Leviticus 1:15, commentary and pictures

The verse gives the rule for a bird burnt offering, in which the priest brings it to the altar, removes its head, burns it whole without dividing it as with larger animals, and drains its blood at the side of the altar. It belongs to the daily work of the earthly sanctuary in the holy place, the first great division of the priestly service distinct from the yearly cleansing work in the most holy place. The rite shows God's hatred of sin and that sin requires death, with the innocent victim dying in the sinner's place and its blood standing for life given for the guilty. Offered in faith it represented the transfer of confessed sin from the sinner to the sanctuary through the priest's ministry with the blood, while as a whole burnt offering it pointed to giving oneself wholly to God. The whole ministration was a shadow and pattern of Christ's more excellent priesthood and ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, with every sacrifice expressing faith in the coming Redeemer and finding its fulfillment in him.

Offering Procedure and Setting

Leviticus 1 to 4 gives instruction about offerings to be studied until the different offerings are clearly defined in mind, with attention to their purpose and manner, as five kinds of offerings: burnt, meal, peace, sin, and trespass. Leviticus 1 to 7 gives the especial work for individuals as they presented their particular offerings during the year. For a bird as a burnt offering the rule requires a complete offering, in which the priest brings it to the altar, wrings off its head, burns it on the altar, and wrings out its blood at the side of the altar. Unlike the beasts, the bird is not divided into pieces.

This individual offering service at the altar, with the priest handling the bird offering by wringing off its head, burning it there, and draining its blood beside the altar, belongs within the daily ministration. That daily service in the holy place is the first grand division of the ministration of the earthly sanctuary performed by the Levitical priesthood. It stands alongside the regular morning and evening burnt offering, the burning of sweet incense, and the special work on Sabbaths, annual sabbaths, new moons and feasts. It is distinct from the second grand division, the yearly work in the most holy place for the sins of the people and the cleansing of the sanctuary.

The burnt-offering instructions in Leviticus 1 had already been given to the family of Adam immediately after the fall, as shown because Abel's offering matched those instructions in all respects. The verse belongs to the Levitical law given to the children of Israel, distinct from the law of God which is absolute and perpetual and remains holy, just, and good. The Levitical law was abolished by Christ.

Meaning and Fulfillment

The bird burnt offering is a requirement for a complete offering, and as a complete offering it connects with giving oneself wholly to God, though no separate symbolic meaning is assigned to the priest's wringing off the bird's head or draining its blood at the altar.

The offerings show God's hatred of sin and that sin demands a penalty. The innocent victim served as the sinner's substitute, dying in the sinner's place, while the sinner in shedding its blood acknowledged worthiness of death, and the blood handled by the priest represented life. Confession, sacrificial blood, and priestly ministry together represented the transfer of sin from the sinner to the sanctuary.

When offered in faith by one burdened with sin, the rite represented the transfer of sin from the sinner to the sanctuary. The sinner confessed, laid a hand on the victim's head to signify the transfer, and gave its life, and the priest used its blood in ministry for the penitent. The priest carried the blood into the sanctuary and sprinkled it there or before the veil, leaving the forgiven sins there where they accumulated through the year. These personal offerings formed part of the daily ministration through which the people's sins were represented as transferred to the sacrificial victims and, through their blood, to the sanctuary. The yearly service so continued until the Day of Atonement.

Each sacrifice has a symbolic connection to the work of Jesus Christ. The offerings are shadows of their fulfillment in him. These offerings expressed faith in the coming Redeemer.

The whole earthly ministration was the example, shadow, pattern, and type of Christ's more excellent ministry and priesthood in the true tabernacle and heavenly sanctuary. The service repeated each year typified Christ's ministry, which was offered once for all. The rite accumulated sin in the sanctuary through the year until the special cleansing service on the tenth day of the seventh month.

God's acceptance of Abel's offering and rejection of Cain's offering shows that God accepts nothing but obedience and rejects only disobedience. Cain was rejected because bringing fruit of the ground which God had not commanded was transgression of the law.