Commentary - Leviticus 7:37-38

Bird's-eye view

Here at the end of the seventh chapter of Leviticus, we have a divinely authored summary statement. After laying out the intricate details for the various sacrifices, the Lord provides Moses with this concluding catalog. This is not mere repetition. This is God putting a ribbon on a package, ensuring that the priests and the people understand that this entire system of worship is a coherent whole, given by Him for their good. These two verses serve as a colophon, a seal of divine authority on the preceding legislation. God is a God of order, not of confusion, and His instructions for how a sinful people might approach Him are therefore precise, specific, and full of meaning. The modern reader is tempted to skim over such lists, but we must resist that temptation. Every element in this sacrificial system is a shadow, and the substance is Christ. This summary is a table of contents for the gospel according to Leviticus.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Chapters 1 through 7 of Leviticus form a complete unit, a manual of sacrifice. The first section addresses the people, detailing what they are to bring. The second section (beginning in chapter 6) addresses the priests, detailing their duties and their portions. These closing verses, 37 and 38, function as the conclusion to this entire block of instruction. They look backward, summarizing all that has been commanded, and they look forward, grounding the entire system in the authority of Yahweh's direct revelation to Moses at Sinai. This is the foundation upon which the worship of Israel is to be built. Before moving on to the ordination of Aaron and his sons in chapter 8, God ensures the law is clearly stated, summarized, and authorized. The structure is deliberate: first the law, then the ordination of those who will administer it.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 37 This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering and the ordination offering and the sacrifice of peace offerings,

This is the law... Here we have the declaration of authority. What follows is not a collection of good ideas, or a set of suggestions for approaching God. This is Torah; this is binding instruction. God is establishing the fixed pattern of worship by which His people are to live. For us in the new covenant, the forms have changed because the reality has come, but the principle remains. Our worship is not a free-for-all, but is to be governed by the Word of God.

...of the burnt offering... This offering, the 'olah, was the offering of complete consecration. The entire animal went up in smoke to the Lord, a picture of total dedication. It was an ascension offering. For the believer, this is a picture of Christ's perfect surrender to the Father's will, and by extension, our call to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Rom. 12:1). Our whole life is to ascend to God as a pleasing aroma.

...the grain offering... The minchah. This was an offering of tribute, a recognition that all our provision and the fruit of all our labor comes from God. It was not a blood sacrifice, but it was offered alongside them. It reminds us that atonement is not the only aspect of our worship. We are also called to lives of gratitude, offering back to God a portion of what He has so graciously given to us. This is the worship of thanksgiving.

...and the sin offering and the guilt offering... The chatat and the asham. These are the sacrifices that deal directly with sin. The sin offering dealt with the state of sinfulness and unintentional violations, cleansing the sanctuary from the defilement of the people. The guilt offering dealt with specific trespasses where restitution was required. Both point powerfully to the cross. Christ is our sin offering, dealing with our sinful nature, and our guilt offering, making restitution for our specific debts against God's law. He paid a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay.

...and the ordination offering... This refers back to the instructions for consecrating the priests. This offering set the priests apart for their special service. It was their initiation into ministry. This finds its fulfillment in Christ, our great High Priest, who was consecrated for His work not by a temporary animal sacrifice, but by His own blood. And through Him, all believers are a royal priesthood, set apart for the work of ministry.

...and the sacrifice of peace offerings... The shelamim. This was the fellowship offering. A portion was burned to the Lord, a portion was given to the priest, and the remainder was eaten by the worshiper and his family in a communal meal. This was the sacrifice of communion, of peace and fellowship with God. This is a beautiful picture of what Christ has accomplished. Through His blood, we have peace with God, and we are invited to sit at His table and feast with Him. This is the Lord's Supper in seed form.

v. 38 which Yahweh commanded Moses at Mount Sinai in the day that He commanded the sons of Israel to bring their offerings near to Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai.

...which Yahweh commanded Moses... The authority for this entire system is underscored. This is not a human invention. Moses did not sit down and dream up a religious system. These are the direct commands of Yahweh, the covenant Lord. The mediator of the covenant, Moses, received the law from God Himself. This is why the law is not to be trifled with. To disregard the law of the offerings was to disregard Yahweh.

...at Mount Sinai... The location is specified to root this law in history. This is not a timeless myth; it is a covenant established at a particular place and a particular time. Sinai was the place of thunder, lightning, and the awesome, terrifying holiness of God. It was where God condescended to meet with man and establish His covenant with Israel. This system of sacrifice was the gracious provision given in that context, the means by which a sinful people could live in the presence of such a holy God.

...in the day that He commanded the sons of Israel... The command was not just for the priests, but for the whole congregation. The entire nation was being constituted as a worshiping people. Worship was not an optional add-on to their national life; it was their central purpose. They were redeemed from Egypt in order to worship Yahweh.

...to bring their offerings near to Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai. The purpose of the offerings is to "bring them near." Sin creates distance between man and God. The sacrificial system was the prescribed way to bridge that distance. And it all took place in the wilderness, a place of testing and dependence. In the middle of their journey, before they entered the promised land, God established the central reality of their lives: they were to be a people who draw near to God on His terms, through the means He provides. For us, that means is Christ alone. He is our Sinai, our sacrifice, and our wilderness guide, who alone brings us near to God.

Application

So what does a Christian do with a summary of Old Testament sacrifices? First, we rejoice. We rejoice that we do not have to bring bulls and goats. We rejoice that the shadow has given way to the substance, and the substance is the glorious person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our all-sufficient sacrifice.

Second, we learn the grammar of worship. These five types of offerings teach us the essential elements of a right approach to God. We come with consecration (burnt offering), acknowledging that our whole lives belong to Him. We come with thanksgiving (grain offering), recognizing His provision. We come with confession (sin and guilt offerings), knowing we need the blood of Christ to cleanse us. We come as those set apart for His service (ordination offering). And we come for communion (peace offering), to enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son.

Our corporate worship on the Lord's Day should reflect this rich texture. We confess our sins, we offer our sacrifices of praise, we hear His Word of consecration, and we come to His table for fellowship. The forms have changed, but the heart of worship has not. This law, commanded at Sinai, still teaches us how to draw near to God in the wilderness of this world, all through the finished work of our great High Priest, Jesus.