In the Bible, offerings are categorized into several types, including burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. Each type serves a distinct purpose in worship, atonement, and community, highlighting themes of devotion, thanksgiving, reconciliation, and the need for redemption.
Scripture
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.”
3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.
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 Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
6 And 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 arrange wood on the fire.
8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar;
9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
10 “But if his offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from sheep or goats, he shall offer a male without blemish.
11 And he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar,
13 But he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
14 “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons.”
15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar.
16 And he shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes.
17 It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.
Biblical Offerings: Types and Significance
The various types of biblical offerings—burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—together encapsulate a rich theological framework that illustrates humanity’s relationship with God, the community, and the concepts of sin and redemption. Each offering carries unique symbolism and purpose. For example, burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:3-17) signify total commitment and devotion to God, consumed entirely by fire, representing the worshipper’s submission and desire for atonement. Grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1-16) emphasize thanksgiving and recognition of God’s provision, showcasing the gifts of the earth in gratitude. Peace offerings (Leviticus 3:1-17) symbolize fellowship and communion with God and others, inviting a sense of community and gratitude in worship.
Sin offerings (Leviticus 4:1-35) and guilt offerings (Leviticus 5:14-6:7) poignantly address the human condition of sin and the necessary steps for reconciliation. They highlight the gravity of sin and the need for atonement, emphasizing that access to a holy God requires acknowledgment of wrongdoing and the provision of a sacrifice. These offerings illustrate the larger biblical narrative of redemption that culminates in the New Testament with the ultimate sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:10), who fulfills the sacrificial system by offering Himself once and for all. The overarching significance of these offerings lies in their function as reminders of the covenant relationship between God and His people, illustrating themes of justice, mercy, and grace throughout the biblical text.
Beyond the foundational offerings outlined in Levitical law, other types of offerings further enrich the understanding of worship and devotion in the biblical context. The wave offering and the heave offering, for example, represent distinct acts of gratitude and dedication. The wave offering, which involved lifting the sacrifice before the Lord, symbolizes the acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and the desire to share in His blessings (Exodus 29:24). It served as a communal act, reinforcing the notion that individuals are not merely isolated participants but integral parts of the community’s relationship with God. Alternatively, the heave offering, which was given to the priests, recognized the sanctity of the priestly role and the communal support for those who serve in spiritual leadership, further underlining the interdependence of the worship community.
Moreover, the freewill offering exemplifies the principle of voluntary devotion, allowing worshippers to give beyond what was legally required. This form of offering underlines the significance of personal choice in worship and the spirit behind the act of giving. Such offerings are an expression of love and gratitude, emphasizing that true worship cannot be mandated but flows from a heart transformed by grace. In addition, the New Testament introduces the concept of spiritual offerings, where believers are called to present their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This shift reflects a deeper understanding of connection with God, inviting followers to embody their faith through service, love, and adherence to Christ’s teachings. Thus, the continuum of offerings throughout the biblical narrative invites believers into a dynamic relationship with God that is marked by commitment, community, and spiritual growth.
The Purpose of Offerings in Worship
Biblical offerings served as a means of expressing devotion and reverence to God. They were integral to the worship experience, allowing individuals and communities to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and grace. Offerings were not merely transactional; they represented a heartfelt response to God’s blessings and a desire for communion with Him. This aspect of offerings highlights the importance of intention and sincerity in worship, emphasizing that God desires a relationship with His people rather than mere ritual compliance.
Symbolism of Sacrifice and Atonement
Many types of offerings in the Bible symbolize the concepts of sacrifice and atonement. They illustrate the need for reconciliation between humanity and God due to sin. The act of offering something valuable, whether it be an animal or grain, signifies the seriousness of sin and the cost of redemption. This theme of sacrifice foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who, according to Christian belief, fulfilled the requirements of the law and provided a permanent solution for sin, thus transforming the understanding of atonement in the New Testament.
Community and Shared Responsibility
Offerings also played a crucial role in fostering community and shared responsibility among the Israelites. Certain offerings, such as peace offerings, were communal meals that allowed participants to share in the blessings of the sacrifice. This practice reinforced social bonds and collective identity, reminding the community of their shared commitment to God and to one another. The communal aspect of offerings underscores the biblical principle that faith is not solely an individual endeavor but a collective journey that involves mutual support and accountability within the community of believers.
How to Embrace Sacrifice for a Fuller Christian Life
Embracing sacrifice in your Christian life can feel daunting, but it’s truly a pathway to deeper faith and fulfillment. Start by reflecting on the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for us, which can inspire you to let go of certain comforts or desires in your own life. This doesn’t always mean grand gestures; sometimes, it’s the small, daily sacrifices—like giving your time to help a neighbor or choosing to forgive someone who has wronged you—that can lead to profound spiritual growth. As you practice selflessness, you’ll find that your heart expands, allowing you to experience God’s love more fully and to connect with others in meaningful ways. Remember, sacrifice isn’t about loss; it’s about gaining a richer, more vibrant relationship with God and those around you. So, take that leap of faith, and watch how your willingness to sacrifice transforms your life and the lives of those you touch.
Bible References to Types of Offerings:
Leviticus 2:1-16: 1 “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it
2 And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests, and shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
3 And the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.
4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.
5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.
6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
7 And if your offering is a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.
8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
10 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.
11 You shall not leaven anything that is offered in sacrifice to the Lord.
12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
14 And if you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain.
15 You shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering.
16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.
Leviticus 3:1-17: 1 “If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.
2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar.
3 And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,
4 Then he shall offer from it all its fat: the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,
5 Then Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
6 “If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.”
7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord,
8 Then he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
9 Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the Lord its fat; he shall 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
10 And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering made by fire to the Lord.
11 Then the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering to the Lord.
12 If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the Lord.
13 And he shall lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
14 And he shall offer from it, as his offering for a food offering to the Lord, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,
15 And the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.
16 All fat is the Lord’s.
17 It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”
Leviticus 4:1-35: 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them,
3 if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.
4 He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord.
5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting,
6 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the Lord that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
8 And he shall take from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering; the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,
9 And the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.
10 But the bull he shall carry outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.
11 But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung—
12 that is, all the rest of the bull—he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up.
13 “If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt,
14 When the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting.
15 the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord.
16 Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting,
17 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil.
18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
19 And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar.
20 Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
21 He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord.
22 he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering.
23 if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.
24 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering.
25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
26 All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
27 If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt,
28 Or the blood of the sin offering shall be thrown against the side of the altar.
29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
30 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.
31 And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.
32 And if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.
33 And all its fat he shall remove as the fat is removed from the lamb, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the Lord’s food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
34 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.
35 And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the Lord’s food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
Leviticus 5:1-19: 1 “If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity;”
2 Or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, he realizes his guilt.
3 or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt;
4 Or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these;
5 then he shall confess the sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong.
6 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven.
7 “But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
8 And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck but shall not sever it completely,
9 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering.
10 Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
12 Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the Lord’s food offerings; it is a sin offering.
13 Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven.
14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
15 “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.”
16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.”
18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven.
19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.”
Leviticus 6:1-30: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor
2 If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor
3 or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby—
4 then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found,
5 or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt.
6 And he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued at two shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.
7 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.
8 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.
10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.
11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.
13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
14 “And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar.”
15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it.
17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.
18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.
19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.
20 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.”
21 It shall be made with oil on a griddle.
22 And the priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. It shall be wholly burned.
23 For every grain offering of the priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”
24 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy.
26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.
27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place.
28 But the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. And if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water.
29 All the males among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy.
30 But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.
Leviticus 7:1-38: 1 “This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy.”
2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar.
3 And all its fat he shall offer from it: the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,
4 Then he shall offer from it all its fat; the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,
5 Then the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the Lord’s.
6 Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
7 The guilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it.
8 And the priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered.
9 And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it.
10 But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons’ due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel.
11 “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord.
12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil.
13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread.
14 And of it he shall offer one from each offering, as a food offering to the Lord.
15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering.
16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten.
17 But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire.
18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.
19 “And the flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh,”
20 If anyone who is unclean eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord that is offered as a food offering to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people.
21 And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
23 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat.
24 And the fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it.
25 For anyone who eats the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people.
26 Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places.
27 Whoever eats blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.
28 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
29 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
30 His own hands shall bring the Lord’s food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord.
31 And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons.
32 And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings.
33 Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion.
34 For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel.
35 This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the Lord’s food offerings, in the day when they were presented to serve as priests of the Lord.
36 On the eighth day he shall bring them to the priest to offer them to the Lord before the Lord; then the priest shall offer them, the grain offering and the drink offering.
37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering,
38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Numbers 28:1-31: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’”
3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering.
4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil.
6 It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
7 “Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.”
8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
9 “On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering:”
10 one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs;
11 “At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;”
12 And three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull, and two tenths of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram;
13 And a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil.
14 And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.
15 And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord’s Passover,”
17 and on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast. Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
18 And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine, and you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.
19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old;
20 And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram,
21 a tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs;
22 one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you.
23 “You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering.”
24 In this way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, of a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,”
27 But you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;
28 And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each ram of the two rams,
29 Their grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
30 And one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
31 You shall offer them in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering.
Numbers 29:1-40: 1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets,
2 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
3 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;
4 And you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
5 And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
7 And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work,
8 But you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; without blemish,
9 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.
10 And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work,
11 “And on the second day you shall offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: a bull from the herd, a ram, and seven male lambs a year old without blemish,”
12 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.”
13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish.
14 And their grain offering shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
15 And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
16 “One male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.”
17 “And on the second day you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish.”
18 And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance.
19 but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; without blemish;
20 then you shall offer one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish.
21 And on the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
22 “And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.”
23 “But on the fourth day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for the camp; you shall purify it as you purified the sin offering, and the burnt offering with it.”
24 their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities;
25 “On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,”
26 “On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;”
27 and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams,
28 And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams,
29 And on the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
30 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams,
31 You shall offer them in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, they shall be without blemish with their drink offerings.
32 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
33 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.
34 and you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish.
35 On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work,
36 But you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;
37 Their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, as prescribed.
38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly.”
39 These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.”
40 Thus you shall do to the bull, according to each day, for seven days, as the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the drink offering.
Deuteronomy 12:5-14: 5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,
6 And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes,”
9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you.
10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety,
11 then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.
12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.
13 Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see,
14 But in the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
Deuteronomy 16:16-17: 16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.”
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.
Exodus 29:38-46: 38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly.”
39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.
43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory.
44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests.
45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.
46 They shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
Exodus 30:11-16: 11 The Lord said to Moses,
12 When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.
14 Everyone who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord’s offering to make atonement for your lives.
16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
Exodus 35:4-9: 4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded.
5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;
6 And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning,
7 And the ram skins dyed red, and the fine leather, and the acacia wood,
8 and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense,
9 skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.
Exodus 36:3-7: 3 They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning,
4 So all the skilled men who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came, each from the work that he was doing,
5 and they said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.”
6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing.
7 For the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
2 Chronicles 29:20-36: 20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the Lord.
21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.
22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and threw it against the altar.
23 Then the goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them,
24 And the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets.
26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29 When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
30 And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.
31 Then Hezekiah said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to the Lord. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
32 The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.
33 The consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.
34 But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished.
35 There were many burnt offerings. The fat of the peace offerings was also there, and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored.
36 And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.
Ezra 3:1-6: 3 When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his fellow priests arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.
4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required,
5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord.
6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.
Nehemiah 10:32-39: 32 We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord;
35 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord;
36 also to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns.
37 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor.
38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.
39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Malachi 3:8-12: 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.
9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.
12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Hebrews 10:1-18: 10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
6 In burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),
9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.