26 June 2014

EJ&T: Leviticus 1 - Burnt offerings

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613.

  1. Sacrifice an unblemished young bull as a burnt offering.
  2. If you own a heard of cattle, select an unblemished young male from your herd. Make sure you are making this offering out of your own free will.

    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. 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. Leviticus 1:2-3

    Bring the animal to the door of the tabernacle and kill it in front of God.

    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. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD. 1:4-5a

    The priests will sprinkle the blood around the altar, skin the dead animal, and cut it into pieces.

    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. And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. 1:5b-6

    Burn the pieces, along with the head and the fat, on the altar.

    And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: 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. 1:7-8

    The internal organs and legs will also be burned after they are washed in water. This will make a nice smell for God.

    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. 1:9

  3. Sacrifice an unblemished male sheep (or goat) as a burnt offering.
  4. If you own a flock of sheep or goats, select an unblemished male from your flock.

    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. Leviticus 1:10

    Bring the animal to the north side of the altar and kill it in front of God.

    And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD. 1:11a

    The priests will sprinkle the blood around the altar and cut the dead animal into pieces.

    The priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat. 1:11b-12a

    Burn the pieces, along with the head and the fat, on the altar.

    The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar. 1:12b

    The internal organs and legs will also be burned after they are washed in water. This will make a nice smell for God.

    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. 1:13

  5. Sacrifice a dove or pigeon as a burnt offering.
  6. If you sacrifice a bird instead of a bull, sheep, or goat, use a dove or a pigeon.

    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. Leviticus 1:14

    Bring the bird to the altar, wring off its head, and burn the head on the altar.

    The priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar 1:15a

    Drain the blood on the side of the altar.

    The blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar. Leviticus 1:15b

    After removing the crop and feathers, throw them by the ashes on the east side of the altar.

    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. 1:16

    Cut off the wings, but don't cut the rest of the body into pieces.

    And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder. 1:17a

    Burn what's left of dead bird's body on the altar. This will make a nice smell for God.

    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. 1:17b

    More information about burnt offerings can be found in Numbers 15.

    And will make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the Lord, of the herd or of the flock: Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the Lord bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil. And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb. Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil. And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the Lord. And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the Lord: Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil. And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord. Numbers 15:3-10

1 comment:

Stephen said...

The notion that the smoke rising from a cremated animal is perceived by an omnipotent, omniscient, trans-dimensional entity as a "sweet savour" is one of the most risible ideas ever conceived by Bronze-Age mankind. And the details of which parts are treated in "special" ways (washed in water and separately burned, or sprinkled with the creature's blood, etc.) are so ludicrous and unimaginative that anyone who could take the process seriously is a complete moron. Sorry, but there it is.
Steve Weeks