Our Father Speaks From the Tent
The book of holiness and sacrifice—how a redeemed people may live near our holy Father. Beneath every regulation runs a single promise: our Father means to dwell in the very midst of His people.
1 1Our Father called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying:
2"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When any of you brings me an offering, bring your offering of livestock from the herd or the flock.
3"If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect, offering it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, to be accepted before me. 4He is to lay his hand on the burnt offering's head, and it will be accepted for him, to atone for him. 5He is to kill the young bull before me, and Aaron's sons the priests are to bring the blood and splash it around the altar at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6Then he is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7Aaron's sons the priests will lay a fire on the altar and arrange wood on it. 8Aaron's sons, the priests, arrange the pieces, head, and fat on the wood over the fire on the altar. 9He is to wash its inner organs and legs with water; the priest burns it all on the altar—a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to me. a a v9 The burnt offering was consumed entirely on the altar, given completely to our Father. It foreshadows Jesus, who gave himself up wholly as a fragrant offering on our behalf (Ephesians 5:2).
10"If his burnt offering is from the flock—sheep or goats—he must bring a male without defect. 11He is to slaughter it on the altar's north side before me; Aaron's sons the priests are to splash its blood around the altar. 12He is to cut it into pieces—head and fat—and the priest is to arrange them on the wood, on the fire, on the altar. 13He must wash the inner organs and legs with water; the priest offers it all, burns it on the altar—a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to me.
14"If his burnt offering to me is a bird, he must bring turtledoves or young pigeons as his offering. 15The priest brings it to the altar, wrings off its head, burns it there; its blood drains against the altar's side. 16He removes its crop with its contents, throwing it beside the altar eastward, at the ash heap. 17He is to tear it open by the wings, not fully apart; the priest will burn it on the altar's wood over the fire—a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to me."
