[Note to the Student.—These lessons are not designed to be exhaustive, but suggestive. In references to the “Desire of Ages,” in the lessons, the subscription edition is referred to. Those who have only the trade edition will find the matter in chapters 1, 4, 11, 27, 71, 77, 78; also read “Patriarchs and Prophets,” chapters 5 and 30; “Christ Our Advocate,” Bible Students’ Library No. 129 (price, 10 cents), and “Looking unto Jesus” (price, $1.00) will be found a great help. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES will have an article on the subject of each lesson this quarter by J. O. Corliss. Read these articles in connection with the study of the lesson. We have not space to print all the scriptures. Let the student study them carefully from the Bible. Those printed are from the Revised Version.]
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
1. What must the burnt-offering be? How must it be offered?
“If his oblation be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish: he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.” Lev. 1:3.
2. How does the worshiper identify himself with this offering? What promise is connected with it?
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” Verse 4.
3. What is then done with the offering? How much of it is accepted?
“And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting. And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar; but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water; and the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord.” Verses 5-9.
4. Were the daily offerings burnt-offerings or sin-offerings? What did they symbolize? Ans.—They were burnt-offerings (Ex. 29:38-42), and they symbolized “the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 354.
5. How was the acceptance of this offering shown?
“And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.” Gen. 4:4. (Heb. 11:4; Ps. 20:3, margin: “Fire flashed from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.”)—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 71.
6. The fire having once been kindled by the Lord, what command was given concerning it?
“And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.” Lev. 6:12, 13.
7. How are we to present ourselves to the Lord?
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Rom. 12:1.
8. How do we find acceptance?
“To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Eph. 1:6.
The Meat-Offering.
9. Of what materials was the meat (meal) offering composed?
“And when any one offereth an oblation of a meal-offering unto the Lord, his oblation shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon.”
“And every oblation of thy meal-offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meal-offering: with all thine oblations thou shalt offer salt.” Lev. 2:1, 13.
11. What was poured upon the flour? Lev. 2:1. What was poured upon Christ? John 3:34. What, then, is represented by the oil? Acts 10:38, 39.
“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for He giveth not the Spirit by measure.” John 3:34.
“How that God anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; whom also they slew, hanging Him on a tree.” Acts 10:38, 39. (Rom. 8:9.)
12. With what was the offering seasoned? Lev. 2:13. What are we exhorted to have?
“Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another.” Mark 9:50.
“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.” Col. 4:6. (By thus using salt in their sacrifices the people were bound to Jehovah in most solemn covenant. Read Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5.)
13. Everything in Christ’s outer and inner life was a sweet odor to God; hence how much of the frankincense was to be burnt on God’s altar? Lev. 2:16. Repeat 2 Cor. 2:14-16. How much of the oil and flour was burnt? Lev. 2:2, 3. What was done with the rest of the offering? What kind of offering was it?
“And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the bruised corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.” Lev. 2:2, 3.
“And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests; and he shall take thereout his handful of the fine flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn it as the memorial thereof upon the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord; and that which is left of the meal-offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.” Lev. 2:2, 3.
14. In what different ways could it be prepared? Ans.—Baked or fried. Lev. 2:4, 5, 7. What must be excluded from it? Ans.—Leaven and honey. Lev. 2:11; Ex. 12:18-20; Luke 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:6-8; Gal. 5:9. What is represented by leaven? Honey would not stand the fire, hence was excluded.