How should Leviticus 6:23 influence our understanding of sin and atonement today? Setting the Scene • Leviticus details God-given instructions for maintaining fellowship between a holy God and a sinful people. • Among these instructions, Leviticus 6:23 commands: “Every grain offering for the priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.” What the Burning Signified • Total Consumption: The offering is wholly burned—nothing retained for personal use. • Exclusivity to God: Complete burning emphasizes that atonement belongs entirely to the LORD (cf. Leviticus 1:9). • Holiness of the Priesthood: Because the priest represents the people before God, his personal offering must be utterly surrendered. Sin Unapproachable Without Atonement • Sin makes fellowship impossible without sacrifice (Isaiah 59:2). • The fact that even priests needed sacrifices underscores universal guilt (Romans 3:23). • A “consumed” offering pictures how sin must be dealt with decisively, not partially. Foreshadowing the Perfect Priest • Hebrews 7:26-27 shows Jesus as the sinless High Priest who “offered Himself” once for all. • Like the grain offering totally given to God, Christ’s life was totally surrendered—nothing held back (Philippians 2:8). • 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,” fulfilling the pattern of substitution hinted at in Leviticus. Application for Us Today • Seriousness of Sin – No sin is minor; it requires full payment. – Partial measures—self-effort, ritual, or morality—cannot suffice. • Sufficiency of Christ – Jesus’ atonement is complete; nothing remains for us to add (Hebrews 10:18). – Rest in His finished work rather than striving for merit. • Call to Total Surrender – Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their bodies as “a living sacrifice.” – Because Christ gave Himself wholly, we respond with wholehearted devotion—time, relationships, resources. • Ongoing Purity – The priest’s offering was consumed on the altar; believers keep short accounts with God, confessing sin promptly (1 John 1:9). – Sanctification is a continual setting apart, mirroring the offering’s exclusive dedication. Living in the Light of Total Offering • Remember: Sin’s cost demanded complete sacrifice. • Rejoice: Jesus paid that cost fully. • Respond: Live lives of uncompromised obedience and grateful worship, reflecting the all-consuming nature of His atonement. |
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