Leviticus 4-7 Notes

Hey Class,

Here are the notes I'll be giving out next week in class. Feel free to use them to supplement your reading this week . . .

Leviticus 4:1-5:13
-Most translations call these “sin” offerings. This is misleading translation, and this issue takes us into an area of lots of complexity. First, you saw that these offerings do not deal with intentional sins, but with mistakes or errors that people make against God. Second, you see that these offerings also deal with issues of purity or order, and not just with “illegal” behaviors. These offerings then are expiatory- they remove impurities generated by the listed actions. Therefore the offerings can’t force God to forgive sins, but they remove the consequences of sin, impurity or disorder, which then “allows” God to forgive. For this reason I will refer to these offerings as “Purification Offerings”.

The world for “sin” here (“chatah”) means, “to do wrong, to miss the mark, to make an error, to miss the way” . . . the key is you don’t intend to  “miss the mark”.

Note what is done with the blood from the sacrifice- this is the critical point of the ritual. The blood is NOT sprinkled on the offending party but on the Tabernacle “furniture”: before the curtain, or onto the horns of the altar of incense, or on the altar of burnt offering.

The offerer is not allowed to eat from the purification offering. You don’t get any “benefit” from a purification offering in that manner.

Note how the place of purification varies: the priest’s sin requires everything sprinkled, the whole people’s sin requires the curtain and burnt offering altar sprinkled, the ruler’s sin requires the altar of burnt offering sprinkled, and an individual’s sin requires the altar of burnt offering sprinkled.

Note how the priest’s sin and all the congregation’s sin requires blood being sprinkled seven times . . . that an important symbol! Why seven times? (4:6, 17).

In 5:1-6 we see that Leviticus sees moral, legal and ritual disorder as one “whole” complex of “disorders”. To neglect to do one’s duty legally is the same as neglecting to maintain personal purity is the same as neglecting to fulfill an oath: they all bring, invite or prolong disorder in(to) the community. This is an example of Leviticus teaching by analogy- disorder is not to be treated casually.

All of the issues in 5:1-6 are issues of neglect- they are sins of omission, not commission.
Confession is to precede the sacrifice in 5:5 . . . God forgives, then expiates or purifies the consequences of the action.



Leviticus 5:14-6:7


The word for sin here is “ma’al”, which is a serious offense. It is a breach of covenant, or an act of treachery and not simply an error that needs to be corrected.

The “holy things of the Lord” (5:15) refers to whatever might be set aside for use in the Tabernacle, or potentially funds (converted from sacrifice) that would be used in connection to the Tabernacle.

Restitution for the offense takes place either simultaneously or before the sacrifice offered to remove the sin against the Tabernacle (5:16).

In 5:17-19 the situation appears exactly the same as in 4:27-31, but notice that the passage does not mention the offender knowing or realizing what the sin is.

6:1-7 covers the only intentional sins of commission which can be dealt with by individual sacrifice. Note that the offender is to make things right with the injured party prior to offering sacrifice in the Tabernacle (v.5). The question remains though, why are these intentional sins pardonable?

Leviticus 6:8-7:38


All the portions of the sacrifice which the priests eat must be eaten in the Tabernacle (courtyard). If the blood from the sacrifice is to go into the Holy Place or Holy of Holies it cannot be eaten.

The fire of the Tabernacle is not allowed to go out- maintaining it is a priestly duty. This is a ritual of perpetuity. (6:9-12)

Another ritual of perpetuity is the anointed priest offering a grain offering in the morning and evening of each day (6:20).

Holiness (and not just impurity) can be contagious! In 6:27 we see that whatever touches the sin (“purification”) offering becomes holy.

Note that priests can eat of grain offerings (6:16), sin/purification offerings (6:26), guilt offerings (7:7), a cake with well-being offerings (7:14) and meat with any well-being offering (7:32-34).

Offerings of well-being must be eaten the day of the sacrifice; votive offerings (vow) can be eaten the following day. After that period what is let must be burned entirely (7:15-18).

No one is allowed to eat from offerings while in a state of impurity (7:20-21).

Note the emphasis on the the offerer bringing and preparing the sacrifice of well-being (7:28-30).

Where is God speaking to Moses? Sinai, or the Tabernacle (7:38, contrast to 1:1)? This is a small piece of evidence for viewing Leviticus as a compilation, and not a dictation.