Author: Jefferson Vann

Leviticus 3

Leviticus 3:1 “If his offering is a sacrifice for healthy relationships,[1] if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he will offer it perfect to Yahveh’s face.

Leviticus 3:2 And he will lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the conference tent, and Aaron’s sons the priests will throw the blood against the sides of the altar.

Leviticus 3:3 And from the sacrifice for healthy relationships, as a fire offering to Yahveh, he will offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

Leviticus 3:4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he will remove with the kidneys.

Leviticus 3:5 Then Aaron’s sons will burn it on the altar on top of the ascending offering which is on the wood on the fire; it is a fire offering with a pacifying aroma to Yahveh.

Leviticus 3:6 “If his offering for a sacrifice for healthy relationships to Yahveh is an animal from the flock, male or female, he will offer it perfect.

Leviticus 3:7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he will offer it to Yahveh’s face,

Leviticus 3:8 lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill at the face of the conference tent; and Aaron’s sons will throw its blood against the sides of the altar.

Leviticus 3:9 Then from the sacrifice for healthy relationships he will offer as a fire offering to Yahveh its fat; he will remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails

Leviticus 3:10 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he will remove with the kidneys.

Leviticus 3:11 And the priest will burn it on the altar as a fire offering to Yahveh.

Leviticus 3:12 “If his offering is a goat, then he will offer it to Yahveh’s face

Leviticus 3:13 and lay his hand on its head and kill it at the face of the conference tent, and the sons of Aaron will throw its blood against the sides of the altar.

Leviticus 3:14 Then he will offer from it, as his offering for a fire offering to Yahveh, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails

Leviticus 3:15 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he will remove with the kidneys.

Leviticus 3:16 And the priest will burn them on the altar as a fire offering with a pacifying aroma. All fat is Yahveh’s.

Leviticus 3:17 It will be a permanent[2] prescription[3] throughout your generations, wherever you stay, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”

[1] שֶׁלֶם = sacrifice for healthy relationships. Leviticus 3:1, 3, 6, 9; 4:10, 26, 31, 35; 6:12; 7:11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 29, 32, 33, 34, 37; 9:4, 18, 22; 10:14; 17:5; 19:5; 22:21; 23:19.

[2] עוֹלָם = permanent. Leviticus 3:17; 6:18, 22; 7:34, 36; 10:9, 15; 16:29, 31, 34; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 31, 41; 24:3, 8, 9; 25:32, 34, 46.

[3] חֻקָּה = prescription. Leviticus 3:17; 7:36; 10:9; 16:29, 31, 34; 17:7; 18:3, 4, 5, 26, 30; 19:19, 37; 20:8, 22, 23; 23:14, 21, 31, 41; 24:3; 25:18; 26:3, 15, 43.

Leviticus 3 quotes:

“Christians should be scrupulous in ensuring that their forms of worship are thoroughly scriptural, and are not contaminated by superstition or purely human values. Otherwise what is holy to the Lord will be profaned, and punishment will follow instead of blessing (8).”

Harrison, R. K. Leviticus, an Introduction and Commentary. Inter-Varsity Press, 1980. p. 197.

“Sometimes the gifts we give one another are extravagant, and sometimes they are small, and the latter may be just as meaningful. The same is true with offerings to God. It would be really extravagant to sacrifice a steer and somewhat extravagant to offer a sheep or a goat. Leviticus 3 allows just as happily for a person to offer some grain, raw or baked as bread or griddled or fried. This would be much less costly, an everyday kind of offering.”

Goldingay, John. Exodus and Leviticus for Everyone. First edition, Westminster John Knox Press, 2010. p. 131.

“The peace offering was the only sacrifice in which the person making the offering received anything back from what he presented. Both the person bringing the offering and the priest got to eat from the offering. This represents mutual acceptance and mutual enjoyment between man, priest, and God. At the peace offering they communed together — fellowship made possible through the blood covenant that gave them a common bond.”

Stringer, Doug. Born to Die : So We May Live. Bridge-Logos, 2006. p. 73.

Leviticus 3 links:

committed devotion
community reconciliation
community relationships
protection comes from the LORD

LEVITICUS in Jeff’s library

Leviticus 2

Leviticus 2:1 “When any throat[1] brings a tribute offering[2] as an offering to Yahveh, his offering will be of fine flour. He will pour oil over it and include frankincense with it

Leviticus 2:2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he will take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest will burn this as its reminiscence[3] on the altar, a fire offering to Yahveh with a pacifying aroma.

Leviticus 2:3 But the rest of the tribute offering will be for Aaron and his sons; that will be a most sacred[4] part of Yahveh’s fire offerings.

Leviticus 2:4 “When you bring a tribute offering baked in the oven as an offering, it will be unleavened rolls of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened crackers coated with oil.

Leviticus 2:5 And if your offering is a tribute offering baked with a skillet, it will be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.

Leviticus 2:6 You will break it in pieces and pour oil over it; it is a tribute offering.

Leviticus 2:7 And if your offering is a tribute offering cooked in a pan, it will be made of fine flour with oil.

Leviticus 2:8 And you will bring the tribute offering that is made of these ingredients to Yahveh, and when it is presented to the priest, he will bring it to the altar.

Leviticus 2:9 And the priest will take from the tribute offering its reminiscence and burn this on the altar, a fire offering to Yahveh with a pacifying aroma.

Leviticus 2:10 But the rest of the tribute offering will be for Aaron and his sons; that will be a most sacred part of Yahveh’s fire offerings.

Leviticus 2:11 No tribute offering that you bring to Yahveh will be made with yeast, because you will burn no yeast nor any honey as a fire offering to Yahveh.

Leviticus 2:12 You may bring them to Yahveh as a firstfruits[5] offering, but they cannot serve as a pacifying aroma offering on the altar.

Leviticus 2:13 You will season all your tribute offerings with salt. You will not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your tribute offering; accompanying all your offerings you will offer salt.

Leviticus 2:14 “If you offer a tribute offering of firstfruits to Yahveh, you will offer for the tribute offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted by fire, crushed new grain.

Leviticus 2:15 And you will put oil over it and include frankincense with it; it is a tribute offering.

Leviticus 2:16 And the priest will burn as its reminiscence some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a fire offering to Yahveh.

[1] נֶפֶשׁ  = throat. Leviticus 2:1; 4:2, 27; 5:1, 2, 4, 15, 17; 6:2; 7:18, 20, 21, 25, 27; 11:10, 43, 44; 16:29, 31; 17:10, 11, 12, 14, 15; 18:29; 19:8, 28; 20:6, 25; 21:1, 11; 22:3, 4, 6, 11; 23:27, 29, 30, 32; 24:17, 18; 26:11, 15, 16, 30, 43; 27:2.

[2] מִנְחָה = tribute offering. Leviticus 2:1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15; 5:13; 6:14, 15, 20, 21, 23; 7:9, 10, 37; 9:4, 17; 10:12; 14:10, 20, 21, 31; 23:13, 16, 18, 37.

[3] אַזְכָּרָה= reminiscence. Leviticus 2:2, 9, 16; 5:12; 6:15; 24:7.

[4] קֹדֶשׁ = sacred. Leviticus 2:3, 10; 4:6; 5:15, 16; 6:17, 25, 29, 30; 7:1, 6; 8:9; 10:4, 10, 12, 17, 18; 12:4; 14:13; 16:2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 20, 23, 27, 32, 33; 19:8, 24; 20:3, 7; 21:6, 22; 22:2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 32; 23:2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 20, 21, 24, 27, 35, 36, 37; 24:9; 25:12; 27:3, 9, 10, 14, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30, 32, 33.

[5]רֵאשִׁית = firstfruits. Leviticus 2:12; 23:10.

Leviticus 2 quotes:

“Leviticus 2:1 also mentions “oil” and “frankincense.” Oil in Scripture is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When the priest took the “fine flour” (the perfection of Christ) and fashioned it into a “body” of bread, he then anointed it with oil. We see a symbolic representation of the divine nature being formed into a body of flesh and then being anointed and empowered to fulfill a particular purpose (John 1:1-34). The purpose illustrated in the grain offering was that Jesus would live a perfect life of obedience. We are not only justified by His life, He also baptizes us and anoints us with His very presence so we might manifest that life as well.”

Stringer, Doug. Born to Die : So We May Live. Bridge-Logos, 2006. p. 45.

“In contrast, salt did not pollute and was to be added to all flour or bread offerings (Leviticus 2:13). Salt was a symbol of God’s covenant with his people. For us today, reading these passages with the whole Bible before us, that point must surely be linked with Jesus’ instruction to be ‘the salt of the earth’ (Matthew 5:13).”

Lyall, Francis. The I Ams of Jesus. Mentor, 1996. p. 44.

“While the burnt offering represented the importance of total personal dedication to the Lord, the grain offering symbolized that all the fruits of man’s labors too are to be consecrated to the Lord.”

Lenz, Mark J. Leviticus. Northwestern Pub. House, 1988. p. 24.

Leviticus 2 links:

gratitude up the line
oil and incense
pure, protected and pleasing
tribute offerings and brother love
tribute offerings and provision in ministry
well-prepared devotion

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, April 1, 2021

LEVITICUS in Jeff’s library

Leviticus 1

Leviticus 1:1 Yahveh invited[1] Moses and spoke to him from the conference tent,[2] and this is what he said,

Leviticus 1:2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when any human among you brings an offering to Yahveh, you will bring your offering of livestock from the herd or the flock.

Leviticus 1:3 “If his offering is an ascending offering[3] from the herd, he will offer a perfect male. He will bring it to the entrance of the conference tent so that he may be accepted to Yahveh’s face.[4]

Leviticus 1:4 He will lay his hand on the head of the ascending offering, and it will be accepted for him to provide reconciliation for him.

Leviticus 1:5 Then he will kill the bull to Yahveh’s face, and Aaron’s sons the priests will bring the blood and coat the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the conference tent with the blood.

Leviticus 1:6 Then he will chop the ascending offering cutting it in pieces,

Leviticus 1:7 and the sons of Aaron the priest will set fire to the altar and place wood on the fire.

Leviticus 1:8 And Aaron’s sons the priests will place the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar;

Leviticus 1:9 but he will first wash its entrails and its legs with water. The priest will burn all of it on the altar as an ascending offering, which is a fire offering to Yahveh with a pacifying[5] aroma.

Leviticus 1:10 “If his gift for an ascending offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he will bring a perfect male,

Leviticus 1:11 and he will kill it on the north side of the altar to Yahveh’s face, and Aaron’s sons the priests will coat the sides of the altar with its blood.

Leviticus 1:12 And he will cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest will place them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar,

Leviticus 1:13, but the entrails and the legs he will wash with water. The priest will offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is an ascending offering, a fire offering to Yahveh with a pacifying aroma.

Leviticus 1:14 “If his offering to Yahveh is an ascending offering of birds, then he will bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons.

Leviticus 1:15 And the priest will bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood will be pressed out on the wall of the altar.

Leviticus 1:16 He will remove its crop with its contents and toss it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes.

Leviticus 1:17 He will tear it open by its wings but will not divide it completely. And the priest will burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is an ascending offering, a fire offering to Yahveh with a pacifying aroma.

[1] קָרָא = invite, cry out, convene. Leviticus 1:1; 9:1; 10:4; 13:45; 23:2, 4, 21, 37; 25:10.

[2] ‎ אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד= conference tent. Leviticus 1:1, 3, 5; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 5, 7, 14, 16, 18; 6:16, 26, 30; 8:3, 4, 31, 33, 35; 9:5, 23; 10:7, 9; 12:6; 14:11, 23; 15:14, 29; 16:7, 16, 17, 20, 23, 33; 17:4, 5, 6, 9; 19:21; 24:3.

[3] עֹלָה = ascending offering. Leviticus 1:3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17; 3:5; 4:7, 10, 18, 24, 25, 29, 30, 33, 34; 5:7, 10; 6:9, 10, 12, 25; 7:2, 8, 37; 8:18, 21, 28; 9:2, 3, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 22, 24; 10:19; 12:6, 8; 14:13, 19, 20, 22, 31; 15:15, 30; 16:3, 5, 24; 17:8; 22:18; 23:12, 18, 37.

[4] פָּנֶה = face. Leviticus 1:3, 5, 11; 3:1, 7, 8, 12, 13; 4:4, 6, 7, 14, 15, 17, 18, 24; 6:7, 14, 25; 7:30; 8:9, 26, 27, 29; 9:2, 4, 5, 21, 24; 10:1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 17, 19; 12:7; 13:41; 14:7, 11, 12, 16, 18, 23, 24, 27, 29, 31, 53; 15:14, 15, 30; 16:1, 2, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 30; 17:4, 5, 10; 18:23, 24, 27, 28, 30; 19:14, 15, 22, 32; 20:3, 5, 6, 23; 22:3; 23:11, 20, 28, 40; 24:3, 4, 6, 8; 26:7, 8, 10, 17, 37; 27:8, 11.

[5] נִיחוֹחַ  = pacifying. Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9, 12; 3:5, 16; 4:31; 6:15, 21; 8:21, 28; 17:6; 23:13, 18; 26:31.

Leviticus 1 quotes:

“He is giving people the opportunity to simply bring what they can afford. If they could not bring a bullock to the Brazen Altar, they were welcome to present their hearts before Him with something as simple as a pigeon! The real issue here is our willingness to give our ALL to the Lord. The issue has nothing to do with comparing our sacrifice to someone else’s. The sole question is whether we have given our ALL.”

Stringer, Doug. Born to Die : So We May Live. Bridge-Logos, 2006. p. 32.

“In sum, Leviticus 1-7 discuss a variety of laws and sacrifices unified by the call to holiness, the value of communal ritual, and the benefits that come from embracing and maintaining right relationship with God. The priests and attendants of the sanctuary must have the proper interior disposition and perform their duties according to proper form. These values flow into the theme of ordination in chapters 8-10. The priest has prestige and responsibilities, but his vocation is fraught with danger as the death of Nadab and Abihu will show.”

Owens, J. Edward. Leviticus. Liturgical Press, 2011. p. 28.

“Our problem, we think (amazingly, for Christians!), is how to get God close. The Bible’s problem, more often, is what to do when God draws very close, maybe even to “tabernacle” with us, on the way: “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” John 1:14). Leviticus’s “Manual of Sacrifice” (a possible title for the first seven chapters of Leviticus), one of the most profound answers to this dilemma in all of Scripture, begins right here.”

Boyce, Richard Nelson. Leviticus and Numbers. 1st ed, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. p. 12.

Leviticus 1 links:

a soothing aroma
complete devotion
Leviticus as Christology
Leviticus as scripture
not divided completely

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, April 1, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, April 3, 2023

LEVITICUS in Jeff’s library