Sacrifices were part of the Bible from the beginning. God killed an animal in order to provide a covering for Adam’s and Eve’s nakedness after they sinned in the Garden of Eden. Abel offered to God a more pleasing sacrifice from out of his flock than Cain did from his garden. The patriarchs offered sacrifices regularly.

Under Moses, God set up an official sacrificial system with extensive rules and requirements that foreshadowed what Christ accomplished through his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. The sacrificial system disappeared in 70 AD when God judged Israel for rejecting their Messiah. There is no longer any need for such sacrifices now that Jesus perfectly fulfilled their intent.

This article will look at the five major sacrifices regulated by the Law of Moses. Some were voluntary while others were mandatory. I will discuss their basic purpose and meaning under the Old Covenant and their fulfillment by Christ in the New. In every case, there is an offering, one making it, a priest, and the one receiving the offering.

The Voluntary Sacrifices

Voluntary sacrifices were left up to the discretion of the offerer. They were a means to show love and devotion toward God beyond what the Law mandated.

Voluntary offerings may be considered the highest type of sacrifice.

The Burnt Offering

Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2  "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3  'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4  'He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5  'He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron's sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6  'He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7  'The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8  'Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9  'Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:1-9 (NASB)  

In this case, the offerer brought the offering to the priest, who sacrificed it to God. God received all of this offering, except for the skin (Lev.7:8), which was the priest’s portion. In Christ’s fulfillment of this offering, he was the offerer and the offering. Some say he acted as his own priest, but a case can be made that the reigning Jewish High Priest made the offering. (John 11:49-53)

• This offering had to be from the herd and a male without blemish. Jesus was a male selected by God from Israel who was perfect in every way.
• The sacrificial animal had to be brought before the authorities in order to be approved and accepted. Jesus was hauled before the Sanhedrin as part of the process of consigning him over to death.
• The laying on of hands was the ritual by which the animal became the sacrificial substitute through being identified with the sins of the offerer. Christ became sin for us so that we could become righteous through and in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• The animal was put to death and arranged upon the altar where it was completely consumed by fire. Jesus was nailed to a cross (the altar) where he poured out his life completely as a sacrifice to please his Father and to expiate sin. First and foremost, however, his reason for going to the cross was to please his Father. (Matthew 26:39) More than anything else, Jesus’ death on the cross was an act of pure love and devotion toward his Father.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5  That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. 6  You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. 7  Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” 8  First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9  Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10  For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Hebrews 10:4-10 (NLT)  

• Christ’s offering of himself satisfied God’s desire for devotion and obedience from a human being, something Adam failed to deliver. As born again children of God, we can participate in this offering by giving ourselves completely to Christ with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving at all times.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)  

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. Hebrews 13:15 (NLT) 

The Peace, Thanksgiving, or Communion Sacrifice

“If you present an animal from the flock as a peace offering to the LORD, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects. 7  If you present a sheep as your offering, bring it to the LORD, 8  lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tabernacle. Aaron’s sons will then splatter the sheep’s blood against all sides of the altar. 9  The priest must present the fat of this peace offering as a special gift to the LORD. This includes the fat of the broad tail cut off near the backbone, all the fat around the internal organs, 10  the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These must be removed with the kidneys, 11  and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food presented to the LORD. Leviticus 3:6-11 (NLT)  

In this voluntary sacrifice, the offerer brought the sacrifice to the priest who made the offering to God. This is the only offering in which the offerer, the priest, and God all shared in the meal. Unleavened bread and wine were also a part, which was a clear foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper in the New Covenant.

Jesus shared this covenant meal with his disciples at what is called the Last Supper as a fulfillment of the Feast of Passover. He commanded them to remember his death in the future by this reenactment and fulfillment of the Old Covenant peace offering.

Once again, a perfect sacrifice was required, Jesus being the fulfillment. In addition we see that identification and substitution are foreshadowed through the laying on of hands. The sins of the offerer were communicated or imparted to the sacrifice, which carried them to death as a substitute. The offerer became identified with the offering. Can you see that, in a picture or type, the offerer was put to death through this sacrifice. Jesus died in our place, and we died in Him on the cross. (Romans 6:6-11) This part of the offering was for God alone.

“These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the LORD. 12  If you present your peace offering as an expression of thanksgiving, the usual animal sacrifice must be accompanied by various kinds of bread made without yeast—thin cakes mixed with olive oil, wafers spread with oil, and cakes made of choice flour mixed with olive oil. 13  This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. 14  One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the LORD. It will then belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the peace offering against the altar. 15  The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning. Leviticus 7:11-15 (NLT)  

Here we see that thanksgiving was integral to the peace offering, just as it is in the Lords’ Supper in the New Covenant.

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 (NLT) 

The bread without yeast speaks of holiness, yeast being a picture of sin in this case.

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough — you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (NET1)

Olive oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. I believe a case can be made that the bread without yeast mixed with oil stands for our new creation spirit joined with the indwelling Holy Spirit.

But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NET1)

The bread made with yeast is an acknowledgement that until the resurrection, believers are a mixture. We have a sin nature and a new creation spirit which are at war. By allowing bread with yeast, God is saying that he makes allowance for the uncompleted state of our salvation. He allows sinful humans to partake of this holy meal, signifying our union with him despite our present imperfection.

Then the LORD said to Moses, 29  “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present a peace offering to the LORD, bring part of it as a gift to the LORD. 30  Present it to the LORD with your own hands as a special gift to the LORD. Bring the fat of the animal, together with the breast, and lift up the breast as a special offering to the LORD. 31  Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his descendants. 32  Give the right thigh of your peace offering to the priest as a gift. 33  The right thigh must always be given to the priest who offers the blood and the fat of the peace offering. 34  For I have reserved the breast of the special offering and the right thigh of the sacred offering for the priests. It is the permanent right of Aaron and his descendants to share in the peace offerings brought by the people of Israel. 35  This is their rightful share. The special gifts presented to the LORD have been reserved for Aaron and his descendants from the time they were set apart to serve the LORD as priests. 36  On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded the Israelites to give these portions to the priests as their permanent share from generation to generation.” Leviticus 7:28-36 (NLT)  

Here we see that the priest gets a portion, too. God, the offerer, and the priest all partake. This stands for reconciliation between the Father, the Son, and all believers. This offering is fulfilled in the New Covenant Lord’s Supper, which celebrates the communion or fellowship we have with Abba, Jesus, and other believers.

When you present a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to the LORD, 9  you must also give a grain offering of six quarts of choice flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil, 10  and give two quarts of wine as a liquid offering. This will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Numbers 15:8-10 (NLT)  

Here we see another foreshadowing of the New Covenant Lord’s Supper, which uses bread and wine to remember the body and blood of our Lord.

The Grain Offering

When you present grain as an offering to the LORD, the offering must consist of choice flour. You are to pour olive oil on it, sprinkle it with frankincense, 2  and bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest will scoop out a handful of the flour moistened with oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this representative portion on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 3  The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons. This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the LORD. Leviticus 2:1-3 (NLT)  

Grain offerings accompanied all burnt offerings and peace offerings. They typically consisted of flour, oil, frankincense, and salt. They could be brought cooked or uncooked. Part was burned as a memorial to God and the rest consumed by the priests, since it was holy to the Lord.

Do not use yeast in preparing any of the grain offerings you present to the LORD, because no yeast or honey may be burned as a special gift presented to the LORD. 12  You may add yeast and honey to an offering of the first crops of your harvest, but these must never be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 13  Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings. 14  “If you present a grain offering to the LORD from the first portion of your harvest, bring fresh grain that is coarsely ground and roasted on a fire. 15  Put olive oil on this grain offering, and sprinkle it with frankincense. 16  The priest will take a representative portion of the grain moistened with oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn it as a special gift presented to the LORD. Leviticus 2:11-16 (NLT)  

Regular grain offerings could have no leaven, which represents Christ’s sinlessness. However, the grain offering presented at the Feast of the First Fruits, or Pentecost, could have leaven. This represents the people of God, who, though born again, have not yet been perfected nor are yet free from all sin.

The oil, a type of the Holy Spirit, is mixed with this leavened flour to make an acceptable sacrifice. The indwelling Holy Spirit joins with yet-to-be-perfected believers to make them acceptable to the Lord. (Romans 12:1-2)

The grain offering associated with the harvest of the first fruits is also connected with Pentecost. On the day after the Sabbath (Sunday), the bundle of the first fruits of the harvest was raised to the Lord. This signified the resurrection of our Lord, who is the first-born from the dead. (Colossians 1:18, Revelation 1:5) The grain offering with wine foreshadows our celebration of the Lord’s Supper in commemoration of the Lord’s resurrection, which is the first fruit of the coming general resurrection of the righteous.

Involuntary Sacrifices

Involuntary sacrifices were required in order to atone for sin. These were part of Jesus’ Lamb of God ministry.

Jesus took upon himself the guilt and penalty for our sins, enduring God’s holy wrath against our rebellion against him, so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God, with all the benefits of being reinstated fully into his favor and family.

The Sin Offering

Then the LORD said to Moses, 2  “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the LORD’s commands. 3  “If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the LORD a young bull with no defects. 4  He must bring the bull to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the LORD. 5  The high priest will then take some of the bull’s blood into the Tabernacle, 6  dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the inner curtain of the sanctuary. 7  The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the LORD’s presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 8  Then the priest must remove all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, 9  the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along with the kidneys, 10  just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering, and burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. 11  But he must take whatever is left of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung— 12  and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire. Leviticus 4:1-12 (NLT)  

• The sin offering was compulsory and was not a sweet savor to the Lord. This offering was for sins committed unintentionally, especially when restitution was not possible. These sacrifices did not cover willful rebellion against God. Should the high priest be guilty of such an involuntary sin, he had to make the sacrifice for himself. Jesus, who did not personally sin, became sin for us by identifying completely with our condition, and acted in this capacity at the cross. Jesus took the blood of the covenant and sprinkled it before the Lord, opening up access for us into God’s holy presence, just as the high priest did as a shadow of things to come.

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12  With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13  Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14  Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:11-14 (NLT)  

• When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple ripped in two, giving all believers free access to God’s presence, something off limits to everyone except the high priest once a year under the Old Covenant.

Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51 Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. Matthew 27:50-51 (NET1)

• If the people sinned, the priest stood before God on behalf of the people and made the sacrifice. Jesus acted both as high priest and as the sacrifice. The people laid their hands upon the animal, signifying the transfer of sin to it, just as our sins came upon our Lord at the cross.

If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the LORD’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty. 14  When they become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle. 15  The elders of the community must then lay their hands on the bull’s head and slaughter it before the LORD. Leviticus 4:13-15 (NLT) 

Then the LORD said to Moses, 25  “Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the sin offering. The animal given as an offering for sin is a most holy offering, and it must be slaughtered in the LORD’s presence at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 26  The priest who offers the sacrifice as a sin offering must eat his portion in a sacred place within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Leviticus 6:24-26 (NLT)  

God has made us believers into a kingdom of priests (Rev.1:6; 5:10), and, as such, we must eat the sacrifice. We now do this by faith when we physically and symbolically partake of Christ’s body and blood in communion and spiritually when we put our trust in his finished work of the cross.

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54  But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56  Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57  I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58  I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” John 6:53-58 (NLT)  

• Just as the sin offering’s remains were taken outside the city, Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem and his body was buried outside the city.

For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13 We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced. Hebrews 13:11-13 (NET1)

The Guilt Offering

The distinction between the offenses covered by the guilt offering and the offenses related to the sin offering is not completely clear. In general, however, the offenses covered by the guilt offering appear to be more serious, as shown by the fact that the sacrificial animal is more costly (a male instead of a female) and that the sins are described as a “breach of faith” (Leviticus 5:15). The word translated “guilt offering” (Hebrew: ’asham) is used elsewhere with the sense of “compensation or reparation for guilt” (Leviticus 5:6), and the offering as a whole serves to repair the relationship between sinners and the Lord. This has led some to call this a “reparation offering.” (ESV Study Bible)

Although it is perhaps not actually intended in the original meaning of the Old Covenant sin and guilt offerings, we can make a New Covenant distinction between forgiveness of sin and removal of guilt.

Jesus’ death and resurrection expiated our sins and allowed our righteous God to forgive us. Jesus also took away our guilt and condemnation, which is called “justification.” To be justified means to be declared “not guilty.” There is a big difference between being forgiven and being cleared of all guilt!

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB)

I like to think that the guilt offering foreshadowed Christ’s taking away our condemnation and guilt, making us without blame in God’s eyes!

Otherwise, there is not much we can glean from the guilt offering that we have not already seen in the sin offering.

A Final Note

“If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering. 28  The priest will sacrifice it to purify the guilty person before the LORD, and that person will be forgiven. 29  These same instructions apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. 30  “But those who brazenly violate the LORD’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the LORD, and they must be cut off from the community. 31  Since they have treated the LORD’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.” Numbers 15:27-31 (NLT)  

No sacrifice was available to cover a deliberate and rebellious sin. Paul referred to this when he wrote:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13  even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14  Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:12-14 (NLT)  

After we come to faith in Christ, it is vital that we serve God with a proper regard for the mercy that has been extended to us and not presume upon God by continuing to sin willfully. Since we are capable of deceiving ourselves, such willful sin should make us question the genuineness of our faith.

Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 1 John 3:6 (NET1)

Those who believe on the Lord, although they are not yet perfect, no longer desire to sin, at least at the deepest level of their born again spirit.

Therefore, true born again believers will experience a frustrating tug of war in their hearts whenever they sin. Sinning no longer brings us any sort of lasting pleasure, and it dampens our joy and peace. If we are able to sin continually with no pangs of conscience or remorse, we may not be children of God at all. We all go through times of sinning due to a number of reasons, but, if we are truly born again, like the prodigal, we will return to the Father. Father God uses chastisement and correction to help us with this process.

Although God will never condemn his true children for their sins, he will discipline them. Let’s make every effort to stay out of the woodshed!

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27  There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28  For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29  Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30  For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The LORD will judge his own people.” 31  It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-31 (NLT)  

If you are a captive to a particular sin, it is vital that you take a stand for your freedom in Christ.

He died to liberate us, and it does not bring him any glory when his people continue in sin. This is a topic for another article, but until then believe that you have been set free and start acting like it.

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14 (NASB)