Throughout Christian and even Jewish history few things have been as controversial, misunderstood, misused, or even as misapplied as the biblical sacrifices and offerings. What do many know of the sacrifices and the offerings? Most of us have a basic understanding, or we think we do, many of us have a far more in depth understanding and whole books have been written on how the sacrifices point to the ultimate sacrifice of our Messiah and how his blood redeemed us. The tithes being a part of the offerings is also often misconstrued. For those who came from a mainstream Christian background we where told it was simply Old Testament, Old Covenant, that this made it not apply, although I am sure many are still happy to encourage the use of the tithe! I'm sure if you're on this blog you've at least begun to question this narrative if you have't already become an observer of Torah or pursuant. Yet for many of us we have heard a new statement to dismiss this, and often accepted this statement without further questioning - that without a Temple we can not keep the system of sacrifices and offerings, and the tithe was to the temple alone. I too went quite a while without questioning this statement, but as with anything we should always test things against scripture.
So I hope that this endeavor of mine helps us all to understand what scripture is saying in regards to the system of sacrifices and offerings, and how they apply to us today beyond the very clear symbolism of the atonement of the Messiah.
To do this let's go back to the beginning, right into B'resheet. Now we have all heard the story around the first recorded sacrifices (B'resheet 4), Kayin and Hevel, Cain and Abel, and we could spend a lot of time discussing how the greater sin was probably Kayin's hard heart in the offerings he gave as to why his was not accepted but what I want to draw your attention to today is not a focus on what what wrong, it is on what went right. Firstly, they knew to give such sacrifices and offerings! Along with many evidences of scripture I come to the conclusion that the Torah, being our best descriptor to Elohim's eternal character, was already known albeit not recorded. That from the time of Adam it was known how we should walk as His children. If we apply this stance then it follows that Hevel's offering was accepted as what it was, a well done burnt sacrifice, one that was a pleasing aroma to Adonai.
Now, we all can clearly see in scripture there is a sort of... evolution... to the regulations around the sacrificial system, and this is going to be a large part throughout this writing. So while the Torah at it's heart was there, while these two brothers knew a good sacrifice from a bad one, while Noach knew clean and unclean (B'resheet 7), some things simply weren't outlined as of that point in time. And to this we see that Kayin and Hevel were offering a sacrifice in the wilderness, with little to no further detail as to the protocols they followed.
We then see Noach giving sacrifices in B'resheet 8:20, and not just one, one from every clean animal and bird! This further enforces the idea that the sacrifical system was known, in knowing the clean from the unclean Noach also knew the clean was suitable for sacrificing to Elohim and would be accepted. Fast forward and we get to Avram, who built many altars through his time, in many places, so willing to please Elohim he was ready to sacrifice his own son! Even Moshe himself spoke to Pharoah of going out to give sacrifices and offerings. The tithes even show up pre-Moshe as we see a tenth be exchanged with Avraham and Malki-Tzedek in B'resheet 14, and again with Yacob directly to Adonai in B'resheet 28:20-22 So we must then carry on.
So the big question then arises, if men such as these were able to give burnt offerings predating the Torah why then are we not doing so? Are we in the wrong? The tithes being a part of the offerings system, how does that work today with so many conflicting statements around them flying?
While we stew on that question now is a good time to interject on just what exactly *is* the sacrificial system. Many would categorize it as a system by the Levitical priesthood would make atonement for the sins of Israel. But can that be correct? We have already seen that the system predates the Levitical priesthood, and more so predates the Levites themselves! It also predates Israel, so how could it's atonement be for something which did not yet, by definition, exist? (Yes, Israel as a term for Bnei Elohim existed, but work with me here, as a lineage it did not) So then the third part of the claim to define the sacrificial system, that it makes atonement for sin, would that be accurate or false as well? The the credit of those making this claim, it is very easy to come to that conclusion when we see passages in the Torah and the Tanakh stating that that is the purpose of those sacrifices! We see many passages which bear this similar message, ...and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him (Vayikra (Leviticus) 1:4). But can that be the correct way of understanding it? Let me ask you this, can a thing need atonement as we define it as forgiveness of sin? Why then do we also see that the Altar needs atonement in Sh'mot (Exodus) 29:36, Each day, offer a young bull as a sin offering, besides the other offerings of atonement; offer the sin offering on the altar as your atonement for it; then anoint and consecrate it. We also see atonement for the incense altar in Sh'mot 30:10. We can see passages of scripture such as Yiremeyahu (Jeremiah) 44:23 which says, It is because you offered incense, sinned against Adonai, didn't listen to what Adonai said, and didn't live by His Torah, regulations and instructions that this disaster has befallen you, as it is today. But it isn't until we get into the Brit Hadasha (New Testament) That we can really put those pieces together and understand. We get into Messianic Jews (Hebrews) and see the picture laid out before us starting in chapter 9 of the Messiah being our Cohen Gadol, our High Priest, and his blood being the atonement for our sins. And not just ours, but of all believers through all time. Chapter 11 goes into great detail ensuring we knew that as early as Hevel it was by faith that we were saved, not be sacrifices, not by works. Chapter 10:6 speaks to how the burnt offerings haven't pleased him, and this is a quote from Tehillim (Psalms) 40! Because it ultimately wasn't about the offering, but the repentance, the need for the Messiah to redeem us. And out of his redemption comes our obedience.
The value then of the sacrificial system is not atonement, but to point to what the Messiah would do, and did do, when he died on Passover and rose on First Fruits. This is further solidified when we look to eschatology, the study of the end times. How could it be anything other than symbolic, and still a reminder pointing to the Messiah, when we see four prophets all make a similar statement, that the sacrifices will resume in the millennial kingdom under the guidance of our Cohen Gadol, we have to take such statements as a fact. Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 56:6-8, "And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai to serve him, to love the name of Adonai, and to be His workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayers; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Adonai Elohim says, he who gathers Israel's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already." Yirmeyahu 33:15-18, When those days come, at that time, I will cause to spring up from David a Branch of Righteousness. He will do what is just and right in the land. When those days come, Y'udah will be saved, Yerushalayim will live in safety, and the name given to her will be Adonai Tzidkenu (The Lord our Righteousness)." For this is what Adonai says: "There will never be cut off from David a man to occupy the throne of the house of Israel. Nor will there ever be cut off from the cohanim (priests) who are L'vi'im (Levities) a man before me to offer burnt offerings, burn grain offerings and offer sacrifices every day." Z'kharyah (Zachariah) 14:16, Finally, everyone remaining from all the nations that came to attack Yerushalayim will go up every year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzava'ot, and to keep the festival of Sukkot. But it is Ezekiel who goes into the most detail with chapter 40 starting to speak of the millennial kingdom, 43 explaining the Levites again starting in the temple and consecrating the new altars, 45 speaking to some of the sacrifices and offerings and keeping the Holy Days. We can then know that it can not be a sin to continue in the sacrifices, so we return again to the earlier question, now elaborated. Knowing the sacrificial system was symbolic of the Messiah both before he came and after he returns why do we not keep the sacrifices and offerings today? And what then of the offerings themselves which where never for atonement? Those things we see given in praise and our tithes?
Now, we all can clearly see in scripture there is a sort of... evolution... to the regulations around the sacrificial system, and this is going to be a large part throughout this writing. So while the Torah at it's heart was there, while these two brothers knew a good sacrifice from a bad one, while Noach knew clean and unclean (B'resheet 7), some things simply weren't outlined as of that point in time. And to this we see that Kayin and Hevel were offering a sacrifice in the wilderness, with little to no further detail as to the protocols they followed.
We then see Noach giving sacrifices in B'resheet 8:20, and not just one, one from every clean animal and bird! This further enforces the idea that the sacrifical system was known, in knowing the clean from the unclean Noach also knew the clean was suitable for sacrificing to Elohim and would be accepted. Fast forward and we get to Avram, who built many altars through his time, in many places, so willing to please Elohim he was ready to sacrifice his own son! Even Moshe himself spoke to Pharoah of going out to give sacrifices and offerings. The tithes even show up pre-Moshe as we see a tenth be exchanged with Avraham and Malki-Tzedek in B'resheet 14, and again with Yacob directly to Adonai in B'resheet 28:20-22 So we must then carry on.
So the big question then arises, if men such as these were able to give burnt offerings predating the Torah why then are we not doing so? Are we in the wrong? The tithes being a part of the offerings system, how does that work today with so many conflicting statements around them flying?
While we stew on that question now is a good time to interject on just what exactly *is* the sacrificial system. Many would categorize it as a system by the Levitical priesthood would make atonement for the sins of Israel. But can that be correct? We have already seen that the system predates the Levitical priesthood, and more so predates the Levites themselves! It also predates Israel, so how could it's atonement be for something which did not yet, by definition, exist? (Yes, Israel as a term for Bnei Elohim existed, but work with me here, as a lineage it did not) So then the third part of the claim to define the sacrificial system, that it makes atonement for sin, would that be accurate or false as well? The the credit of those making this claim, it is very easy to come to that conclusion when we see passages in the Torah and the Tanakh stating that that is the purpose of those sacrifices! We see many passages which bear this similar message, ...and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him (Vayikra (Leviticus) 1:4). But can that be the correct way of understanding it? Let me ask you this, can a thing need atonement as we define it as forgiveness of sin? Why then do we also see that the Altar needs atonement in Sh'mot (Exodus) 29:36, Each day, offer a young bull as a sin offering, besides the other offerings of atonement; offer the sin offering on the altar as your atonement for it; then anoint and consecrate it. We also see atonement for the incense altar in Sh'mot 30:10. We can see passages of scripture such as Yiremeyahu (Jeremiah) 44:23 which says, It is because you offered incense, sinned against Adonai, didn't listen to what Adonai said, and didn't live by His Torah, regulations and instructions that this disaster has befallen you, as it is today. But it isn't until we get into the Brit Hadasha (New Testament) That we can really put those pieces together and understand. We get into Messianic Jews (Hebrews) and see the picture laid out before us starting in chapter 9 of the Messiah being our Cohen Gadol, our High Priest, and his blood being the atonement for our sins. And not just ours, but of all believers through all time. Chapter 11 goes into great detail ensuring we knew that as early as Hevel it was by faith that we were saved, not be sacrifices, not by works. Chapter 10:6 speaks to how the burnt offerings haven't pleased him, and this is a quote from Tehillim (Psalms) 40! Because it ultimately wasn't about the offering, but the repentance, the need for the Messiah to redeem us. And out of his redemption comes our obedience.
The value then of the sacrificial system is not atonement, but to point to what the Messiah would do, and did do, when he died on Passover and rose on First Fruits. This is further solidified when we look to eschatology, the study of the end times. How could it be anything other than symbolic, and still a reminder pointing to the Messiah, when we see four prophets all make a similar statement, that the sacrifices will resume in the millennial kingdom under the guidance of our Cohen Gadol, we have to take such statements as a fact. Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 56:6-8, "And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai to serve him, to love the name of Adonai, and to be His workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayers; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Adonai Elohim says, he who gathers Israel's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already." Yirmeyahu 33:15-18, When those days come, at that time, I will cause to spring up from David a Branch of Righteousness. He will do what is just and right in the land. When those days come, Y'udah will be saved, Yerushalayim will live in safety, and the name given to her will be Adonai Tzidkenu (The Lord our Righteousness)." For this is what Adonai says: "There will never be cut off from David a man to occupy the throne of the house of Israel. Nor will there ever be cut off from the cohanim (priests) who are L'vi'im (Levities) a man before me to offer burnt offerings, burn grain offerings and offer sacrifices every day." Z'kharyah (Zachariah) 14:16, Finally, everyone remaining from all the nations that came to attack Yerushalayim will go up every year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzava'ot, and to keep the festival of Sukkot. But it is Ezekiel who goes into the most detail with chapter 40 starting to speak of the millennial kingdom, 43 explaining the Levites again starting in the temple and consecrating the new altars, 45 speaking to some of the sacrifices and offerings and keeping the Holy Days. We can then know that it can not be a sin to continue in the sacrifices, so we return again to the earlier question, now elaborated. Knowing the sacrificial system was symbolic of the Messiah both before he came and after he returns why do we not keep the sacrifices and offerings today? And what then of the offerings themselves which where never for atonement? Those things we see given in praise and our tithes?
So let us look at what all the different sacrifices and offerings were once the Torah was recorded in completion.
There are a few things that can look like sacrifices and offerings that I first off want to separate out, these are things which Elohim has said belong to him - they aren't something we can decide to offer. Such things include the L'vi'im, the Levites, as B'midbar 8:14 says, In this way you will separate the L'vi'im from the people of Israel, and the L'vi'im will belong to me. Likewise we have ways in which each was consecrated when becoming a priest in passages like Sh'mot 29 and Vayikra 6:19-23 or even how the tribe was consecrated in B'midbar 8:5-19. Elohim also already lays claim to the fourth year of all fruit trees, Vayikra 19:24, In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, for praising Adonai. Or the male firstborn of every animal and woman, who is not able then to be consecrated as they already belong to Adonai, as described by Sh'mot 13:12-15, Sh'mot 22:29-30, Sh'mot 34:19-20, Vayikra 27:28. Which he even says we ourselves are to eat, in one of His places or at home if the animal has a defect. The last thing he lays claim to is a tenth of all our production, Vayikra 27:30-33 lays it out quite plainly, All the tenth given to the land, whether from planted seed or from fruit trees belongs to Adonai; it is holy to Adonai. If someone wants to redeem any of his tenth he must add to it one fifth. All the tenth from the herd or the flock, whatever passes under the shephards crook, the tenth one will be holy to Adonai. The owner is not to enquire whether the animal is good or bad, and he can not exchange it; if he does exchange it, both it and the one he substituted will be holy, it can not be redeemed. Which today would be the production of our hands. This was given first by Yacob as dedicated for Elohim, and during the time of the L'vi'im it was their portion.
Seeing this, I would argue that all these things are still His. While we do not current;y have the L'vi'im to consecrate to him, one day we will again. That those who plant fruit trees should be following the mitzvot of not eating them for three years and the fourth year giving the fruit to Elohim. That our firstborns are special in His eyes, and those of clean animals we should eat but those of unclean animals and people we currently can not redeem. And with the tenth of our work, the fruit of our labours, that we should behave as Yacob did, that this is not simply a tenth towards the temple, tabernacle or the Levites, but that this is indeed to further the worship and kingdom of Elohim. Be that to our congregations, or other ministries we wish to give toward.
Now that we have seen what is already Adonai's, let us look to what he asks of the L'vi'im who are his people. Of those working within the Tabernacle, first, or second temples there were both daily and annual sacrifices required of them. The people were expected to help these regular occurrences by bringing olive oil and wood to the temple on many occasions to keep the menorah and the altar both burning continuously.
One of the first to bring up then is the menorah itself, in Sh'mot (Exodus) 27:20-21 it says, You are to order the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep the lamp burning continually. Aharon and his sons are to put it in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain in front of the testimony, and keep it burning from evening until morning before Adonai. This is a permanent regulation through all the generations of people of Israel. A fire kept to be burning as pleasing to Adonai.
There was a daily sin offering for the burning altar itself, as we see in Sh'mot 29:36-37, Each day, offer a sin offering, besides the other offerings of atonement; offer the sin offering on the alter as your atonement for it; then consecrate it. Seven days you will make atonement on the altar and consecrate it; thus the altar will be especially holy, and whatever touches the altar will become holy. Of such sin offers the cohen were permitted to take their portion for a meal that they where to eat in the presence of Adonai.
We have the daily burnt offerings shown in Sh'mot 29:38-41, Now this is what you are to offer on the altar: two lambs a year old, regularly, every day. The one lamb you are to offer in the morning and the other lamb at dusk. With the one lamb offer two quarts of finely ground flour mixed with one quart of oil from pressed olives; along with one quart of wine as a drink offering. The other lamb you are to offer at dusk; do with it as with the morning grain and drink offerings - it will be a pleasing aroma, an offering made to Adonai by fire. Of which Vayikra 7:8 speaks when it mentions that the cohen whom offers it keeps the hide of the animal. This is further suported as a daily sacrifice in B'midbar 28:3-4.
Now, the sin and burnt offerings had something in common, both where always tied with a grain offering and a drink offering. The associated amounts could change with the more specified sacrifices but for the regular say to say we see Sh'mot 29 speak to them being presented with the sacrifices on a daily basis and it is B'midbar 15:6-10 which lays out for us the regular amounts, saying, For a ram, prepare one gallon of fine flour mixed with one and one third quarts of olive oil; while for the drink offering you are to present one and one third quarts of wine as a fragrant aroma to Adonai. When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, as a sacrifice for a special vow or a peace offering for Adonai, there is to be presented with a bull a grain offering of one and a half gallons of fine flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. For the drink offering, present two quarts of wine for an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma to Adonai. Vayikra 6 shows us that a portion of this grain offering, which was always salted as well according to Vayikra 2, was to be eaten by the cohen and belonged to the one whom offered it.
The last of the daily sacrifices was the Incense offering, as explained by Sh'mot 30:7-9, Aharon will burn fragrant incense on it as a pleasing aroma every morning; he is to burn it when he prepares the lamps. Aharon is also to burn it when he lights the lamps at dusk; this is the regular burning of incense before Adonai through all your generations. You are not to offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering or a grain offering; and you are not to pour a drink offering on it.
Weekly we come to the Shabbat, which has it's own things to be done as well. From the show bread given in detail in Vayikra 24 to the burnt offering of two male lambs with one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil and a drink offering shown in B'midbar 28:9-10.
And a month was not complete without the burnt sacrifices of Rosh Chodesh to start the new month every moon, B'midbar 28:11-15 shows us this, listing out for us two young bulls, each with two quarts of wine and six quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil, one ram with a third a quart of wine and four quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil and seven male lambs, each with a quart of wine and two quarts of fine flour with olive oil.
The incense altar needed an annual sacrifice for it's atonement according to Sh'mot 30:10.
We then come to the annual Moedim, the feast days of Adonai, and their special sacrifices. So we start with Pesach, and how Vayikra 23 and B'midbar 28:16-25 show us that for seven days there was the daily burnt sacrifice of two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs each with their grain and drink offerings. In addition to a daily sin offering of a male goat.
First Fruits give us the whole kernel offering in Vayikra 2:14-16 with olive oil and frankincense from the first fruits of the harvest, in addition to waving a sheaf of the first fruits and giving a male lamb as a burnt offering with its one quart of wine and one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil. Additionally to even that B'midbar 28:26-31 shows us the need for two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs with grain and wine offerings to be burnt together.
There are a few things that can look like sacrifices and offerings that I first off want to separate out, these are things which Elohim has said belong to him - they aren't something we can decide to offer. Such things include the L'vi'im, the Levites, as B'midbar 8:14 says, In this way you will separate the L'vi'im from the people of Israel, and the L'vi'im will belong to me. Likewise we have ways in which each was consecrated when becoming a priest in passages like Sh'mot 29 and Vayikra 6:19-23 or even how the tribe was consecrated in B'midbar 8:5-19. Elohim also already lays claim to the fourth year of all fruit trees, Vayikra 19:24, In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, for praising Adonai. Or the male firstborn of every animal and woman, who is not able then to be consecrated as they already belong to Adonai, as described by Sh'mot 13:12-15, Sh'mot 22:29-30, Sh'mot 34:19-20, Vayikra 27:28. Which he even says we ourselves are to eat, in one of His places or at home if the animal has a defect. The last thing he lays claim to is a tenth of all our production, Vayikra 27:30-33 lays it out quite plainly, All the tenth given to the land, whether from planted seed or from fruit trees belongs to Adonai; it is holy to Adonai. If someone wants to redeem any of his tenth he must add to it one fifth. All the tenth from the herd or the flock, whatever passes under the shephards crook, the tenth one will be holy to Adonai. The owner is not to enquire whether the animal is good or bad, and he can not exchange it; if he does exchange it, both it and the one he substituted will be holy, it can not be redeemed. Which today would be the production of our hands. This was given first by Yacob as dedicated for Elohim, and during the time of the L'vi'im it was their portion.
Seeing this, I would argue that all these things are still His. While we do not current;y have the L'vi'im to consecrate to him, one day we will again. That those who plant fruit trees should be following the mitzvot of not eating them for three years and the fourth year giving the fruit to Elohim. That our firstborns are special in His eyes, and those of clean animals we should eat but those of unclean animals and people we currently can not redeem. And with the tenth of our work, the fruit of our labours, that we should behave as Yacob did, that this is not simply a tenth towards the temple, tabernacle or the Levites, but that this is indeed to further the worship and kingdom of Elohim. Be that to our congregations, or other ministries we wish to give toward.
Now that we have seen what is already Adonai's, let us look to what he asks of the L'vi'im who are his people. Of those working within the Tabernacle, first, or second temples there were both daily and annual sacrifices required of them. The people were expected to help these regular occurrences by bringing olive oil and wood to the temple on many occasions to keep the menorah and the altar both burning continuously.
One of the first to bring up then is the menorah itself, in Sh'mot (Exodus) 27:20-21 it says, You are to order the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep the lamp burning continually. Aharon and his sons are to put it in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain in front of the testimony, and keep it burning from evening until morning before Adonai. This is a permanent regulation through all the generations of people of Israel. A fire kept to be burning as pleasing to Adonai.
There was a daily sin offering for the burning altar itself, as we see in Sh'mot 29:36-37, Each day, offer a sin offering, besides the other offerings of atonement; offer the sin offering on the alter as your atonement for it; then consecrate it. Seven days you will make atonement on the altar and consecrate it; thus the altar will be especially holy, and whatever touches the altar will become holy. Of such sin offers the cohen were permitted to take their portion for a meal that they where to eat in the presence of Adonai.
We have the daily burnt offerings shown in Sh'mot 29:38-41, Now this is what you are to offer on the altar: two lambs a year old, regularly, every day. The one lamb you are to offer in the morning and the other lamb at dusk. With the one lamb offer two quarts of finely ground flour mixed with one quart of oil from pressed olives; along with one quart of wine as a drink offering. The other lamb you are to offer at dusk; do with it as with the morning grain and drink offerings - it will be a pleasing aroma, an offering made to Adonai by fire. Of which Vayikra 7:8 speaks when it mentions that the cohen whom offers it keeps the hide of the animal. This is further suported as a daily sacrifice in B'midbar 28:3-4.
Now, the sin and burnt offerings had something in common, both where always tied with a grain offering and a drink offering. The associated amounts could change with the more specified sacrifices but for the regular say to say we see Sh'mot 29 speak to them being presented with the sacrifices on a daily basis and it is B'midbar 15:6-10 which lays out for us the regular amounts, saying, For a ram, prepare one gallon of fine flour mixed with one and one third quarts of olive oil; while for the drink offering you are to present one and one third quarts of wine as a fragrant aroma to Adonai. When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, as a sacrifice for a special vow or a peace offering for Adonai, there is to be presented with a bull a grain offering of one and a half gallons of fine flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. For the drink offering, present two quarts of wine for an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma to Adonai. Vayikra 6 shows us that a portion of this grain offering, which was always salted as well according to Vayikra 2, was to be eaten by the cohen and belonged to the one whom offered it.
The last of the daily sacrifices was the Incense offering, as explained by Sh'mot 30:7-9, Aharon will burn fragrant incense on it as a pleasing aroma every morning; he is to burn it when he prepares the lamps. Aharon is also to burn it when he lights the lamps at dusk; this is the regular burning of incense before Adonai through all your generations. You are not to offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering or a grain offering; and you are not to pour a drink offering on it.
Weekly we come to the Shabbat, which has it's own things to be done as well. From the show bread given in detail in Vayikra 24 to the burnt offering of two male lambs with one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil and a drink offering shown in B'midbar 28:9-10.
And a month was not complete without the burnt sacrifices of Rosh Chodesh to start the new month every moon, B'midbar 28:11-15 shows us this, listing out for us two young bulls, each with two quarts of wine and six quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil, one ram with a third a quart of wine and four quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil and seven male lambs, each with a quart of wine and two quarts of fine flour with olive oil.
The incense altar needed an annual sacrifice for it's atonement according to Sh'mot 30:10.
We then come to the annual Moedim, the feast days of Adonai, and their special sacrifices. So we start with Pesach, and how Vayikra 23 and B'midbar 28:16-25 show us that for seven days there was the daily burnt sacrifice of two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs each with their grain and drink offerings. In addition to a daily sin offering of a male goat.
First Fruits give us the whole kernel offering in Vayikra 2:14-16 with olive oil and frankincense from the first fruits of the harvest, in addition to waving a sheaf of the first fruits and giving a male lamb as a burnt offering with its one quart of wine and one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil. Additionally to even that B'midbar 28:26-31 shows us the need for two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs with grain and wine offerings to be burnt together.
Shavuot carries us further into the Holy Day annual cycle and Vayikra 23 shows us the need of a special grain offering, two loaves of leavened bread made with fine flour, and waved with two male lambs for a peace offering (Which we will get to soon). Seven lambs, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings with their grain and drink offerings and a male goat for a sin offering round out the sacrifices for that day.
For Yom Teruah the L'vi'im would offer one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs as burnt offerings with their grain and drink offerings in addition to one male goat for the sin offering - and this on top of the regular rosh chodesh offerings!
Entering the Holy Place on Yom Kippur brought even more to be done. In Vayikra 16 we see that a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering where given for the cohen himself. Only then could he take two male goats, one as a sin offering to Adonai and the other set aside as the azazel goat and sent out form the people. When that was complete the sacrifices of B'midbar 29:7-11 could commence, giving a sin offering of a male goat, and the burnt sacrifices of a young bull, a ram, and seven male lambs with all the associated grain and wine offerings.
And if we thought all of that was quite a bit already now we come to the last moedim of the year, Sukkot. Vayikra 23 is vague enough to speak to offerings of fire made for all seven days, but B'midbar 29:12-38 is where we get the full details and even the sacrifice for the Eighth Day. The first day was burning 13 young bulls, each with six quarts of fine flour with olive oil, two rams with four quarts of grain offering each, and fourteen male lambs with two quarts each. Topped off with a male goat for a sin offering. We then progressively lower by one bull in the burnt offerings daily until we get the seven bulls, two rams and seven male lambs for the burnt offerings on the seventh day of Sukkot. On the Eighth Day the special sacrifice of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs with their grain and drink offerings was given as the burnt offering and a male goat was given for the sin offering.
No list of the regular sacrifices would be complete without the Red Heifer. This is a sacrifice that has become almost mythical in the stories told of it, but scripture says shockingly little beyond B'midbar 19, in which the Cohenim are commanded to slaughter a red heifer and burn her into ashes to be mixed with living water. That water can then be used to purify the people from contact with human death. Without it, it leaves us with an impurity, may we praise Adonai for Yeshua the Messiah by which we as believers are all viewed as clean.
These where the regular sacrifices given on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis in the tabernacle, and then each temple. Certainly these are not something in which we can do today, with no tabernacle or temple. This is very true. But they weren't the only ones done. There where guilt and peace offerings, other sin offerings, all of which where able to happen at other places as well as the tabernacle or temple, so long as they where ordained places by Elohim and done by the hand of a Cohen. Such restrictions are found in Vayikra 17:3-5, When someone from the community of Israel slaughters an ox, lamb or goat inside or outside the camp without bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to Adonai before the tabernacle of Adonai, he is to be charged with blood - he has shed blood, and that person is to be cut off from his people. The reason for this is so that the people of Israel will bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice out in the field - so that they will bring them to Adonai, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to the cohen, and sacrifice them as peace offerings to Adonai. and D'varim 12:5-7 Rather, you are to come to the place where Adonai your God will put his name, He will choose it from all your tribes; and you will seek out that place, which is where he will live, and go there. You will bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tenths that you set aside for Adonai, the offerings that you give, the offerings you have vowed, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep. There you will eat in the presence of Adonai your God; and you will rejoice over everything you set out to do, you and your households, in which Adonai your God has blessed you. 13-14, be careful not to offer your burnt offerings just anywhere you see, but do it in the place Adonai will choose in one of your tribal territories; there is where you are to offer your burnt offerings and do everything I order you to do. Another restriction all sacrifices are given is found in Vayikra 22:17-28, that all animals must be perfect, clean, not injured or ill, not castrated, they must be with their mothers for the first seven days at minimum and that the mother and baby are not to be sacrificed on the same day. Within those regulations we see guilt and peace offerings, as well as some sin offerings, happening in places away from the Tabernacle while it was active, but we again hit the limit of what we can do today as we can not present any animals, removing the animal sacrifices from our current ability to obey but not forever.
The guilt offering is an odd duck, while we can certainly agree if there is guilt there is surely sin, and many of the direct statements for the guilt offering are things such as lying, extorting, and stealing, and yet it is classified in it's own way. This was an offering that had some flexibility based upon the person giving it and their means. Vayikra 5:1-6 shows that for not completing an oath given or touching something unclean we are to give a female goat or lamb, but if we can not afford that we can do two dove or pigeons, if we are still too poor then we are to give two quarts of plain fine flour. But Vaykira 5 says that if we have sinned in regards to the Holy things then our guilt offering is to be a ram without defect, or its equivalent value in silver and additionally to make restitution for the wrongdoing as well as the value of one fifth. But a guilt offering for sin, according to Vayikra 5, is different from that of a sin sacrifice. This was to be a sacrifice similar to the sin sacrifice, but of a ram, and if not a ram then the value of a ram.
The sin sacrifice for intentional sin, in difference to the guilt sacrifice, was based upon your ability to purchase, progressively, a bull, sheep or goat, a dove or a pigeon, to be brought for atonement to the tent of meeting only, according to Vayikra 1.
For the inadvertent sin Vayikra 4 explains that for a cohen or for the community the sacrifice is a young bull. For a leader it is a young male goat. Then for individuals such as you and I it would be a female goat or female lamb, and this distinction is repeated in B'midbar 15.
The peace offering was a more complex sacrifice. Not only was it to be eaten by the person offering it as well as the cohen but it was not simple an animal. Vayikra 3, 7 and 19:5-8 give us the details that this was to be a male or female from the herd, male or female from the flock, or goat, offered by fire. But that the breast belonged to the L'vi'im, the right thigh to the cohen who offered the animal and that all the meat was to be eaten on the day it was offered unless it was a part of a special vow or was voluntary in which it could be eaten over two days. Anything remaining of the meat was to be burned up afterwards. It was also be offered with unleavened caked of fine flour mixed with olive oil to be eaten as well.
The Nazarite vow has many things associated to it, and we often think of the hair of Samson or Samuel, or the restriction on wine and higher calling to cleanliness. We seldom think of the sacrifices as well. In the event the nazarite does end up defiled by a dead body he is to bring two doves or pigeons on the eighth day, one as a sin offering and the other as guilt offering. When he restarts his vow he is then to offer a male lamb, and to finish the time of his vow he also offers a male lamb as a burnt offering in addition to a female lamb as a sin offering, a ram as a peace offering and their associated grain and drink offerings. Such sacrifices are what Sha'ul, Paul, himself gave in Acts as he completed his vow to prove he had never taught against the Torah and never would.
We have already spoken of one of the ways of purification, the water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer, but it was for contact with human death and there are many other ways to become unclean. Vayikra 12 shows us that after giving birth a woman was to present a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a dove for a sin offering, and that if she can't afford the lamb then two pigeons or doves would suffice to make her clean again. Chapter 15 shows us that for unclean, irregular discharge (not the standard sort of niddah or intimacy) the person was to offer two doves or pigeons. For tzara'at, leprosy, chapter 14 says it required two clean birds with cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop leaves, and furthermore on the eighth day two male lambs and one female lamb with six and a half quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil and completed with two thirds a pint of olive oil. But to purify a house of tzara'at it took two clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop leaves.
We then have the special vows which people made by choice. We see these in Vayikra 27. Excluding what already belongs to him such as the firstborn, the L'vi'im and their possesstions, the tithe, etc we see that for the consecration of a person the cohen would associate a cost to be paid, a clean animal would be sacrificed but that an unclean one would have the cohen place a value on it, for a house the cohen would set a price and for land the cohen would set a price based on it's production until the next jubilee year - and if that land was the person's and their tribe's it would add an additional one fifth to the value of the land to redeem it.
As we can see, beyond what is God's already, these are all mitzvot which do inherently involve a Cohen or the return of the temple. So these are all sacrifices in which we can not partake. Yet that is not all he has asked of us so his children. In addition to a tenth of our labours to further his worship and kingdom, to go toward him, in addition to the fourth year of our fruit trees to go toward him, he also asks of us more to offer to him.
During the modeim we are asked to have an offering that we eat before the morning after the Passover, Pesach, according to D'varim 16:1-8. 18:3-5 of the same book shows us that we are to give to Elohim's kingdom the first fruits of our labours (And to give to a Levite the first fleece of our sheep... if relevant). On Yom Teruah Vayikra 23 tells us to blow the shofar, an offering of noice. Vayikra 23 also shows us that we are to give a wave offering for seven says during Sukkot, with citrus fruit, palm fonds, thick branches and willows while we are living in temporary housing. But we are blessed at Sukkot to have a new tithe as well, that every year we are to set apart a tithe according to D'varim 14:22-26 to use to celebrate Sukkot, feasting and enjoying each other.
Later in D'varim 14 we are also given the mitzvot by Elohim to gather for Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, and that when we do we are to give what we are able in addition.
The third tithe is almost more of a third, as D'varim 14:27-29 tells us to give a tenth every three years toward the widows and the orphans.
Then we have an interesting command for an offering, one that many Jewish women still keep today as they make the challah for Shabbat every week. This is one I as well seek to keep with my family as we throw a small loaf, made of a portion of my challah, into the wood stove or other small fire. We see it in B'midbar 15:18-21, as it says, Speak to the people of Israel: tell them, When you enter the land where I am bringing you and eat bread produced in the land, you are to set aside a portion as a gift for Adonai. Set aside from your first dough a cake as a gift; set it aside as you would set aside a portion of the grain from the threshing floor. From your first dough you will give Adonai a portion as a gift through all your generations.
So as you can see the issue of sacrifices and offerings being black and white simply doesn't work. Yes, a large portion of them simply can not be done as they are tied to the priesthood and certain places once the commands where given to do so, but not all mitzvot of what we are to give is tied to such restrictions and thus those are ones in which we can still seek to do in obedience to our King, to show our love to our Messiah, to remember what he has done for us in his act of true atonement, in what he did for us in redeeming us with his blood, in what he will do for us when as our Cohen Gadol he stands before the Father for us. These symbolisms still hold great meaning. And while we may not fully understand all of them until the Yeshua returns we can know that they do point to him in all ways, and that he knows more than we do when he asked them of us.
So may we all seek to do the best we can do with what we have available, and thus be seeking to obey as we can obey; trusting in the Grace of the Messiah to be granted for our faith and never to be saved by the blood of an animal or an act of our own hands. Be blessed, Shalom.