Leviticus 2/3/4/5/6/7 Bible Study (Grain, Peace, Sin, Guilt Offerings Laws) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Open up to Leviticus chapter two. We are continuing in the book of Leviticus. If you weren't with us last week, we started with an overview, and we began to jump right into the different offerings. And the first one really is where we spend most of our time, which was the burnt offering. Now how many offerings are there in total concerning the book of Leviticus, the general ones at least?

Does anybody know off the top of their head? Five. Five. Can anybody name some of them? The first one we already covered, which was?

The burnt. The second one? Grain. Grain. Third?

Peace or fellowship

offering. Fourth?

Sin.

Sin offering. And lastly, guilt or trespass offering. Now here here's an overview of these offerings. We're not gonna read a particular text right now. We're gonna try to jump through chapter two and chapter seven together and try to cover the basis of these offerings.

We cover the burnt offering, which dealt with its unique element of complete sacrifice on that altar. Every piece of that animal that was to be given was to be upon that altar, which was unique from all the other offerings in which bits and pieces and different things were to be reserved. But the burnt offering is a representation concerning Jesus and his complete sacrifice, the savor that it brought to God. Not only that, but in light of our worship as Paul commissioned us to live a life that is what? A living sacrifice, and we don't hold any peace back, that if there's any offering that we should give to God, it is a burnt offering.

And that's important for us to understand because there are three things that we're gonna learn in our journey in Leviticus. Number one, it is what? About the person of Christ. Luke twenty four forty four, Jesus said what? That the law testifies about me.

We're gonna learn something about holiness, not the code for holiness, but the principle, not the protocol, but some values that we can grab from Leviticus because Peter quotes Leviticus concerning the Christians and how they ought to live holy, and we're gonna learn some principle about worship. Worship. Because as we just said, Paul says in Romans 12 that we ought to be a living sacrifice. That is Old Testament law language. And so we have this overview, burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering.

First three first three can be categorized under this, a sweet savor offering. You'll see that as as you read chapter one, two, and three, you'll see that when the Lord describes these offerings, he says, so that it may be a pleasing aroma to the Lord, that it may be a pleasing aroma to the Lord, that it may be a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Now the other two are not necessarily focused on the the savor or the smell or the scent that it offers, but they deal with expiating sin. And so the first three is is really about the the response of the people towards the goodness of God because a majority of these sacrifices in that first set of three are voluntary, are voluntary sacrifices. They are not necessarily mandatory.

The burnt offering might be, but these first three have to do with worship. Lord, as a response to your goodness, here's my sacrifice. Here's my offering. The latter two is not really a response of a worshiper, but it is the reaction and the necessary act of a sinner. And so the last two, the sin offering and the guilt offering, have to do with that same person that desires to worship God but has allowed sin to creep in and now needs to deal with that sin in order for him to return in that place of fellowship with the Lord through offering.

And that's really through the first three. And so we have those two sets in mind, and we cover the burnt offering. And so here we are now with the grain offering. If you've read it, and I this is the whole point that you would read these chapters. You'll notice something immediately about the grain offering in the first few verses of chapter two.

For those who have read it, what did you notice about the grain offering that might immediately stick out to you? Yes.

But it's not just grain. It's also a combination of oil and frankincense.

So this frankincense is an oil that's to be offered with this either fine flour or if it was baked that they would have to do the smear the oil. Okay. Yeah. So there is these other ingredients involved. Yes.

So there's a portion that would go to the priest that they may eat of it. Yes. This This is part of the priesthood in which they would receive some portion of food for their service. Unleavened. Unleavened.

Unleavened flour. Unleavened bread. Yes. That's crucial. So now things are going off in our minds.

What else about this offering?

Can't have honey.

Can't have honey. Can't have leaven. Yes. Only oil and frankincense. Anything else?

It's not a blood offering. There's no blood in this offering. And if we look at these other sacrifices in light of Christ's sacrifice on the cross concerning His shed blood, then this offering doesn't necessarily speak about his sacrifice on the cross as much as it does speak about the sacrifice that he's lived throughout his life. What he did to empty himself to become human alone is a form of suffering. The glory that he left, the things that he's put aside to take on humanity, not that he he is less deified in the body, but he did in status and different things empty himself in order to take on flesh.

He experienced hunger. He experienced all these different things that we are limited by as humans. So this is not necessarily speaking about in the typological sense his sacrifice on the cross because there's no blood mentioned here, but his life itself. His life itself was a daily denial, a daily walk in which he lived for the glory of God at the expense of so much. And so the first few verses speak about fine flour.

Verse one to three speak about fine flour and how really it's just to be burned on the altar, and it's supposed to be either baked if you don't want to burn on the altar on a griddle, unleavened mixed with oil, cooked on a pan. And here's the purpose of this, this unleavened bread that was to be granted. It's a food offering to the Lord. Not that God eats it, but it's an expression of fellowship, and it's something that which God would take pleasure in. And there are certain rules that need to be followed in order for this to be a pleasing sacrifice.

There is two main rules here, and we already mentioned it. One, that there wasn't supposed to be leaven or honey. Why? What does leaven represent? Sin.

We know that. And there's something interesting in verse 13. If you go to verse 13, look what it says here. You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering.

With all your offerings you shall offer salt. He mentions three times in one verse that if you're gonna give this grain offering, it better be saturated with salt. And there's a phrase there that we might be unfamiliar with. What is that phrase? The covenant of salt.

Does anybody know what the covenant of salt could be speaking of? It literally only appear appears to other places in the scriptures other than here. The salt and light. Okay. So there's a element of salt in the New Testament that speaks about how we are to be different.

But even in just the historical setting, what is this idea of covenant of salt? There are two places in the Bible that mention it, and they don't even really describe what it is, but we can get an idea. There's one place. I need one person to turn to Numbers eighteen nineteen. Numbers eighteen nineteen and another person to turn to second Chronicles, Second Chronicles thirteen five.

And these two places, does it give us an idea of what this covenant of salt looks like and what it speaks of? Numbers eighteen nineteen. If you're there, you can read it out loud for us. And then second Chronicles thirteen five. Who's there at numbers eighteen nineteen?

Please read it for us.

All the key offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer in the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters which is an ordinance forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your sons.

I've given this to you as a covenant of salt, an unending covenant. Okay? Second Chronicles thirteen five. Anybody there? Please.

Thought you have to know that the Lord God of Israel gave a kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Do you not know that I gave this covenant to David and his descendants forever, and I've done this through a covenant of salt? So from Numbers eighteen nineteen, second Chronicles thirteen five, the only two places where this covenant is mentioned, what can you get from this idea of covenant of salt? What it speaks about from those things, including this, is this idea of an unending, unbroken commitment to something or someone. Right? Because that's what he says in numbers eighteen nineteen.

I've devoted these things to you as a covenant of salt. I'm not changing my mind on this. This is given to you forever and ever and ever. And he says the same thing about the kingship of David, that I've established his kingdom and his generations to come by covenant of salt. And so it's this idea of permanence that whatever I'm dedicating through this covenant of salt, it will be something that will not break.

It's an expression of unbroken devotion and commitment. Oh, which is interesting in light of this, Is it not? That if we look at the equation of this offering that I am to give this is what the Israelite was supposed to do. Give me a grain offering without leaven. And first Corinthians five seven speaks of what leaven is.

It tells you to get rid of the leaven amongst you. It speaks about sin, that I am to give this worship, this offering to the Lord free from sin, a sanctified expression of devotion sprinkled with salt. Meaning what? That if that is symbolically representing an offering of myself, a life free from sin, it's not just temporary. You don't give yourself to holiness in God for five years of your life.

You don't give yourself for the young years of your life and then you live how you want. No. Your consecration to the Lord is saturated and should be by salt, by covenant of salt. And so what these Israelites would be doing as they came before the Lord and offered this was saying, I am completely devoted to you for the rest of my life. And so much so does God want that type of commitment that he said three times in one verse, cover it with salt as an expression of your unyielding, unbroken, undivided devotion to me in a lifestyle free from sin.

So this is what the grain offering is about. In fact, Ephesians five two says, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. So if I want this to be this is all about pleasing aroma. This is all an expression of worship. If I want this to be something in which God would be able to say, oh, I delight in it.

It has to be free from leaven, free from things that he does not want in there, and it has to be covered with a, not just a once in a while commitment, a total commitment. A covenant of salt is what God wants from you and me concerning our sanctification, that it's a lifelong process, that there's no way in your life that you're gonna press the eject button. God is looking for nothing but total devotion. He's doing it through the Israelites. He says the same thing to you and me.

This is what the grain offering is about. God desiring true worship to come from a place of saying, Lord, I'm completely yours completely for the rest of my days. Then we come to the peace offering in chapter three. Does anybody know the purpose of the peace offering? There is blood in this one.

So there is blood in this one. Absolutely. Well, when we look at chapter one, two, three, four, five, it speaks about what these offerings are. When you look at chapter six and seven of Leviticus, God gives greater detail of how these sacrifices are to be implemented. So we get the descriptions in the first five chapters, and in the sixth and seventh chapter, we get a description not of what the sacrifice is, but how it ought to be given.

And so we're gonna look here even at chapter seven verse 12 and that there is three ways of giving this offering. Chapter seven verse 12. If he offers it remember, verse 11 says that this is the sacrifice of peace offerings. If he offers it for thanksgiving, so we know it's for thanksgiving. You can do it as just an expression of thanksgiving, and it's the same purpose as the grain offering.

What? As an expression of gratitude, as an expression of thanksgiving, as a response to the goodness and the mercy of God. So we see that one way of doing it is thanksgiving. Now you look at verse 14 verse 15 rather, and the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. So they were to eat it.

Then you come in verse 16, that the sacrifice of his offering could be a vow offering or a will offering, free will offering. So we have three purposes for this. You can give it as a thanksgiving offering. You can give it as a free will offering or a vow offering. Free will just wanting to do it, just as an act of love, as a vow that you were you were committing something and you're you're making it serious as a seal through this sacrifice, or just as thanksgiving offering.

But all those things, all those subcategories of the peace offering have one common purpose that makes this specific sacrifice a unique one even amongst all the other ones. Does anybody have an idea why this one stands out?

It's eaten in fellowship.

It's eaten in fellowship. That is exactly the point. Whereas the other sacrifices when the person, the worshiper would come and bring it, a portion of it would go to the priest. But in the peace offering, when it was offered in any of one of those categories, the worshiper himself would eat of it. And so it would be the priest, it would be the worshiper, and then the Lord would take a portion of that sacrifice, it would be laid upon the altar, and it would be an expression of fellowship between all of them.

It was a communal meal that was being expressed there in that time. And so the invitation through this offering is that the Lord wants to eat with us. The Lord wants his people to come and to sit with him face to face and to take this offering and to come to a place where they would enjoy one another's presence. But here here again, there was a protocol to follow this specific offering. It wasn't just something that you can do however you wanted.

No. There were rules. And so we go to Leviticus three, and we see what these rules are. Here's the first rule. If you wanna enjoy fellowship with the Lord in light of the old covenant, this is what you have to do.

Verse one of Leviticus three. If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord, and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron's sons, the priest shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. Now there is no clear command that this was given for atonement like the burnt offering. The burnt offering was given for atonement.

Here, it's not necessarily explicitly said. But we get the idea that if all of these practices are taking place, then surely there is some kind of transfer of sin that's taking place in this offering even, which tells me something if I wanna enjoy fellowship with the Lord. It tells you something. That the first step the first step for you and I to come into any communal experience with God is that you need a substitute to take your sins. That your hands need to be laid upon a sacrifice, that all your iniquities and transgressions would be placed upon that animal, and it would be slayed on your behalf.

So it is with Christ. There are beautiful hymns out there that speak about laying your hands upon the cross on Calvary and allowing your transgressions to be given over to him. That is the first step for that great exchange to take place in order for you to take that very first step with the Lord. You and I have no portion with God. You have no portion with God unless you've given yourself by that act of faith of saying, Lord, here's my sins and give me your righteousness.

That's the first step. But this is the beautiful thing about this. The second idea here is look at verse five of Leviticus three here. Then Aaron's son shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire. It is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

And so specifically and this is even repeated in Leviticus six twelve. Specifically, that the peace offering, which was an animal, that the fat of this animal was to be placed on top of the burnt offering. He repeats it twice. Now we understand that the burnt offering is a picture of Christ as well, but it is also a picture of we just what we just said earlier of what? My life and every piece of my existence and my heart and my thoughts and my energy ought to be placed on the altar.

And the Lord is describing the peace offering in such a way that it could not be separated from the burnt offering. You could not give your peace offering apart from the foundation of the burnt offering being laid, which tells me something, that you and I cannot know true peace and fellowship with God until you first give everything to him. You can't. There's just no other way. The same way that peace offering needed to be upon that burnt offering, you experiencing any type of intimacy with God cannot be known unless that foundation is laid, and it is you giving every piece of yourself to Him.

That's what he's saying here. The peace offering ought to be placed on top of the burnt offering because only the mingling of those two things can really offer up that perfume that I'm looking for, that fragrance from your life. So when you try to connect the burnt offering again, as we talked last week about how people try to reserve a piece of themselves and give God 95%, and they attempt to enter into this intimate relationship with the Lord, they've disqualified themselves because they haven't placed it upon a burnt offering. You know how many people are walking like that today? And so the Lord says, no.

No. No. No. I want it placed on the first initial sacrifice that I have given you, that I've instituted because I want nothing less than 100%. This is what he speaks about in the peace offering.

But not only that, there's something about God desiring the best from us in this offering. How do we see that? Look at verse 16. What What does it say in verse 16? And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma.

All fat is the Lord's. Why does he want the fat? Does anybody have an idea?

Yes? I'm gonna guess. Does it represent our sin?

Not quite, but that's a good that's a good guess. There's something about the fat of an animal. Rice quality. Rice sweetness. Okay.

Which speaks of what kind of quality of it?

It's it's pleasing and sweet.

Pleasing and sweet, would you say? And it's argued that it's probably the best part. Concerning the Lord, it's probably the best part. And there's language in the Bible. We won't have time to go through it where he speaks about how the fat of something is is the best.

So the fat of something is the the greatest blessing. The fat of something is what you really enjoy, the fat of the land, all these different things that we see in scripture. That that could be argued that the Lord is asking for the best of that sacrifice for himself. But really, if we just make it simple, what the Lord is asking of is whatever he's asking of. That he's just simply laying it out and saying this portion do I want for myself, and I don't want you to keep it for yourself.

And so you and I as well, even as we walk out in the sacrifice, we have to be able to know his prescription for what he requires from us that to be completely devoted to him. Yes. Yes. Our lives as a whole, but there are specific things that he wants from you and me. And this is what he says, and this is an amazing thing.

There are two men who directly violated this law. And this is why it's so important to understand the Levitical law because you won't understand the narratives in the scripture. He says, I want the fat. And if that's the best of the sacrifice, I think to some degree there is an application there to us that we don't just give God what we have, we give God the best of what we have. I don't just want you to give like you can just give yourself in the sense of just being there and being like you can be present in this room, but your mind is elsewhere right now as as I'm speaking.

You can give yourself to the service of the Lord, but you're not really giving yourself to the service of the Lord. You're not doing it with all your heart like Colossians says. You're not doing it with all your strength. You're not doing it with all your desire. God said, I don't want that.

Even these act these ritualistic offerings, God himself, even in the Old Covenant says, I don't want you to do it if your heart is far from me. Even these acts do I want your entire being to be involved in the process. And so God wants the best from us. He doesn't want the the the leftovers of our lives. Can you think of the two men that violated this law in the scripture?

They were kind of a team together, unfortunately. What's it? Sons. Close. Good guess, but it's not.

Eli's sons. First Samuel two fifteen. This is describing the rebellion of the the brothers who were Eli's sons, who were priests. This just shows you how understanding the Levitical law will bring light to narratives. First Samuel two fifteen, moreover, before the fat was burned, when the worshiper, when the Israelite would come and offer a sacrifice and and obey this command, I wanna give the fat to the Lord.

In first Samuel two fifteen, before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw. And if the man said to him, let him burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish, he would say, no. You must give it now. And if not, I will take it by force. Right there.

Do we see it? Then instead of giving to the Lord what was doing to him, they took what belonged to him and applied it for selfish gain, for their own pleasure, for their own desire, for their own purposes. And it says right after this that they brought great contempt concerning the sacred things of God. Now if you read that and you don't understand what the peace offering is, you might not it might not click for you. But when you understand that God had instituted that this would be offered complete, just the fat, and you take the rest and they say, no.

I want the I want the fat as well. I want to give nothing to God, but I want it all for me. That's what's being said in that that act. And so there's a portion of me that God wants dedicated to himself. So if God says, I want you to spend time with me, God, I'm gonna give you that portion.

If he says, I want you to meet me in my word, God, I'm gonna give you that portion. If he wants me to be completely involved and putting him first and being and being committed to a certain ministry and not half heartedly doing it, then I'm gonna give it to him. I'm gonna give him my best. I'm not just gonna give him random things. And nor am I gonna reserve to myself what I want for myself and give God what he whether he wants it or not doesn't matter because he's he should be happy that I'm giving him any anything anyway.

So the peace offering cannot be experienced unless one, that that hand those hands was laid upon that sacrifice and it was dealt with concerning your sin. Two, that it was placed upon the burnt offering, upon the basis that you've already committed to complete yourself to the Lord. And three, that I wanna give my best to the Lord. I wanna give all that I can to him. Whatever he asks me, I'm willing to give it.

I'm not gonna reserve anything in my life because I'm more concerned about pleasing him than pleasing myself, unlike coffee and figs, unfortunately. So we understand the peace offering. Now we move on to Leviticus chapter four, the sin offering. And now we enter into the second category of offerings where this deals with when sin creeps into the worshiper's life and what he ought to do as a response to that in order to regain that status of right fellowship with God. And this is a long chapter concerning the sin offering.

So let's go over some verses to get the idea here because it targets different types of people. Verse three, if it is the anointed priests who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people. So first category is what? The priest, the anointed priest. We come to verse 13.

If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly. Second category, the whole congregation. If corporately they fall into sin, this is what they ought to do. This is the prescription. Thirdly, verse 22.

When a leader sins So we're talking about rulers, not necessarily people in the ministry of the tabernacle, but just leaders, rulers of different responsibilities. And lastly, verse 27. If any one of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things that by the Lord's commitments are not to be done. Fourth category, any person that's just a common citizen. So we have the anointed priest.

We have the whole congregation, we have the leadership, and we have the common person. So right off there as I'm reading the surface level of that, what understanding am I getting concerning our relationship to God? We all sin. No matter what your responsibility is, no matter what your day to day call is, no matter who God has assigned you to be, we all have this sin nature, and we all have to be held responsible of knowing how to ask God for forgiveness, how to seek him to cleanse us, how to realize that we can all fall. And God gives the same protocol or does see to each one of them to know how to regain that relationship with him again that was broken through transgression.

So so I see that and I go, oh, wow. I guess, you know, so leaders aren't perfect. Who would have known? Are they called to higher standard? Absolutely.

We're about to find that out right now. But what I see right here is that everyone is capable of sinning, and everyone is in need for blood to cover them. Now this is where it gets really interesting. Look at verse 13. Somebody pointed this out and I thought it was brilliant.

If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord's commitments are not to be done, and they realize their guilt, when they sin, which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer what? A bull. Is that what it says in your Bible? That they shall offer a bull unto the Lord. Now look at verse 28.

This was what would happen if a person from the congregation, not the whole congregation, but an individual from the congregation. Look what happened here. Or the sin which he committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish. What do you think is more expensive, a bull or a goat? Bull.

K. A bull is pricier sacrifice than a goat. So God says, listen. If all of you sin, if all of you come into a place where you corporately sin together, like the golden calf seen, then you have to offer a bull for the entire congregation. If one of you sins, just give a goat.

Now look at verse three of chapter four. If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a what? Bull. Wait. The common person offered a goat.

So why is the anointed priest offering a bull? That's a price you're sacrifice. Because if you're a leader and you commit sin, there are different consequences than if you're just a common folk. That's what God is saying through this. The anointed priest had to offer a bull, where the common person had to offer a goat, and the whole congregation offered a bull, which says something about the responsibility of anybody who's touching any type of ministry.

Not that there are greater hoops to jump through, but there is a greater price to pay because you've been called to be above reproach and to be an example unto the people. And so what the Lord is saying here is anointed priest dealing with the holy things of God, you have to offer a bull. Common person, goat. Leader, is that not true today? Is not the pain greater when a leader in ministry sins?

There's a greater price to pay. It's just true. It's just the reality of being above. That's why there's a standard that needs to be kept. That's why you need to pray for your leaders, and that's why holiness unto the lord is no joking matter is no joking matter.

Oh, yes. The blood forgives all of us, and it's not like again, I'm not saying here that Jesus is, going to not give his forgiveness to a person who falls in sin, which is in leadership. No. No. No.

No. But there is a heftier weight to the matter when it is committed by somebody who's given authority and responsibility in light of representing the holiness of God. So even in the details, we can miss these things as we're reading scripture. We can kind of just go into autopilot mode and just read and say, oh, I read Leviticus four, and then we miss the details here that the offering was the same weight as the whole congregation if they were to sin. Important truth.

But there's another thing if you notice as we touch on these verses, then anybody catch on to this one word that kept reoccurring. Unintentional sin. What does that tell you and me about sin and sacrifice and God willing to forgive? That just because God is willing to forgive it doesn't mean we walk in intentional sin. Can I get an amen?

Amen. Amen. So unintentional sin. If it's unintentional sin, if it's unintentional sin, whether you're ignorant of the law or whether something just whatever. If it's unintentional, this is what God is shouting out through every single person no matter what status they hold.

If it is unintentional because God is not promoting some just live how you want kind of theology. He says, no. If it's unintentional, if it's something that you've committed and this is what first John two one says, my little children, I am writing these things to you. After he describes confessing your sin to the Lord in first John one nine. Right?

If you confess your sins, he's willing to forgive you. The blood of Jesus forgave he says all those wonderful things. Then he comes to chapter two verse one. He says this, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. I'm not talking about the grace of God so that you can sin.

I'm not talking about the precious power of God to through his blood to wash you from your sin so that you can do it. He says, no. I'm writing these things so you don't do it. But what does he say? If anyone does sin, because it happens, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.

I know this is simple, but God seems to really wanna embed it in our minds even in the Levitical law that I'm not calling you to live how you want and then just come and offer a sacrifice just to repent and do it and repent and do it and forgive and re no. Unintentional sin. Then we come to the guilt offering. Verse 14. What's unique about the guilt offering and the sin offering?

What's the difference between these two? Does anybody know? Both have to do about expediting sin. Both have to do about covering sin. But there's something about the guilt offering that's unique from the sin offering.

The sin offering speaks about general sins, whereas the guilt offering targets sins that are committed to injure others or to defile any sacred thing of God. And really what's unique about the guilt offering is that not only was an animal to be sacrificed, but there was to be restitution made concerning your neighbor's property or the holy things of God that you have profaned. And so the first here, if we see here, the first two verses from 14 to 16 deal with sins against the holy things of God. From 17 to 19, it talks about breaking the commandments of God. And here the sins against someone's neighbors in chapter six from one to seven.

So look at six verse four, chapter six verse four, to get an idea of what happens here if you were to sin against your neighbor. If he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the loss thing that he found or anything about which was sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it and give it to him who it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. So not only was there to be this restitution, but 20% of its value was to be also on top given. And then an animal sacrifice to receive forgiveness of sin. Why all that long process?

Why do you think? So that you wouldn't do it again. As simple as that. I know it's deep. So that you won't do it again.

How many things we would not do as much if we knew that we had to pay it in full and and pay 20% more on top of that? And this is what God is trying to do. He's trying to he's trying to tame this sin nature by adding consequences to these actions. When you injure others see some sins you don't necessarily injure others. That's mostly the inner life.

Right? What people don't see. But there's a different consequence when we involve others in our sin as well that have a different price. There's a different price to pay. And so really with the guilt offering, there is an idea of restitution here that should be hand in hand with your repentance.

Just an open question. Is restitution something that a Christian should do in their repentance, do you think? What do I mean by restitution? That if you've done something wrong to somebody that you go out of your way to make sure that you recover that wrong and not just ask for forgiveness. Is restitution a biblical thing?

Yes. And that of the new covenant? Yes. If so, explain why.

I've heard the verse that talks about you

should go to your brother before coming to the altar. Let him know.

Yes. If you sinned against him to go up to him before you worship the lord, absolutely. That's a good verse. Yeah. Yes.

If you will ask forgiveness,

you can sometimes send me times for him.

Sure. So these this is talking about forgiveness. I'm talking about restitution in the sense of giving something back concerning certain sins that would really take something from someone that goes beyond an apology. Somebody say the name. Jesus.

Does anybody know which character in the bible did something? Zaccheaus. Luke 19. Luke 19. What happens what happens when he realizes that Jesus wanted to come over and sup with him and Jesus knew his name.

He says, lord, call him lord. So I'm gonna repeat how much? Back? Four. Four fold.

And some people would debate this, but I think the principle lies true that if in your repentance towards God, you are able to make restitution, depending on what sin it is, we should make the effort to do that. In fact, it's amazing, some of you can testify to this, that even after you've come to Christ, you felt this burning conviction to not just ask God for forgiveness, but to go ask others for forgiveness. The ones that you've wronged. To make that phone call to somebody, you haven't talked to me in years maybe. Okay?

Remember me? Like, I think so. You're like, I did this to you in grade school and I'm a Christian now. I don't know why you did it, but forgive me. You're like, okay.

And then, there's a burning conviction on your heart to make restitution. I believe that's a deep part and and a great evidence of somebody that is repentant. That somebody that is truly repentant. They want to go out and and make right what was wrong. And even I had a conversation with with somebody just recently who had a background of stealing.

And at this point in their walk with the Lord, they're like, I don't know how to make restitution. I just need to get this off of my shoulder. I don't know what to do. So just brainstorming back and forth, but the principle itself is so wonderful. The evidence of that speaks of somebody who is really contrite and heartedly.

That really shows that they want to be right before God and before man. To have a clear conscience. So, the guilt offering really speaks of is even in our sin, not just asking God for forgiveness, but going the extra mile and making it right with whatever we have wrong. And, there are sometimes where you shouldn't do that Because you shouldn't talk to some people in your past. Lest they hook you back into a certain decision or lifestyle.

So, it's all about wisdom. It's not an automatic thing. That once you repent of a sin or once you come to Christ, you make a list of all the people that you've harmed and

you try to find their numbers and try

to call them. No. But there is this wisdom and this guidance, I believe, even subjectively by the Holy Spirit, that He will show you. He will press upon you. Go and ask forgiveness for this person.

You've stolen from this person. Really shocked them now. Not only give them what they want or what you took from them, give them even more. You know, the Lord will do that, I believe, uniquely to each person concerning a different scenario. Don't leave here now going through your contact list and try to, you know, make restitution with people that you don't need to do that.

So, there is wisdom involved in this as well. Very, very important to understand. And what's interesting about the guilt offering is this. It also deals with unintentional sin. Okay.

I have a question as I'm going through these offerings. Cause I know sin nature. So, what about intentional sins? That's possible. Not every sin is unintentional.

So, what sacrifice? Because you cover the sacrifice. You cover the offerings. I have not seen anything yet about how one sin intentionally committed can be covered by God. Does anybody know where that's found?

There is no sacrifice for willful sin.

There is no sacrifice for willful sin? Six:four. Hebrews six:four. Hebrews 10 if we willfully go on sinning. Stay within the old covenant.

Is there a sacrifice that deals with intentional sin? Okay. That deals with if we're really repentant? Sure. But is there a procedure that I have to take if I've committed a sin intentionally?

Are they supposed to be the outside of

the city? Supposed to go into loneliness or something? Oh, say that again? Say that again. Say that again.

Say that again. If they do willful sin that they would be cut off. Okay. There are consequences to certain sins. But remain remain in this this lane, is there a sacrifice that is to take place to cover not just unintentional sin, but intentional sin?

If yes, then what is that sacrifice? If no, then the Old Covenant people must have been in deep trouble. And they were in deep trouble to some degree. But they wouldn't have moved forward very much if there was not a sin offering for intentional sin. Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 16. What is Leviticus 16 speaking of? Say it if you know it. Leviticus 16? What sacrifice are we talking about, Leviticus 16?

It's there. Whoever is there first, say it. The day of atonement. Leviticus 16. How do we know that?

Go to verse 21. And when you're there, where was there? Read it loud for everybody to hear. What does verse 21 of Leviticus 16 say?

And Aaron shall

Leviticus sixteen twenty one says that once a year, Aaron was to take a goat as a representation for all the sins and all the transgressions and all the iniquities of the people including intentional ones. Lay his hand on him. That's what I thought you were going with when you said cut off because I thought you were speaking about the the goat going off into the wilderness. So, the day of atonement in the old covenant setting would cover even intentional sins. So, here's a theological question as we close.

Remember our friend last week that was newly saved and he was calling a few people to wonder what the book of Leviticus was about? Okay, he's back. Okay, I'm back and here's my question. Here's my question. I see the biblical law and I know you told me that it talks about Jesus, it talks about principles of worship and principles of holiness.

I understand. But, I just finished reading through the sacrifices. And, I saw somewhere that even intentional sins could be covered. But I know that I was saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. But it seems like in the Levitical law, sins were covered through the offerings of these animals.

So, what's the point of Jesus dying if everything was working just fine and a little bit of cloth? If unintentional sins and intentional sins were covered, there is rules for them to just continue walking their life. God didn't smite them. God didn't destroy them. Why did Jesus

need to die? To reconnect with God.

To reconcile to God. But I see here that fellowship was restored, brother Noah. I see that fellowship was restored to some degree when there are are sins committed and that the guilt offering and the sin offering dealt with that to some degree, didn't it?

What does it mean to be in front of his immediate presence after he passed away?

So for the eternal, So, sister Nejez, you're saying that if I do not get another sacrifice, I cannot stand in the presence of God. Why is that though? Right? Because Jesus is the only thing that

can take away all sin. Okay. Yeah. Okay. And through him, we're no longer slaves to sin to righteousness.

Okay. Okay.

I think eventually, none of these satisfy him. It was kind of a temporary.

So it's a temporary thing because it didn't ultimately satisfy god. That's make okay. Yeah. Alright. We're we're getting really warm now.

People were unfaithful? People were unfaithful?

Like, it's not.

So they wouldn't continue in it? So it wasn't something that really was even kept by the people of Israel? Okay.

I think you hit up. I had a little while that we were talking and you were saying that we shouldn't make a relationship with Christ like a, like a ritual

Mhmm. But rather a a continuum evolving relationship.

So if if life always became about sacrifices for our sins, then that would essentially mean sin would be ritualistic. So we would just constantly, at the time of sin, we would just offer a sacrifice. Christ fulfills all that so that if we go away from being a real ritualistic relationship with God and

a personal relationship with God. So correct me if I'm wrong. So you're saying that if I sin now, it's not about going through this motion of robotic offerings, but I am now coming through a person instead of a system. I'm coming through a person now to receive forgiveness of sins to make it more of an intimate relationship. Yes?

Hebrews ten:four says, for it is

impossible for the blood of Moses. That's the verse we're looking for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. So how do we reconcile Hebrews ten four with everything that we just read? Did it take away sins in the old covenant? It didn't take away sins.

It covered sin. It made one ceremonial clean, but there is no power in the blood of goats or bulls to remove sin and to take away sin from the sinner, including the sin nature. Meaning, there is nothing in these sacrifices that would ultimately deal with the sin nature of the one who needed forgiveness of sins. How do we know that? Hebrews seven eighteen.

Hebrews ten:four tells us that it's possible. Hebrews seven eighteen. For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness. Why? For the law made nothing perfect, including you and me.

So, what? But, on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God. So, in the old covenant, it covered sin. It covered sin. And, if it did anything, all it would do, according to Galatians three nineteen, is remind the people of how sinful they really are.

And, it would prepare them for the ultimate sacrifice, the promised one, that would grant them salvation by faith through his sacrifice. All it would do is constantly be a burden upon them. Why? Because, if it really did deal with the sin nature of men, if it really did remove sin and cleanse them from their sin, why would they need to repeat it every year? And, and, all these things, some of these comments, they all connect to the same point here, that this ultimately did not satisfy God.

That there is one person and one sacrifice only according to God's standard that would quench his wrath and satisfy his just demand, and that was through Christ. And even deeper than that, remember, and that's part of your answer as well, our nature is not dealt with through these sacrifices, but the gospel deals with not just who we are positionally before God, but who we are as a person. There's a transformation that takes place through the gospel. That's why we believe that this gospel is a powerful gospel. It's not something that just we fit in our minds, but it deals with who we are from the inside out.

It changes who we are and makes us into children of God, and we become we join this journey of of ongoing sanctification. No blood of bull of goats can do that. Only Christ's blood can do that. Only Christ's blood can so wash us where the Holy Spirit would come and live in us. That was not true in the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit would be upon you and empower you, but to dwell in you and to seal you. There is only one place that this Holy Spirit would land on and that's a heart that's covered by the blood of Christ. And so, remember the Old Testament, it covered it and never really dealt with the power of it? It never really dealt with the nature in man. Only Christ's blood had enough power to do that.

Not just for a season, not just for a period of time, but for all time. But for all time. So, when we look at these sacrifices, really what we should understand is that it points us to the ultimate sacrifice. That it's a temporary system that would ultimately be fulfilled and the one that would deal with it once and for all. And, there are principles of worship there that God still has in mind in new covenant sense.

The grain offering. And when we say yes to God for anything through thick thick or thin, it's a covenant of salt. It's an unending, unbreaking promise that you've made to God when you gave yourself to him. We talk about the peace offering. The only offering that expresses and experiences fellowship over a meal.

That cannot be done unless it's placed upon the burnt offering, upon the foundation of you giving every piece of yourself to him. Oh, and then we talk about what? We talk about the sin offering. That these sins deal with unintentional ones. This covering is for unintentional sins that even the details show us that leadership has has a greater way to carry.

They have greater privilege to some degree, greater responsibility, but a greater responsibility in their character. When we come to the grain offering or rather the guilt offering that deals with restitution. Restitution. Christ fulfilled all those things in one sacrifice. One sacrifice.

And so can we do that even now as we just close our eyes and bow our heads before we worship this song? That we can come before the presence of god with our unintentional or intentional sins and receive forgiveness once we confess it to him. Once we confess our sins to him, he's willing to wash us and to restore fellowship. Whether you're a leader or not, whether you're an anointed priest or a common person, There is one way and that's Jesus. I praise God for the cross.

Praise God for his blood. Father, in tonight, in in light of the book of Leviticus, we thank you for the gospel. And Lord, we relish and reflect on how you were the same yesterday, today, and forever. We thank you for the new covenant. We thank you that there are principles to learn from the old covenant, but we thank you for the security and the peace and joy we have in the new covenant.

Lord, if anybody here has been dull and light of everything that's been heard, would you awaken our hearts to the reality of the power of the blood of Jesus? That he is now seated at your right hand even now as we pray. Resting from his work because his sacrifice deals with all time, all peoples. And we thank you that it's as simple as coming to you just like we are right now and saying, Lord, wash me clean. I want fellowship with you.

I want to commune with you. Oh, Lord, I don't come with a bull. I don't come with a goat. I don't come with grain in my hand. I will come with anything other than my hands clinging to Calvary.

Saying, lord, this is all I have. Here I am at the foot of the cross. Wash me afresh. I want to know you deeper. So what we wanna sing to you now,

we wanna sing about the precious blood.

The power of that blood. The grace found in that blood.

And Lord, does anybody in here that fails to see the forgiveness offer

in Jesus? Not just an initial salvation, but even if they've sinned, maybe there are some people here that have stumbled over and over and over again. Maybe somebody here is so discouraged because they just stumbled even before they came here. But, lord, may they also know that all they have to do is call upon the blood of Jesus and you're willing to forgive. Help us not live in a way where we intentionally sin.

Help us to live in a way in which if we sin, it's a slip of the flesh, Lord. And that if we do sin, that it would grieve us and convict us. We want to be a people sensitive to this. Bring us to that place, Lord. If the people of Israel can come and give a peace offering or a grain offering or any type of offering that requires slaughter and blood and mess just as a response of your grace.

Lord, here we come with our voices, our hands, our strength to say, Lord, we love you. Thank you for what you've done for us. May from this place, may their unending praise day and night unto you. In Jesus' name we pray.