Worship Offerings

What principles can Christians learn about worship from the book of Leviticus? Are there spiritual applications of the physical rituals in this first worship book?

Burnt Offering

God spoke to Moses in Leviticus 1 about the burnt offering. The fire pictures the Holy Spirit cleansing us from sin. It was to be an unblemished male offering, because it pictured Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God. Is there something more important than burnt offerings for Christians?

“And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33 HCSB)

Did God really enjoy burnt offerings?

“In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.” (Hebrews 10:6 KJV)

Yet, they were a foretaste of the greatest sacrifice of all.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” (Hebrews 10:10 NLT)

Grain Offering

The grain offering in Leviticus 2 was of fine flour, the best. Olive oil pictures the Holy Spirit. Salt was a symbol of the covenant.

“Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings...” (Leviticus 2:13 NIV)

In the New Testament, salt pictures something different.

“You are the salt of the earth...” (Matthew 5:13 NKJV)

Frankincense for incense, pictures prayer. Most of the grain offering was food for the priests. In the same way those who preach the Gospel should eat from it.

“Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14 NASB).

Peace Offering

The peace offering from Leviticus 3 pictures fellowship with God. It also reminds us of communion where we have fellowship with the Lord and offer each other peace.

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV)

In the peace offering, we give to God and our guests. Leviticus 7 shows how the peace offering may also be a thanksgiving offering, and a fellowship meal, including bread, a forerunner to communion.

“He is to present as his offering cakes of leavened bread with his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship.” (Leviticus 7:13 HCSB)

Jesus gave thanks at meals and at the establishment of communion. This is where the word Eucharist comes from. For this reason, some very appropriately call communion the Great Thanksgiving.

“And he took bread, and gave thanks [Greek: eucharisteó], and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19 KJV)

This gives us a principle of prayer, a sacrifice of thankful praise.

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15 NKJV)

Sin Offering

In Leviticus 4, the sin offering is for unintentional sins or sins of ignorance. An innocent young animal without blemish is offered. Christians offer the sacrifice of forgiveness, and pray.

“... forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12 NLT)

On the cross Jesus set a remarkable example of forgiveness before repentance.

“... ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ ...” (Luke 23:34 WEB)

Guilt Offering

Leviticus 5 describes the guilt, trespass or reparation offering. It involved restitution, and a twenty percent fine above that. Sometimes we must do more and fix what we have broken. This is the true intent of penance and indulgences, not the scam run by Tetzel which led to the Protestant Reformation. Zacchaeus was someone willing to make reparations.

“... Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.’ ” (Luke 19:8 CEV)

One Sacrifice

Hebrews 10 teaches us that the sacrifices were not permanent, but pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The law was limited, providing only a temporary solution to sin. Offerings had to be repeated, as more of a continual reminder of sin than a permanent solution.

“But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:3-4 ESV)

As a reminder of sin, the sacrifices were not God’s ultimate solution. God took no real pleasure in them. Why? Does He who created animals love them more than we ever could? Were the sacrifices a continual reminder to God of what His Son would willingly suffer for us?