The Five Offerings Of Leviticus Part 5: Bullock Offering

The Bullock.

Leviticus 1:2-9

"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the HERD and of the FLOCK.

“If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer A MALE WITHOUT BLEMISH; he shall offer it of his own free will* at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then HE SHALL PUT HIS HAND ON THE HEAD OF THE BURNT OFFERING, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the Lord; 

and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 

And HE SHALL SKIN THE BURNT OFFERING and cut it into its pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. 

Then the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. 

And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord."

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Now we come to the Bullock Offering.   No pun intended, there is a LOT OF MEAT in this passage!   Being larger than any other sacrificial animal, when it was killed, THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF BLOOD!  

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There are several other differences in the offering of this animal as well.  Like the lamb or goat, the offerer kills the animal.  But in the case of the bullock, before it is killed, the worshipper lays his hands on its head before he kills it.  Then the priest removes the entrails and the legs, washes them with water as he did to the lamb.  He burned the head and fat on the altar, after pouring all the animal's blood all around the altar.  Then the animal's skin or hide is mentioned, something that is not referred to in the other offerings.  Why?

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First Clothing Line.
The first time animal skins are mentioned in the Bible is way back in the garden.  Right after man fell, they covered themselves with fig leaves.  But God killed animals and made coats of "skin" for them.
(For more on that topic, follow this link:
https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/08/15/the-coat-of-many-colors/)

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This sacrifice depicts believers who have a BIGGER revelation of Jesus and a BIGGER appreciation of the blood.  They KNOW that they are the righteousness of God in Christ.  They KNOW that ALL their sins for their entire life are cleansed.  They KNOW that because of their right standing before God, as they walk through the life, when they fail, they understand they are COVERED by Jesus' righteousness.  This is REPRESENTED BY THE ANIMAL'S HIDE OR SKIN.  They KNOW their sins are NOT IMPUTED TO THEM.  This gives the believer peace and rest!

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Death Before Life?

This offering depicts Jesus' death.  It is mentioned BEFORE the Grain offering, which comes second in the order of God's book.  Seems backwards, doesn't it?  You and I usually think of life first and then death.  But not the Father.  He listed it first.  Why?  
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Because it is MOST IMPORTANT to Him and dearest to His heart.  It allows us to become His family!  God sees us in the perfection of His Son. You and I, on the other hand, when we come to God, approach Him from the opposite direction:  In our tresspasses and sins. In other words, via the sin and trespass offering.  The sin offering depicts what we "ARE;" Tresspass offering, what we "DO."  We will be discussing those two offerings later on.

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God, in His instructions for the tabernacle, also He starts opposite of us (from the inside out) with the Mercy Seat.  We approach Him from the OPPOSITE direction.  
Jesus, the Mercy Seat , is nearest and dearest to His heart.  You and I come to Him in our tresspasses and sins, get saved and cleansed of all our sins.  Now have peace with God.  Now we can BOLDLY enter the Holy of Holies. 

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(Holy Place and Holy of Holies.)

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No More Veil!
Under the Old Covenant, there were two parts to the tabernacle:  The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.  Today, there is only one:  The Holy of Holies because the veil is gone!  HALLELUJAH!  

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Around the Mercy Seat now there are 48 upright, equal-shaped boards of acacia wood, covered with gold.  All are seated in silver sockets facing the Ark: Jesus.  
Why 48 boards?  Because it says exactly 48 times in the New Testament that you and I are "IN CHRIST!"  

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The Silence Of Scripture.

You read earlier that Abel actually offered the very first ascending offering, though the Holy Spirit does not specifically call it that by name.  Why is scripture silent here?  

Because it wasn't until Noah's day that God unleashed judgment on the whole world as God did at the cross.  When all God's righteous indignation was spent, i.e. when the waters receded, it signified Jesus, His sacrifice and all of God's judgment being unleashed upon Him and FULLY SATISFIED.  THERE IS NONE LEFT. 

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The Rainbow.

The Holy Spirit is highlighting this one event:  The Burnt Offering and the Rainbow.  It was God's promise that He would never again "rain judgment" on mankind once Jesus offered Himself on our behalf.  
(For more on the covenant of the Rainbow, follow this link:  https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/the-covenant-of-the-rainbow-flood-series-part-5/)

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Burned Up To Ashes. 

The lamb was to be "wholly consumed," completely burned up to "ashes" signifying that Jesus "wholly consumed" ALL THE JUST JUDGMENTS OF GOD" in His own body, paying IN FULL the sin-debt we incurred.  

That means our sins are "wholly consumed" when we get saved.  We are COMPLETELY CLEAN FOR OUR ENIRE LIVES IN GOD'S EYES!"

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Though this event would occur in the distant future, God smelled this same "sweet savor of rest" the offerings of all the Old testament saints.  It brought to remembrance Jesus' sacrifice, giving rest to His heart.  That's how it benefitted God and mans as well.  If He is not holding our sins against us but sees us clean and righteous in Christ, He is justified in BLESSING HIS PEOPLE!
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Offering The Burnt Offering Today.

You can approach God today with your "Burnt Offering" and bring a sweet savor to His heart.  How?  Whenever you say, "In Jesus' Name!"  God is reminded of Jesus, your Burnt Offering, and that He promised He "Remembers your sins, your iniquities and your lawless deeds NO MORE!"  

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This offering was made every morning and evening.  We can do the same thing every morning and evening by coming to God in Jesus' Name, reminding Him of How precious, how perfect and how beautiful Jesus is to Him.  What He did on the cross was for you and for me, not Himself.  It brought rest, delight and great pleasure to God's heart.  It still does!

HALLELUJAH!  Thank you, Jesus, for being our BURNT OFFERING!
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This concludes our study of the Burnt Offering.  The series continues in Part 6 where we'll be talking about the second of the five offerings: The Grain Offering.