The Two-Hundred-Ninety-Fourth (Sacrificial System)

Last week we went over the origin of the sacrificial system and touched on the fact that the underlying Hebrew words of our English translations are not always kept distinct in what we read today.  This week, we’re going to dive more into what was involved in the sacrificial system and also get into some of the Hebrew words that will help us understand it.  This will give us a good foundation on which to build an understanding of what this system actually meant, or accomplished, for YHWH’s people.

As a mini-recap, we came to understand last week that YHWH’s sacrificial system was not designed based on man’s pagan sacrificial systems.  He did not look at what man was doing while sacrificing to false gods and create a system for His people that was meant to counter that.  Yes, He wanted, and still wants, His people to be set apart from the world and all the pagan beliefs and practices in it, but all those things started from real, spiritual truths that already existed and were built into YHWH’s creation from the beginning.  Those pagan beliefs and practices were designed from the beginning to be counter to what YHWH built into creation as good, righteous, and for the benefit of mankind and His relationship with them.  

The biggest clue in scripture that we have regarding the fact that the sacrificial system existed and was known by man prior to YHWH giving the Law at Mount Sinai is that not only did the building of altars and giving of sacrifices occur prior to that point, those things were accepted, and even enjoyed, by YHWH, for the most part.  There was a right and a wrong way to do them, as we see in the case of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:2-5).  When they were done the right way, YHWH was pleased and it could even inspire Him to be merciful, as we see in the case of Noah’s offering after the flood (Genesis 8:20-22).  

Here's where we can start getting into this week’s study, because while there is a subtle difference in the English used to describe the offerings of Cain and Abel versus the offering of Noah, in Hebrew the two were very distinct.  The very first, formal sacrifice recorded in scripture was a minchah offering (remember from last week that the concept of sacrifice and offering are essentially identical because in either case, man is giving up something and giving it to YHWH).  The Hebrew word minchah (Strong’s H4503) means donation or tribute, and it’s not only used for offerings to YHWH.

We also see minchah used when Jacob was attempting to appease his brother Esau for what he had done to Esau (Genesis 32:13, 18, 21).  Jacob does liken this appeasement offering to an offering to YHWH when trying to get Esau to accept it, but the primary purpose was to restore a good relationship with Esau after Jacob had wronged him (Genesis 33:10).  We also see a great example of the use of a minchah offering when Israel’s sons were going to seek help from their brother, Joseph (Genesis 43:11, 15, 25-26).  

In this case, while we as the reader know that it was Joseph, who those brothers wronged, from which they were seeking favor, they had long since thought that they would never see him again so they didn’t even recognize him.  While the brothers, by direction of their father Israel, were bringing the offering as a way to try and convince Pharaoh’s viceroy to provide them something to live off of during the drought, the deeper scriptural meaning here is that they had wronged Joseph and this offering was also, behind the scenes, an appeasement for that wrong.  There are other occurrences of minchah in scripture between men that we won’t get into, but the thing to remember about this type of offering is that it was a means of giving a gift to YHWH to seek favor from Him.

The minchah offering is different from the offering Noah gave, which was an olah (Strong’s H5930).  This word is typically translated to “burnt offering,” but it literally means a step or stairs, as in the idea of ascending.  While minchah’s root word is unused in scripture but nevertheless means to apportion or bestow, olah comes from the Hebrew verb to ascend (Strong’s H5927).  

This makes sense because as the offering is burned, the smoke physically rises, symbolizing ascension to heaven where YHWH dwells.  Unlike minchah, which could be given between men, the olah is strictly given to a deity.  While the overwhelming majority of occurrences of olah in scripture refer to offerings being given to YHWH, there are occurrences where this word is used to refer to offerings given to other gods.  There’s even a situation where the king of Moab was so angered by the fact that his army had been defeated by Israel that he gave his firstborn son as an olah (2 Kings 3:27).

Another distinctly different offering was the shelem (Strong’s H8002).  This was a peace offering, and the root Hebrew word for this means to be safe, in mind, body, or estate, or figuratively it means to be complete.  We see this offering first mentioned before the specific laws of the sacrificial process were given, much the same way the other offerings were mentioned prior to that event as well (Exodus 20:24).  However, this first mentioning came directly following the Ten Words, commonly called the Ten Commandments today, and it was mentioned in conjunction with the olah.

Similar to the olah, the shelem was only given in scripture in relation to a deity, however in contrast to olah, the only mention of shelem is in relation to being given to YHWH.  There are no instances where it is given to a foreign god.  Perhaps this is the reason YHWH is called the God of Peace (Romans 15:33, 16:20, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Philippians 4:9, Hebrews 13:20) and His Son the Lord, or Prince, of Peace (Isaiah 9:6, 2 Thessalonians 3:16).

The next offering to look at is the chattat (Strong’s H2403), or sin offering.  The root Hebrew word for this means to miss, and is generally translated to sin (Strong’s H2398).  The interesting thing about chattat is that unlike some of the other Hebrew words for specific offerings, this word is also used in scripture to refer to sin itself, rather than specifically just the offering for sin.  We’ll get more into this aspect in the future as we start looking at the meaning behind the sacrificial process.

The chattat was given for unintentional sin against YHWH’s commandments (Leviticus 4:2).  There were different “levels” of chattat offerings for an Israelite and they were based on the individual’s position, or standing, in the community.  The largest animal offered was a young bull, which was given for priests and sins committed by the whole congregation of Israel.  The next largest was a leader’s offering, a male goat, followed by a common person who was allowed to offer a female goat or a female lamb.

There were specific sins that were called out for special consideration when giving chattat.  Failing to testify as a witness, whether the situation was seen personally or the individual learned of it, touching anything unclean, touching human uncleanness, and swearing (making an oath) thoughtlessly were all specified as requiring chattat, and in association with these sins was an allowance similar to that specified for olah.  If the individual was unable to afford a goat or lamb for the offering, they were allowed to offer two turtledoves or two pigeons, or even a tenth of an ephah (about 2.6 pounds) of fine flour.  One of the birds, or a portion of the flour, was given as chattat.  The other bird, was given as olah.  In the case of the flour, the priest kept it in the same way he kept a portion of the minchah.  

The final category of offerings was the asham (Strong’s H817), or guilt offering.  At first, it may seem confusing because you might wonder what’s the different between sin and guilt.  Wouldn’t someone be guilty if they had sinned?  Yes, that’s true, but this is another example of how English translations slightly confuse the Hebrew words behind the sacrificial system.

The reason asham is different from chattat is because of what was involved in the sin the person committed.  While chattat covers unintentional breaking of all YHWH’s commandments, the asham covers unintentional sin involving any of YHWH’s holy things.  You might think, “holy things” like the objects in the tabernacle or temple?  That’s what I initially thought as well, but remember, holy just means set apart, and in this case YHWH’s holy things are referring to things that were to be consecrated to Him.

In other words, the asham was to cover when a person unintentionally misses a setting apart to YHWH of something of theirs.  They were commanded to give tithes, firstfruits, firstborns of flocks, and even their firstborn sons.  If they miscalculated their tithe, for instance, and held back a portion that was due to YHWH, once they realized what they had done they would have to give asham.

Since the asham had to do with giving a certain amount of something, what was to be given also had an amount associated with it.  Not only was the individual required to give a ram, it was required to be of the same value as whatever was held back plus an additional fifth of the value of what was held back.  For instance, in modern terms, if out of a ten percent, ten dollar tithe an individual held back one dollar, the individual was required to give a dollar and twenty cents.  If he missed the whole ten dollars, he was required to give twelve dollars as asham.  Additionally, similar to chattat, asham is also used in scripture outside the sacrificial process, so it is a Hebrew word that means guilt in addition to referring specifically to the guilt offering.

We’re not going to get into the intricate details of all the various sacrificial processes specific to each offering, but we will go over some generalities between each.  For instance, every time an animal was presented for offering, the individual presenting it was required to put their hand on it.  In general, this was to signify that the animal was representing the individual, and more specifically, in the case of the sin and guilt offerings, that the animal was taking the sin or guilt of the individual.

Another general requirement was that with the exception of the olah, which was offered whole, all other large animals (i.e. larger than birds) had the fat, kidneys, and liver removed prior to being burned in offering.  These items were separated and burned on the altar in front of the veil separating the holy of holies, or most holy place, vice being burned on the bronze altar near the entrance of the tabernacle/temple.  They were considered a food offering to YHWH and provided a pleasing aroma to Him.  Along with this requirement, the commandment was given that His people would never eat the fat of animals, along with never eating its blood which was reiterated in this commandment as well (Leviticus 3:14-17).  

The last general requirement was that, while the blood of every animal was drained prior to offering, depending on the offering some of it would be dabbed, sprinkled, or poured on various things.  Sometimes it was the altar in front of the veil, sometimes it was in front of the veil itself, sometimes the bronze altar at the entrance of the tabernacle/tent.  Sometimes it was dabbed on the horns of the altars, sometimes it was sprinkled on the altars, sometimes it was poured on the bronze altar at the entrance of the tabernacle/tent.  Regardless of what the specific blood process was, YHWH made it clear that the blood is the nephesh, or soul, of a being, in this case the animal, and it was being used to cover the individual’s soul who offered it (Leviticus 17:11).

Along with these offerings that were given situationally by His people, YHWH also directed specific offerings for certain days of the year.  Overall, the fire of the bronze altar was never allowed to go out, and they were required to offer olah of two lambs each day, one in the morning and one in the evening.  That’s why some verses in scripture will reference “at the time of the evening sacrifice” when talking about when something occurred in a given day.

On Shabbat, they offered two additional lambs, one additional one in the morning and one additional one in the evening.  Every month, at the new moon, they also offered two bulls, one ram, seven lambs, and one male goat.  Other additional offerings were given on feast days as well.  During Unleavened Bread, each day, and on Shavuot, or Pentecost, they were required to offer the same additional animals for offering as on the new moon.

On the Feast of Trumpets, they were required to offer one bull, one ram, seven lambs, and one male goat, along with minchah for each animal.  On Yom Kippur, commonly called the Day of Atonement, they were required to offer the same, and there was also a sacrificial process for the High Priest to enter the most holy place for the sprinkling of blood of a bull and of a goat.  Finally, on Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, the offerings were significantly increased.  Starting on the first of the seven days, thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs, and one male goat were offered along with minchah for each animal.  Every day after that, the number of bulls offered was reduced by one with the number of the other animals and associated minchah staying the same.  In all, over the course of the seven days of the feast, a total of seventy bulls, fourteen rams, ninety-eight male lambs, and seven male goats were offered in addition to the normal daily offerings. On the eighth day, a final additional offering of one bull, one ram, seven male lambs, and one male goat, along with the minchah for each animal, was given.

All in all, that’s quite a lot of animals offered, isn’t it?  It makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?  Well, we’ll get into that topic next week, so stay tuned!  We hope you have a great week!  Shabbat shalom and YHWH bless you!

- Rob and Sara Gene

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The Gospel

We are born sinful as a result of Adam and Eve's sin (Genesis 2:17, 3:6, 1 John 1:8)

The consequence of sin, which is unavoidable through our own works, is death (Romans 6:23)

Yeshua, the Son of YHWH, lived sinless and was put to death (Hebrews 4:15)

His death, therefore, cleanses us of sin that would have required our death

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

He rose on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)

Because of His resurrection, we are confident in our future resurrection and eternal life

(1 Corinthians 15:17-18, John 3:16)