How does the act of skinning the burnt offering symbolize spiritual purification? The Text in View “ ‘He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.’ ” — Leviticus 1:6 Why the Skin? A Visual Lesson in Purity • The hide is the animal’s outermost layer, the first thing touched by dirt, disease, and defilement. • Removing it pictures the stripping away of anything contaminated or unclean before the offering ascends to God. • Only what is exposed, clean, and fully surrendered is placed on the altar, underscoring God’s demand for unblemished purity. Purification Themes Woven Through Scripture • Psalm 51:2 — “Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” • Isaiah 1:16 — “Wash and cleanse yourselves… Stop doing evil!” • Ezekiel 36:25 — “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.” All three passages echo the visual of removing filth before presenting oneself to the Lord. Spiritual Parallel: Putting Off the Old Self Leviticus’ physical act finds its spiritual counterpart in: • Ephesians 4:22–24 — “Put off your former way of life, your old self… put on the new self.” • Colossians 3:9–10 — “You have taken off your old self… and have put on the new self.” • 2 Corinthians 5:17 — “The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” Christ, the Fulfillment • On the cross, Jesus’ flesh was torn (Mark 15:15–24). His “skin” was effectively removed, satisfying the righteous requirement that sin be exposed and judged. • Hebrews 10:19–22 ties His torn body to our cleansing: we now “draw near… having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us.” Key Takeaways for Today 1. Sin must be uncovered, not concealed. Confession parallels the skinning—open, honest, thorough. 2. Purity precedes worship. God receives what has been cleansed, whether an ancient sacrifice or a modern surrendered heart. 3. Transformation is total. Just as every hide was stripped, every area of life is to be yielded for God’s refining fire. |
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