Leviticus

Leviticus 1: God accepts the burnt offering

Begin in prayer

Before you read Leviticus 1, where God calls Moses and gives the burnt offering so a sinner may be accepted, pause and bow your heads. Ask Him to help our family listen, and to show us Jesus, the sacrifice that pleases God.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us how You appointed the burnt offering to make atonement for sinners, and help us to turn from our sin and trust Jesus. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

At the end of Exodus, God's glory filled the Tent of Meeting at Mount Sinai, and now God calls to Moses from inside that tent. He tells Israel how anyone may bring a burnt offering from the herd, from the flock, or of birds. If someone brings a bull, it must be a male without defect, offered at the door of the Tent of Meeting. He lays his hand on its head so it is accepted to make atonement for him, and he kills the bull before the LORD. Aaron's sons, the priests, sprinkle the blood around on the altar. Then they lay the wood and the cut pieces in order on the fire and burn all of it. Whether it is a bull, sheep, goat, or bird, the priest burns the whole offering as a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

As you read Leviticus 1, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God calls sinners near through an appointed burnt offering that makes atonement for them.

Leviticus begins where Exodus ended, at Mount Sinai, with God speaking to Moses from the Tent of Meeting (verse 1). No one could invent his own way to come to a holy God, so the LORD Himself appointed the sacrifices first. In the burnt offering, the priest burned “all of it on the altar” so nothing was kept back (verse 9). Its smoke went up as “a pleasant aroma to Yahweh,” a restful smell showing that God accepted the worshipper through the sacrifice. The animal had to be “a male without defect” (verse 3). The worshipper leaned his hand on its head, confessing he deserved death and trusting this substitute “to make atonement for him” (verse 4). Atonement covers sin by a life given in the sinner's place, as the priests sprinkled the blood on the altar (verse 5). All these offerings were a shadow that pointed to Christ, who offered Himself without defect to God (Hebrews 9 verse 14).

How does Leviticus 1 show us that God calls sinners near through an appointed burnt offering that makes atonement for them?

God speaks from the Tent of Meeting and shows how to bring an offering.

In verse 1 the LORD calls to Moses before any sinner brings a gift. God had promised to meet Israel at the Tent of Meeting, and now He gives the way to come near. Sinners cannot come to God on their own terms, and only the sacrifice God appoints can make atonement.

The offering must be without defect, with a hand laid on its head.

Whether from the herd or from the flock, the burnt offering had to be “a male without defect” (verses 3 and 10). In verse 4 the worshipper laid his hand on the animal's head at the door of the Tent of Meeting. That showed the animal took his place to die for him “to make atonement for him.”

The blood is sprinkled, and all of the offering is burned on the altar.

The worshipper killed the animal by the altar, and Aaron's sons sprinkled its blood around on the altar (verses 5 and 11). The innards and legs were washed with water. Then the priest burned all of it on the fire as “a pleasant aroma to Yahweh” (verses 9 and 13). Christ gave Himself up as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance (Ephesians 5 verse 2).

Even a burnt offering of birds is a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

A poorer Israelite who could not bring a bull or a sheep could bring “turtledoves or of young pigeons” (verse 14). The priest wrung off its head and drained its blood on the side of the altar (verse 15). Then he threw the crop in the ashes and burned the bird on the wood (verses 16 and 17). Verse 17 calls this small bird “a pleasant aroma to Yahweh,” showing that God accepts the poorest worshipper through the blood.

Memorise

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Leviticus 1:4

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, am I trusting my own good deeds, or resting my hand by faith on Jesus?

At the door of the Tent of Meeting, the Israelite brought a male without defect and laid his hand on its head. Verse 4 says, “it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” Then the animal was killed, its blood was sprinkled on the altar, and all of it was burned on the fire.

No bull, sheep, goat or bird could wash away sin, because it was only a picture of the Son of God. Our sins deserve death before a holy God. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin or defect at all, gave Himself on the cross as the true offering. He bore the wrath of God in His people's place and shed His blood for them. God raised Him from the dead, and His one sacrifice is enough forever.

Just as that worshipper leaned his hand on the head of the offering, you must lean your whole soul on Jesus. So come to Him today. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus. Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven, made clean and accepted by God.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the burnt offering was a picture of Jesus giving His whole life on the cross for sinners. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for providing the true burnt offering in Jesus to make atonement for sinners, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 9:14

Father, thank You that You spoke from the Tent of Meeting and showed how sinners may be accepted. Thank You for sending Jesus, who offered Himself without defect on the cross. Please forgive our sins and give us faith to rest in Him alone. Help us to love and obey You this week. Amen.