THE BURNT-OFFERING
THE BURNT-OFFERING
FL To understand the point of view in this book I suppose we should refer back to Exodus 40:25. In that chapter things are seen in suitability to God; hence He came to dwell in the tabernacle.
JT I think it is well to keep that in view, because the book of Leviticus depends on the teaching of Exodus. Exodus shows how the tabernacle was introduced and reared up; how that in every part it was according to the divine pattern, and anointed with oil; so God was complacent in it and came in to dwell there. “The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle”, Exodus 40:35. It is from this position that God speaks to Moses. It will be observed here that God called unto Moses, “and spoke to him out of the tent of meeting”. He is now in a position to be approached.
FL And it is suitable that He should begin with the burnt-offering.
AAT Would you say that Exodus is God’s approach to man, and Leviticus man’s approach to God?
JT Yes. God came down to dwell. He delivered His people out of Egypt, brought them into the wilderness, and desired them to build a tabernacle that He might dwell among them. Therefore Exodus typifies the Lord Jesus as become Man and effecting redemption, and on the ground of this the Christian system has been established, and the way is now opened for man to approach God through Christ.
FL It is well to have our minds upon that central thought. The great central thought is that God [p. 107] would be approached in the place where He is at home.
JT And He begins with what denotes the highest spiritual ability to enter into; namely, the burnt-offering.
AFM Would you say why Moses is addressed, he being the apostle, instead of Aaron, the priest?
JT Because it is a question of communication; authority is involved; hence Moses is addressed. In Acts 2 it is said that Christ “received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit”. That was on our side. Then it says, “he has poured out this, which ye behold and hear” (Acts 2:33) which was more apostolic, as were all the communications that followed; hence in Hebrews Christ is referred to as the “Apostle and High Priest of our confession”, Hebrews 3:1.
ANW Priesthood is on our side; hence we have in verse 5: “and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about on the altar”.
FL Authority, revelation, and communications, suggest apostleship. Whereas the priest is on our side, and is necessary if man is to approach.
JT Yes. The priest would come in on the side of the offerer. He carried on his service in the full light of the revelation made.
CB I notice that it is said “Aaron’s sons”, not Aaron and his sons.
JT That is worthy of note, showing that the priestly service, typified in the offerings, is carried on by the saints.
AFM In the opening of Numbers the wilderness seems to be prominent in connection with the tabernacle; but here it is the tabernacle itself.
JT Yes. Primarily the title of the book of Numbers seems to have been “In the wilderness”. It treats of the position of the testimony in a contrary [p. 108] scene. You will observe that Numbers opens as follows: “And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt”, Numbers 1:1. This fact helps to an understanding of the teaching in the respective books. In Leviticus there is nothing said about the tabernacle being in the wilderness, nor are any dates given in the opening verses, as in Numbers. Outward position and time have nothing to do with approach to God. Besides, God would have all His people approach, however young some of them may be in the truth. Whereas He does take account of our spiritual age in setting us in our relation to the testimony. Every Christian with love in his heart for God wants to draw near.
FL Exodus gives us the structure of the tabernacle, Leviticus the moral element which is seen in the offerer approaching God. Numbers sets the believer in relation to the testimony.
JT Exodus is the groundwork of all. Redemption is seen there and on this everything rests.
Ques Why is the tabernacle called “The tent of meeting”
JT Because it is a question of God meeting with man here. In Numbers it is more the tabernacle of witness; because the point there is what is presented outwardly in testimony.
WB Hebrews would correspond with Leviticus for us. We are there encouraged to draw near, “Having ... boldness for entering into the [holy of] holies by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh”, Hebrews 10:19 - 20.
JT We may say, however, in this respect, that Hebrews is usually in contrast to the types. But having the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to avail ourselves of the teaching of the types in reading [p. 109] Hebrews; hence the understanding of Leviticus greatly helps us in reading Hebrews.
FL We have now title to enter the holiest, “[Having] a great priest over the house of God”, Hebrews 10:21. This privilege is not limited for us to once a year; it is always open to us.
JT We should take note of how the subject is introduced, ‘When any man of you’; namely, any one who is in relationship with God. It is the believer who brings the offering. The worshipper comes into evidence in this way typically. He draws near to God; and he draws near with a full appreciation of Christ in his heart. One can understand how a priest, Eleazar, for instance, would take account of an Israelite coming up out of the camp with a bullock as an offering to Jehovah.
ARS So that the offering here is not an offering brought by a sinner. It is a worshipper who approaches, typically, because he knows God and loves God.
JT This offering supposes the highest spiritual ability. The full answer to it in Christianity, no doubt, was seen on the day of Pentecost. Perhaps that occasion furnishes the greatest evidence of spiritual energy and power in the saints. God took account of all that, and it is in view in this type.
FL Abel’s offering was evidently of this order.
CB It is said of him, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain”, Hebrews 11:4.
JT The offerer of the burnt-offering has, typically, a very great appreciation of Christ. The priest would be greatly interested in this offerer, for the priest ever considers for God.
AFM Will you tell us what this burnt-offering suggests? You spoke of the size, what does that suggest?
JT It suggests the great appreciation of Christ in the offerer. The priest would take account of the size, or value, of the man’s offering. Typically he apprehends Christ as having come to do the will of God. The Lord said, “Lo, I come ... to do, O God, thy will”, Hebrews 10:7. He was here entirely for God’s will. He did not exercise His own will. The man who brings a bullock as a burnt-offering appreciates all this in Christ, and that suggests that he too is subject to God’s will and delights in it. Whereas the offerer of the pigeon, as mentioned at the end of the chapter, has evidently, not come to this. The pigeon’s head was to be pinched off, and his crop and feathers cast beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes. It is questionable, therefore, whether the offerer of the pigeon is marked by a subdued will. He has but a feeble appreciation of the devotedness of Christ.
FL It helps us to see this distinction in the offerers, as denoted in their offerings. It is worthy of note, too, that there is no compulsion, the offerings are all voluntary.
JS The priest, we may assume, takes account of the size of the offering. He would consider for God, and for the provision for God’s house.
JT There is that too. The priest will consider for God, he always does. One who is in a priestly state values a brother on account of his contribution in the assembly. Exodus is the divine side. It is the revelation, typically, of what God is, and of His mind as to the character of His abode. It was all presented concretely before the eye of the Israelite in the tabernacle. The cloud rested on the tabernacle as the witness to every Israelite that God was there. It was now his opportunity to show how much he appreciated this; hence he would come up with his offering. The offerer’s spiritual measure therefore, would be indicated by the value of the offering he brought.
ANW I thought God had a right to look [p. 111] for the bullock in view of all that He effected for the people, as recorded in Exodus. The bullock would necessarily afford more sweet savour than a smaller offering. God would get more and the priest would get more.
JT The whole of the burnt-offering was for God with the exception of the skin, which belonged to the priest who offered.
FL In John’s epistle we have a gradation of the family: fathers, young men, and babes. There can be no doubt we have the same gradation here; I think John’s writings are generally on the line of the burnt-offering. He speaks much of the Lord having come to do the Father’s will, and this works out in the saints, as seen in John’s epistles. Romans sets before us the way the believer is brought to appreciate the will of God. He presents his body a living sacrifice and proves “what [is] the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”, Romans 12:2.
TA Why is it said, “make atonement” in verse 4?
JT It must ever be remembered that the types are but a shadow of the truth. The teaching of Hebrews is, “for by one offering he has perfected in perpetuity the sanctified”, Hebrews 10:14. So that our consciences are purged, there is no more need of sacrifice for sin. It is true, however, that the efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ is ever present to the conscience, so that the Christian draws near by the blood of Christ, “sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water”, Hebrews 10:22.
BTF The order of appreciation here is downward, that is, from the bullock to the sheep or goat, and then to the turtle doves or young pigeons.
JT It is well to see that the offering denotes the spiritual stature of the offerer. How delightful to God to see a man here so appreciative of Christ,
[p. 112] as having come to do His will, that he also is devoted to the will of God.
BTF Do we see greater appreciation in those who offer a burnt-offering than in those who offer a meat-offering?
JT The meat-offering is Christ as He might have been in the ordinary circumstances of life when here on earth; all the grace that was peculiar to Him as a Man amongst men, but tested even unto death. A man who brought such an offering undoubtedly typifies a spiritual believer, for only such an one appreciates the Man Christ Jesus.
But the burnt-offering obviously has the first place as involving the complete surrender of the Lord in every respect, and His entire devotion to the will of the Father. “On this account the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment of my Father”, John 10:17 - 18. Then in Gethsemane we have the, full expression of it. He recoiled from the forsaking of God but went through it in obedience, saying, “but then, not my will, but thine be done”, Luke 22:42.
ANW So that the burnt-offering is the basis of all. Are not all the other gospels in a sense dependent on John?
JT I think so. There the Lord says, “I have glorified thee on the earth, I have completed the work which thou gavest me that I should do it”, John 17:4. And on the cross He uttered, “It is finished”. What infinite satisfaction there was for God in all that! What a basis, too, for the accomplishment of all His counsels! In view of all this we may well understand how God values the man who draws near with Christ in his heart in this light. One who appreciates Gethsemane can thus draw near to [p. 113] God.
FL The mention of atonement here suggests a wonderful thing. Sin having come into the universe Christ comes and touches it in such a way that He glorifies God in the removal of it. John speaks of Christ as the One “who takes away the sin of the world”, John 1:29.
TA John is the only evangelist who records for us the Lord’s expression on the cross, “It is finished”, John 19:30.
PHP “Not my will, but thine, be done”, Luke 22:42. The Lord was entitled to have a will, therefore the surrender of it was all the greater on that account.
JT I think we may take note of the word sacrifice here. A sacrifice is that which costs us something.
ANW The turtle dove or pigeon would not cost much.
JT “And the priest shall bring it near to the altar, and pinch off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be pressed out at the side of the altar. And he shall remove its crop with its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east, into the place of the ashes”, Leviticus 1:15 - 16. Notice how that this offering was not to be divided asunder. There can be no doubt that the offerer of it typifies a believer who has not fully judged his will, and who retains certain natural traits which would be an occasion of natural pride. These are typified in the crop and feathers.
WLP It is sweet to see, however, that even this offering is said to be “a burnt offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour”, Leviticus 1:17.
JT That is true, and it shows how God accepts the offerer on account of his love for Christ. This applies, it seems to me, especially to young believers toward whom there is peculiar grace and consideration [p. 114] from God. However, the fact that this third offering is not to be divided asunder would indicate the smallness of it in a spiritual sense. At the same time, the character of it is the same as the greatest offering. It affords a sweet odour unto Jehovah.
CB There is nothing said about the blood being put on the altar in this third kind of offering. It is said to “be pressed out at the side of the altar”.
ANW Nor are Aaron’s sons mentioned as in the other offerings. It is simply said, “the priest”
JT Evidently the spiritual stature denoted by this offerer is very small. There is not much intelligence as to the import of the blood, nor the priesthood. There is, however, a recognition of both, and this God values. And what is most important of all is, as already noted, that the offering is spoken of as “to Jehovah of a sweet odour”. This fact should be very encouraging to every young Christian. The grace, too, indicated should lead those more advanced to be considerate of their younger brethren, especially in their service in the assembly.
We may now look for a moment at the law of the burnt-offering, Leviticus 6:8 - 13. “And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering; this, the burnt-offering, shall be on the hearth on the alter all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it”. It will be observed that the law of the offering is directly for the priests, Aaron and his sons. Chapter 1 does not enlarge on that, it is more for guidance of the offerer. Whereas, the law of the offering is especially for Aaron and his sons.
FL There is a beautiful suggestion in that. Christ and the assembly preserve this sweet savour for God until the morning, which is the world to come. After that there is no night. But, in the meanwhile,
[p. 115] it is maintained through Christ in the assembly until the coming of the Lord.
JT Chapter 1 is for the individual believer; but the law is for the whole company of saints, viewed as priests, who are to see what use is made of what is brought in. If a brother has something, the saints should see to it that it is enhanced rather than detracted from. The priests, normally, consider for God, so that the offerings brought are rightly presented to Him. All the sweet savour is caused to ascend by the careful attention of the priest. The fire is to be burning all night, according to the law; hence it is always in readiness when the offerer comes.
TA Is this from the day of Pentecost on to the rapture? Are things secured during all this time for God?
JT All is secured by Christ. All that is built by Him is preserved under the eye of God, though it is not visible in testimony to the world, as it was at Pentecost.