Sacrifice – Hebrew word “Zabach” (H2076 – to slaughter an animal. usually in sacrifice: – kill, offer, sacrifice, slay). All sacrifices were offerings but not all offerings were sacrifices. An offering is a gift brought to God - could be animals, material items, money, food, talent, skills, time
THE SIX MAIN OFFERINGS COMMANDED BY GOD
- Burnt Offering (Olah)
- Meal Offering (Minchah)
- Peace Offering (Shelem)
- Sin Offering (Chattath)
- Trespass Offering (Asham)
- Drink Offering (Nesek)
Different combinations of these above categories of offerings were used for different instances – such as – consecration of priests, nazarite vow, cleansing of leper, person defiled with issue, women giving birth, etc.
BURNT OFFERING - WORSHIP SACRIFICE
Burnt Offerings are first seen in Genesis as Cain and Abel brought their sacrifice offerings to God. Then in the days of Noah (Gen 8:20), Abraham (Gen 22:2) & Job (Job 1:5). Better translated as “Ascending Offerings”, these were wholly burnt at the Altar. We see clear instructions in the days Moses for who, why, what, when and how burnt sacrifices were to be made.
Commanded Burnt Offerings
- Daily Offering – One lamb each morning and evening (Exo 29:42) at the Temple, and the fires would continually burn through morning to evening
- Sabbath Offering – Two lambs offered on the Sabbath (Num 28:9, 10)
- Monthly Offering – Two young bullocks, one ram & seven lambs to be offered on the first day of each month (Num 28:11)
- Feast Offerings – Passover (2 Chr 30:24), Unleavened Bread (Num 28:24), First fruits (Lev 23:12), Pentecost (Lev 23:18), Trumpets (Num 29:2), Atonement (Lev 16:24), Tabernacles (Num 29:13-38)
- Consecration Offerings – the Priests (Lev 8:18, l9:2), the People (Lev 9:3-7), the Levites (Num 8:12)
- Dedication Offering – the Altar (Num 7:87), the Temple (1Kin 8:64)
- Cleansing Offering – women bearing children (Lev 12:6), lepers (Lev 14:19), people with some kind of bodily discharge (Lev 15:15), a defiled Nazarite (Num 6:11)
- Completion of a vow (Num 15:8), specifically a Nazarite vow as well (Num 6:14)
Voluntary Burnt Offerings
Aside the sacrificial offerings commanded by God, an individual could bring a burnt offering on their own free-will, but what should be offered and how it should be offered was instructed (Lev 1:2 onwards). This included the people who were not native born Israelites (Lev 22:18). The poor could also offer pigeons and turtle doves instead of bullocks and lambs (Lev 12:8 & 1:14)
MEAL OFFERING - REMEMBRANCE & SUPPLICATION SACRIFICE
The King James Version of the Bible refers to this sacrifice as Meat offering, reason being that meat was mostly the main source of food in the early days. Grain offering is also used in various translations. The meaning is derived from the Hebrew word “Minchah” - Gift/tribute/apportion and was used as supplementary to other burnt offerings with portion variations according to the animal sacrifice (Num 15:4-10). First seen in Gen 4:3-5 in the offerings of Cain & Abel, the Meal offering is an act of remembrance (Lev 2:2), worship, gratitude and or request for future blessing.
PEACE OFFERING - THANKSGIVING SACRIFICE
Derived from the root word “Shalom” (H7999) meaning to be safe, it was an offering of giving thanks, and were divide into 3 types of peace offerings (Lev 7:11-16)
- Thanksgiving for received salvation(Lev 7:12)
- A fulfillment of a vow – when expected salvation is received(Lev 7:16)
- Voluntary offering of giving thanks (Lev 7:16) – as an expression of rejoicing with God, as in the case of Solomon at the dedication of the Temple (1Kin 8:63)
SIN OFFERING - ATONING SACRIFICE
With the giving of the Law, everyone was given the knowledge of Sin (Rom 5:13). No more could one say “I did not know”. This offering was intended for such a person who had broken God’s Law to be restored back to a right relationship with God (Lev 4:31). Willful sin could not be atoned through this offering. Confessing the sin was of utmost importance (Lev 5:5). The sacrificed animal would take the place of the person for his guilt and act as atonement.
- The high priest must bring a bullock (Lev 4:3-12)
- The whole congregation must bring a bullock (Lev 4:13-21)
- A ruler must bring a male goat (Lev 4:22-26)
- A common man must bring either a female goat(Lev 4:27-31), a female lamb(Lev 4:32-35), two turtledoves or two pigeons(Lev 5:7-10), or a tenth of an ephah of fine flour(Lev 5:11-13).
- Sin done knowingly was not covered through the sin offering and God had mentioned that people doing such would be cut off from His people(Num 15:30).
TRESPASS OFFERING
The trespass offering and sin offering are closely associated to each other. While sin was the act, trespass was the result. The word “Asham” (H817) is used for the trespass(Psa 68:21), the trespass offering(Lev 5:18) and the compensation paid for it(1Sam 6:3).
Trespasses were divided among things done against God(Lev 5:14-19) & things done against the neighbor(Lev 6:1-7). A trespass against his neighbor is also counted as a trespass against God (Lev 6:2).
DRINK OFFERING
The drink offering which had the act of pouring out, usually consisted of Wine. In Gen 35:14 Jacob pours a drink offering as well as David is seen doing the same in 2Sam 23:16. Used as a complementary offering, it was used for all offering other than the Sin offering and Trespass offering. Even though oil and water was also used as drink offerings, the prescribed drink offering of the temple was of Wine (Exo 29:40). And even strong wine was used (Num 28:7).
Reason for offering sacrifices
The sacrifices each person had to offer for various reasons at various occasions created a profound sense of
- Responsibility
- Accountability of personal actions and ask for forgiveness
- Duty/reverence towards the King over all – our Father in Heaven
- Way of approaching God
- To thank God a blessing
- To ask for protection
Observation
The people of old had to do all these just to show their reverence to the King of Kings, just to show that they take accountability for their actions, just so they can be holy enough to approach God
And maybe for us, our world is different, and what is morally right in one culture is the opposite in another culture.
We dont have a way of measuring sin, or even what the punishment should be – but may be if we take into consideration what the people old did to
- Cover sin
- Approach God
- Be holy before Him
- To show gratitude
- To make their request known
We must understand their offerings meant their Sin was heavy whether stealing or lying, whether conscious or unconscious
They understood the sin was a death sentence when it comes to God's wrath, and it took life to cover the death, and hence the blood to cover sin;
- Lev 17:11 - for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible
- This is Atonement - blood given in exchange for a life to cover sin (Hebrew is Kaphar - to cover)
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