Commentary - Leviticus 7:1-10

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Leviticus, the Lord continues to lay out for Moses the procedural law for the sacrifices. Having dealt with the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, and the sin offering, we now come to the regulations for the guilt offering. What we are reading is not a dry, dusty legal code, but rather the very grammar of grace under the Old Covenant. Each detail is pregnant with meaning, a shadow pointing forward to the substance, which is Christ. The guilt offering, or trespass offering, was specifically for sins that violated the holy things of God or defrauded a neighbor, requiring not just atonement but also restitution. This passage details how the sacrifice is to be handled, what parts belong to God on the altar, and what parts belong to the priest who ministers. It underscores the holiness of the proceedings, the seriousness of sin, and the provision God makes for both His worship and His ministers. It is a portrait of mediated forgiveness and fellowship, all of which finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest and perfect sacrifice.

The central theme here is the restoration of what was broken by sin. Guilt is a debt, and a debt must be paid. These sacrifices taught Israel that sin has consequences that must be addressed both vertically (before God) and horizontally (before men). The blood on the altar satisfied God's justice, while the portion for the priest provided for the ministry and demonstrated that the mediator partakes in the results of the reconciliation he facilitates. The entire process is a glorious picture of how God, in His mercy, makes a way for guilty men to be restored to fellowship with Him and with one another, all through the shedding of blood and the ministry of a priest.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus is the handbook for holiness. After God delivered Israel from Egypt and gave them the Ten Commandments at Sinai, He gave them the instructions for the Tabernacle, His dwelling place among them. Leviticus answers the practical question: how can a sinful people live in the presence of a holy God? The first major section of the book (chapters 1-7) details the five main types of offerings: the burnt offering (total consecration), the grain offering (thanksgiving for provision), the peace offering (fellowship with God), the sin offering (atonement for unintentional sin), and the guilt offering (atonement for sins requiring restitution). This passage in chapter 7 provides the "law of" the guilt offering, which means it gives the priests the specific instructions for how to carry out this sacrifice, building on the introduction to it in chapter 5. This section is part of the divine liturgy, the God-ordained pattern of worship that would govern Israel's approach to Him for centuries, teaching them the grammar of sin, substitution, and grace.

Key Issues

The Grammar of Guilt

We live in an age that wants to do away with guilt. Our therapeutic culture tells us that guilt is an unhealthy feeling, a psychological burden to be cast off. But the Bible teaches that guilt is not primarily a feeling, but a legal status. It is an objective state of indebtedness before God. When you break God's law, you are guilty, whether you feel guilty or not. The guilt offering, or trespass offering, was designed to deal with this reality head-on. It was for sins where a tangible debt was incurred, either against God's holy things (like failing to tithe properly) or against a neighbor (theft, fraud). The offering itself, the death of the animal, atoned for the sin, but it was often accompanied by restitution, paying back what was owed plus a fifth (Lev 6:5). This taught Israel a crucial lesson: sin is not an abstraction. It creates real damage that must be repaired. Forgiveness from God does not negate our responsibility to make things right with those we have wronged. This offering, then, is a beautiful picture of the gospel. Christ on the cross is our guilt offering. He not only takes away our sin, but He makes full restitution. He repairs the breach between us and God, and He empowers us and commands us to seek reconciliation with our brothers.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 ‘Now this is the law of the guilt offering; it is most holy.

The instruction begins by establishing the nature of this ordinance. This is the torah, the law or instruction, for the guilt offering. And its defining characteristic is that it is most holy. This phrase sets it apart. This is not a mundane affair; it is a transaction occurring in the very presence of the holy God. Every detail, every procedure, is saturated with divine significance. The animal, the priest, the altar, the actions, all are set apart for a sacred purpose. This reminds us that dealing with our sin is the most serious business in the world. It cannot be done casually or according to our own inventions. It must be done God's way, in the holy space He provides, according to the holy instruction He gives.

2 In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering they are to slaughter the guilt offering, and he shall splash its blood around on the altar.

The location is specified. The guilt offering is to be killed in the same place as the burnt offering, on the north side of the altar. This links the two. The burnt offering was about total consecration, the worshiper identifying with the animal that completely ascends to God in smoke. The guilt offering deals with a specific trespass, but it is handled in that same place of consecration. Dealing with our specific sins is part of our total consecration to God. Then comes the blood. The priest takes the blood of the substitute and splashes it against the sides of the altar. As Leviticus 17:11 tells us, "the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls." The splashing of the blood signifies the death of the substitute, its life poured out to cover the death-deserving guilt of the sinner. This is a picture of the precious blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin.

3-4 Then he shall bring near from it all its fat: the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe on the liver he shall remove with the kidneys.

After the blood, the fat is addressed. A specific list of the fatty portions is given. In the ancient world, the fat was considered the richest, best part of the animal. These portions, along with the kidneys and liver lobe, which were seen as the seat of the emotions and will, are offered up to God. This signifies that God is owed our best. Our sin is a robbing of God, a withholding of what is rightfully His. In the atonement, the very best is given back to Him. The fat represents the richness of life, the energy, the vitality. In this act, the worshiper acknowledges that his best belongs to God, and in the substitute, it is rendered to Him.

5 And the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire to Yahweh; it is a guilt offering.

The priest takes these designated parts and burns them on the altar. The Hebrew for "offer them up in smoke" is the word from which we get the idea of incense. It creates a pleasing aroma. This is an "offering by fire to Yahweh." The fire of the altar represents God's consuming holiness and judgment. But here, that holy fire consumes the offering instead of the sinner. And what it produces is not the stench of judgment, but a sweet-smelling savor to the Lord. This is the great exchange of the gospel. Our sin is laid on the substitute, Christ, who endures the fire of God's wrath. And because of His perfection, what ascends to God is a pleasing aroma, the fragrance of perfect obedience. God is satisfied.

6 Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.

Now we see the provision for the minister. After God receives His portion (the blood and the fat), the rest of the meat from the guilt offering belongs to the priests. Specifically, any male in a priestly family could partake. This was their food, their livelihood. But there are conditions. It must be eaten in a holy place, within the tabernacle court. This is not a casual backyard barbecue. The meal itself is a holy act. The priest who makes atonement for the people gets to eat from the sacrifice. This shows that the mediator shares in the peace and fellowship that his work accomplishes. He is identified with both the worshiper and with God. In the New Covenant, all believers are priests (1 Peter 2:9), and we all feast upon our sacrifice, the Lord Jesus, especially as we come to His Table.

7 The guilt offering is like the sin offering, there is one law for them; the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it.

The law clarifies that the rules for the priest's portion of the guilt offering are the same as for the sin offering. This links the two offerings together. Both deal with atonement for sin. The key principle is reiterated: the priest who officiates, who applies the blood and makes the atonement, is the one who "shall have it." His work secures his reward. This is a principle of justice built into the system. It also points to Christ. As our High Priest, He made the perfect atonement, and as a result, He has received the reward: all authority in heaven and on earth, and a people for His own possession.

8 Also the priest who brings near any man’s burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has brought near.

A different rule is mentioned for the burnt offering. In the burnt offering, the entire animal was consumed on the altar, ascending to God. There was no meat left for the priest to eat. So, what was his portion? The skin. The hide of the animal belonged to the officiating priest. This was a valuable commodity, useful for leather goods. It was a tangible, lasting reminder of the sacrifice. It reminds us of Genesis 3, where God Himself made garments of skin to cover the shame of Adam and Eve after they sinned. An animal had to die to cover them. Here, the priest who oversees the offering of total consecration receives the covering. It is a beautiful picture of how our Mediator provides us with the covering of righteousness that comes through sacrifice.

9 Likewise, every grain offering that is baked in the oven and everything prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who brings it near.

The provision extends to the grain offerings. A portion of every grain offering was burned on the altar as a memorial to God, but the remainder was food for the priests. This verse specifies that cooked grain offerings, baked, fried in a pan, or cooked on a griddle, belonged entirely to the officiating priest. This was his bread. God ensures that those who minister in His house are fed from His house. The labor of ministry is to be supported by the fruit of ministry.

10 And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, to all alike.

This final verse qualifies the previous one. While the cooked grain offerings went to the specific priest who offered them, the uncooked offerings, flour mixed with oil or just dry flour, were to be shared equally among all the priests. This ensures a measure of equity. Some priests might have more duties on a given day than others, but the basic staples were to be distributed to all. This fosters a sense of brotherhood and mutual provision. It prevents a superstar system and reminds them that they are all one priesthood, serving one God, and provided for by His one gracious hand. It is a picture of the life of the Church, where we are to bear one another's burdens and ensure that all are cared for.

Application

It is easy for modern Christians to read Leviticus and see only a strange, bloody, and obsolete religion. But if we have eyes to see, we see the gospel on every page. These laws for the guilt offering teach us profound truths for our lives today. First, they teach us the seriousness of sin. Our sins are not trifles; they are "most holy" violations against a "most holy" God, and they require a "most holy" solution. We must never treat our sin lightly.

Second, we learn the nature of true repentance. It is not just saying sorry. It involves restitution. The guilt offering reminds us that when we wrong someone, we have a duty to do everything in our power to make it right. Have you stolen? Pay it back. Have you lied? Confess the truth. Have you slandered? Correct the record. Forgiveness is not a magic wand that erases consequences.

Third, we see the glorious provision of Christ. He is our guilt offering. All the blood and fat, all the holiness and fire, point to His substitutionary death on the cross. He paid a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. He not only secured our forgiveness but He made full restitution to the honor of God. Because of His sacrifice, God's justice is not just appeased, it is satisfied and glorified.

Finally, we are reminded of our priestly role. As believers, we are a kingdom of priests. We are to live consecrated lives, feasting on Christ our sacrifice. And we are supported by God. Just as He provided for the Levitical priests, so He provides for us. Our portion is Christ Himself. And just as the priests shared the offerings, we are to live in fellowship, sharing with one another, bearing each other's burdens, and ensuring that all in the household of faith are provided for. The grammar of guilt, laid out here in Leviticus, ultimately teaches us the syntax of grace, fellowship, and a holy life.