Leviticus 6:9, commentary and pictures

Leviticus 6:9 belongs to the laws and instructions about sacrifices and offerings that set forth the main features of the sanctuary service in Leviticus 1-7, 16 and 23. Leviticus 1-7 gives the law for the particular offerings that individuals presented during the year for individual sins, and the law of the burnt offering is one of those individual offerings. The first six chapters prescribe offerings for individual sins, in which the sinner brought an unblemished animal, confessed over it, and had its blood used in the sanctuary service. Its details have meaning, and their fuller meaning is found in the sacrifice, life, and work of Jesus Christ.

The word law means the regulations governing the burnt offering, belonging to the ceremonial law. That ceremonial law was spoken by Moses and instituted in consequence of sin. It consisted of rites that pointed to Christ and ended when Christ their great fulfillment came.

The verse prescribes the daily service in which the burnt offering was kept burning on the altar all night unto the morning, with the fire of the altar remaining burning in it. This regular morning and evening sacrifice belonged to the priests' continual ministry in the holy place, the first apartment of the earthly sanctuary. That daily work in the holy place was distinct from the yearly work in the most holy place for the sins of the people and the cleansing of the sanctuary.

When offered in faith by the sinner, together with the daily offering, the sins were transferred in figure through the blood of the sacrifice or the person of the priest to the sanctuary. The forgiven sins were left there, so to speak, when the blood was sprinkled upon the altar before the ark, accumulating through the year until cleansed out on the tenth day of the seventh month. As part of the first general ministry, individuals burdened with sins brought their offerings to show faith in the Redeemer to come. Joined with the daily morning and evening ministration for the nation, this continual burnt offering kept remembrance of sin constantly in the sanctuary through the year.

The offerings were types pointing to Jesus Christ and showed that God hates sin and that sin demands a penalty. As part of the earthly sanctuary and its service, the verse is a pattern and shadow or type, an impressive object-lesson of the temple of God in heaven and Christ's priestly service therein as High Priest and Minister of the true tabernacle. The whole ministration in both apartments was the example and shadow of His more excellent ministry, whose yearly cycle typified Christ's ministry. As Scripture the verse is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, and was written for learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures hope may be had. Studying it gives clearer views of the Saviour and His work in behalf of men and reveals God's way, power, and glory. With all the offerings of the yearly round, it looked forward to a future antitype fulfilled in Christ and closed by the great antitypical day of atonement and cleansing of the sanctuary.