Appendix 3. Five Kinds of Temple Sacrifices or Offerings


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Most of our understanding of the various sacrifices comes from a detailed explanation of offerings in the tabernacle in Leviticus. We see five major kinds of offerings,286 some of which are mentioned in Solomon's story.

1. Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1; 6:8-13). In all offerings except the burnt offering, only a portion of the animal is offered and the rest is eaten by the priests as part of the atonement. But in the burnt offering, the entire sacrifice (except for the priest's portion) is consumed by fire on the altar, not just a part. This offering is designed to make atonement for the offerer's sin. We'll look at it in detail below.

2. Grain Offering (Leviticus 2; 6:14-23). It is an offering or gift to God from one's crops. A portion is kept by the priests for their share.

3. Peace or Fellowship Offering (Leviticus 3; 7:11-34). This offering is accompanied by the communal celebration of the worshippers who share in the meat of the offering. There are three sub-types:

  1. A thank offering is an expression of thanks for deliverance or blessings granted.
  2. A votive sacrifice is offered to give thanks for a blessing or deliverance following a vow.
  3. The freewill sacrifice is joyously and willingly presented to express a general thankfulness to God, with no specific deliverance in mind.

4. Sin (Purification) Offering (Leviticus 4:1-5:1; 6:24-30). The sin offering and guilt offering are very similar. The primary purpose of the sin offering is to purify people from an unwitting sin. The priest must partake of this offering as part of the atonement (Leviticus 10:17).

5. Guilt (Reparation) Offering (Leviticus 5:14-6:7). The guilt offering differs in that, in addition to the sacrifice, a restitution is required, either to God or to another person. The primary purpose is to make atonement for desecration or mishandling of sacred things.

Steps in a Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1:3-9)

Now that we've looked at the five different kinds of sacrifices, let's briefly examine a typical burnt offering designed to atone for a person's sins. The details concerning this offering are found in Leviticus 1:3-9. Notice these steps:

1. Sacrifice is without defect (verse 3). We can't pawn off on God a substandard animal; it must be perfect. And because it is without defect, it is expensive for the worshiper. Sin is costly -- that is one of the messages of sacrifice. Of course, Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. We have been redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:19).

2. Offerer lays his hand on the head of the animal (verse 4). Laying on of hands is accompanied by confession (as in Leviticus 16:21), and involves imparting one's sins to the animal that God has accepted as a substitute. This is the basis of the concept of Substitutionary Atonement, an animal's death substitutes for a human's death. In this case, God accepts from us the death of a lesser being for a greater. But the sacrifice that God provides for us is the Greater (that is, Jesus the Son of God) for the lesser (us).

3. Offerer slaughters the animal (verse 5a). The priest doesn't do the killing here; it is at the hands of the sinner himself -- a graphic reminder of the appropriate penalty for our sin and rebellion against God.

4. Priest collects the blood and sprinkles it against the altar (verse 5b). While the animal is being killed by slitting its throat, a priest holds a basin to collect the blood, then sprinkles it against the altar to make atonement.

"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." (Leviticus 17:11)

5. Offerer skins and cuts the sacrifice in pieces (verse 6). Offering a sacrifice involves the sinner in getting up close and personal with the process. It isn't pretty!

6. Priest puts the pieces of the sacrifice on the altar (verses 7-8). The priest
arranges the wood and the sacrifice on the wood.

7. Sacrifice is completely consumed on the altar (verse 9). In the case of a burnt offering, only the hide goes to the priest.287 The rest is offered to the Lord on behalf of the sinner.

Life of Solomon, by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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When I teach a group about sacrifice, I find it useful to ask for a volunteer from the class to come forward. I get him down on all fours, and demonstrate the steps involved. People get serious when I get out my pocketknife and a bowl to collect his blood -- though, of course, I don't really follow through. I've found that this exercise helps make sacrifice more tangible to those in the group.

Endnotes

References and Abbreviations

[286] Richard E. Averbeck, "Sacrifices and Offerings," DOT:P, pp. 706-733. Eugene E. Carpenter, "Sacrifices and Offerings in the OT," ISBE 4:260-273.

[287] Leviticus 7:8.

King Solomon: Wisdom, Wealth, and Weakness

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