NOTES for Lev 1:1-17
1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. |
7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: |
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: |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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: |
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. |
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. |
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: |
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: |
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. |
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What is sacrifice? Why was it widespread everywhere in antiquity, and why does it survive in some places even now? For some, sacrifice is first of all an offering, a gift to God or to higher powers. In this sense there was no special difference between Yahwists and pagans: in both places there were people convinced that a sacrifice to God or to the gods was something like payment or tribute. In exchange, they expected from Him (or from them) something that only He (or they) could give. A good harvest, for example. Many children. Success in trade. Victory in war. In short, all kinds of good things, and more of them, and good fortune always accompanying those who spare nothing for God (or for the gods).
Is this bad? Yes and no. No, because by and large a person has no one besides God to whom he can turn with questions and problems. Only He can radically solve any problem. Yes, because it is impossible to solve any fundamental human problem without first including the person in a relationship with God. All problems are solved only within this relationship, in its process. Meanwhile tribute or payment is exactly what does not presuppose relationship.
Or it presupposes it at a minimum, as purely business relationships, relationship-functions, usually do. That is why the Bible condemns such formal sacrifices according to the principle "the more, the better"; it condemns them through the mouths of prophets, hymnographers, and sages. True sacrifice, however, always presupposes above all precisely a person's relationship with God. It is not tribute, not payment, not ritual. True sacrifice is a form and means of communion with God. A meeting with God. A shared meal with Him. After all, the altar, the place of sacrifice, was originally conceived as a table at which a person sits together with God.
God does not refuse a person this; on the contrary, He calls a person to the table with Himself. But the person must set the table. Not because God cannot do it, but because God gave the earth into human care. The world is God's house, but the earth is first of all the human house. That means it is for the person to receive God in this house, to offer Him a table. To prepare everything best for the Guest, without blemish. But most of all, to rejoice in Him. To rejoice in communion and relationship with Him, the most precious thing a person has.
Readings for 15 October 2025
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