2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES
Wednesday in the Word
Second Baptist Church
September 12, 2018
Leviticus 6:8-30
We discussed the burnt offering in our study of Leviticus l. We recall that the burnt offering was an offering that was totally consumed by fire as a sacrifice wholly devoted to God. It is a reminder of the complete atonement of Christ as an offering that pleases God. It is also a reminder that we are to totally offer ourselves to God as well. In this lesson today, we will get some further instructions on this offering.
Verses 8-9. The burnt offering was to remain on the altar all night and the fire must never go out. In Chapter 9, we will see that God will initially set the fire ablaze. This immediately takes our attention to the fact that God is called a consuming fire (Deut 4:24; Hebrews 12:29). Fire purifies and cleanses. The priests were responsible to keep the fire going. The priests are to constantly add wood to the fire that God started. In other words, God was the fire, but the priest must add things to be burned. These are the unnecessary things in our lives that we don’t need.
Verses. 10-13. The priest was to put on his linen outer and inner garments and then remove the ashes of the burnt offering and place them beside the altar. The priest is then supposed to take off his priestly garments, put on other clothes, and take the ashes outside of the camp in a place deemed ceremonially clean. The remains of the sacrifices, which were the ashes, had to be removed so that other sacrifices might be made. Ashes are symbols of repentance. Our repentance should take us to a clean place. Ashes symbolizing mourning in that we are to mourn over our sin and recognize we are wrong. It is mentioned twice more that the fire on the altar is not to go out.
Verses 14-23. We talked about the grain offering in chapter 2 and we highlighted that in this offering the priest was able to keep a portion for himself. The grain offering was offered along with the burnt offering. The burnt offering and the grain offering were offered in the morning and the evening at the tabernacle (later the temple). The burnt offering brought peace with the LORD God and the grain offering was a sign of thankfulness and dedication to the LORD. We get a few extra details in this chapter. We are reminded that the priests are to present the grain offering in front of the altar and eat the rest in the holy place or the courtyard. This is a reminder that they were not to have any yeast in their offering. God also says that on the day of ordination, the priest is to bring a grain offering in the morning and the evening. This offering is to be cooked and presented to God. Every grain offering that a priest makes for himself is not to be eaten but burned completely.
Verses 24-30. We get further instructions about the sin offering. Sin pollutes and corrupts the world and the tabernacle. The Living God cannot live with the moral and spiritual filth that is sin. The sin offering cleansed away the filth of sin. This is the most complicated section of the offerings in Leviticus. Not only are there different kinds of sin, but the ‘social status’ of the sinner also had to be considered. The need for spiritual or moral cleansing is of vital importance here. Many people are familiar with the idea that links sin with guilt, but not so many people realize that sin is also linked with uncleanness, filth, or dirtiness. Sin is not only a breaking of a law but also a pollution. If we fall into a pile of manure, then we will be dirty and smelly. In the same way, if we fall into sin we are spiritually dirty and filthy. Furthermore, we cause moral and spiritual pollution The main thing that is mentioned in this text is that the sin offering is to be slaughtered and eaten in the same place of the burnt offering and the pots the meat was cooked in must be broken afterwards if it is made of clay, but if it is made of metal it is to be thoroughly cleansed. There is this issue of contamination. We also see that the priest could eat this sacrifice except when its blood was offered in the holy place. In that case, it is to be burned completely. We are also told that if any blood gets on the clothes the clothes are to be washed in a holy place.
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