S3E160 – Leviticus 1-3: Three of Five

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

In our reading today we’ll read Leviticus 1-3. Before starting the reading, I’ll give you a brief introduction to Leviticus, and after the reading I’ll have some comments. I’m calling today’s episode “Three of Five.”

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Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-2 ESV; Ch. 3 LEB

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Transcript

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Steve Webb 0:00
Why does God require sacrifices?

Steve Webb 0:10
This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God casters Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Welcome and Happy Valentine’s Day. I know some people don’t believe in celebrating this day because of some of its pagan roots. But I believe today we’re so far removed from those roots that the Christian is free to observe it if done within proper godly boundaries. And in my case, if I forgot to do something for the lovely lady Leanne on Valentine’s Day, I’d certainly be in the doghouse, sweetheart. Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you more every day. Well, our reading today will be Leviticus one through three. And before starting the reading. I’ll give you a brief introduction to Leviticus. And after the reading, I’ll have some comments. The title of today’s show is three of five. The show notes page for today’s episode is Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 166. And I welcome your comments on that page. And you can email me also at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let’s begin.

Steve Webb 1:19
Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament which puts it squarely in the middle of the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the Bible Penta means five, the Jews call the Pentateuch, the Torah or law. The author is Moses and Leviticus begins where Exodus left off the first 16 chapters of the book deal with how to approach a holy God and chapters 17 through 26 deal with how to continue in fellowship with a holy God. In this book, we see three very important aspects of God’s character. Number one, in giving his chosen people a system of making sacrifices, he revealed his grace. Number two, we see in chapters eight through 10, that he has a God of justice when his law is broken. And number three, God’s faithfulness is shown in his continued presence with the children of Israel.

Steve Webb 2:15
Leviticus chapter one.

Steve Webb 2:18
The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, You shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish, he shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bowl before the Lord and Aaron sons, the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, then he shall flayed the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. And Aaron sons, the priests shall arrange the pieces the head and the fat on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but it’s in trails and its legs, he shall wash with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord and Aaron sons, the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar, and he shall cut it into pieces with its head and it’s fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but the in trails and the legs he shall wash with water, and the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds than he shall bring his offering of turtle doves or pigeons, and the priest shall bring it to the altar and ring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side in the place for ashes. He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering a food offering and a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Steve Webb 4:37
Leviticus chapter two.

Steve Webb 4:40
When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be a fine flower. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it, and bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil with all of its frankincense and the priest shall burn this as its Memorial. portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons. It is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings. When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven is an offering it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. And if you’re offering as a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be a fine flour unleavened mixed with oil. You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it. It is a grain offering. And if you’re offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. And the priest shall take from the grain offering its Memorial portion and burn this on the altar of food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons. It is the most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings. No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven. For you shall burn, no leaven nor any honey is a food offering to the Lord, as an offering of First Fruits, you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 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. If you offer a grain offering of First Fruits to the Lord, You shall offer for the grain offering of your first fruits, fresh ears roasted with fire, crushed new grain, and you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering. And the priest shall burn as its Memorial portion, some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense. It is a food offering to the Lord.

Steve Webb 6:58
Leviticus chapter three.

Steve Webb 7:00
Now if his offering is a sacrifice of fellowship offering, if he brings it from the cattle, whether male or female, he must bring it without defect before Yawei he must lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the tent of assembly. And Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood on the altar all around. He shall present from the sacrifice of the fellowship offering and offering made of fire for Yahweh consisting of the fat covering the inner parts and all the fat that is on the inner parts, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them which is on the loins, and he must remove the lobe on the liver in addition to the kidneys, Aaron’s sons shall turn it to smoke on the altar in addition to the burnt offering that is on the wood which is on the fire. It is an offering made by fire as an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh. But if is offering for a sacrifice of fellowship offering for Yahweh is from the flock, he must bring a male or female without defect. If he brings a sheep as his offering, then he shall present it before your way and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and he shall slaughter it before the tent of assembly. And Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood on the altar all around. He shall present from the sacrifice of the fellowship offering an offering made by fire for y’all way, he must remove its fat, the entire fat tail near the tailbone, and the fat covering the inner parts and the fat that is on the inner parts, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is on the loins, and he must remove the lobe on the liver in addition to the kidneys, the priest shall turn it into Smoke on the altar as a food offering made by fire for your way. And if his offering is a goat, then he shall bring it before your way and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and he shall slaughter it before the tent of assembly. And Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood on the altar all around. He shall present his offering from it as an offering made by fire for your way, the fat covering the inner parts and all the fat that is on the inner parts, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them which is on the loins and he must remove the lobe on the liver in addition to the kidneys, the priest shall turn them into Smoke on the altar as the food offering. All the fat is an offering made by fire as an appeasing fragrance for your way. This is a lasting statute for your generations in all your dwellings. You must not eat any fat or any blood.

Steve Webb 9:30
Well, the tabernacle is now complete and with its completion, God now introduces the system of sacrifices and the specific requirements for the various sacrifices which he requires. Now up until this point, there was no specific place or methods for the giving of sacrifices. Now the idea of sacrifices was not new. Adam and Eve made the first sacrifice when they covered themselves with the skins of animals in Genesis 321 and their sons Cain and brother Abel made sacrifices in Genesis four verses three and four. Noah made a bird offering in Genesis eight verses 20 and 21. And there are other examples of sacrifices being offered prior to the tabernacles completion. So why does God require sacrifices? Simple because it’s impossible for man to live up to the requirements of the law. Breaking the law is called sin. And for there to be forgiveness, a sacrifice is required. Now, it’s important to remember that sacrifices must cost the giver, the sacrifice is meaningless if they don’t cost something. It’s also important to remember that God set strict guidelines for how the various sacrifices were to be carried out. This was to show that they were to be done on God’s terms, not man’s, and this was to teach the people that they were to approach God with humility and obedience. Another requirement for sacrifices is that the object being sacrificed must be the best or first of its kind. If an animal is to be sacrificed, it must be without blemish. If it’s from a farmer’s harvest, it must be from the first of the harvest. This is to teach that God requires our best. Of course, Jesus became the final perfect sacrifice. Jesus was blameless, he was perfect, he was without blemish. He was God’s only begotten Son, and in giving himself he paid the highest price that could be paid. Beloved, as we go through this book will look at more details of what God required in the sacrificial system and how they might relate to us today. Love to hear your comments. Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 166. Our reading tomorrow will be first Kings 10 through 13 boosts.

Steve Webb 11:58
On this date in church history, February 14 1760, Richard Allen was born. He was the first African American ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church. This happened in 1799. And he was the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church or AME church.

Steve Webb 12:24
Let’s pray. Our Father in heaven, we know that you are a holy God, since you are unchanging. We know that you require perfection. But you also know that we’re incapable of being perfect. We cannot live up to your requirements. Thank you, Lord for providing a way for us to be forgiven. And not just a way but the way, Jesus was the perfect final sacrifice. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus for being willing to pay for my sins, and for anyone who will receive the forgiveness you offer. Lord, I thank you for the Lifespring family bless each one today. For those that are hurting, comfort them, hold them close. I pray this in Jesus name, amen. Send in your prayer requests or praises at prayer dot Lifespring media.com. I’ll pray for you in my daily private prayer time and I’ll pray for you here on the show so that we can all agree together as we take our requests and our praises to God.

Steve Webb 13:28
Comment on the show at Lifespring media.com/s 12 u 166. Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com And please support the show at Lifespring media.com/support. Until tomorrow may God bless you richly. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing your time with me. My name is Steve Webb. Bye

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