Why is the removal of "the entrails and legs" significant in the sacrificial process? Setting the Scene • Leviticus opens by detailing the burnt offering. “He is to wash the entrails and legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar” (Leviticus 1:9). • The same instruction repeats for sheep, goats, and birds (Leviticus 1:13; 1:17; 8:21; 9:14; Exodus 29:17). Why the Entrails? • Representation of the innermost being—thoughts, motives, affections (Psalm 51:6; Jeremiah 17:10). • Washing them proclaims that purity must reach the deepest, unseen places of the worshiper’s life. • It anticipates Messiah, whose “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Why the Legs? • Legs symbolize one’s walk—daily conduct and choices (Psalm 1:1; Ephesians 4:1). • To ascend the altar, the animal’s “walk” had to be cleansed, picturing the call to a blameless lifestyle (Micah 6:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:1). • Christ fulfilled this perfectly: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Removal and Washing: Practical Reasons • Prevented putrefaction and odor during a sacrifice consumed entirely by fire. • Allowed the priest to inspect for disease or blemish (Leviticus 22:20). • Ensured the offering burned cleanly, leaving only a “pleasing aroma to the LORD” (Leviticus 1:9). Theological Significance • Holiness is comprehensive—God claims both the hidden (entrails) and the visible (legs). • Sacrifice demands separation from impurity; sin cannot be offered up with what is devoted to God (Isaiah 59:2). • Water imagery points to cleansing by the Word and Spirit (Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5). Foreshadowing Christ • His inner life: flawless motives, perfect love (John 8:29). • His outward walk: unfailing obedience, “even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). • On the cross the perfect, wholly clean sacrifice ascended to God, satisfying what every burnt offering only pictured (Hebrews 10:10–14). Application for Believers • God seeks truth in the inmost parts; confession must reach motive-level, not just behavior (1 John 1:9). • Our “legs” must match our lips; worship without righteous living is rejected (Isaiah 1:12-17). • Ongoing cleansing by the Spirit keeps both heart and walk fit for continual self-offering (Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 7:1). Key Takeaways • The entrails: purity of the hidden life. • The legs: purity of daily conduct. • Removal and washing declare that wholehearted, comprehensive holiness is the only sacrifice God accepts—perfectly realized in Christ and progressively worked out in all who are His. |
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