What Is an Offering?

1. Experiencing Christ as the Offerings in Our Daily Life for the Church Life as Seen in the Book of Leviticus

2. What Is an Offering? Now the LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock (Lev. 1:1-2) ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD (Lev. 1:1-3) • Hebrew, “qorban” • Meaning a “present” or a “gift” • Indicating intimate fellowship • An offering is, strictly speaking, different from a sacrifice, though quite often, the two do overlap one another in meaning and usage. • A sacrifice is, strictly speaking, for redemption or expiation of sins. • An offering is for intimate fellowship between us and God • An offering can be made by any of us, that is, by any believer • The offering is not to be made by the individual believer in his own tent (or home), but at the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting, that is, the church.

3. What Can Be Offered? • We do not offer ourselves to God. • We cannot, and have nothing, to offer to God, in ourselves. • What was offered in the Old Testament? • The animal life • The vegetable life • What do we offer? • We offer Christ to God. • We offer our different experiences of Christ to God.

4. What Does God Accept As an Offering? • God accepts only Christ as an offering. • When we offer Christ to God, God enjoys our offering as His food for His satisfaction. • In certain offerings, the offerer also enjoys what he offers as his food.

5. Where Are the Offerings Offered in Leviticus? • On the altar of burnt offering, at the entrance to the tabernacle • Signifying that all our offerings of Christ must be offered in the church meetings, specifically whenever we come together to meet as God’s testimony. • However, this means that we must experience Christ as the offerings in our daily life, which is for the church life. • All our individual experiences are for the church life, that is, for the corporate life.

6. The Offerings in the Book of Leviticus • The Burnt Offering • The Meal Offering • The Peace Offering • The Sin Offering • The Trespass Offering • The Wave Offering • The Heave Offering • The Free Will Offering • The Drink Offering

7. The Burnt Offering

8. Who Can Offer? • This offering can be presented by any one of the Israelites, that is, by any one of the believers (1:2)

9. Three Kinds of Burnt Offering • Of the herd, i.e. a bull (Lev. 1:2-3) He shall kill the bull before the LORD (1:5 a) • Of the flock, i.e. a sheep or a goat ‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish (1:10) • Of birds, i.e. a turtledove or a young pigeon ‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the LORD is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons (1:14)

10. Three Kinds of Experiences of the Burnt Offering • It is the same offering, but of a different size. • Indicating the varying degrees of appreciation and ability of the offerer.

11. The Young Bull – Its Characteristics • Representing Jesus Christ and our experience of Him. • A male, indicating strength • Young, indicating freshness • Without blemish, indicating that Jesus Christ had no defects and faults.

12. Presented by the Israelite • Presented at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (1:3). • Indicating that our offering of Christ must be in the church, with the saints, corporately, and not individually at home. • This will cause God to accept our offering (1:3)

13. The Young Bull – Identified with by the Offerer • The offerer lays his hands on the head of the bull (1:4) • Resulting in the offering being accepted for the offerer, and making atonement for him.

14. Slaughtered by the Offerer • Before Jehovah • Aaron’s sons the priests shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood on and around the altar that is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (1:5)

15. Skinned by the Offerer • Stripped of our outward beauty, i.e. our reputation, our status, our honour, our dignity.

16. Cut into Pieces by the Offerer

17. The Outward Preparation Process of Being Burnt • The altar is lit with fire by the sons of Aaron (1:7) • The wood is arranged in order on the fire • The sons of Aaron can be the serving ones whom God uses to arrange our environment to prepare us to be burnt to ashes for God’s satisfaction. • Aaron’s sons arrange the head and the fat in order on the wood

18. The Inward Preparation Process of Being Burnt on the Altar • The offerer washes with water the inward parts and legs of the bull. • Indicating that our experience of the cross leads us to our need to be sanctified inwardly by the word of God and by the sanctifying Spirit of God.

19. Burnt on the Altar • Burnt entirely, as a whole, by the priest, as a burnt offering, an offering by fire • However, the skin was not burnt. It was the portion of the serving priest: And the priest who offers anyone’s burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered (7:8)

20. The Result • A satisfying fragrance to Jehovah. • Ashes, signifying that God accepts the offering.

21. A Sheep or a Goat • A male • Without blemish • The offerer will slaughter it on the side of the altar northward before Jehovah, that is directly in line with the Holy of Holies. • Aaron’s sons will sprinkle the blood on the altar

22. The Sheep or Goat • Cut into pieces by the offerer • Arranged by the priest on the altar • Its inward parts washed in water by the offerer • It is not skinned • Presented by the priest and burnt on the altar • For a satisfying fragrance to Jehovah • Consumed to ashes

23. A Turtledove or a Pigeon • Brought by the offerer • The priest is the one who presents it at the altar • The priest wrings off its head • The priest burns it on the altar • The priest drains out the blood on the side of the altar

24. A Turtledove or a Pigeon • The priest takes away the crop of the bird with its feathers • The priest casts the crop and feathers besides the altar towards the east, in the place of the ashes • The priest tears open the wings of the birds without dividing it • The priest burns the bird on the altar

25. The Significance of the Offering of a Bird • This may be an unprocessed, natural offering, without much experience. • It is taken by the serving priest and processed • The crop and feathers may signify what is unclean and unnecessary • The offering is torn, as opposed to the bull and sheep or goat which are cut into pieces • This may indicate that our offerings may need to be adjusted by the serving ones so we can grow in our experience of Christ as the absolute One for God. • Eventually it is accepted by God

26. The Law of the Burnt Offering

27. The Responsibility of the Serving Ones, the Priests • The priests were responsible to keep the fire on the altar burning. The fire must never go out. • The burnt offering must be kept on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning. • This indicates that as serving ones, we must be alert to stand with and prepare any brother or sister who would like to live a crucified life and offer Christ as their burnt offering.

28. The Seriousness of the Priest’s Handling of the Believers’ Offerings • The priests must put on a linen garment and linen trousers in order to carry the ashes from the altar to its side. • Furthermore, the priest must take off his garments, put on fresh ones, and then carry the ashes from the side of the altar to outside the camp, to a clean place (6:11). • This indicates that as serving ones, we must be careful how we handle the saints’ consecration and offerings. Any looseness, or negligence, in our conduct, may affect a brother’s offering in a negative way. • Furthermore, we need to treasure the ashes of a brother’s offering in the same way as God treasures them.

29. What Does the Burnt Offering Show Us? • The burnt offering shows us how absolute Christ is for God. • The burnt offering also shows us how unabsolute we are. • Furthermore, the burnt offering shows us the kind of absolute life that we must have, that is a life continually on the altar (the cross).

30. The Meal Offering • The meal offering is introduced right after the burnt offering in Leviticus 2. • The meal offering shows us how we can live an absolute life as human beings living on this earth. • The meal offering portrays the fine, perfect, tender, balanced and complete humanity of the Lord Jesus.

31. Who Can Offer? • Anyone

32. How is the Meal Offering Offered? • Based on, and with the burnt offering Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you (Exodus 29:38-42)

33. Two Kinds of Meal Offering • A meal offering of fine flour • A meal offering of first fruits

34. The Characteristics of the First Kind of Meal Offering • Fine flour • Signifying a humanity that goes through a process of suffering • Oil poured upon it • Signifying the Holy Spirit • Frankincense put on it • Signifying the fragrance of resurrection • The Lord Jesus lived a suffering life, yet manifested a life in resurrection

35. Four Kinds of Experience of the Meal Offering

36. The Meal Offering Offered as a Handful, and Thrown in the Fire • Brought by the offerer to Aaron’s sons the priests • From that offering, a handful is taken by the priest and burned on the altar • A handful indicates the smallest amount, small enough to carry. • There is a little process involved but not much. • This may be the individual Christ that we enjoy. • There is no form or shape to the offering. • The remainder is eaten by Aaron and his sons.

37. The Meal Offering Baked in an Oven

38. Of Two Kinds • Unleavened cakes mingled with oil • Unleavened wafers anointed with oil

39. Unleavened Cakes Mingled with Oil • The largest kind of meal offering with a definite form • Indicating a long process of baking. • Producing food that is nourishing and filling • Resulting in food that may not be that easy to eat • Indicating an offering that results in a corporate testimony that ultimately satisfies God

40. Unleavened Wafers Anointed with Oil • Easier to eat • Not mingled with, but anointed with oil • Indicating that the process is not that thorough

41. The Meal Offering Baked on a Flat Plate • Not a definite shape • Visible, indicating an offering that is somewhat outward • Broken in pieces, indicating a process of suffering • Oil poured on it, indicating the experience of the Spirit

42. The Meal Offering in a Pot • Indicating an offering that has some depth, and is also somewhat hidden.

43. Further Characteristics of the Meal Offering • No leaven – indicating the absence of anything that makes the offering naturally easy to eat • No honey – indicating the absence of natural sweetness • Salt added – indicating the element needed to kill germs and preserve the nature of the offering

44. The Characteristics of the Second Kind of Meal Offering • First fruits • Consisting of new grain roasted with fire • Crushed grain in the ear • Oil is put on it • Frankincense is placed on it • Burned on the altar by the priest

45. The Peace Offering • This is the spontaneous result of the burnt offering and the meal offering • As we experience Christ as our burnt offering (a life absolute for God), and we experience Christ as our meal offering, feeding on Him as our life supply in order to live an absolute life for God, we experience peace • This peace results in fellowship with God and men. • The peace offerings are experienced mainly in the church meetings, specifically during the Lord’s Table meetings.

46. The Characteristics of the Peace Offering • Either of the herd, or of the flock • Either male or female • The fat and inward parts are burned on the altar, as food for God • No fat or blood are to be eaten

47. Two Kinds of Peace Offerings

48. For Thanksgiving • Presented with a meal offering of unleavened cakes mingled with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil and saturated cakes of fine flour mingled with oil (Lev. 7:12) • Also presented with cakes of leavened bread (7:13), indicating that the offerer still has sin and is in a weak condition. • The offerer shall offer one cake of each category for a heave offering (v. 14) • The flesh of the peace offering must be eaten on the same day.

49. For a Free Will Offering • Similar requirements for the peace offering of thanksgiving • However, the flesh could be eaten on the second day also. • But not on the third day • This indicates that the peace offering of free will is more solid and lasting.

50. Two Results of the Peace Offering • The wave offering • The heave offering