This Bible study on Leviticus 4-7 is all about the limits of sacrifices in the Old Testament, and why that is exciting for us Christians!
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The first three sacrifices that God gave instructions for the Israelites to make were completely voluntary. They would come from the heart with a desire to know God more. But God is a holy God, and He required that the Israelites make two sacrificial offerings. Through these five offerings, it is clear that there are limits of sacrifices. We need a savior.
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Read all about the limits of sacrifices, before reflecting on it below.
Leviticus 4 – 7
Unintentional sins require reconciliation
When anyone sins unintentionally. This was not a matter of “if” you were to sin, but rather “when.” No one is able to keep the laws and commands of God fully. Atonement must be made even when the sin was unintentional. The Hebrew root word for unintentional means to go astray or to wander off. It may not be a deliberate and conscious act of rebellion. However, inadvertently disobeying God still needs atonement because it still separates us from a Holy God. These were not accidental sins committed before they knew the Lord. Rather these were the unintentional sins of a people who had committed themselves to God and to following His commands.
How have your unintentional sins separated you from Christ? Have you been reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)?
Forgiveness and the limits of sacrifices
When describing the sacrifice that each person would make when they sinned unintentionally, God included that “they will be forgiven” (4:20, 4:26, 4:31, 4:35, 5:10, 5:16, 6:7). Over and over, with the sin and guilt offering, God assures His people that when they come to Him with a right heart, they will be forgiven. God does not allow sin to be in His presence because He is holy. But He made a way for all to come to Him and be confident that the relationship could be restored.
Under the Old Covenant, the limits of sacrifices were that they had to be made continuously to approach God. Under the New Covenant, Jesus was the sacrifice that allows us to draw near to God. How do you approach God (Hebrews 4:16)?
Limits of sacrifices for confession
When anyone became aware that they were guilty, they had to stop what they were doing and confess their sin before making a sacrifice. Confession is taking God’s side against ourselves, as we realize that we are in the wrong. All of the evil we have done is judged before the Holy throne of God. We can only be judged against His perfect standards. Once the sin was confessed, a sacrifice still needed to occur. The limits of this sacrifices would depend on how wealthy you were for what animal you could provide. Jesus payed the penalty once for all so that you can feely confess.
Do you need to confess anything to God (1 John 1:8-10)?
Ignorance doesn’t mean harmless: sacrifices have limits
God also commanded the Israelites to make a guilt offering any time they realized that they sinned unintentionally. The guilt offering was very similar to the sin offering, but it was anything done against God’s Holy things, and restitution had to be made. The one who sins is guilty, even if they do not know of the sin. Ignorance, in regards to God’s holy things, does not mean harmless. Knowledge of the word of God is so important. You are still held responsible for breaking God’s law, even if you do not know God’s law. Being zealous for God, when the zeal is not based knowledge, does not allow you to grow in right relationship with Him.
God wants you to know HIM. This requires both knowledge of His character through His word, and personal relationship of God through prayer. Do you KNOW God (Romans 10:1-4)?
Harming another person
God set a high standard for loving your neighbor when He said that anyone who sins by harming their neighbor is being unfaithful to God (6:2). If they deceived their neighbor and gained something from it, they were supposed to make a sacrifice to God. They were to also make restitution and pay back more than they had taken to the person they had wronged. This same concept is reinforced in the New Testament. Jesus commanded that we make the same kind of restitution when we are praying and realize that we have wronged our brother (Matthew 5:23-24). We are to leave our gift at the altar. We are to stop praying and acting as if all is right – and take actionable steps to live the life we were praying to live.
Do you need to be reconciled to someone? Ask God to show you how you can take actionable steps towards loving that person today (James 5:16).
The fire must be kept burning
The burnt offering was to be made on the altar, and an additional regulation is given in chapter 6: the fire must be kept burning. Three times, it is stated that the fire must not go out (6:9, 6:12, 6:13). This fire was started by God (Leviticus 9:24), but it was to be maintained by man. Likewise, the Holy Spirit starts a new work in our lives, but we must tend to it. We bring our broken, sinful nature before the throne. As we spend time with God, reading His word and doing as He says, and He refines us.
Do you tend to the work that God has started in you? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to refine you (Zechariah 13:9)?
Communion based on reconciliation
When making the peace offering, they were to have bread made without yeast in one hand and bread mead with yeast in the other, and they were to wave both loaves together. This represents God, who is pure and without any evil, and man who, hard as we try, will always have some amount of pride and evil. The two loaves were waved together symbolizing communion and peace between them. Let us be truly thankful that we are able to come near God without the limits of sacrifices. God in his holiness, loves us. Because of His love, we are able to have peace with Him.
Do you have communion with God based on reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)?
The limits of sacrifices and how Jesus fulfills the sacrificial system
There were many limits of these sacrifices. But the good news is that these five offerings all point to Jesus. They point to our need for a savior and to the Messiah who fulfilled the Old Covenant. Jesus is our burnt offering, who loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2). He is our grain offering – the first-fruits among those who are reconciles to God (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus is our fellowship offering, giving us peace with God (Romans 5:1). He is our sin offering, taking on our sin so that we may be the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus is our guilt offering, being delivered over to death for our sins so that we may be justified through His resurrection (Romans 4:25).
Do you know that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament, and it is only through Jesus that you can have peace with God (John 5:39-40)?
Reflect on the limits of sacrifices
This Bible study was all about the limits of sacrifices. How do those limits affect you today, and why is it important to study the Old Testament?
