ram

Sanctified to Serve

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14 Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15 And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. 16 And he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. 17 But the bull and its skin and its flesh and its dung he burned up with fire outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses.

18 Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat. 21 He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

22 Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. 25 Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, 26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. 27 And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 29 And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. – Leviticus 8:14-30 ESV

Aaron and his sons had been cleansed, properly attired, and anointed with the oil of consecration, but they were still not ready to perform their priestly duties or enter into God’s presence. Atonement must be made on their behalf and that required the loss of life and the shedding of blood. Two separate sacrifices were necessary before these men could carry out their mediatory roles. Both of these sacrifices had been predetermined by God and communicated to Moses on Mount Sinai. The first involved the sacrifice of a bull as a sin offering.

“Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.” – Exodus 29:10-14 ESV

Some of the blood of this animal was smeared or sprinkled on the horns of the bronze altar to purify it, and the rest was poured out at its base to consecrate it. This entire process was intended “to make atonement for it” (Leviticus 8:15 ESV). The act of laying their hands on the head of the animal before it was killed symbolized the transference of their sins. The animal became the payment for their sins. It was their substitute, taking their place and suffering the death they deserved for the sins they had committed. And the blood of the animal consecrated, purified, and atoned for the altar as well. Made by human hands, it too was contaminated by sin and was in need of atonement. Centrally located in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, this large bronze altar would play a primary role in the sacrificial system of the Israelites, so it too had to be properly prepared for service.

Having completed this offering, Moses turned his attention to the ram of the burnt offering. This was the first of two rams offered on behalf of Aaron and his sons. Once again, they placed their hands on the head of the animal to symbolize the substitutionary nature of its role. This unblemished ram was standing in their place and suffering the fate they deserved.

“Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.” – Exodus 29:15-18 ESV

This time, the blood of the animal was thrown against the side of the bronze altar, then the entire carcass of the animal was divided and burned on the altar. No part of the animal was to be reserved or spared, symbolizing that Aaron and his sons were being completely dedicated to God.

The third sacrifice involved a second ram, designated “the ram of ordination.” Aaron and his sons repeated the ritual of laying their hands on the animal, but this time, Moses took some of the blood and “put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot” (Leviticus 8:22 ESV). Then he repeated the process with Aaron’s sons. This rather bizarre ritual was intended to emphasize the mediatory role of the priests. Their ears would be essential for hearing God speak and for listening to the confessions and concerns of the people. They would need sanctified ears to serve both God and the people. Their hands would be used to prepare the sacrifices offered to God on behalf of the people, so they too would need to be sanctified. And their feet would be used to navigate the holy environments of the Tabernacle and to enter into the presence of God Almighty. They were to be God’s instruments, literally serving as His hands, feet, and ears.

Next, Moses took the fat portions of the animal and placed them in the hands of Aaron and his sons, along with three grain offerings that included a loaf of unleavened bread, a second loaf made with oil, and a thin baked wafer. Their hands literally overflowing with the bounty of the offerings, the priests then “waved” these items before the Lord, as a sign of dedication. They willingly offered up all their gifts to God as a statement that He alone deserved the first and the best that man had to offer.

Moses then took back the items and placed them on the altar where they were burned. Serving as a priest in this ritual, Moses was allowed to keep the thigh of the sacrificial animal as his portion.

The final step in the ceremony was for Moses to take some of the anointing oil and mix it with the blood from the three animals that had been comingled on the sides of the altar. He used this rather strange mixture to sprinkle the garments of the priests. Their formerly spotless robes of righteousness were now covered with blood, a powerful statement that their sanctification and atonement had been provided for them by another.

The apostle Peter would later remind his Christian brothers and sisters that their atonement had been made possible by the blood of another – the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:17-19 NLT

As believers, we are covered by His blood. We have been purified and sanctified by the sinless blood of the Son of God.

You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. – Hebrews 12:23 NLT

And the apostle John describes this very same Jesus returning to earth at the end of the age and He will be wearing a robe sprinkled with blood. This return of the Son of God to earth will preface a might battle, but the blood on His robe will be His own.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 ESV

He paid mankind’s sin debt with His own precious blood and will return to earth someday to pass judgment on all those who refused to accept His gracious gift of atonement and restoration with the Father. The Word of God who became the sinless Lamb of God will return as the King of kings and Lord of lords, wearing His royal robes sprinkled with the blood of His righteousness.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Payment for Services Rendered

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1 “This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy. 2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar. 3 And all its fat shall be offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, 4 the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. 5 The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering to the Lord; it is a guilt offering. 6 Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. 7 The guilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. 8 And the priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. 9 And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared on a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. 10 And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron.” – Leviticus 7:1-10 ESV

Chapter 5 contains God’s regulations regarding the guilt offering.

“…he [the guilty party] shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.” – Leviticus 5:15 ESV

God made it clear what the offering was to be and exactly what sin it was meant to atone for.

“He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.”  Leviticus 5:16 ESV

But God did not spell out what the priest was to do with the ram after its life was taken. This opening section of chapter 7 provides Aaron and his sons with the details concerning their role in the process of providing atonement for the penitent sinner. The protocol for the guilt offering followed that of the burnt offering.

“In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar.” – Leviticus 7:2 ESV

The blood of the slaughtered animal must be used to anoint and cleanse the bronze altar. Then the officiating priest was to butcher the animal, placing the fatty portions of the animal on the altar to be consumed as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And God was very specific about what parts of the animal were to be burned.

“Then the one making the offering must present all its fat: the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he must remove along with the kidneys)…” – Leviticus 7:3-4 ESV

The fatty portion of the animal was considered to be the best part because it was the most flavorful and represented health and vitality. This favored part of the animal was dedicated to God and offered as a gift to the Lord. But God was willing to share this offering with His priestly mediators.

“Every male among the priests may eat of it…” – Leviticus 7:6 ESV

These delicacies, while dedicated to God, were made available to His servants as payment for their role in the atonement of His people. These men had dedicated their lives to the service of the rest of the nation and God made sure they were adequately compensated for their efforts. He even gave the presiding priest the rest of the meat from the sacrifice along with the hide that had been removed during the butchering. This generous compensation plan also included the burnt offering and the grain offering. The priests were richly rewarded for their work. When they served well, the also ate well. They would never run short of food, because there would never be a shortage of sacrifices. Their role in providing atonement for the people earned them the favor and generosity of God Almighty. No part of the animal went to waste. Even the flour used for the grain offering was used to bake cakes that filled the stomachs of God’s priests. The repentance of the people brought them repentance and prolonged their lives, but it also nourished the lives of the men who served as their faithful mediators.

The role of the priest was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. But this was also their sole means of livelihood. The priests were not bi-vocational. Their job was so demanding that they had no time to earn an income on the side. So, they were completely dependent upon God for their sustenance. And the very sacrifices the people made to atone for their sins, God used to feed and nourish His priests. Oddly enough, because sin was going to be a constant problem for the Israelites, offering sacrifices would become a permanent part of their lives., and it provided the priests with job security and a steady source of nourishment.

The apostle Paul picked up on this divine compensation plan when he wrote his first letter to his young protege, Timothy.

Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” – 1 Timothy 5:17-18 NLT

Paul actually quoted from Deuteronomy 25:4, using timeless wisdom regarding the fair treatment of a laboring ox to encourage the proper compensation of a pastor, elder, or teacher.  He also picked up a statement made by Jesus when He was sending out 72 of His disciples on a missionary journey.

“Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.” – Luke 10:7 NLT

The priests deserved to be compensated for their work and God was the one who made sure that they were more than adequately provided for. Without their efforts, the sacrifices of the people would mean nothing. The faithful efforts of the priestly class would ensure that the people received forgiveness from God and, in return, the priests would receive the benefit of the gifts the people provided as payment for their sins. It was a win-win for all involved.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Treating the Holy as Common

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14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.” – Leviticus 5:14-19 ESV

Verse 14 begins a new section dealing with what has been described as the guilt offering, but what is also referred to as the offering of reparations. The focus remains on sins committed without the individual’s knowledge. While these particular sins could be committed by accident, they were still considered breaches of faith and required the guilty party to make restitution to the Lord.

The Hebrew word used to describe this kind of offering is אָשָׁם (‘āšām), and it can be translated as either “guilt” or “compensation.” What seems to set this offering apart from all the other offerings that have been discussed is the emphasis on the value of the animal to be sacrificed. God stipulated that the guilty party was to bring an unblemished ram that was of great monetary value.

“The offering must be your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value with silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel.” – Leviticus 5:15 NLT

The NET Bible translation of verse 15 implies that the sinner could also bring the cash equivalent of the ram’s value in silver and use that as an offering before the Lord.

“…he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, for a guilt offering.” – Leviticus 5:15 NET

It would appear that this offering required a cash commitment on the part of the sinner. There was also a fine to be paid that was one-fifth of the animal’s value.

Once the individual became aware of their sin, they were expected to make reparations. It is unclear what is meant by “the holy things of the Lord” (Leviticus 15:14 ESV). Some speculate that these sins had something to do with the holy objects located within the Tabernacle. According to the NET Bible Study Notes, “The phrase evidently refers to anything dedicated to God by the Israelites, including the tabernacle, its furnishings, the offerings, houses, lands, and tithes.” Perhaps the sin involved someone unknowingly eating meat that had been dedicated to the priests or they could have inadvertently violated proper protocol concerning behavior in and around the Tabernacle. If they failed to treat God’s priests with proper dignity and respect, this could have incurred God’s judgment. Of course, the possible theft or mistreatment of any sacred property would also be a great offense to God.

Whatever the exact sin might have been, the guilty party was expected to compensate God for what they had done. Their real crime was that they had robbed God of glory. They had mistreated His “holy things” and, in doing so, they had diminished God’s value in the eyes of the people. Everything about the Tabernacle was to be considered holy because it all belonged to God. He had set apart the Tabernacle as His earthly dwelling place and the people of Israel were to treat His home with proper honor and respect.

As with all the other offerings, this one was intended to restore the sinner to a right relationship with God. Though he or she was guilty of having transgressed God’s pre-established standards for behavior, they could be made right with Him once again by following His prescribed plan for atonement.

“Through this process the priest will purify you from your unintentional sin, making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven.” – Leviticus 15:18 NLT

Restoration was the goal. God knew that His people were going to violate His commands. He was well aware of their inability to live up to His exacting standards of conduct. So, He provided a means by which their inevitable sins could be atoned for and their broken relationship with Him could be healed.

Verse 15 describes these sins as “a breach of faith.” In Hebrew, this phrase is actually māʿal māʿal and should be translated as “trespasses a trespass.” The idea is that the person has violated a known violation outlined by God. In doing so, they crossed over a boundary that God established between the holy and the common. The Tabernacle and all that was associated with it was to be off-limits to the average Israelite. It was to be treated with awe and reverence and to be used only for holy purposes because it has been consecrated to the Lord. These sins seem to involve cases of someone dishonoring that which was holy by treating it as common or ordinary.

God will eventually task Aaron and his sons with the responsibility of teaching the people of Israel the difference between the holy and the common.

“You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 NLT

Centuries later, God would reiterate His command that the priests teach the people to discern between the holy and the ordinary.

“They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean.” – Ezekiel 44:23 NLT

And God will hold the priests personally responsible for their failure to teach the people how to treat the holy things of God with the honor they deserve.

“Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.” – Ezekiel 22:26 NLT

One of the greatest sins an individual can commit is to treat the holy things of God with dishonor. To treat as ordinary that which God has set apart as His own is to disregard His wishes and to disrespect what He has deemed worthy of honor. If a priest were to take one of the holy vessels from the Tabernacle and use it for a common purpose, he would be trespassing a trespass. He would be guilty of treating the holy as ordinary. And any person who unknowingly treated that which was holy as common would stand before God as guilty and deserving of judgment. But restitution and restoration were possible. Forgiveness was available. But, as is always the case, atonement came with a price.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.