Leviticus: And He Called (Vayikra)
Lesson 1: The Burnt Offering — An Offering Wholly Raised to God
Explore the complete devotion expressed through the sequence and actions of the burnt offering, in light of Christ and our lives today.
Leviticus 1:1-17EnglishThe edited PDF edition is in preparation.
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Lesson 1 · The Burnt Offering
The Burnt Offering, Olah—An Offering Raised Up
Many people understand the burnt offering simply as “a sacrifice consumed by fire.” Yet a sacrifice consumed by fire is a fire offering, and the burnt offering is one kind of fire offering.
The essence of the burnt offering begins with the desire to give one’s entire life wholly to God. An animal is killed in the worshiper’s place and consumed by fire, its aroma rising to the LORD.
As the flames and smoke ascend toward heaven, they symbolize one’s whole being and life rising to God.
The burnt offering—olah, עֹלָה Complete devotion that raises my whole life to God
1. Why Is the Burnt Offering Listed First among All the Offerings?
We often assume that a sacrifice for cleansing sin should come first. It seems natural to reason that sinners must first be cleansed before they can approach God.
Yet Scripture reverses that order. Leviticus begins not with the sin offering but with the burnt offering, in which a person gives the whole self to God.
This order is not accidental. God does not first define us as “sinners.” Before that, He calls us those who are loved.
The burnt offering is our first response to that call.
We do not come reluctantly merely to have our sins washed away. We come in love, offering ourselves in devoted surrender. Human beings are frail and do sin, so sacrifices dealing with sin are also necessary. Yet the fundamental starting point between God and us is not sin, but love.
| Our Assumption | The Order in Scripture |
|---|---|
| Shouldn’t the problem of sin be resolved first? | The relationship begins with love and devotion. |
| Don’t we need to be cleansed of sin before approaching God? | The burnt offering confesses, “I love You, God. I give myself to You.” |
| Fear and obligation | Complete devotion and a heart of love |
2. Why Is the Burnt Offering Presented at the Entrance to the Tent of Meeting?
The entrance to the tent of meeting is the curtained gateway leading from the tabernacle court into the sanctuary. To stand at this entrance is more than standing in a particular place.
It is the act of placing oneself before the God whose presence fills the tent of meeting—before the word of God revealed at the ark of the covenant.
Just as a mirror shows us our unadorned, true appearance, standing before God’s word brings us face to face with ourselves as we really are.
To confront before God who we truly are, unable to hide or disguise ourselves—this is what it means to stand at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
3. How Can the Burnt Offering Make Atonement?
“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
The sin offering deals with particular wrongs. It is presented when someone has come into contact with something unclean, failed to speak truthfully as a witness, or violated God’s ordinances. It seeks forgiveness for a specific act that transgressed the law.
The burnt offering is different. Even if a person has committed no legally defined offense, it is offered out of the awareness that one has failed to give oneself wholly to God.
| Category | Sin Offering | Burnt Offering |
|---|---|---|
| English term | Sin Offering | Ascent Offering |
| Focus | Violation of a command, unintentional sin | A lack of complete devotion |
| Meaning | Resolution of a specific sin | Raising one’s whole life to God anew |
The sin offering addresses a particular sin; the burnt offering is a renewed surrender of a life that has not been wholly given to God.
4. How Are Hands Laid on the Offering?
The person bringing the burnt offering places both hands on the head of the bull or sheep and presses down firmly. This is not merely a ceremonial procedure.
“This offering is me.”
It is an act of identifying oneself with the offering. Just as the animal is entirely consumed by fire and raised to God, the worshiper longs to be wholly devoted to God.
Both hands carry the confession that not merely a part, but everything, will be given without condition and without reserve.
5. Who Kills, Skins, and Cuts Up the Animal?
“He shall kill the bull before the LORD.” — Leviticus 1:5
“He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.” — Leviticus 1:6
In the burnt offering, the priest does not kill the animal. The person who brought the offering must kill it with his own hands.
Killing the animal oneself expresses a resolve to acknowledge before God one’s fleshly and selfish nature and lay it down completely. It is a confession no one else can make on one’s behalf.
| Action | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Skinning | Stripping away outward appearances and the carefully packaged self to stand truthfully before the Lord |
| Cutting into pieces | Offering every area of life—thoughts, words, desires, habits, and more—in accordance with God’s will |
The priest receives the blood and splashes it against all sides of the altar. The offering is cut into pieces, arranged on the altar, and presented to God through fire.
6. Why Are the Entrails and Legs Washed with Water?
The entrails and legs are washed with water before being offered to God.
| Part | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Entrails | Emotions, desires, and the inner life |
| Legs | Our walk, the direction of life, and our actions |
Washing these two parts and placing them on the altar is more than a matter of hygiene. It signifies cleansing the inner emotions and desires that are easily defiled, while also presenting in purity the outward actions and steps of a life that can wander in the wrong direction.
7. What Does Each Kind of Burnt Offering Represent?
Each animal represents qualities associated with that animal.
A Burnt Offering from the Herd
An ox quietly and faithfully bears its assigned work. Laying hands on the ox’s head, the worshiper confesses having failed to serve God with all one’s strength and to fulfill one’s calling and responsibilities completely.
A Burnt Offering from the Flock
A sheep follows its shepherd. Here the worshiper looks back on a life that failed to make the LORD one’s Shepherd and trust Him completely—a life guided by worldly circumstances and personal judgment, especially a failure to trust God with material needs.
A Burnt Offering of a Goat
The goat represents stubbornness. The worshiper repents of following personal obstinacy rather than the Lord’s word and offers that part of life to God.
A Burnt Offering of Birds
The offering of a turtledove or young pigeon provides a way for those who cannot afford a bull, sheep, or goat. Here we see the heart of God, who understands each person’s circumstances and means.
8. The Burnt Offering and Christ
Jesus’ death was more than the shedding of His blood to pay the price for our sins. In complete obedience to God’s will, He gave His whole self as a burnt offering.
“Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” — Hebrews 10:7
While the sin offering focuses on resolving the problem of sin, the burnt offering focuses on devotion and obedience to God themselves. Jesus did more than take away sin; He showed us the pattern of complete obedience to God’s will.
9. The Burnt Offering and My Life
The burnt offering is a confession of devotion that raises my whole life to God.
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” — Romans 12:1
These words confront us with a clear question:
Have I truly yielded the rule of my life to God? Or do I still remain my own master when important choices must be made?
The life of the burnt offering is not merely an emotional confession. It is a life revealed in concrete acts of surrender and obedience.
“My life is not my own.”
To live out this confession in our daily choices is to live the life of the burnt offering.