In our study of Leviticus chapter six, we look at the ministry of reconciliation and that includes our relationships with others as well as our relationship with God.
** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.
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ADONAI said to Moshe, "If someone sins and acts perversely against ADONAI by dealing falsely with his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him, by stealing from him, by extorting him, or by dealing falsely in regard to a lost object he has found, or by swearing to a lie - if a person commits any of these sins, then, if he sinned and is guilty, he is to restore whatever it was he stole or obtained by extortion, or whatever was deposited with him, or the lost object which he found, or anything about which he has sworn falsely. He is to restore it in full plus an additional one-fifth; he must return it to the person who owns it, on the day when he presents his guilt offering. He is to bring as his guilt offering to ADONAI a ram without defect from the flock, or its equivalent according to your appraisal, to the cohen; it is a guilt offering. Thus the cohen will make atonement for him before ADONAI, and he will be forgiven in regard to whatever it was he did that made him guilty.
In the Hebrew Bible, this passage is a part of chapter 5 and it speaks of a person that commits fraud and causes economic damage to another person. We see that this is not only a sin against the other person but a sin against God and restitution must be made. In these cases, this was done intentionally and restitution includes what was taken or its value in shekels plus 20% of the value. Also, a guilt offering had to be brought to the priest and it could be a ram or the value of the ram and the offering would be made bringing about forgiveness for the man.
ADONAI said to Moshe, "Give this order to Aharon and his sons: 'This is the law for the burnt offering: it is what goes up on its firewood upon the altar all night long, until morning; in this way the fire of the altar will be kept burning. When the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, the cohen, having put on his linen garment and covered himself with his linen shorts, is to remove the ashes and put them beside the altar. Then he is to remove those garments and put on others, before carrying the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. In this way, the fire on the altar will be kept burning and not be allowed to go out. Each morning, the cohen is to kindle wood on it, arrange the burnt offering and make the fat of the peace offerings go up in smoke. Fire is to be kept burning on the altar continually; it is not to go out.
Now, we see that the burnt offering was to be left on the altar all night so that the fire completely consumed it. Then, the high priest was to take the ashes from the altar and put them beside the altar. The priest was then to change his clothes before taking the ashes outside the camp to a pure place. The transfer of the ashes represents the transfer of the sin from the offender to the sacrifice. We see that the fire on this altar was to continually burn and this reminds us that God is always available for reconciliation.
"'This is the law for the grain offering: the sons of Aharon are to offer it before ADONAI in front of the altar. He is to take from the grain offering a handful of its fine flour, some of its olive oil and all of the frankincense which is on the grain offering; and he is to make this reminder portion of it go up in smoke on the altar as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI. The rest of it Aharon and his sons are to eat; it is to be eaten without leaven in a holy place - they are to eat it in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. It is not to be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire; like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is especially Every male descendant of Aharon may eat from it; it is his share of the offerings for ADONAI made by fire forever through all your generations. Whatever touches those offerings will become holy.'"
Now, we see a review of the instructions for the grain offering which we saw in chapter 2. We also see that the part that was for Aharon and his sons was to be eaten in the courtyard of the tabernacle and this speaks of fellowship with God.
ADONAI said to Moshe, "This is the offering for ADONAI that Aharon and his sons are to offer on the day he is anointed: two quarts of fine flour, half of it in the morning and half in the evening, as a grain offering from then on. It is to be well mixed with olive oil and fried on a griddle; then bring it in, break it in pieces and offer the grain offering as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI. The anointed cohen who will take Aharon's place from among his descendants will offer it; it is a perpetual obligation. It must be entirely made to go up in smoke for ADONAI; every grain offering of the cohen is to be entirely made to go up in smoke -it is not to be eaten."
Here, we see the grain offering that was to be brought by all of the priests when they start their priesthood but we see that the high priest was to bring this offering each day while he is in the office of high priest. Unlike the grain offering from the people, this offering was to be completely burned up on the altar.
ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell Aharon and his sons, 'This is the law for the sin offering: the sin offering is to be slaughtered before ADONAI in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is especially holy. The cohen who offers it for sin is to eat it - it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. Whatever touches its flesh will become holy; if any of its blood splashes on any item of clothing, you are to wash it in a holy place. The clay pot in which it is cooked must be broken; if it is cooked in a bronze pot, it must be scoured and rinsed in water. Any male from a family of cohanim may eat the sin offering; it is especially holy. But no sin offering which has had any of its blood brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place is to be eaten; it is to be burned up completely.
Next, the sin offering is spoken of as being the most holy of sacrifices as its purpose was to bring reconciliation between the people and the Lord. We see that there is a difference as the regular sin offering for the people was to be eaten in the courtyard by the priest that offered the sacrifice while the sin offering for the cleansing of the tabernacle was to be completely burned up on the altar.
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