What is the meaning of Leviticus 4:10? just as the fat is removed from the ox of the peace offering • The wording ties the sin offering (Leviticus 4) to the peace offering (Leviticus 3), showing a single, unified sacrificial system. In both cases, “all the fat…is the LORD’s” (Leviticus 3:16), emphasizing that the choicest portions belong exclusively to Him. • Removing the fat first sets apart what God claims for Himself before any further action. It pictures complete surrender of what is richest, mirroring Romans 12:1 where believers present their bodies as “a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” • By repeating the exact steps used for a peace offering, the text highlights that reconciliation with God (peace) and cleansing from sin (sin offering) are inseparable; both depend on the same holy standard (Leviticus 7:37). • The precision also guards the priest from innovation. God defines worship (Jeremiah 7:31); man does not. That principle still stands (John 4:24). Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering • The altar of burnt offering stood in the courtyard, constantly consuming sacrifices (Leviticus 6:12-13). Placing the fat there allowed its smoke to ascend as “a pleasing aroma to the LORD” (Leviticus 1:9). • Burning signifies total dedication: nothing is reserved for human consumption (Leviticus 4:8-10). Hebrews 10:14 connects this complete offering to Christ, who “has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” • The priest mediates, illustrating the need for a go-between (Numbers 16:46-47). Today that role is fulfilled perfectly in Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). • Fire also portrays judgment (Hebrews 12:29). When the fat is consumed, the sinner sees that God’s wrath falls on the substitute, not on the worshiper, prefiguring 2 Corinthians 5:21. summary Leviticus 4:10 shows that the choicest portions of a sin offering are removed exactly as in a peace offering and then burned on the ever-burning altar. God claims the best, demands precise obedience, and provides a mediator to transfer judgment from sinner to substitute. The verse points ahead to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, where the richest and most perfect Offering was wholly given to secure both peace with God and cleansing from sin. |
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