What is the meaning of Leviticus 3:13? He must lay his hand on its head • This simple gesture pointed to identification. By touching the animal, the worshiper acknowledged that the sacrifice now represented him (Leviticus 1:4; 16:21). • It was also an act of personal responsibility. Sin and guilt were not abstract; they needed a substitute (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • The laying on of hands affirmed that the worshiper came willingly, trusting God’s ordained means of fellowship (Romans 5:1). and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting • The animal died in the very place where God met His people, underscoring that fellowship with a holy God demands a life given (Leviticus 1:5; 17:3-5). • Substitutionary death foreshadowed Christ, “the Lamb who was slain” (John 1:29; Hebrews 13:11-12). • The public setting taught Israel that forgiveness was not a private invention but a covenant reality overseen by God Himself (Exodus 29:42-43). Then Aaron’s sons shall splatter its blood on all sides of the altar • Priests applied the blood, signifying God’s acceptance (Leviticus 4:30-31). • Blood around all sides showed completeness; nothing on the altar was left untouched (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). • This was a “fellowship offering” (Leviticus 3:1), so the blood secured peace, allowing the worshiper to share a meal in God’s presence (Ephesians 2:13; 1 John 1:7). summary Leviticus 3:13 paints a vivid picture of substitution, sacrifice, and acceptance. By laying hands on the animal, the worshiper confessed personal need; by slaughtering it at God’s appointed place, he acknowledged the cost of peace; by the priestly sprinkling of blood, he received assurance that the holy God welcomed him. All of this anticipates the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, whose blood truly brings us near. |
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