Intro to Sacrifices & Offerings || Leviticus 1:1-2 || A Year in Leviticus #1

Welcome to the next line of devotionals called “A Year in Leviticus!” We’re going to slow things down in 2025 and spend the year in the book of Leviticus. We are going to dive into less than 10 verses every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this year to discuss this highly debated book. The goal is to understand its historical context and see how we can apply its teaching today.

Today, we’re focusing on Leviticus 1:1-2. I’ll introduce the laws and procedures for the burnt offerings.  

Leviticus 1:1-2

NASB	NLT	VOICE
1 Now the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,	1 The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him,	1 The Eternal One called Moses and addressed him from the congregation
2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock from the herd or the flock.	2 “Give the following instruction to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the Lord, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats.	2 ETERNAL ONE: Moses, I want you to go talk with the Israelites and tell them how to perform ritual offerings: Any time one of you brings an offering to Me, you must bring the offering from the animal of either the herd or the flock.

Step 1 of the burnt offering: when anyone brings an offering to God and present it, you can take it from the herd or the flock as stated in Leviticus.

This is truly the time to ask the question: “Why do these rituals that we don’t practice in modern Christianity today mean to me?” These practices were common and rational to the audience of Leviticus. For us, they offer important insights for us into God’s nature and character. Sin must be taken seriously. If you’re unsure what sin is, it’s best described as missing the mark of living a godly life.

Animal sacrifice seems outdated, repulsive, and obviously inhumane for us today. They were practiced in many cultures in the ancient Middle East. God used the burnt offering, and related forms of sacrifice, to teach his chosen people about their own sin and holiness. When people saw the sacrificial animals being killed, they were sensitized to the gravity of what their sin and guilt represented. They associated the severity of the sacrifice to the severity of their actions that led to the sacrifice.

Our Christian culture today can have a casual attitude towards sin, ignoring its severity and the need for repentance and restoration of the relationship with God. The rituals found in Leviticus were designed for the culture of the day, and the purpose behind them was to show a holy God that should be loved, obeyed, and worshipped. The laws and sacrifices were intended to foster true devotion in one’s heart. They were designed to create the foundation of the relationship to serve the one true God. They were designed to showcase what the response should look like with following the teachings of the one true God. These ceremonies and rituals were the best way at the time for God’s chosen people to focus their lives on God.

Was there any difference between what’s considered a sacrifice and what’s considered an offering? In Leviticus, these words are used interchangeably. Typically, a specific sacrifice is referred to as an offering. Offerings in general are called sacrifice. The overall point is that each person offered a gift to by sacrificing it on the altar. Still confused? It’s okay. That’s why we are doing this series. In the Old Testament, sacrifices were the only way to approach God and restore a relationship with him in the context of Leviticus. Each type of sacrifice was related to a specific life situation. Sacrifices were given in praise, worship, and thanksgiving, plus finding forgiveness and fellowship. If you’re still confused, that’s okay. It’s the main reason why we are walking through this series slowly.

Leviticus picks up where the book of Exodus ends – at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The Tabernacle was finished, and God was ready to teach people how to worship there. “Tabernacle” (or “Tent of Meeting”) refers to the central structure of the Tabernacle building. This tent held the sanctuary (or “Holy Place”) in on part and the Most Holy Place (or the “Holy of Holies”) with the Ark of the Covenant in another part. These two sections were separated by a curtain. God revealed himself to Moses in the Most Holy Place (previewed in Exodus 33:7).

When God taught his people to worship him, he placed a heavy importance on sacrifices. Why? Sacrifices, in the Old Testament, was God’s way for people to ask forgiveness for their sins. Ever since Creation, God has shown that sin separates people from him and those who sin will receive a spiritual death (see the Adam and Eve story in Genesis 3.) Because we all sin, God designed this sacrificial system to allow his people to seek forgiveness and restore a relationship with him. Because God’s character is full of love and mercy, God decided that from the start that Jesus would have to come into the world and die to pay the penalty of sin for all humans, the ultimate sacrifice. Before God had to make this sacrifice, the animals were suitable at that time.

The animal sacrifices had two purposes:

• The animal symbolically took the person’s place and paid the penalty for the person’s sin, as noted in Leviticus.
• The animal’s death represented one life given so that another one could be saved.

This method of sacrifice continued all through the Old Testament. It was effective in teaching and guiding his chosen people back to him. However, it never fully worked. In the New Testament, Christ’s death had to be the last sacrifice needed. Christ took our punishment. Animal sacrifice was no longer needed. Today, any one of us can be freed from the penalty of sin by acknowledging Jesus as our Lord and Savior and his sacrifice for us, and accepting the forgiveness that Jesus offered.

Today, we began to understand the sacrificial offerings required by God in the Levitical time so that they could create a right relationship with God after they sinned. We learned how the sacrificial system led to the ultimate sacrifice being Jesus.

Next time, we’re looking at Leviticus 1:3-9 and continue our discussion on sacrifices. Until then, stay blessed!

• Associated Scripture
  • Lev 1:1
    • Exodus 25:22
• • • Numbers 7:89
  • Lev 1:2
    • Leviticus 6:9-13
    • Leviticus 17:1-8