There were different types of offerings that were used by the Levites that are read of in the Old Testament, and as we read about them, you can see parts of them that tie into our lives in ways today.

Burnt Offerings

Atonement -> Greek -> Reconciliation

Atonement -> English -> At-One-Ment – to bring together

Leviticus 1:2-9 – Showing atonement and the consecration

[2] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
[3] If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
[4] And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
[5] And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
[6] And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
[7] And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
[8] And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
[9] But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

It was made with a male without blemish, and the inwards and legs washed with water. They brought their best, without blemish. That speaks mounds and volumes when we consider how we have to come to God of our own voluntary will and allow the forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to bring us to the atonement in our lives today!

Galatians 4:3-6 – How do we tie that into our way of life today? By Jesus!

[3] Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
[4] But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
[5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
[6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Christ became our atonement, our way to be brought back together with God! It draws all lost and saved together!

Meat (meal) Offerings

Leviticus 2:1-2 – Showing our thanksgiving

[1] And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
[2] And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:

Aren’t we glad that we have come through this?

Isaiah 61:1,2,3,10-11

[1] The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
[2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
[3] To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

[10] I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
[11] For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

 

Being thankful, having praise is so important to have in your life! Thanksgiving shows humbleness and a sacrifice of all that would humble you! Being the church of today, the level of praise that you demonstrate shows the amount of life that you have to offer for others! Don’t be afraid to show the praises that God has placed within you! It was meant to come forth, not to be held silent.

Peace Offerings

Leviticus 7:11-15 – Showing the coming together and fellowship

[11] And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
[12] If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
[13] Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
[14] And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.
[15] And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

Some other verses to read here are:

Proverbs 16:7

[7] When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Romans 14:17

[17] For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Galatians 5:22-23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

When I begin to abide in the peace of God, I can begin to allow people to bear of the fruit of the Spirit in my life. People can be drawn by the witness of God in you; not the parts of us that are unclean or are weak to sin. God wants us to come and offer all the things that would draw us away from peace, to allow us to walk in the Holy Ghost to find a spiritual calm! And yes, it is possible to do!

Sin Offerings

Leviticus 4:34-35

[34] And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:
[35] And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

I recommend reading all of chapter 4 to fully understand the significance of this.

This was as they did then, but Jesus became our sin offering, that we would be saved and set free!

Trespass Offerings

Leviticus 6:2-7 – showing cleansing us from guilt

[2] If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
[3] Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
[4] Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
[5] Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
[6] And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:
[7] And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

We have to bring something when we have failed, right? What we bring today by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is confessing our sins unto Him, and by the grace and mercies of God we are forgiven! We can be free from all the bondages that have tried to hold us captive. We can move forward in our lives. We do not have to live in bondage! That should stir each and every individual who is a child of God!

Luke 12:1-12

[1] In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
[2] For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
[3] Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
[4] And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
[5] But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
[6] Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
[7] But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
[8] Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
[9] But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
[10] And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
[11] And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
[12] For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

We have to come and confess, it’s an age old commandment but not a phased out tradition! It is very much alive and well! When we come close to God, it will begin to lead us in the right direction; or in other words, the true will of God that was intended for us when we felt so lost and without a way to go!