Leviticus, chapter 1
Israel: Community Sacrifice and Cleanness
The first sixteen chapters of Leviticus focus on the sacrifices the priests are to offer to God, on the rituals and sacrifices connected with the ordination of the priests, and on the laws that defined who or what was clean or unclean. Also, the Great Day of Forgiveness is described as a yearly event when the sins of the people of Israel are forgiven.
The five types of sacrifices that Israel's priests were to offer to God are described. These include sacrifices to please God, to thank God, to ask for God's blessing, to ask for forgiveness, and to make things right.
he Lord spoke to Moses from the sacred tent and gave him instructions for the community of Israel to follow when they offered sacrifices.
Sacrifices To Please the Lord
Sacrifices to please me must be completely burned on the bronze altar.
Bulls or rams or goats are the animals to be used for these sacrifices. If the animal is a bull, it must not have anything wrong with it. Lead it to the entrance of the sacred tent, and I will let you know if it is acceptable to me. 4Lay your hand on its head, and I will accept the animal as a sacrifice for taking away your sins.
5After the bull is killed in my presence, some priests from Aaron's family will offer its blood to me by splattering it against the four sides of the altar.
6Skin the bull and cut it up, 7while the priests pile wood on the altar fire to make it start blazing. 8-9Wash the bull's insides and hind legs, so the priests can lay them on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. A priest will then send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.
10If you sacrifice a ram or a goat, it must not have anything wrong with it. 11Lead the animal to the north side of the altar, where it is to be killed in my presence. Then some of the priests will splatter its blood against the four sides of the altar.
12-13Cut up the animal and wash its insides and hind legs. A priest will put these parts on the altar with the head, the fat, and the rest of the animal. Then he will send all of it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.
14If you offer a bird for this kind of sacrifice, it must be a dove or a pigeon. 15A priest will take the bird to the bronze altar, where he will wring its neck and put its head on the fire. Then he will drain out its blood on one side of the altar, 16remove the bird's craw with what is in it, and throw them on the ash heap at the east side of the altar. 17Finally, he will take the bird by its wings, tear it partially open, and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.