² and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ³ The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.

 ⁴ ” ‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of fine flour: cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil, or ^[a] wafers made without yeast and spread with oil. ⁵ If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. ⁶ Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. ⁷ If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of fine flour and oil. ⁸ Bring the grain offering made of these things to the LORD; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. ⁹ He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ¹⁰ The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.

 ¹¹ ” ‘Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in an offering made to the LORD by fire. ¹² You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. ¹³ Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

 ¹⁴ ” ‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. ¹⁵ Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as an offering made to the LORD by fire.

Questions

1. What is taken to Aaron’s sons in this passage?
2. What are the two main components of the grain offering?
3. What is added?
4. What is not added?
5. How would you feel if someone went through all of this effort to prepare a meal for you?
6. Why should we long to prepare ourselves for God as living sacrifices?
7. How have you sacrificed yourself this week?

Going Deeper

Read the beginning of Romans 12.  How are you to become the sacrifice?