One thing about these (five) offerings introduced in Leviticus’ first few chapters … they allow us to see JESUS in a much deeper way than ever before!

Some people (like the Jews of old) are content to know Jesus only as the Passover Lamb! Just as a way out of arduous Egypt, a way to enjoy “free” food (manna), and a way to a new home (Canaan).

But these offerings (including the burnt offering) reveal Jesus in much deeper (fuller) detail!

Showing how His Death on Calvary accomplished so much MORE than we’d ever realize apart from the study of these God ordained Rituals. Yes, herein we will get to know Jesus BETTER! Appreciate HIM more! Understand His Calvary Work … from a number of different perspectives!

I’m in favor of that!

Today I’d like to say something about the burnt offering (whole burnt offering), but this fact applies to the other offerings as well.

Jesus is pictured from three angles!

This offering has an offending Jew, the “offerer,” if you understand me. Then of course there is the “offering” itself, a little male lamb (for example), and thirdly there is a “priest” officiating, receiving the offering and obeying God’s specifics about how to handle the ceremony.

Wow!

Preacher Bagwell, Jesus as “offerer?”

Yes, “to fulfill all righteousness” He came to earth and took on a body like mine (without sin, of course), identifying with me. He came “under the Law,” as Paul preached in Galatians 4:4-5. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Another verse might help as well. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit OFFERED HIMSELF without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14, Jesus as “offerer!”

Jesus took my place at the foot of the brazen altar and assumed my sin(s)! He offered HIMSELF as a sacrifice, a propitiation to God the Father … on our behalf.

And yes, certainly Jesus as “offering!”

This is of course the easiest to comprehend! Jesus IS the Lamb! Jesus IS the innocent little Dove of Almighty God! Jesus IS the big strong OX (BULLOCK) Who came to earth to both serve and to die for lost sinners.

(Those three categories of animals just mention … the three “levels” of the burnt offering! Three more “Views” of our dear Lord and His work on Calvary!)

Listen to John the Baptist one day … “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

Then Jesus as “priest?”

Certainly so! He IS our great High Priest yet to this day! He is the One Who presented His Own Blood to the Father on our behalf, in our stead! Read part of Hebrews 9:12 here … “By his own blood he (Jesus) entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” The “Holy Place” in Heaven, I believe.

Wow!

I am already seeing Jesus in a deeper way!

And our study of the offerings has just begun!

Come back tomorrow.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

In God’s first Speech in Leviticus, He emphasizes the “burnt sacrifice.” (We often refer to this rite as the “Burnt Offering.”) The verb “to offer” in Hebrew (“qarab”) means “to come near!” This is the whole purpose of the Levitical sacrificial System … coming near to God, fellowshipping with the Lord!

Let’s listen to God instruct Israel … If a man chooses to offer the “burnt sacrifice” to Me! Yes, verse 3 of chapter 1 of Leviticus: “He shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

I am so impressed! “Of his own voluntary will!” (Now the “sin offering” is another story altogether! It is NOT voluntary! But compulsory! Because we all sin, of course.)

God wants us to approach Him, to adore and worship Him … because we LOVE Him. Not because He has beaten (coerced) us into such a decision, frame of mind! (Not a command here, the whole burnt offering … just an invitation!)

Wow!

Yes, the worshipper is to bring a little lamb (or a dove if he is poor) or an ox (bullock) if he is wealthy! And then three things will ensue …

The animal will be killed! (Not by the priest, but by the one bringing the sacrifice!) This is a visual picture of the fact that the “wages of sin is death!” Verse 5: “And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons.” Oh, the horrible cost of sin! I believe this is a picture of our being saved by Jesus’ Death … of our applying the blood (collected and sprinkled by the Priests) to our lives, our hearts. It is also a Picture of Jesus as Sacrifice … the Price He paid for our salvation!

DEATH!

Then the priests, continuing their holy work … “And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put FIRE upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar.” Leviticus 1:7-8

Next … “And the priest shall burn ALL on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.” Verse 9 of Leviticus chapter 1.

This innocent lamb (or dove or ox) gave ALL … to the Lord in worship! It is a picture of total CONSECRATION! Total dedication! This is a potent symbol of a person selling out totally to the Lord! (And where we get the hymn about our being “All on the Altar!”)

First … bloodshed, typifying salvation!

Second … fire, the altar (meat being turned into “smoke,” called a “sweet smell” in the nostrils of Almighty God.) He loves (takes pleasure) in our total yielding to Him!

Then third … (though it is not recorded until Leviticus chapter 3) … the Peace Offering, which illustrates (enacts) our being in harmony, FELLOWSHIP (at peace) with God our Creator and Redeemer!

Wow!

In communion with God (at-one-ment, the very idea behind blood atonement) … the goal of God’s loving Heart from the very beginning!

Bloodshed … Consecration … Fellowship!

That’s forever God’s order of progression!

And these Offerings in Leviticus’ early chapters portray this sequence again and again!

Are YOU saved, washed in the Blood of Jesus?

Are YOU totally ALL on His Altar of sacrifice laid? Consecrated?

And then (consequently) are YOU today living in Harmony/Communion with the Lord Jesus Christ?

The answers (all three) should be YES!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

Here it is, the first of 858 verses in Leviticus: “And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying …” Leviticus 1:1

And the Lesson this Line of Scripture teaches is stupendous! (Latin: “stupere” meaning “to be wondered at!”)

First of all, let me mention that three verbs are used here; “called” and “spake” and “saying.” (I have underlined them in the verse as it appears above.)

And these are not only three different words (though meaning basically the same thing) in English … but three different verbs (as well) in Hebrew! That is unusual!

And the Speaker here? In each instance the verb has as its Source the same Person, He being God Almighty! The “LORD,” our Text says, Jehovah God!

And once He begins talking … He speaks virtually throughout the rest of Leviticus! The Book’s twenty-seven chapters! Leviticus in specifically written (one can say with accuracy) by God our great Creator and compassionate Redeemer.

Back to verse 1. “And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying …”

In Hebrew, “called” is “qara.”

“Spake” is “dabar.”

And “saying” is “amar!”

And the “point” of this all?

Leviticus is the Book of the Bible in which God’s perennial desire (to fellowship with His people) comes to fruition. I mean after mankind had so fallen into sin!

This is Fellowship/Communion restored!

This is God and man in harmony, once again.

This is God living in His Tabernacle … then and inviting men and women to come meet Him at His front door, the gate of the Tent where the brazen altar will be placed, where blood will be constantly and systematically shed!

Sinners cleansed … to meet God in sweet Oneness!

But none of this will happen … until God first SPEAKS! Until God tells us HOW to approach Him!

And SPEAK He does … in Leviticus’ very first Line!

Speaks using three different verbs!

Speaks and speaks and speaks … with specifics about meeting Him and staying in fellowship with Him!

Let’s thank the Lord today for that first verse … GOD HAS SPOKEN!

COMMUNION WITH HIM CAN BE RESTORED! AT HIS INSTIGATION … AND WITH OUR COOPERATION/OBEDIENCE!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, God is till speaking, these thousands of years later! “God hath in these last days spoken unto us BY HIS SON (JESUS), whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:2

Praise the Lord!

.

The Book of Leviticus begins with the Tabernacle completely built, according to God’s precise specifications. BUT … no man has yet entered the Tabernacle!

Remember how Exodus ended: “So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud (Shekinah Glory) covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. AND MOSES WAS NOT ABLE TO ENTER INTO THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:33-35

In fact, nobody (no human being) enters that Holy Place until Leviticus chapter 9 … absolutely amazing in a way! (Especially when considering how God “longs” and “seeks” His people, to be in communion/harmony with them.)

Let me show you this epochal “Leviticus” event: “And Moses and Aaron WENT INTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION (MEETING), and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.” Leviticus 9:23

But it took nine chapters of God’s “INSTRUCTIONS, PROCEDURES” for this life-changing entrance to occur, to be made possible!

So … what happens in Leviticus chapters 1-9 … prior to this “going into” the Tabernacle, this Tent of Meeting?

This … Five Offerings, five Sacrifices, five Rituals (involving either grain or animals) must be learned then practiced to prepare man (to cleanse and sanctify humanity) for this Meeting with God! This Dwelling in God’s Presence!

Then (still) Aaron as High Priest (thus the entire institution of the priesthood in/through him) must be consecrated as well!

And these are the things that dominate Leviticus 1-9. (Chapter 10 also relates but in a way we shall discuss later.)

Preparing Israel to come before God!

To worship Him!

To know His Glory!

To walk in His ways, with His “Smile” upon them!

So … get ready.

The upcoming Lessons are going to be a little “technical,” but essential! Because they teach us (even living thousands of years later, and even under a different dispensation) principles for living in God’s Presence, with acceptance and delight!

The Trajectory …

From being barred from God’s Presence … “No man could enter.”

To being a part of the God-human (sweet, indescribable) Communion, that precipitated Creation in the first place! “And they entered in!”

How so?

Blood, bloodshed!

Sin atoned!

God’s Righteousness, Holiness satisfied!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

In the Book of Leviticus, God is (now) dwelling in His Tabernacle! In fact, that is how the Book of Exodus (Leviticus’ predecessor) ends … “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the GLORY OF THE LORD (HIS VERY FACE/PRESENCE) filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34, with the chapter having only 38 verses!

God tabernacling (living amidst) His people!

But the Book of Leviticus also allows the Tabernacle to be called the “tent of the congregation,” insinuating “mankind” meeting with God … in that holy environment! (“Tent of the congregation” in Hebrew literally meaning “Tent of meeting!”)

Next …

Now look at Exodus 40:35 … the third to the last verse in all of Exodus! “And Moses was NOT ABLE TO ENTER into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Wow!

The “Tent of Congregation/Meeting” but man (Moses being a representative man) cannot come in! Cannot fellowship/commune with Almighty God!

And here, in broad strokes, is the “drama” of Leviticus. The “plot” of Leviticus. The “storyline” of Leviticus!

Getting man (excluded, due to sin) back into the Presence of God!

God … Who has already descended and walked on earth, in sacred Space! As he had done in Eden, for example! As He had done in Noah’s Ark! As He had done on the Holy Mount!

But HOW is this to be accomplished?

Basically … through blood atonement!

The specifics of which the Book of Leviticus spells out … in great detail!

This is NOT just a Book of rituals and formalities … but rather a Book of Instructions … concerning both establishing and maintaining sweet Harmony with this Holy God of ours.

By the way, God made the First Move!

Psalm 15:1 well sums this thought. “LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?”

“Thy Tabernacle” … God’s Dwelling Place!

“To abide” there and “to dwell” there … who can? That is the big Question! The Question the Book of Leviticus so fully answers!

Are you excited?

I sure am!

Amen, more tomorrow morning, the Lord willing.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.