The Sacrifices (Leviticus 22)

Did the Old Testament sacrifices, and the demands on those who performed them, foreshadow a much more perfect sacrifice? How are we also to be living sacrifices? Let’s look at Leviticus 22.

Was the person offering the sacrifices to be healthy?

The Lord told Moses to say to Aaron and his sons: I am the Lord God, and I demand that you honor my holy name by showing proper respect for the offerings brought to me by the people of Israel. If any of you are unclean when you accept an offering for me, I will no longer let you serve as a priest. None of you may take part in the sacred meals while you have a skin disease or an infected penis, or after you have been near a dead body or have had a flow of semen, or if you have touched an unclean creature of any sort, including an unclean person. (Leviticus 22:1-5 CEV)

How long did a priest’s uncleanness last before he could eat of the holy things?

The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the Lord. They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them. (Leviticus 22:6-9 KJV)

Could a lay person who is not a priest eat of the holy things?

A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing, but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food. If a priest's daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things. (Leviticus 22:10-12 ESV)

What was the purpose of setting the priests apart from everyone else?

But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. If anyone eats a holy offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest. The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution. For I am Yahweh who sets them apart. (Leviticus 22:13-16 HCSB)

Of what did the burnt offerings and the free will offerings consist?

The Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelis that when a person from the house of Israel or from the resident aliens living in Israel brings his offering to the Lord as a whole burnt offering (whether in fulfillment of a promise or a free will offerings), so that he’ll be sure to be accepted, he is to offer a male without defect from the bulls, the lambs, and the goats. However, whatever has a defect is not to be offered, because it won’t be acceptable for you. (Leviticus 22:17-20 ISV)

Of what did the peace offerings and the freewill offerings consist?

And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to Yahweh. (Leviticus 22:21-22 LSB)

Of what could the voluntary offerings consist but not a vow?

Now as for an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may present it as a voluntary offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. Also anything with its testicles squashed, crushed, torn off, or cut off, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor sacrifice in your land, nor shall you offer any of these animals taken from the hand of a foreigner as the food of your God; for their deformity is in them, they have an impairment. They will not be accepted for you. (Leviticus 22:23-25 NASB)

Could a mother and her young be offered together?

The Lord said to Moses, “When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the Lord. Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:26-30 NIV)