Topical Bible: Offerings: Burnt: Skins of, Belonged to Priests

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In the sacrificial system of ancient Israel, as outlined in the Old Testament, burnt offerings held a significant place in the worship and atonement practices of the Israelites. The burnt offering, or "olah" in Hebrew, was a sacrifice that was completely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing the worshiper's total dedication to God. However, there was one part of the burnt offering that was not consumed by fire: the skin of the animal.

According to the Mosaic Law, the skins of the animals used in burnt offerings were designated as the rightful property of the priests. This provision is explicitly stated in the book of Leviticus, which details the various offerings and the roles of the priests in the sacrificial system. Leviticus 7:8 states, "As for the priest who presents a burnt offering for anyone, the hide of the burnt offering he has presented belongs to him."

The allocation of the skins to the priests served several purposes. Firstly, it provided a practical benefit to the priests, who did not have a land inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. The skins could be used for clothing, tents, or other necessary items, thus supporting the priests in their service to the community and to God. This provision was part of the broader system of support for the Levitical priesthood, which relied on the offerings and tithes of the people for sustenance.

Secondly, the allocation of the skins underscored the principle that those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar. This principle is echoed in the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 , "Do you not know that those who serve in the temple eat of the temple offerings, and those who attend to the altar share in the altar’s offerings? In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."

The burnt offering itself was a voluntary act of worship, often brought by individuals seeking to express devotion, thanksgiving, or atonement for unintentional sins. The complete consumption of the offering by fire symbolized the worshiper's total surrender to God, while the retention of the skin by the priest highlighted the communal and supportive nature of the sacrificial system.

In summary, the skins of burnt offerings, as designated to the priests, reflect the practical, symbolic, and communal aspects of the sacrificial system in ancient Israel. This provision ensured the sustenance of the priestly class and reinforced the interconnectedness of worship, service, and community within the covenant relationship between God and His people.

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Leviticus 7:8
And the priest that offers any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.
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Library

Scriptural Types.
... dyed red, and the other, or outermost, of badgers' skins. ... 2.) The waving and heaving
of offerings belonged to the ... burned by Moses on the altar of burnt-offering ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

Pagan Shrines and Temples.
... In the Roman ritual, hides and skins were always the ... sacrifices, when only the
intestines were burnt, and the ... of sacrifice, and other votive offerings, in a ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter ii pagan shrines and.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... If the summer burnt up everything, the winter reigned here ... of grapes, and while
receiving the offerings of the ... as they alleged, they had all belonged long ago ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

The Flight into Egypt and St. John the Baptist in the Desert
... crowds from the city to lay their offerings on them ... making ready to take his
water-skins on the ... When performing his religious ceremonies he burnt grains before ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvi the flight into egypt.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... they advance southwards, they become denuded and burnt by the ... the god, of the shops
for the offerings and for ... of well-knit figure, with brown skins, black hair ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

A Discourse
... lodging; the house of the forest of Lebanon was not made for tender skins and for ...
and to kill, yet some of the pillars stood, they were not all burnt in the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... a low balustrade, was paved with enormous burnt bricks ... which these bestowed upon
him, and the offerings which they ... with the elemental group, and belonged to Anu ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

The Dialogue against the Luciferians.
... hath a blemish shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the ... [4049] The Sardinian
cloak of skins is contrasted ... the air was fragrant with incense burnt in token ...
/.../the principal works of st jerome/the dialogue against the luciferians.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
... out by little dividing walls of burnt bricks, to ... he ever employed papyrus or prepared
skins for these ... such times as were customary, the offerings and prayers ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

The First Theban Empire
... faces, marked the spot to which offerings were to ... as slaves, the huts pillaged, villages
burnt, whole tribes ... that he collected from them skins, ivory, ostrich ...
/.../chapter iiithe first theban empire.htm