Questions and Answers - Leviticus 1 - 14
(Note: Sacrifice symbolizes substitutionary death and anticipates
the work of Christ Jesus (Chapters 1-7)
Q. What were some main differences in sacrifices for atonement? A. Leviticus 1:3 = 1). Before bulls were sacrificed, an Israelite would lay his hand on its head to signify substition for himself.
2). Turtledoves or pidgeons' heads were twisted off, the head laid on the altar so that the blood would drip off. The crop and feathers were removed and thrown to the east side of the altar, amongst the ashes. The priest would then grab the wings and tear the bird apart, though not completely. He would then burn it on the altar. It was very bloody!
Q. How was a grain offering made? A. Leviticus 2:1 = Added to the grain was choice flour and olive oil, either baked or griddled in a pan. The Israelite would give it to the priest, who would present it at the altar. He would take a piece of it and burn it as an offering, then the priest would eat the rest. No yeast or honey was ever used in a grain offering that was burnt (2:11. See also Leviticus 7 notes on grain offerings).
Q. When could yeast and honey be used in an offering? A. Leviticus 2:12 = Harvestime grain offerings were not always burned and yeast and honey could be used, but salt was always used in this offering.
Q. Why was salt used in the harvestime offering? A. Leviticus 2:13 = To remind the Israelites of God's covenant with them.
Q. So there were 2 different kinds of grain offerintgs? A. Leviticus 2 = Yes. 1). A general grain offering and
2). A harvestime grain offering. The first is explained above and the 2nd was made of a few kernels roasted on a fire, which they added olive oil to and sprinkled with incense. Part of this 2nd offering was burnt at harvestime.
Q. How was a peace offering made? A. Leviticus 3 =
1). Bull or cow - burn:
..... fat around the internal organs
..... the 2 kidneys with fat around them
..... the lobe of the liver
2).Goat or sheep, male or female - burn:
..... fat of entire tail, which was cut off near the backbone
..... fat around internal organs
..... 2 kidneys
..... the lobe of the liver
Q. How did God see the fat and blood of animal offerings? A. Leviticus 3:16 = They belonged to Him, so the Israelites were never to consume them.
Q. What was the sin offering for? A. Leviticus 4:1-2 = Unintentional sins.
Q. What happened if the high priest sinned? A. Leviticus 4:3 = He brought guilt upon the entire community.
Q. What was the procedure for the sin offering? A. Leviticus 4:3-12 =
... Young bull - slaughtered at the entrance of the Tabernacle by the sinning priest
... Another priest (on duty) sprinkled blood 7 times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain of the Most Holy Place. He'd put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar that stood in the Lord's presence in the Tabernacle. The rest of the bull's blood would be poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
... Then he would remove all fat around the internal organs, the 2 kidneys with fat, and the lobe of the liver. He would burn them on the altar of burnt offerings, just like the peace offering. BUT...
... The rest of the bull - its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs and dung -- had to be carried away to a ceremonially clean place outside the camp; the place where the ashes were thrown. He would burn it all on a wood fire in the ash heap.
Q. Was there ever a time when Israel would sin as a community and not even notice it for a time? A. Leviticus 4:13 = Yes! (Note: We are dense!)
Q. Would they eventually discover their sin? A. Leviticus 4:14 = Yes.
Q. Then what kind of offering would be required? A. Leviticus 4:14 = A sin offering. But the procedure would be different than the one given for the sins of the high priest.
Q. What was the procedure for a community sin? A. Leviticus 4:14-21 =
1). The leaders of the community would bring a young bull as an offering to the entrance of the Tabernacle; lay their hands on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord.
2). The priest then followed the procedure for the sin offering.
Q. What was the significance of the sin offering for the entire community? A. Leviticus 4:21 = It was good for the entire community of Israel.
Q. What were the consequences of one leader of Israel's sin? A. Leviticus 4:22 = He was guilty, even if he was unaware of his sin.
Q. What was his offering? A. Leviticus 4:23 = A male goat. The goat's fat was burnt on the altar. Another priest would sprinkle the blood.
Q. What if any citizen of Israel sinned? A. Leviticus 4:28-35 = A female goat or sheep was offered. The priest would sprinkle its blood, but the offender would remove the fat onto the altar for the priest to burn.
Q. What other sins required a sin offering? A. 1). Leviticus 5:1 = Withholding testimony
2). Leviticus 5:2 = Touching a dead body of an animal that was ceremonially unclean, wild or tame or one that scurried on the ground -- even the the manure of it.
3). Leviticus 5:3 = Touching a source of human defilement -- you were guilty when you became aware of it.
4). Leviticus 5:4 = Making a rash vow.
Q. What was the offering? A. Leviticus 5:6 = a female sheep or goat, turtledoves or pidgeons if you were poor; or (Leviticus 5:11) 2 quarts of choice flour.
Q. How were birds used in sacrifice? A. Leviticus 5:7 = One would be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
Q. How was flour offered? A. Leviticus 5:12 = The priest took a handful of it and burnt it on the altar. The rest belonged to the priest.
Q. What was a guilt offering for? A. Leviticus 5:14 = People touching God's sacred property.
Q. And the offering for that violation was what? A. Leviticus 5:15 = A ram with the proper value in silver as measured by the standard sanctuary shekel (11 grams in weight per shekel). You would pay for the loss plus a 20% penalty.
Q. What other kinds of guilt offerings required this sacrifice? A. Leviticus 5:17-19 = 1). Doing something forbidden by God, which was considered an offense against Him.
Note: When we directly violate God's word, it is a sin against God!
2). Leviticus 6:1-7 = Sinning against one another by:
- cheating one another, extortion, theft, lying under oath, etc.
Note: By Jesus' sacrifice once for all, sacrifice is not required anymore (halleluiah!), but apologizing, restoring and repenting is!
Q. What was the significance of the whole burnt offering? A. Leviticus 6:8 = It had to burn all night, the ashes cleaned up in special clothes, then carried outside the camp in normal clothes.
Q. What about the altar fire? A. Leviticus 6:12 = It was never to go out.
Q. Why? A. Leviticus 6:12 = Every day, the priest would add fresh would and arrange a daily whole burnt offering. Then he'd burn the fat of the peace offering on top of it.
Note: Besides the offerings brought daily to the temple because of various reasons (harvest and sins of all types), there still was at the beginning of each day, the whole burnt offering with the peace offering burnt on top of it!
Q. Were there further instructions for the grain offering? A. Leviticus 7:16 = Yes. The portion left for the priests had to be baked without yeast and eaten in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Only Aaron's male descendants could eat it.
Q. Why? A. Leviticus 7:18 = Because it was their regular share of the offerings given to the Lord by fire.
Q. What also made the grain offering special? A. Leviticus 7:18 = Anyone or anything that touched this food became holy.
Q. How were Aaron's sons anointed for priesthood? A. Leviticus 7:19 = Ordination offering - not eaten, just burnt. - 2 quarts of flour, half offered in the morning, the other half offered in the evening; cooked on a griddle with olive oil, well mixed and broken into pieces.
Q. And Aaron's grandsons? A. Leviticus 7:22 = Same way as their fathers.
Q. What was significan inthe ordination offering? A. Leviticus 6:23 = All the flour mixture had to be burnt and not a drop eaten.
Q. Were there any more instructions for the sin offering? A. Leviticus 6:27 = Yes.
1). If the blood splattered on anyone's clothing, it had to be washed off in a sacred place.
2). If it was boiled in a clay pot, thepot had to be broken.
3). If it was cooked in a bronze kettle, it had to be scoured and rinsed thoroughly with water.
4). Only males of thepriest's family could eat it.
5). There was a stipulation to this.
Q. What? A. Leviticus 6:30 = If the blood of the sin offering had been taken into the Tabernacle to make atonement inthe Holy Place for the people's sins, none of that animal's meat could be eaten. Rather, it had to be completely burnt up.
Q. Were there more instructions for the guilt offering? A. Leviticus 7:6 = Yes. All males from a priest's family could eat of it, but only in a sacred place.
Q. Was there an ownership given with theportion of specific offerings? A. Leviticus 7:7 = Yes.
1). Both sin and guilt offerings portions to be eaten belonged to the priest in charge of the atonement ceremony.
2). In the whole burnt offering, the skin belonged to the residing priest.
3). Any grain offering baked in an oven, prepared in a pan or cooked on a griddle belonged to the priest who presented it to God. 4). All other grain offerings were to be shared amonthst all the priests and their sons.
Q. What was the peace offering for sometimes? A. Leviticus 6:30 = Atonement.
Q. How was the thanksgiving offering presented? A. Leviticus 7:12 = Along with the animal there were:
1). various kinds of breads: loaves, wafers and cakes made without yeast and soaked in olive oil)
2). loves of bread made with yeast. One of each bread was presented to the Lord and belonged to the priest who sprinkled the altar with the blood of the animal.
Q.What was a freewill offering? A. The same as a peace offering.
Q. What were the rules for vow and freewill offerings? A. Leviticus 7:16 = The meat could be eaten on the 2nd day too, but not on the 3rd day, as it would be contaminated by then.
Q. If they at it anyway? A. Leviticus 7:18 = It was sin and they would have to answer for it.
Q. Was the peace offering that strict? A. Leviticus 7:19 = Yes! Cleanliness was absolutely paid special mind to.
1). Meat could not touch anything ceremonially unclean, it could not be eaten, but completely burnt up.
2). Meat that could be eaten could only be eaten by ceremonially clean people.
3). Unclean people who partook of a peace offering were cut off from the community.
4). Anyone who touched poop or an unclean animal, then ate meat from the Lord's sacrifices was cut off from the community.
Note: The peace offering was a daily ritual. Familiarity should never keep us from treating God or approaching God like we were simply pals. He is holy!
Q. Could fat be used for other purposes besides burnt offerings? A. Leviticus 7:24 = Yes.
Q. Were there further instructions for the peace offering? A. Leviticus 7:30-34 = Yes.
1). A person could present it to God with his own hands.
2). The fat burnt on the altar; the breast belonged to Aaron and sons.
3). The right thigh was always given to the residing priest as a gift.
Q. Were there further instructions for the ordination offering? A. Leviticus 8:23 = Yes.
1). When Moses ordained Aaron and his sons, he put some blood on their right earlobes, the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet.
2). Moses sprinkled anointing oil and blood on Aaron and his sons and their clothing to make them holy.
Q. Why was the ordination ceremony necessary? A. Leviticus 8:34 = To make atonement for them.
Q. How long a time did the ordination take? A. Leviticus 8:33 = 7 days. They could not leave the Tabernacle for the entire time.
Q. What if they did? A. Leviticus 8:35 = They would die.
Q. How were the very first offerings consumed? A. Leviticus 9:24 = Fire blazed forth from the Lord's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar.
Q. What was the Jacob/Israelites reaction to it? A. Leviticus 9:24 = They shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground!
Q. What preceded this event? A. Leviticus 9:22 = 1). Aaron blessed the people
2). He presented the sin offering, whole offering and peace offerings
3). He then went into the Tabernacle with Moses
4). He came out and blessed them again, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them all.
Note: We skip the sacrifices now and can go directly to blessing people and the Holy Spirit comes down for all to enjoy!
Q. What did Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, do so that God burnt them alive? A. Leviticus 10:1 = They put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it, burning a different kind of fire than God commanded.
Q. What was done with their bodies? A. Leviticus 10:4 = Moses called for Aaron's cousins, Mishael and Elzaphan, to carry the bodies away from the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.
Q. How did they carry them? A. Leviticus 10:5 = By their tunics.
Q. That must have been an awful sight! What were the remaining 2 brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar, to do in response? A. Leviticus 10:6 = 1).They were told not to mourn or else God would be angry with the entire Israeli community.
2). If they did mourn for their sinful brothers' deaths, they would die too.
Q. Why? A. Leviticus 10:7 = They were still in the period of anointing as priests and the anointing oil of the Lord was upon them.
Q. Did they obey? A. Leviticus 10:7 = Yes. (whew!)
Note: The boastful pride of life, as displayed in Nadab and Abihu, to come to God on their own terms, creating their own door to heaven, and interpreting God's very being from their own imagination, instead of from what God had revealed about Himself, revealed very dull and stubborn minds. Such temptation is the danger we face, both Christian and non-christian, every day, as Satan would help prompt false images and ideas about God in us. Specifically
...1). Flippancy in how we approach the throne of God
...2). Mixing God's instructions with our own ideas of Him
...3). Being in a high position and sinning in front of everyone (isn't that just like Satan to ruin a most holy and public celebration between God and man, right when a bridge was being initiated to stand in the gap?) Yet God allowed it to occur and we learn to keep our relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit holy.
Q. Was coal not used in the Tabernacle? A. Leviticus 16:12 = It was indeed used, but with strict guidelines governing in the Holy Place.
Q. What else did God require of priests in the area of personal conduct? A. Leviticus 10:9 = No drinking alcohol before entering the Tabernacle or die.
Q. God spoke through Moses a lot. When did He first address Aaron directly? A. Leviticus 10:8 = After his sons were incinerated. He instructed Aaron on drinking, distinguishing what was holy and what was ordinary, what was ceremonially unclean and clean, and told him that he must teach the Jacob/Israelites all the laws that He gave through Moses.
Q. What was the difference between clean and unclean animals? A. Leviticus 11:1-8 = Unclean animals were those that did one of two things, but not both.
Q. What? A. Leviticus 11:4 = 1). Chew the cud or 2). had split hooves.
Q. So if they did both, they were clean? A. Leviticus 11:2 = Yes.
Q. Which animals were distinguished as unclean this way? A. Leviticus 11:4 = 1). Camels 2). Rock badgers 3). Hares 4). Pigs. They were not even allowed to touch their dead bodies. (v.8)
Q. What about sea and fresh water fish? A. Unclean sea life were those creatures that did not have both fins and scales.
Q. What were unclean birds? A. Leviticus 11 = eagle, vulture, osprey, buzzard, kite, raven, ostrich, nighthawk, seagull, hawk, little owl, cormorant, great owl, white owl, pelican, carrion vulture, stork, heron, hoopoe and bat.
Note: These are flesh-eating, non-vegetarian birds.
Q. Were all bugs unclean? A. Leviticus 11:21-22 = No! There were bugs they could eat. These were locusts, crickets, bald locusts and grasshoppers. All other swarming bugs that walked or crawled were to be considered detestable.
Note: God instructed the Jacob/Israelites to develop a hate for those things that God himself marked as unclean. That is an act of the will!
Q. What if a person accidentally touched the dead body of one who was unclean? A. Leviticus 11:25 = He was to wash his clothes immediately and remain defiled until evening.
Q. Were any other unclean animals mentioned? A. Leviticus 11:26 = Yes. 1). Those with divided hooves 2). Those that did not chew the cud 3). Those with paws.
Q. What small animals that surried or crept on the ground were referred to as unclean? A. Leviticus 11:29 = moles, mice, great lizards, monitor lizards, common lizards, sand lizards and chameleons.
Q. What if an unclean crawler died and fell on a clean object? A. Leviticus 11:32 = The object had to be put in water and remained defiled unti evening.
Q. Were there any exceptions? A. Leviticus 11:33 = If the unclean bug fell dead into a clay pot, the pot had to be smashed. This was also true for clay ovens and cooking pots.
Note: The clay pots or anything made with clay could not be made clean again. We as humans are likened to clay by God. Only the blood of Jesus cleanses us (the pots) from sin (defilement).
Q. What if the dead thing fell into a spring or cistern? A. Leviticus 11:36 = The water would still be clean, but whoever removed the body would be defiled.
Q. What if it fell on seed grain to be planted in the field? A. Leviticus 11:37 = It would be clean, unless the grain was wet.
Q. What if it was an animal permitted to eat, but drops dead? A. Leviticus 11:39 = It would be defiled till evening. If you ate it, you were defiled until evening. If you touched it, you were defiled till evening.
Q. Did God command the Israelites to develop a hate for unclean animals? A. Leviticus 11:41 = Yes. They were to hate animals that scurried on the ground, i.e., slithered on their bellies, that were 4-legged or many footed bugs.
Q. What was the attitude of a detestable perspective on unclean animals? A. Leviticus 11:43 = To never even touch them.
Q. Why? A. Leviticus 11:44 = Because they kept them from being holy.
Note: We need to deal with every detail of our own take on things, to hate what is supposed to be hated, by our own choice, and thereby draw nearer to God. Our relationship with God in depth is at stake here!
Q. What were the purification rules for women only? A. Leviticus 12:2 = 1). Menstrual period - 7 days defiled
2). After giving birth to a son - 33 days defiled
3). After giving birth to a daughter - 66 days defilement plus 2 weeks = a total of 80 days defilement.
Q. What were the restrictions? A. Leviticus 12:4 = 1). She couldn't touch anything that was holy
2). She couldn't go to the sanctuary.
Q. After the given time was up, what happened? A. Leviticus 12:6 = She made an offering - 1). a year old lamb for a whole burnt offering 2). a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering.
Q. Did she have to slaughter them? A. Leviticus 12:6 = No. The priest did it. He also made atonement for her.
Q. When would she be clean again? A. Leviticus 12:7 = After she stopped bleeding.
Q. And if she couldn't afford a sheep? A. Leviticus 12:8 = Then she offered 2 turtledoves or young pigeons.
Q. Who was the first physician? A. Leviticus 13:1 = God was. He then instructed the priests, who were the very first physicians on earth.
Q. What were the first mentioned diseases? A. Leviticus 13-14 = Skin diseases of all types.
Q. What was the cure? A. Leviticus 13-14 = 1). Quarantine for observation
2). Wash clothes
3). Shave off hair
4). Allow their hair to hang loose
5). Tear their clothes
6). Cover their mouths and call out "Unclean! Unclean!"
7). Live outside the camp until they were well again.
Q. What about infectious mildew or leprosy? A. Leviticus 13:47 = Skin problems came from contaminated wool, linen and leather. It turned these fabrics bright green or reddish in color.
Q. And the cure? A. Levitucus 13:49 = 1). Priest examined it
2). He stored the material for 7 days.
3). If it spread, it was burnt completely.
4). If it did not spread, it was washed and stored for 7 more days.
5). If the contamination was still there, it was burnt up.
6). If the contaminated area faded after washing, he cut the infected area out.
7). If it reappeared somewhere else, it was burnt up.
8). If the spot disappeared after washing, it was declared clean.
Q. After someone was healed up from a contagious skin disease, was there a reinitiation back into the community? A. Leviticus 14 = Yes. The priest would examine theperson outside the camp and if they were clean, he would perform a purification ceremony.
Q. What was used for this ceremony? A. Leviticus 14:4 = 1). Two wild birds of a kind permitted for food
2). cedarwood
3). a scarlet cloth 4). a hyssop branch
Q. What was the ceremony like? A. Leviticus 14 = 1). One of the birds was slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh spring water.
2). The priest would dip the living bird, the cedarwood, the scarlet cloth and hyssop branch into theblood of the slaughtered bird.
3). He would then sprinkle the blood 7 times over the person being purified and pronounce that the person was ceremonially clean.
4). He would then set the living bird free.
5). The person then washed all his clothes, shaved his hair off and bathed in water.
6). The person then went back to camp, remained outside his tent for 7 days.
7). He would then shave again, even beard and eyebrows, wash his clothes and bathe in water.
8). He would be pronounced ceremonially clean a second time.
9). The next day, the 8thed day, each person being purified would bring 2 male lambs, one female one-year-old lamb, 5 quarts of flour mixed with olive oil and 3/5 of a pint of olivoil to the priest.
10). The priest presented that person for cleansing, along with the offerings, before the Lord at the entrance to the Tabernacle.
11). He would take one of the lambs and the oil and present them as a guilt offering by lifting them up before the Lord.
12). He would then slaughter the lamb in the place where the sin offerings and burnt offerings were slaughtered.
13). As with the sin offering, the guilt offering would be given to the priest, a most holy offering.
14). He would then put the blood on the tip of the healed person's right ear, his right thumb and big toe on his right foot.
15). He would pour some olive oil in the palm of his own left hand, dip his right finger in it and sprinkle it 7 times before the Lord.
16). He would then put oil on the same ear, thumb and toe of the person being cleansed.
17). He would pour the remaining oil from his left hand onto the person to make atonement for him.
18). He would repeat the ceremony! 19). He would then slaughter the whole burnt offering and offer it on the altar, along with the grain offering.
Note: All offerings were selected by careful choice. Only the best was set aside for God!
Q. What if the person needing cleansing could not afford 2 lambs? A. Leviticus 14:21 = They'd bring one male lamb for a guilt offering, along with 2 quarts of choice flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering, 3/5 of a pint of olive oil.
Q. How much less was this poor man's sacrifice? A. Less one male and one female lamb; less 3 quarts of flour mixed with oil; the same amount of olive oil, 2 turtledoves or 2 young pigeons - one of each - for a total of 9 sin offerings and one whole burnt offering.
Q. What was the difference in the ceremony for the poor man? A. Leviticus 14:24 = Less 2 lambs for his guilt offering, the grain offering was given with the burnt, whole and sin offerings.
Q. What made a house contaminated? A. Leviticus 14:33-34 = An infectious mildew.
Q. What was done in such a case? A. Leviticus 14:35 = 1). the homeowner fetched the priest, who would examine the house (emptied of its contents first) for green or reddish streaks on the walls that went deeper than just the surface.
2). He'd lock up the house for 7 days
3). He'd inspect it again to see if it spread
4). If it spread, the stones from the infected areas were removed to an area outside the town designated as unclean
5). The walls of the entire house were scraped clean, the scrapings dumped outside the town
6). New stones were put in place
7). Walls were replastered
8). If mildew reappeared, another inspection was required.
9). If the house was reinfected, it was defiled and was torn down, the rubble taken outside the town.
Q. And if someone entered the house while it was closed? A. Leviticus 14:46 = They were defiled till evening. All who slept and ate there had to wash their clothes.
Q. And if the treatment worked? A. Leviticus 14:49 = There was a purification ceremony.
Q. What was used? A. Leviticus 14 = 2 birds, a hyssop branch, cedarwood and a scarlet cloth.
Q. What was the ceremony? A. Leviticus 14:50 = 1). slaughter one bird over a clay pot filled with fresh springwater
2). Dip cedarwood, hyssop branch and cloth and living bird into the blood of the slaughtered bird
3). sprinkle the house 7 times
4). Release the bird into the open fields outside the town.
Q. Why was this done? A. Leviticus 14:53 = To make atonement for the house.
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