The Messiah and the Ritual of Israel

The Feasts of the Lord

THE FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS (HAG HABIKKURIM)

During the feast of unleavened bread, there was another feast, a feast within a feast, the Feast of Firstfruits. The main passages in the T’nach that deal with this feast are Leviticus 23.9-14 and Numbers 28.26-31. The Levitical passage includes: “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (Lev. 23:10,11) The timing of this day is clearly given, “the day after the Sabbath”. Which Sabbath? One interpretation is that it is the Sabbath that falls within the feast of Unleavened Bread. Since the feast of unleavened bread lasted for seven days, it had to include a weekly Sabbath, and the day following that particular Sabbath, was the day to celebrate the feast of Firstfruits and bring an offering to the Lord. The other interpretation is that it is the day following the feast Sabbath. This means it would always be on the 16th Nisan, that is, the Passover was celebrated on the 14th Nisan, the feast of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th Nisan (a feast Sabbath), and the feast of Firstfruits took place on the 16th Nisan.

This is not a feast that could have been celebrated in Egypt, nor in the wilderness. It was an instruction that took effect only when they reached Canaan, “the land which I give you”. This land, the land of Israel was considered more holy than all other lands, because they bring “from it the omer and the firstfruits, and the Two Loaves”.

The barley harvest was the first of the grain harvests, and the first sheaf gathered was to be offered to the Lord. It was a token that the first and the best belonged to the Lord. Israel could not enjoy any of the harvest until the firstfruits had been offered to YHWH. It was an expression of gratitude to God for blessing their land and supplying their daily bread. According to Seder Zera’im, the commandment included two things: “(1) the bringing of the first-fruit, and (2) a declaration to be made by him who brings it, that he owes everything to the kindness of God toward the Israelites, from the times of the Patriarchs up to the present day.” God gave to man the fruit of the ground as his portion. God said to Adam and Eve, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food”. (Gen. 1:29) Therefore, returning the firstfruits back to God is an acknowledgment that the harvest has come as His gift to us. As Newberry points out, the meat offering, of which the principle ingredient was grain (there was no meat in it) is really a gift offering, and acknowledges the gifts of God. Returning the firstfruits to God is the background to the text: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. (Matt. 6:33)

It is worth reflecting that the Genesis account, where God’s judgment is pronounced on Adam and his posterity, includes the declaration, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” (Gen. 3:19) Here then, is a direct connection between man and the earth. Edersheim reports the teaching of the Rabbis regarding the dignity of labor, “that while becoming the servant of the soil, he wins from it the precious fruits of golden harvest”.

In addition to the first sheaf of the harvest, a male lamb, without blemish and without spot, was offered to the Lord, as well as a drink offering of wine, and a meal offering.

The situation of this feast, within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, identifies a nation that is in dependence on God, as well as in fellowship with God.

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)



Handmade shmura matzo

 Sacrifices and Offerings

The Feasts of Israel

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (HAG HAMATZOTH)

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was the second of the annual feasts and abutted the Festival of Passover. It is the first of the pilgrim feasts. The eating of unleavened bread was for seven days, but the pilgrimage lasted just one day. Most considered the first day of the feast as the occasion of the pilgrimage, as indicated by Leviticus 23.6, while others, relying on Exodus 13.6, considered the last day of the festival, the day of pilgrimage. Those who came to Jerusalem at the beginning of this feast, as a matter of course, would also be present for the Feast of Passover.

Passover was on the 14th Nisan, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th Nisan. As with the Passover, the significance of the Festival of Matzoth rested in Israel’s history, the Egyptian exodus. The bread they ate on the night of the Passover was unleavened, reflecting their poverty and servitude (“this is the bread of affliction, the poor bread our ancestors ate as slaves in the land of Egypt”). When they ate the Egyptian Passover, they were dressed for a journey. They had been born in Egypt, and had lived there all their lives, but they were not Egyptians. They were bound for another land, the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey and they had to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The Feast of Unleavened Bread maintained the image of the slave nation leaving in haste with no time for the bread to rise.

The Feast’s duration was seven days, a significant period, the first day of which was to be treated as a Sabbath, “On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it,” (Lev. 23:7), the last day also. The LORD required certain prescribed sacrifices during the festival; burnt offerings, meat offerings, sin offerings and drink offerings.

Perhaps the regulation, which is the most familiar, is that which prohibits leaven in all its forms during the festival. “And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days”. (Deut. 16:4) The use of leaven was also banned from all offerings made to the Lord by fire. This was largely because fermentation implied decay and corruption. Jesus used the action of leaven to symbolize heresy. He warned His disciples to be wary of the leaven of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Herodians, that is, the doctrine of these political groups. Paul warned against the leavening effect of sin. In the Exodus account, the eating of anything leavened during the festival was considered a capital crime. “For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.” (Exod. 12:19) This was a further element in the education of Israel. They were required to differentiate between “holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean”. (Lev. 10:10) This was the basis for those restrictions that were included in the Pentateuch, regarding the sacrifice and eating of animals, the impurity of carcasses, the pollution of vessels and articles contaminated by unclean creatures, and other impurities, including leprosy. The putting away of leaven indicated a putting away of that which symbolized spiritual corruption. Israel was a chosen generation, “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people”, so that they could “proclaim the praises of Him who called (them) out of darkness into His marvelous light,” (1 Pet. 2:9) therefore they needed to ‘put away’ leaven.

THE FEAST AT THE TIME OF THE MESSIAH


The regulations that governed the feast at the time of Jesus are contained in the Mishnah. They begin, “on the night preceding the fourteenth [of Nisan] they seek out leaven by the light of a candle”. The search had to be thorough and complete, and any discovered leaven had to be burned. For those who might suffer financially by the destruction of everything leavened, it was permitted to sell that which was leavened to a Gentile, and then to buy it back after the feast. During the festival, they ate only that which was unleavened, and as laid down in the T’nach, they treated the first day of the feast as a Sabbath. During the feast there would be appropriate readings.

On the first day, Leviticus 22.26-23.44. This contains the main passages regarding the feasts of the Lord. Also Numbers 28.17-25, which repeats the regulations regarding the Festival. This passage is read every day for seven days.

On the second day, Exodus 13.1-16, a passage that deals with the Exodus and includes particular regulations for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

On the third day, Exodus 22.24-23.19, a passage that contains regulations to govern social justice, a reminder of the regulations for the Festival of Unleavened Bread and repeats the requirements that relate to the Feast of Firstfruits.

On the fourth day, Exodus 34.1-26, an important passage regarding the Mosaic covenant but which also includes instructions to keep all the feasts including the three Pilgrim Festivals.

On the fifth day, Numbers 9.1-14, the passage that permits the Passover to be celebrated, in certain circumstances, in the second month of the year instead of the first month.

On the sixth day, Exodus 13.17-15.26, which deals with the overthrow of Pharaoh’s army when Israel was delivered from Egypt. It concludes with the miraculous healing of the bitter waters of Marah.

On the seventh day, Deuteronomy 15.19-16.17, a section of the Law which repeats the regulations regarding the Feasts.

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Feasts of YHWH (Continued)

The Passover (Continued)

At the time of the incarnation, the Rabbis taught that there were three things included in the command to appear before the Lord.


(1) Every male had to come up to Jerusalem.

(2) Every male had to offer a peace offering (chagigah).

(3) All Israel had to offer with a joyous heart.

The chagigah (peace offering) was to be in two parts.

(1) The first was offered on the evening of the Passover and could be included in the Passover meal where the lamb was insufficient for the whole company.

i. It could not be taken from anything already earmarked for the Lord, that is, tithes, offerings or things devoted.

(2) The second was offered on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread,

a. It could be taken from those things already devoted to the Lord.

At the time of the Messiah, the usual practice required a representative from each group to attend at the Temple with the receipt for a lamb previously purchased or brought. They would join the queue of celebrants in the court of prayer, and gradually climb the fifteen steps of ascent that led to the platform in front of the great Nicanor doors that separated the court of prayer from the court of priests. In groups of between thirty and fifty they were allowed into the court of priests.

Each of them received a lamb in exchange for their receipt, and when instructed by the priest, killed this lamb while the priest caught its blood in a vessel without a base and without a brim. The vessel containing the blood of the lamb was passed along a line of priests until it reached the priest at the altar who would dash the blood below the crimson line. There were two rows of priests engaged in this duty. One row had golden vessels, and the other row had silver vessels. Gold symbolized the glory of God (the furniture in the Holy Place and the Holiest of all was either cast in gold or covered in gold); while silver symbolized redemption (atonement) (the redemption money was silver).

Each gutted his lamb, disposed of the entrails and placed the sacrificial portions on a tray for the priest to burn them on the altar fire. They then hung the carcass on one of the hooks set into the walls and pillars and skinned the lamb. Where there were not enough hooks, the Temple authorities provided smooth wooden staffs, which could be used on the shoulders of two, to hang the dead lamb, or if the celebrant had no partner, he could stand it on end to flay the animal.

While this was going on, the Levitical choir led the singing of the Hallel (Psalms113 to 118). Those that were engaged in the ritual, sang the responses. They sang the Hallelujahs (Praise ye the Lord); the Hosannas (Save now, I beseech thee), and most significantly, ‘Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the LORD’. If the ceremony was not concluded by the time the choir had completed the Hallel, they began again at Psalm 113.

Each took the lamb and fleece to the place that had been prepared for the feast. Those that provided a room for visiting pilgrims were not allowed to charge, but custom allowed for the fleece to be set aside as a gift to them in gratitude for their hospitality. All over Jerusalem, and in front of a multitude of tents erected on the Mount of Olives, lambs were roasted on wooden spits of pomegranate wood, the spit passing through from mouth to buttocks.

In addition to the lamb there were other items needed for the meal.

(1) First unleavened bread, symbol of their redemption from Egypt. To qualify the bread had to fulfill three conditions.

(a) It had to be unleavened (obviously). Biblically, leaven represents sin or in some instances, error.



Present day Matzos

 (b) It had to be striped ) These conditions were to demonstrate that

(c) It had to be pierced) the bread was truly unleavened.

(2) Next they needed bitter herbs, to remind them of the bitterness of the slavery in Egypt. They would use lettuce, chicory, pepperwort, endives, and dandelion.

(3) In addition, they needed haroset (a relish made of fruits and spices with vinegar or wine, used to sweeten the bitter herb at the meal) (it should have the appearance and consistency of mortar reminding them of the brick making in Egypt).

(4) They also needed wine that had been mingled with water. If the wine was not mingled with water, the responsibility of the company was not discharged.

There were four cups of wine required.

(1) The first was the cup of thanksgiving. The leader at the feast pronounced a thanksgiving for the day, and a thanksgiving for the fruit of the vine. The Mishnah instructs, ‘When they have mixed the first cup of wine— “He says a blessing over the day, and afterward he says a blessing over the wine.”

(2) The second was the cup of redemption signifying their redemption from Egypt.

(3) The third was the cup of blessing, for a special blessing was said for the food.

(4) The fourth was the cup of praise for it was associated with the singing of the Hallel (Praise).

While there was some liberty to add other traditional customs, the central elements of the meal were inviolate.

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

The blood of a lamb was applied to the doorposts and lintel

The Feasts of the Lord

The Passover (Continued)

YHWH ordered the nation, through Moses, to incorporate the festival into the annual celebrations of Israel as the first event of their religious year. This festival immortalized the birth of the nation, and established for Israel the principles of substitution and consecration. In light of the loss of the firstborn of Egypt and the deliverance of the firstborn of Israel, God claimed Israel’s firstborn for His own. Thus, the Egyptian Passover began the process of making Israel a unique and separate nation.

At the Passover, they were separated:

by His Word (which they obeyed) and

by the blood of the lamb (which they applied).

Then as they continued to follow YHWH, they were separated:

by the pillar of fire (which protected them).

by the sea (through which they passed), and

by the Mosaic covenant (to which they consented).

Naturally, the character of the Passover changed once the nation had been rescued. In the first month of the second year after the exodus, the Tabernacle was erected, and since instructions had already been issued that the blood of all sacrifices had to be sprinkled on the altar it can be safely assumed that the blood of the Paschal lamb was also sprinkled on the altar. Furthermore, in the Promised Land, the Passover meal was to be eaten in a designated location. “Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to put His name.” (Deut. 16:2) It became a celebration of the nationhood of the people, with the telling and retelling of their history, beginning with Abraham and giving particular and detailed consideration to the story of their redemption from Egyptian slavery.

The building of the Temple added greatly to the festival for it provided the focal point for the assembling of the nation. The Passover, abutting as it did the Feast of Unleavened Bread, became a great pilgrim festival where all the males of Israel presented themselves before the Lord. Naturally, being a family festival they brought their wives and children with them. With the gathering of the nation’s families at the beginning of the religious year, this great educational tool of YHWH could accomplish its purpose.

The priesthood and sacrificial system established, other elements were added to the festival, notably the priestly offering of a lamb for the nation. While the lamb for the household was killed on the evening of the Passover, the priest would sacrifice a separate lamb for the Passover on the morning of the Passover (in the Jewish day evening comes before morning). The lamb of the morning sacrifice then became part of the priests’ sacramental meal. No young goat was permitted now; it was to be a Passover lamb only. Other animals could be used as peace offerings at the festival, and even eaten in addition to the lamb at the Passover meal, but only a lamb could be used as the principal dish at the Passover meal, and for the Passover sacrifice.

By the time the Messiah commenced His ministry, the numbers making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast were considerable. Certain administrative arrangements had been put in place.


(1) They whitened sepulchers, tombs and graves to prevent accidental contact and contamination. This activity began some four weeks before Passover.

(2) Two weeks before Passover, they tithed herds and flocks.

(3) Pilgrims came early to Jerusalem to bathe in the Temple miqwehs to purify themselves.

(4) Because of the great numbers, it was required that each lamb killed in the Temple should serve for not less than ten people but not more than twenty. Each group or association had to be registered for the ritual.

(5) The Sanhedrin reset the boundaries of Jerusalem to include some of the nearby villages as well as the Mount of Olives. This was needed to accommodate the large number of visitors, for the Passover had to be eaten ‘within’ Jerusalem.

(6) Lambs could be bought on the Temple mount.

(7) Those that bought a lamb from the Temple flocks could attend at the priest’s gate, pay the money and obtain a receipt. This receipt would be exchanged for the lamb at the time of the ritual killing.

(8) For the Passover festival they put three courses of priests on duty.

(9) At Passover, they brought forward the time of the evening sacrifice to allow more time for the ritual.

(10) Those that attended the court of priests for the ritual were divided into three groups to satisfy the Scripture, “Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight”. (Exod. 12:6) A text which yields (1) assembly, (2) congregation, and (3) Israel. Each group would be brought in through the Nicanor doors separately, while the others waited outside.

It was in this fashion that the great numbers of residents and visitors were accommodated for the national celebration of Pesach.

More Next Time

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Feasts of the Lord

Introduced by the phrase, “these are My feasts” (Lev. 23:2) they are listed in Leviticus chapter 23. The weekly feast is the Sabbath; separated from the annual feasts by a fresh identifying phrase, “These are the feasts of the LORD”. (Lev. 23:4) Of the annual feasts, four are in the spring cycle and three in the autumn cycle. The first four are the Feast of Passover (Hag HaPesach), the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzoth), the Feast of First Fruits (Hag HaBikkurim) and the Feast of Weeks (Hag HaShavu’ot). The autumn cycle contains the Feast of Trumpets (better known as Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Hag HaSukkot). These feasts observed by the Jewish nation, were God’s fingerposts to future events, which would have implications for both the nation of Israel and the whole of humankind. That which was foreshadowed in the spring cycle has already happened, while that which was foreshadowed in the autumn cycle is yet to come. The Sabbath, while of a different character (a weekly feast celebrated in the home), also has implications for the future.

Some of the annual feasts were for one day – Passover, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement. These identify single great acts of God. Other feasts, that were of seven or eight days’ duration, characterize longer periods in the unfolding purposes of God.

Three of the annual feasts were pilgrim feasts; Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. All Jewish males were required to attend at a place appointed by the LORD and bring a gift to reflect how they had been blessed of the LORD. While the men were absent from their homes during the festivals, God promised to protect their land and possessions. “Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the LORD God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.” (Exod. 34:23,24)

Jesus of Nazareth, Israel’s Messiah, was a Law abiding Jew who kept the festivals in accordance with the Mosaic covenant, always observing the Sabbath and journeying to Jerusalem to celebrate the compulsory pilgrim feasts. As laid down in the Mosaic code, He afflicted His soul on the Day of Atonement, and rejoiced during the Feast of Tabernacles.

It is intended to consider how Israel celebrated the feasts of YHWH, and then how they impacted on the life the Messiah, and note the special significances of Passover when He died, the Feast of Unleavened Bread when He was buried, the Feast of First Fruits when He rose and the Feast of Weeks when He sent the Spirit of God. The Messianic significance of the autumn feasts, the fulfillment of which still lies ahead, will also be identified and considered.



Passover Haggadah

 THE FEAST OF PASSOVER (PESACH)


FROM MOSES TO MESSIAH

Israel, from the dark womb of Egypt, was brought to birth as a nation, and called the firstborn of YHWH. ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn”. (Exod. 4:22) But crisis is inevitably followed by process, and for Israel, they were not only to be delivered from the land of Egypt, but from everything Egyptian. As a birth is followed by growth, so the separation from Egypt was to be followed by a separation to God. A consecrated walk with YHWH, growing in the knowledge of Him and His purposes, was to be the process. But the process proved to be more difficult than the crisis. To repeat an old adage, ‘you can get Israel out of Egypt, but it is more difficult to get Egypt out of Israel’.

The deliverance of the nation was to be so momentous that YHWH re-ordered the calendar. “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” (Exod. 12:2) Their religious year was to begin with the month of Abib.

YHWH memorialized the deliverance of the nation with a festival, a festival that was to commemorate Israel’s birth as a nation, and to celebrate their subsequent new life in His care. This first festival of the spring cycle was the Passover. “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover”. (Lev. 23:5) The requirements imposed on Israelite households on the night they began their escape from their Egyptian prison, are given in Exodus chapter twelve. God’s instructions through Moses were very particular. Each household was to kill, roast and eat a lamb or kid as their last meal in Egypt. The animal had to be a male, one year old, in good health, with no visible defects – only a healthy animal would be suitable as a sacrifice to YHWH and only such an animal could be the substitute for someone who was to be consecrated to the Lord. Though they did not know it at the time, only such an animal could foreshadow the Messiah, the true Lamb of God, who is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners.

They were to daub the blood of the animal on the door surround, as evidence that the household had obeyed God’s instructions and fulfilled the necessary conditions for salvation. Then when God visited Egypt with judgment, the blood of the substitute protected the Israelite homes, while Egyptian homes, that had no such protection, suffered the death of their firstborn. The Hebrew word for Passover (pesach) comes from a verb meaning ‘to pass over’, and clearly refers to the means by which they escaped the judgment that fell on Egypt. They were to eat the meal dressed for their journey, and be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

The animal, chosen on the 10th of the month Abib or Nisan as it was later known, was to be slain on the 14th. The head of each household was to slay the lamb at twilight. These men would occupy the office of priest, and thereby constitute Israel as a nation of priests.

The commandment required the use of hyssop to paint some of the animal’s blood on the side posts and lintels of the door of each residence, as part of an act of expiation. Hyssop, an insignificant flower with spaced whirls around the stem was eminently suitable to use as a brush, and would often be used in such rites. There would be no blood on the threshold. Already the imagery is important – the blood covered the firstborn of Israel but it was not to be trampled underfoot. The application of the blood to the entrance of each Jewish residence was relinquished after Moses transferred the slaying of the lambs to the Sanctuary. From then on, the blood was dashed against the altar.

The lamb or kid was to be cooked in one way only, roasted over the fire. No bone of it was to be broken. Furthermore, they were instructed to have unleavened bread and bitter herbs as accompaniments to the lamb. Nothing of the lamb should remain until morning – what was not eaten had to be burned – none of the lamb was allowed to see corruption. In addition, only those covered by the Abrahamic covenant could be admitted to the Passover meal.

To be continued

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Sweet Savor Offerings

The Primary Levitical Offerings also included three sweet savor offerings, of which one was bloodless (an offering of grain). The other two were the Peace Offering and the whole Burnt Offering. The Peace Offering was subdivided into praise offerings, vow offerings and free-will offerings. The purpose of the sweet savor offerings was to bring that to the Lord which testified of the thankfulness of the offerer for God’s provision, and to express praise and worship. They were particularly effective in fulfilling the divine requirement, “none shall appear before Me empty-handed” (Exod. 23:15, NAS).

It has already been remarked on that one aspect of the ministry of the priests in service for the Lord was to act as hosts at His House and minister to those who came as His guests to share a meal. This is best seen in the Peace Offering. After the offerer had been made acceptable through the expiatory offerings he was invited to bring a peace offering. This offering was to be divided between the three parties – the offerer, the priest and the Lord – each was to have a share – most clearly speaking of fellowship, in particular table fellowship. Described as a peace offering it reminds us of Paul’s assertion - “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Rom. 5:1, NKJV)

One of the sweet savor offerings was bloodless, that which is the grain offering, perhaps better described as the ‘Gift Offering’ since the word applied to it is ‘minchah’ which is derived from a root signifying ‘to give’. It could signify a present by which an inferior would seek to obtain the favor of a superior. It is used in this way by Jacob when seeking to obtain the favor of Joseph (who unknown to him was the ruler he was trying to impress). “And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.” (Gen. 43:11) This offering was a way in which an Israelite could acknowledge that he owed everything to the Lord his God, as well as demonstrating his gratitude for the benefits and blessings provided by the God of Israel. The sacrifice consisted of fine flour to which had been added oil and salt and incense. Some was burned on the altar but most was to be presented to the priest as a thing ‘most holy’ to the Lord.

Since the fruit of the ground was given to man, that is, it is man’s portion, then this offering reflects something of a man’s duty to man, and man’s duty to God. In both these areas humanity has failed – but Christ, the Son of Man not only did His duty by man (He went about doing good), but also His duty on behalf of man to God. His sacrifice on Golgotha was the presentation of a life of infinite worth back to the Father in total and complete obedience. This was in contrast to, and compensation for, the multitude of lives that had been lived in disobedience and independence from God. Jesus is the only one to fully fulfill the obligation placed on those whose lives are a gift from God. Paul expressed it: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1) Calvary was the culmination of a perfect life of obedience and the most accurate expression of a complete and perfect ‘living sacrifice’.

This aspect is more completely seen in the ‘whole burnt offering’ or the ‘ascending offering’. This sacrifice was wholly for God – no portion for the priest, no portion for the priest’s family, no portion for the offerer – it was all for God. And this offering, as with all offerings, had to be without blemish. Nothing but the best was to be offered to the Lord. That Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, the Son of Man and the Son of God perfectly fulfilled this aspect is evident. Conception produced by the Holy Spirit in a virgin’s womb ensured that no taint of Adam’s imputed or imparted sin marred the Holy Child. His physical perfection was confirmed when Joseph paid the redemption money for no child that was defective in any of his parts could be redeemed in the Temple. While those who were disabled or defective in some way could still perform the duties of the first-born and receive the first-born portion of the inheritance, it barred him from the redemption ceremony since he would not have been fit for the priesthood (had he been born with the appropriate credentials). The priest, in offering the prayer of dedication at the ceremony, confirmed that Jesus, as an infant, was without blemish. His life was also lived under scrutiny and received the highest praise from friend and foe, obtaining the highest accolade from heaven, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”.

These sacrifices designated under the main descriptor as ‘offerings’ were gifts to be brought by the Israelites to the Lord who had redeemed them, protected them and blessed them. In this manner, communion with God was sustained, the sin and trespass offerings bringing about reconciliation, and the sweet savor offerings providing a vehicle for worship, communion and praise. The offerings were at the heart of the national life of the nation and without them they would have been adrift among the nations with no discernable means of reconciliation with the One who was pleased to be known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Next Time - The Feasts of the Lord

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Red Heifer Offering



The Red Heifer being led out of the Shushan Gate



The other offering which shares some common features with the expiatory offerings of Leviticus is found in the book of Numbers (chapter 19). The red heifer offering recognizes both the root and result of our problem with the Adamic nature. It provides purification at the beginning and end of life. The Numbers passage deals with the second of these, corpse defilement. For the Hebrew nation corpse defilement was a serious matter. The Mishnah declares that one who has contracted corpse uncleanness becomes a ‘father of uncleanness’, because everything he touches then becomes unclean. Death, of course, points its icy finger to the second death and if unremoved would exercise eternal sway. The connection between death and sin is given in several Scriptural passages, the first of which would be the judgment pronounced in the Garden of Eden. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16,17). Adam’s sin brought the predicted result: “in Adam all die” (1 Cor. 15:22).

Defilement by death, a corpse, a grave, a bone, rendered a person ceremonially unclean for seven days. Priests and Nazarites were forbidden to touch a dead body, except for their nearest kin. The High Priest was not allowed to approach the dead at all, not even his own parents. Therefore the law of the red heifer made exceptional provision for purification in these circumstances. “And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin” (Num.19.17).

The offering was made on a special site ‘outside the camp’. The Levitical offerings stipulate, ‘in a clean place’ (Lev.4.12) for any sacrifice which was burned ‘outside the camp’. This was applied to the red heifer offering as well. The fourth verse requires the blood to be sprinkled directly before the Tabernacle, which the Rabbis interpreted as before the open entrance of the Tent. If, for any reason the flap or curtain of the tent was closed, then the sacrifice would be invalid.

But the red heifer differed from the other sin offerings in several ways. It was of pure red color, a female (signifying life in all its fruitfulness); upon which never came yoke (speaking of strength unimpaired) and it was wholly burnt, along with cedar wood (symbol of imperishable existence); hyssop (symbol of purification from corruption); and scarlet (the color being the emblem of life). It implied the sacrifice of highest life, and as far as possible, once for all.

During Second Temple times, the High Priest performed the ceremony on the Mount of Olives, at a place which afforded a direct view through the gate of the Golden Vine, that is, the entrance to the Temple building itself. To obtain the site on the Mount of Olives they needed to line up the three Eastern gates, that is, the Gate of the Pure and the Just which led into the court of Prayer, the Nicanor Gate which led to the Priests’ court and the Gate of the Golden Vine which was the entrance into the Holy Place.

The ashes of the heifer were taken and mixed with living water, to produce the waters of purification. This mixture was to be sprinkled on the unclean on the third and seventh days, both sprinklings speak of life, the seventh speaking of eternal life. Without the sprinkling an Israelite was to be ‘cut off’. This punishment could mean (i) to be denied the benefits of Temple and sacrifice; or (ii) to be put out of society (like a leper); or (iii) in severe cases, the loss of life. The red heifer sacrifice which was burnt ‘outside the camp’ is also analogous with the scapegoat, taken by a fit man, and let loose in the wilderness - which was to remove the personal guilt of the Israelites. Each suggests that the sanctuary did not have the answer for this level of sin.

The problem of sin was not only at the end of life but also at its beginning—it is then the Adamic nature is inherited. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me" (Ps. 51:5). The rite of purification was designed to make the unclean clean, so it was used to provide purification for sin at birth as well as death. After the birth of a boy, a woman was considered unclean for forty day, after which she had to bring a sin offering to the Lord and go through the rite of purification (Lev. 12.2-6). The forty day period was extended to eighty days in the case of the birth of a girl. A very significant example in Scripture is given in the gospels when it is recorded that Mary went through the ritual after the birth of Jesus (Luke 2.22 ff). Since He was her first-born they had to go through the rite of redemption also.

Mary and Joseph attended at the Temple together for the two rituals. The sin offering stipulated for the purification ceremony was a lamb plus a bird but in cases of poverty it could be two birds (either doves or pigeons) - Mary made the offering of the poor. She had no lamb to bring, but the child she held was the Lamb of God. The identity of the baby boy was not unknown to those who walked close to the Lord. While waiting for the ceremony which would have taken place at the time of the afternoon sacrifice, a godly man, Simeon identified Jesus as the Messiah, the ‘light to lighten the Gentiles’ (Luke 2.26-32), and then Anna, a prophetess confirmed the witness.

The death of Jesus on Golgotha fulfilled the typology of the sacrifice of the Red Heifer. “Jesus ... that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate” (Heb 13:12). Moreover, as with all the sacrifices, the offering of Jesus for sin brought about a purification that could not have been obtained by the sacrifice of an animal: “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:13,14). The phrasing of these verses clearly includes the red heifer offering along with the other sin offerings, that is, “the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh”. But the glory of Calvary is seen in the “how much more” of verse 14.

The blood of the Red Heifer had to be sprinkled before the open entrance of the Tabernacle. During Temple times the sacrifice took place on the Mount of Olives on the sight line to the open door of the Holy Place through which the veil of the Temple could be seen. I would suggest that the site of Calvary had to be on that sight line for when Jesus died, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom.

While the idea of the Red Heifer offering was a once and for all sacrifice, it was never possible because the numbers of people who needed purification were so great, and the ashes/water mixture ran out. So the sacrifice had to be repeated, although it was always many years between each offering. But Christ was a once and for all sacrifice as the inspired writer declared. He “... once ... appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb.9:26) and, He “was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb 9:28). Furthermore, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10). Jesus is our guilt, sin and red heifer offerings providing expiation, propitiation and purification.

Next Time - Sweet Savor Offerings

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Guilt Offering (Continued)

The death of Jesus encompassed both elements of the ‘guilt offering’. He did not just take the penalty for our sins but also compensated those parties who had suffered loss because of transgression. First, the claims of the Father - Christ as the last Adam and our new federal head, acknowledged, honored and offered complete and perfect obedience to the will of His Father. And since He was of infinite worth and His obedience included the ultimate sacrifice, that is, He laid down His life in accordance with the pre-determined plan of God - in this way He compensated God for the rebellion and disobedience of Adam and his posterity. In fact, the value of the sacrifice of Christ means that Jesus restored more than Adam lost. Jesus, dying on Calvary, is a trespass offering that secured forgiveness for sins and provided compensation to God for all the honor, obedience and worship that had been withheld from Him by a fallen humanity. A righteous God demanded compensation and Jesus paid it!

This also applies to those who claim the value of the death of Christ for themselves. For them, the life received through the sacrifice of the Savior is greater, better, and more suitable to their eternal nature, than ever Adam possessed. The best way of comparing the value of these two offerings, and the light they shed on the death of the Savior, is to consider the first two sections of the book of Romans.

In the first chapters Paul deals with our many sins. He catalogues a number of them. “sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; ... whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful” (Rom. 1:29-31). And like the good theologian he is, he summarizes the situation with quotes from the T’nach. He wrote, “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:10-18; cf. Ps.14.1-3; Ps.53.1-3; Ps.5.9; Ps.14.3; Ps.10.7; Isa.59.7,8; Ps.36.1). To capture the thrust of all this sinfulness in one sentence would be a great accomplishment and this he does with the words, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

The essence of the ‘guilt offering’ is that our many sinful actions can be forgiven, whether they be sins of word, sins of thought, sins of deed, secret sins, open sins, sins against man or sins against God. And in Paul’s Christology, the first requirement placed on penitent sinners is to come to the cross for forgiveness of sins. We may not understand it fully at the time, but we receive forgiveness because Christ is our trespass offering. The trespass offering required a blood sacrifice and Paul declares that we have forgiveness only if we have faith in the blood sacrifice of Jesus (Rom.3.25), a thought repeated by the Apostle John also (1 John 1.7). A hymn poem captures this thought:

See here an endless ocean flows, of never failing grace.

Behold a dying Savior’s veins, the sacred flood increase.

It rises high and drowns the hills, has neither shore nor bound.

Now if we search to find our sins, our sins can ne’er be found.

Whereas, in the trespass offering, it was the sins that we committed that were central; that is the sins, transgressions and iniquities we had performed; in the sin offering the searchlight of God is on the on the individual, on the one that committed the unlawful and wicked deeds. The truth of the sin offering is that not simply that am I a sinner because I sin, but rather I sin because I am a sinner. In other words, I find inside me a wickedness that I inherited from my natural parents. I am a child of Adam and have a fallen nature.

Similarly, in Romans—while the first four chapters present the blood of Christ as the answer to the problem of our sins, Paul goes on to describe the continuing problem that arises out of our fallen nature. That there is a battle raging within us between (i) the desire to please God in our lives with good deeds and godly actions, and (ii) the desire to follow the lusts of the flesh. Our conduct in Scripture is often described as our walk. We want to walk in the Spirit, but too often we walk in the flesh. Paul’s own testimony describes the inner conflict. “... the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Rom. 7:19). No wonder he calls himself a wretched man (v.24).

But the answer is Christ, our sin offering. Not only did He die to deliver us from the penalty due to us because of the sins we committed but His death also provides the power to live the new life. In the trespass offering, the truth could be summed up in the word ‘substitution’ - Jesus died instead of us. However, in the sin offering ‘identification’ would be a more appropriate word - we died with Jesus. Paul explains that when Jesus was executed, the problem of our old nature, our Adamic nature, was also in view. The sacrifice of the Lord not only dealt with what we do but also who we are. He wrote: “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Rom. 6:6). Those that tap into the full benefit of Calvary recognize that they need not be dominated by the old Adamic nature, because they have a new nature; they have the life of God now, and they are new creations in Christ. As Christ identified Himself with us by becoming man and living the life we live (without sin, of course), so we must identify ourselves fully with Him and seek to live the life He lived. It is called ‘walking in the Spirit’. Paul puts it this way: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2).

Ultimately, Paul was able to testify: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). This identification with Christ is the equivalent of recognizing Him as our new federal head in place of Adam. We must be fully committed to Him and swear allegiance to His cause.

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Offerings

The rituals regarding the five major offerings are described in the first seven chapters of the book, although further details are added in other places in the Pentateuch. There is also another major offering commanded in the book of Numbers. These are all listed below. There was no exact timetable prescribed for when the rituals should be performed, except for those that took place at the great Festivals (like the Day of Atonement), although some were adopted for daily morning and evening sacrifices.

The Primary Offerings were:

1. The whole burnt offering (Leviticus 1) also called the ‘ascending offering’ i.e. ‘that which goes up’.

2. The meat offering (Leviticus 2) also called the ‘cereal offering’ or ‘gift offering’.

3. The peace offering (Leviticus 3), a sacrifice for alliance or friendship.

4. The sin offering (Leviticus 4), a sacrifice for sins of ignorance.

5. The trespass offering (Leviticus 5) also called the ‘guilt offering’.

6. The red heifer (Numbers 19) for purification.

The five Levitical offerings were divided into two classes, sin offerings and sweet savor offerings. The first three, the ‘burnt’, ‘meat’ and ‘peace’ offerings were sweet savor offerings, while the last two were expiatory offerings. This second group of offerings was generally offered before the sweet savor offerings, because it was necessary to deal with sin before the penitent could stand before God and make an acceptable offering to bring pleasure to Him. The Red Heifer offering, because of its purpose and its effectiveness, was only performed as the need arose, and there were always several years between the sacrifices.

The expiatory offerings, also described as sin offerings, were designed to secure atonement and forgiveness from God. The phrase, ‘to make atonement’ occurs 29 times in the book of Leviticus, almost invariably relating to the sin and trespass offerings. They were efficacious only when offenses were inadvertent or unwitting. They did not apply to defiant acts or premeditated crimes. Whenever an individual Israelite, a tribal leader, a priest, the Chief Priest, or the Israelite community at large was guilty of an inadvertent offense or of failing to do what the law required, expiation through sacrifice was demanded. In substance, chapters 4–5 prescribe two principal sacrifices: the object of the ‘sin offering’ was to remove the culpability borne by the offender, that is, to purify the offender of his guilt. The ‘guilt offering’ or ‘trespass offering’ was actually a penalty paid in the form of a sacrificial offering to God. It applied when one had unintentionally misappropriated property that belonged to the sanctuary (or been contributed to it). In certain cases it was also required when one had sworn falsely concerning his responsibility toward the property of others for a false oath involved God in the transgression. The sacrifice did not relieve the offender of his duty to make full restitution for the loss he had caused another. In fact, the offender was fined 20 percent of the lost value, which is a double tithe. The ‘guilt offering’ merely squared the offender with his God, whose name he had taken in vain.

It is clear that the ‘trespass offering’ or ‘guilt offering’ was designed to make atonement for sinful actions, whereas the ‘sin offering’ was designed to restore the offender to fellowship. The ritual not only demanded a life but in some cases the complete burning of the carcass ‘outside the camp’. The sacrifices of the Day of Atonement were sin offerings. The sin-offering speaks of Christ; ‘who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree’ (1 Pet. 2:24) and who “was made sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Depending on the circumstances of the transgression the sacrifice could either be a ram, a lamb, a kid or the offering of the poor, that is, two doves or two pigeons. The transgressors brought the offering in evidence of their penitence and remorse, the priest made atonement, and God assured the forgiveness.

The expiatory offerings, along with all the other offerings, have something to say in respect of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. Firstly, the trespass offering required a substitutionary death - an animal took the punishment for the sins of the offender. This prefigured the work of Christ where He was “wounded for our transgressions” (Isa.53.4). The Bible declares that Christ was judged for the sins we committed. He “was delivered (up to death) for our offences (trespasses)” (Rom. 4:25); (compare also. Eph. 1:7 and Col 2:13). The Scriptures uses three words to indicate the different kinds of wrongdoing of which we are guilty – ‘sins’, ‘iniquities’, ‘transgressions’. The death of Christ provides the answer for them all. Daniel prophesied it - the coming Prince was to: “... finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity” (Dan. 9:24).

Secondly, a debt has to be paid. In the trespass offering, besides the life laid down, the value of the trespass, in the priest’s estimation of it, was paid in shekels of the sanctuary to the injured party; together with a fifth part more. If the trespass offering had simply called for the sacrifice of an animal or bird then the injured victim would still have suffered loss. But a compensatory payment was demanded by the Law. It had to be made in shekels of the sanctuary; “and all your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary” (Lev. 27.25).

More next time

The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Day of Atonement (Continued)

The High Priest’s work on the Day of Atonement included intercession for the people he represented when he was in the presence of God. This theme is also developed in Hebrews in respect of the work of Christ. The present intercessory ministry in heaven (the antitype to the most Holy Place) was drawn from a reflection on Psalm 110, in which “the Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’” (v.1). The Messiah has been exalted to God’s right hand, as a priest of an eternal order. But this is after He has experienced an earthly life. Because of His incarnation, temptation and suffering He is able to help those who are weak and in need. “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God” (Heb 2:17).

The salient points of the intercessory ministry of this High Priest are as follows:

(1) Christ incarnate shared our humanity, therefore He knows our frame and He remembers that we are dust.

(2) Christ crucified was the perfect sacrifice for sin. This demonstrates God’s love for humankind. Believers can be sure then that God will freely provide for their need.

(3) Christ resurrected means He lives forever.

(4) Christ exalted means He is in the presence of God on our behalf. None can accuse them, since Christ is at God’s right hand and appeals to Him on their behalf. Therefore, they can be sure that no trial can separate them from God’s love in Christ.

Before the throne of God above I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest, whose name is Love, who ever lives and pleads for me.
When Satan tempts me to despair, Telling of evil yet within,
Upward I look, and see Him there, Who made an end of all my sin. (Char.L.Bancroft)

The Offerings

Of all the passages included in the T’nach that present a prophetic picture of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on Calvary, there is none that gives more detail or is more complete than that which is presented in the sacrificial offerings described in the first seven chapters of Leviticus. There are five major offerings described there, and all are needed to present the work of the Savior of the World. These five are supplemented by other offerings, especially that of the Red Heifer in the book of Numbers.

As an introduction to the subject we must again refer to the escape of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Because they had been oppressed for such a long time, they were ill-prepared for nationhood. They needed leadership, plus a moral and ethical code by which to live, and government that would produce discipline and order. The nation was to be ordered as a theocracy so the code by which they were to be molded would need to come from the God Himself. The regulations imposed from above would not be an end in themselves – they would be preparatory for a further outworking of the purposes of their divine Author. Israel was to be God’s ‘special treasure’, a ‘holy nation’ and a ‘kingdom of priests’, separated unto the Lord. They were to discern between holy and unholy, between clean and unclean. The offer of the Lord to take Israel as His special treasure was conditional. He said, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:3-6). To this offer they unanimously replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exod. 19:8).

Alas, as God had anticipated, they would be unable to give complete obedience to the requirements of the Law, and would need some vehicle which would allow them to demonstrate contrition and repentance, thus enabling them to return to communion with Him. To this end, He gave them a group of sacrifices that would serve as substitutes to bear the penalty of their disobedience and in some circumstances would represent an offering of thanksgiving for the protection, benefits and blessings He provided.

As previously remarked God took the tribe of Levi and inducted them into His service. Aaron, brother of Moses, was called to the office of High Priest and from his family thereafter would be drawn the priestly caste of the nation. The rest of the offspring of Levi, comprising the family groups of Gershon, Kohath and Merrari, were to be employed in the service of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple. The tribe of Levi then, would be the key to the service of the Sanctuary, the priesthood acting as intermediaries and intercessors, offering the sacrifices on behalf of the people. The third book of the Torah, ‘Leviticus’ (pertaining to Levi), contains the primary regulations governing the priesthood and sacrifices.

This book is one of the least read of all the books of the Bible containing as it does a great deal of detail regarding rituals that are no longer in use. The reason that they are no longer practiced is not simply because there is no more Temple, but rather because the Lord Jesus has died and fulfilled all that these offerings pre-figured. Therefore, if we examine what these sacrifices typify we will be more able to appreciate the magnitude of the work of the Saviour on Calvary.

The book of Leviticus differs in character to the first two books of the Pentateuch. The book of Genesis was a book of beginnings and in respect of the types has a dispensational flavor. The general character of the book of Exodus was that of redemption—a people redeemed from slavery. The general character of the book of Leviticus is that of communion and worship. It describes the rituals required of a people that have access to God. The types in Leviticus therefore display the work of the Lord Jesus in its bearing on worship and communion. In Leviticus we do not get the sprinkled blood to redeem from Egypt but rather it is used to meet the needs of a saved people in their approach to God through priest and offering.

More regarding the offerings next time: