What is the meaning of Leviticus 1:5?

He shall slaughter the young bull

• The offerer—not the priest—takes the animal’s life, underscoring personal responsibility for sin (Leviticus 4:29, 33).

• A “young bull” is the costliest option for a burnt offering, revealing wholehearted devotion (Leviticus 1:3).

• This points forward to Christ, who “offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14).

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Before the LORD

• The sacrifice happens in God’s visible presence, reminding Israel that sin and worship are never private matters (Leviticus 3:7; Exodus 29:42).

• Only those accepted by God may draw near; the offering provides that acceptance (Leviticus 1:3; Hebrews 10:19).

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Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood

• Priests act as appointed mediators (Leviticus 8:14–15).

• Blood represents life given in place of the worshiper (Leviticus 17:11).

• New-covenant fulfillment: Jesus, our High Priest, “entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood” (Hebrews 9:12).

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And splatter it on all sides of the altar

• Complete coverage signals complete atonement—no part of the altar is left untouched (Leviticus 8:24; 4:30).

• The dramatic act teaches that forgiveness is costly and public (Hebrews 9:22).

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At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting

• God locates the altar where people can approach, emphasizing both access and boundaries (Exodus 40:29; Leviticus 17:5).

• The placement anticipates the day when the veil will be torn and access made full through Christ (Matthew 27:51).

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summary

Leviticus 1:5 pictures a costly, personal, and public sacrifice carried out under priestly mediation so that a sinner can stand accepted “before the LORD.” Every element—slain bull, shed blood, surrounding altar, and sacred location—prefigures the perfect, once-for-all offering of Jesus, whose blood fully atones and opens the way into God’s presence.