Leviticus 1: The Burnt Offering
From the Tent of Meeting God teaches Israel to bring a whole animal, given completely to him, to make atonement and rise as a pleasing aroma.
Leviticus 1 (WEB)
1 Yahweh called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Yahweh, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.
3 “‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh.
4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5 He shall kill the bull before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
6 He shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces.
7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire;
8 and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar;
9 but its innards and its legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
10 “‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep, or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect.
11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
12 He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar,
13 but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
14 “‘If his offering to Yahweh is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar;
16 and he shall take away its crop with its filth, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.
17 He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Leviticus 1 (KJV)
1 And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
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.
10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Leviticus 1 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man of you offereth an oblation unto Jehovah, ye shall offer your oblation of the cattle, even of the herd and of the flock.
3 If his oblation be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish: he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before Jehovah.
4 And he shall lay 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 Jehovah: and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting.
6 And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.
7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire;
8 and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
9 but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water. And the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
10 And if his oblation be of the flock, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt-offering; he shall offer it a male without blemish.
11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before Jehovah: and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood upon the altar round about.
12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
13 but the inwards and the legs shall he wash with water. And the priest shall offer the whole, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
14 And if his oblation to Jehovah be a burnt-offering of birds, then he shall offer his oblation of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons.
15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be drained out on the side of the altar;
16 and he shall take away its crop with the filth thereof, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes:
17 and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder. And the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
Summary
Leviticus opens with Yahweh calling to Moses from the newly built Tent of Meeting, the very place where God now dwells among his people. The first instruction is the burnt offering, the most complete of all the sacrifices, in which the entire animal is consumed on the altar. A worshiper may bring a male without defect from the herd, from the flock, or, if poorer, a bird. He lays his hand on the animal's head, identifying himself with it, and it is accepted to make atonement for him. The animal is killed, its blood sprinkled around the altar, and the whole offering burned as an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. Nothing is held back and nothing is eaten by the worshiper; the gift is given entirely to God. The repeated provision for rich and poor shows that access to God is open to all who come his way. Across the New Testament this whole, unblemished, accepted offering points us to Christ, who gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Key Figures
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who now dwells in the Tent of Meeting and calls to Moses, graciously teaching his people how sinners may draw near and be accepted.
- Moses — The mediator through whom Yahweh speaks, receiving the law of the offerings to pass on to the children of Israel.
- The worshiper — Any Israelite who brings a burnt offering, laying his hand on its head so that it is accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
- Aaron's sons, the priests — The priests who present the blood, tend the fire, and arrange the offering on the altar, mediating between the worshiper and God.
Key Verse
Leviticus 1:4 (WEB)
He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
Lessons Learned
- Worship begins with God's initiative; he calls to Moses and tells his people how to approach him.
- The burnt offering is given wholly to God, picturing a life held back from nothing and surrendered completely.
- Atonement comes through a substitute on which the worshiper lays his hand and with which he is identified.
- God makes a way for rich and poor alike to draw near, so no one is excluded by poverty.
- Approaching God is on his terms. Yahweh “called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 1:1, WEB). We come near not however we please, but as God has graciously provided.
- The offering must be without defect. The worshiper “shall offer a male without defect” (Leviticus 1:3, WEB). Only what is unblemished is fit to stand in our place before a holy God.
- The laid-on hand transfers identity. “He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him” (Leviticus 1:4, WEB). The substitute bears what is ours.
- True worship is wholly given. “The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering… of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh” (Leviticus 1:9, WEB). Nothing is kept back; everything ascends to God.
- Why is it significant that Leviticus opens with God calling to Moses rather than people deciding how to worship?
- What does laying a hand on the animal's head signify, and how does it make the offering personal?
- The burnt offering is consumed entirely. What does this teach about wholehearted devotion to God?
- How does God's provision of herd, flock, or birds show his care for worshipers of every means?
- What in your life have you been holding back from God that this whole offering invites you to surrender?
- Worship in Leviticus is God's gift before it is our duty; he speaks first, defining how sinners may draw near. Help the group see that grace, not human ingenuity, opens the way to God, and that this same pattern runs to the cross.
- The hand on the head identifies the worshiper with the animal so that it stands in his place and is “accepted for him to make atonement” (1:4). Atonement is personal and substitutionary, not abstract.
- Unlike other sacrifices, the burnt offering is wholly burned, with nothing returned to the worshiper. It pictures total consecration, a life given entirely to God, fulfilled in Christ who offered himself completely (Ephesians 5:2).
- God names the herd, the flock, and even turtledoves and pigeons so the poor are not shut out. His provision reaches every worshiper, foreshadowing a salvation freely offered to all.
- This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to name, quietly or aloud, one area of life withheld from God, and to picture offering it whole. Keep the tone hopeful and unhurried.