Leviticus 1

So important was the need for atonement for all of Israel that a burnt offering was offered each morning and evening by the priests (Exodus 29:38–43), and double on the Sabbath (Numbers 28:9–10). The burnt offering was not sacrificed to atone for a particular sin, as was the sin offering (Leviticus Chapter 4); rather, the burnt offering was to atone for sins in general—for one’s sinful nature, for one’s predisposition to sin. Thus everyone had a need to bring burnt offerings to the Lord on a regular basis.

The burnt offering was the primary sacrifice that provided atonement for sin in ancient Israel. Thus the burnt offering fore—shadowed the offering up of Jesus, who was Himself the final and totally sufficient atoning sacrifice for sin, after which no more sacrifices would ever be needed (Romans 3:23–25; Hebrews 9:25–26; 10:11–12; 1 John 2:1–2). The burnt offerings of Leviticus had to be repeated over and over; they could never completely remove the sin and guilt of the people (Hebrews 10:1–4). But Jesus sacrifice will never need to be repeated; He has atoned once for all for the sins of all those who believe in Him (Hebrews 10:19–23).

5–17 In the remainder of this chapter, the procedures for sacrificing the animals are described. The offerer himself was to kill the animal (verses 5,11); then the priests carried out the rest of the sacrifice.

When the sacrifice was complete, the smoke from the burning flesh was like an aroma pleasing to the LORD (verses 9,13,17). The Lord didn’t “smell” the smoke like we do,⁵ and the aroma might not have been so “pleasing” to human noses. But to say the “aroma was pleasing to the Lord” meant that the Lord had accepted the sacrifice, thus confirming that atonement had been made for the offerer and that the full punishment for his sins had been borne by the sacrificed animal. The offerer was now forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.

Any sacrifice offered to God in faith and in pureness of heart is an aroma pleasing to Him. But the most pleasing aroma of all came from the sacrifice of God’s Son on the cross (Ephesians 5:1–2). We too, as we offer ourselves to the Lord, are a pleasing aroma to Him; indeed, we are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices totally dedicated to the Lord, just as the burnt offering was (Romans 12:1). Likewise, whatever gift we offer in addition to our own body is a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God (Philippians 4:18).

Further information concerning the burnt offering is given in Leviticus 6:8–13.