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Leviticus One
by Dr. Henry M. Morris
(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)
Leviticus 1:1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
And the Lord. The book of Leviticus begins with the conjunction “and,” thereby showing its direct continuity with the closing verse of Exodus. God henceforth would usually speak to Moses in the tabernacle.
spake unto him. All Scripture is verbally inspired, but there were various methods by which this was accomplished. The result, rather than the method, is the key issue. God “in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets” (Hebrews 1:1). The idea of direct divine dictation is often ridiculed by liberals or denied with embarrassment by conservatives, but the fact is that this method was actually claimed by the human writers in many cases. The book of Leviticus is a prime example, with Moses asserting that over 901f its verses were dictated by God. Similar claims were made by many of the prophets. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14).
Leviticus 1:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
Leviticus 1:3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
burnt sacrifice. Burnt offerings were offered first of all by Abel (Genesis 4:4), as well as by the later patriarchs. It is the first of the five types of offerings mentioned in Leviticus as incorporated into the ceremonial law of Israel. In order to make a true atonement (or “covering”) for sins, the blood of a spotless animal must be shed, thereby anticipating the eventual offering of the sinless blood of the Lamb of God as a once-for-all offering for the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Hebrews 10:10).
Leviticus 1:4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
hand upon the head. This act clearly identified the sacrificial animal with the person offering it. It is described first apparently to stress the dedication of the sinner fully to God in repentance and submission. It was to be completely consumed, none to be eaten by the priest or the sinner, and was to be offered both morning and evening, and to burn continually (Leviticus 6:13).
Leviticus 1:5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Leviticus 1:6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
Leviticus 1:7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
Leviticus 1:8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
Leviticus 1:9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Leviticus 1:10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
of the flocks. The offering could be either one of the cattle herd (Leviticus 1:2), or one of the flock (Leviticus 1:10), or a domestic fowl (Leviticus 1:14), depending upon the wealth or poverty of the one making the offering. It could not be an unclean or carnivorous animal, of course, and must be without blemish (Leviticus 1:3, 10).
Leviticus 1:11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
Leviticus 1:12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
Leviticus 1:13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Leviticus 1:14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
Leviticus 1:15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
Leviticus 1:16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
Leviticus 1:17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.