So when it talks about the trespass, it is most holy. Looking from the cross back into the book of Leviticus, we see that he became sin for us. Sinless in his essence. Never did he sin. Peter writes, About Christ, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.
Even as he was numbered with the transgressors and became sin for us, still. Smitten by God and afflicted, Isaiah said. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Leviticus.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Leviticus chapter 7 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Leviticus chapter seven.
Now, when we talk about the Levitical priests, which we are, of course, it has nothing to do with. Roman Catholicism's priest, or anybody else's. All of the pagan religions had their brand of priesthood. This, of course, is the one that comes directly from God.
Now the protocols for all of these sacrifices required a manual. Not Emanuel. A manual. And this is it. They had to consult.
There's no way you could remember all of the different things that went with the various Offerings that the Lord gave to Moses to give to the people. This Manual going over all these things brings with it repetition, with its subtle distinctions, and that makes it for a difficult read. Nevertheless, Leviticus still offers insights and understandings. About God. in Christ.
Now they're the same. But of course And Christ is the one that comes from the Godhead. Into humanity and And so those types about Uh that is it's just it's in Leviticus as well as well as other Old Testament books, as you know.
So supporting the priest is the title. We look now at verse one, Leviticus chapter seven. Likewise, this is the law of the trespass offering. It is Most holy. For the likewise joins this trespass offering with the sin offering of the previous chapter.
And It adds notes. We're now talking about. The offerings we went over in the first few chapters of Leviticus. The burnt offering, the thanksgiving offering, the peace offering, sin trespass.
Now we're getting them from the Perspective of the priest. The worshippers' perspective was at the introduction. But since chapter 6, verse 7, The protocol Is from the perspective of the priest. And God is saying, This is how I want the offering done. And by the way, this goes to the priest.
Well there to do this and that, and that's what we're going to look at as we go through it.
Now the Old Testament Legal ceremonies. In these offerings The rituals We're fulfilled in Christ.
so we don't repeat them today. He has satisfied them for us. The lessons, though, are timeless. And of course Eternally significant. And their fulfillments, the types, when it speaks about Christ, those kind of things that.
are woven into Leviticus. They give us insight. into the character of God. what he thinks about the things we do right and the things we do wrong. It is most holy, it says here in verse Seven.
Verse one, pardon me.
Well, because this Trespass offering, the offering. It purifies the penitent sinner, makes them acceptable before God in this life.
Now in Leviticus eleven times we have this phrase repeated, it is most holy. Throughout The book, more than anywhere else. This emphasizes the holiness of Christ in connection. To the sin in the trespass offering. Jesus Christ, who, though he came, As a sin offering for us, he remained the Holy One of God.
So when it talks about the trespass, it is most holy. Looking from the cross back into the book of Leviticus, we see that he became sin for us. Sinless in his essence. Never did he sin. Peter writes.
about Christ, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Even as he was numbered with the transgressors and became sin for us, still. Smitten by God and afflicted, Isaiah said. We'll read this verse probably more times in Leviticus in the studies to come. We've already read it a few times, 2 Corinthians 5.
He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us. That we might become the righteousness of God. In him. And so again, it is most holy.
Well, this sin offering, a trespass offering, sin offering, same thing technically with some. Little twist here and there, but it deals with. Man's sin. And that is what Christ has done. Hebrews seven for such a high priest was fitting for us.
Who is holy? Harmless? Undefiled? Separate from sinners. Numbered with sinners, Died in the place of sinners, died in your place, in my place, as me on the cross, as you on the cross.
the great substitute His cross was the climax of obedience. Evidence of His Holiness. Demonstration. not only of his sovereignty, but of course his love. How would you know Christ loved you without the cross?
Well that's what Paul, Peter, well, Paul says. God demonstrates his love in that while you were still sinners, Christ died for you. The cross is the ultimate demonstration of the love of God. The perfect offering that defeated the devil's work to separate you from God. 1 John chapter 3, the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Does that mean anything to you that we can tie in these scripture verses that are separated sometimes by thousands of years and we can tie it all in? Make perfect sense, see the prophecy in it. Are you ever moved by the scripture? Maybe when you're alone sometime you pick up the Bible and start reading a few verses. Are you ever moved by the things you read?
When you are in a church service where you are being fed the Word of God, or you just wondering when is it going to be over so you can go hang out?
Well those are natural impulses and I don't mean to Sound as though you're being rebuked for having them, but I am trying to, at the same time, tell you that you are free to have fellowship with your friends. But you are also free to have fellowship with God. and these two things are supposed to be able to happen at the same time in your lifetime. Jesus said to the Pharisees, These you should have done without leaving the others undone. That's the key.
Don't leave. Your friendship time with Christ. out of the equations of your activities. Verse two In the place where they kill the burnt offering, they shall kill the trespass offering, and its blood he shall sprinkle all around the altar.
Well, the cross was the altar. We have an altar that. Is unlike any other, and it too was sprinkled with blood.
So, then the same place that the burnt offering, the dedication offering, took place. The guilt offering. was also to take place. Not enough to say I'm dedicated to God. What about your guilt?
What about your sin? Has that been dealt with also in the same place that We claim devotion, do we also claim Repentance. A recognition of our guilt. The righteous Born again, do, that's why we're born again. There was no other place to go.
God alone resolves the guilt problem.
So in the context of religious ritual, Blood makes whatever it touches pure before God. Very important. First John, we know this. Chapter 1, verse 7: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins. It's tied right into what we're reading about, sprinkling the blood all around the place of sacrifice.
Matthew 26, verse 28, Jesus speaking, For this is my blood of the New Testament. Which is shed for many for remission of sins.
Well, that's what this offering is dealing with: the trespass, the sin offering. They're all dealing with sin. You can't have the burnt offering of dedication unless you first offer up the sin offering. In verse 3, he says, and he shall offer from it all its fat.
Now I'm going to skip verses. Three and four, because we've covered them, but I'll draw from them nonetheless. Verse five, and the priest shall burn them. On the altar As an offering made by fire to Yahweh it is a trespass offering.
Well, well, what we have here And we covered it in chapter three. Fat in these two verses, verses three and four, is mentioned five times. Fat is mentioned thirteen times in this chapter. thirty-six times in Leviticus more than any other book. These things mean something.
When that repetition begins to show up, Not like a leaky faucet that irritates you. but demands attention. Not only Did the fat assist in fueling the flames of the offerings? The fats symbolize Blessings. Blessings coming from God to the individual making the offering.
Fat was synonymous. with the best one had to offer. Because they had received the blessings from God and they wanted to say thank you in the midst of dealing with their guilt. We covered this, but it's worth going over. Genesis 4:4, if you want to.
Compare the verses that Give us the definition through illustration. of what fat meant Concerning the offerings, the Levitical offerings, Genesis forty five eighteen. Nehemiah 8:10. That means years after Moses wrote. The law The Jews still held on to these definitions, and it's showing up in the days of Nehemiah, who came after Isaiah, and Isaiah shows up, Isaiah 25:6, also.
And if you look at those verses, you say, huh. There's a pattern here. You can't escape. The fat has to do with the blessings, with the best. And so the worshipper's best and deepest emotions went into his offerings, and the fat symbolized that.
Blessings from God. Blessings from God. But blessings to God from me. Fat was to be the first part of the offering. We fast forward to the book of Samuel when.
That great man of God. Had terrible son, two sons that were just awful. And of course they were. They were really thugs. and they were bullying the people.
And there in 1 Samuel chapter 2, the people protested When these two sons wanted to hijack the offerings The people said they should really burn the fat first.
Well, one Side Point coming out of that is that the people understood the protocol of their offerings. They weren't just going down to the temple. ignorant of how things were to be. And they knew that, hey, the fact comes first. You can't just do it this way.
And they protested, of course, they would shut down. Point is made. That the fact The blessings were significant, and there was a protocol, and it was to be followed. And the people did or conducted themselves at the temple enough times to know the protocol. That is pretty insightful to me.
It gives us a little bit more insight. And how the righteous people of those unrighteous days still Knew what their duty was, still knew where to go to worship God publicly. In verse six he says, Every male among the priests may eat it, not The fat. The offering itself. It shall be eaten in a holy place.
It is most holy. And so there we are. We now have commented on it being the most holy, but. Highlight God's remark. Only males could partake.
of this particular offering, He's dealing with the priests.
Now, remember, he's covered these sacrifices in earlier chapters. He circled back. He's going over the sacrifices, but this time he's including Parts that belong to the priesthood. Little points and protocols that are for the priest. Satan has always tried to get men to not be distinct from women.
God was so clear about this. In the law of the Jews, a woman was not supposed to wear a man's garment, and a man was not supposed to wear a woman's garment. Very significant. For us today, is it not? The feminization of men is always, without exception, all through history, a direct satanic attack on humanity.
Every single time, Genesis 5:2, he created them male and female. There were no priestesses in Yahweh's house. The other temples had their the pagans of course did whatever they wanted to do.
Now, if you are a female and you are offended by this prohibition. Then you're looking at it From The flesh, the carnal view. Here's an example. King David wanted to build God a house. It was the highest thing he could do for God, he felt.
And God told him no. That was a prohibition.
Now David could have salt. kicked the dirt and fussed at God. But instead he looked for what his role should then be. And he wrote in Chronicles that He prepared for the house of God with all of his might. Fine, can't build a temple, but I can sponsor it.
I can support it. I can get behind it. I can give things that nobody else on earth could give, as far as volume goes. Who had as much wealth as David to give? And God used every bit of it.
So, when you come across a prohibition in Scripture, You're in the flesh if you're offended. But you're in the spirit, If you begin to see, okay, then what is my role? All right, as a woman, if I cannot be a pastor, I can give birth to pastors. Or I can support the pastorate. There's plenty to do.
And Satan knows it. And he's going to do what he can to get you to stop doing that. And one of the ways he's going to do is have you take your instructions from the world. That is strange fire. That is 11 you do not want to have Part of your any of your meals.
so every male among the priests may eat it. That's it. No explanation, no apology, no protest. This would have been when Miriam could have jumped up and said, objection. She knew better.
And one time she did object, she got in big trouble for it. She never did that again. And we're all better because of it. Don't listen to Satan. Telling you that it's Better to be.
One of the opposites said, Be what you have been made in Christ. There's nothing like it. Verse 7. Satan knows that you should know it. Verse 7: The trespass offering is like the sin offering.
There is one law for them, both the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it.
Well He's not supposed to have the hide. Of this particular offering. We get that in earlier chapters. We get some of this here.
So here's well, let me finish. Verse 8. And the priest who offers anyone's burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered. Also, every grain offering that is baked in the oven. and all that is prepared in the covered pan or in a pan, Shall be the priest who offers it.
Verse 10: Every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron. to one as much as the other. Incidentally, verse 10: the dry without the oil was for the part of the offering for the poorer people who couldn't afford the oil. They could still bring an offering. They could still Fine.
Grain to press into mill into flour.
Well, anyway, uh the trespass offering, the sin offering, the skins could not go to the priest. But the burnt offering, he could get the skin for that.
Well, how come we didn't get that in earlier chapters? I wish I had the answer. I wish the Lord I would like to ask the same question.
So here we have a summary of the earlier offerings with notes for the priest. Which again can make hard reading for us because of the repetition. You know, you talk to somebody who repeats themselves. Hey, you said that. You said, come on, give me a break.
You're repeating yourself.
Well Again, Leviticus one through five gave the instructions. to the offerer.
Now the priests were getting His side of The offering And the Bible is loaded with additional comments like this in latter verses, latter chapters, latter books, sometimes separated by thousands of years. You just consider what we went over in Romans. You have this Jacob and Esau. in Genesis, and Malachi makes this incredible statement over a thousand years later, and then Paul comes along about four hundred years later and he comments on Malachi's comment about what happened in Genesis.
So, you wonder why it takes time to study the Word of God if you're going to. Handle the Word of God. You don't have to. The Bible will yield its fruit to lesser studying, but it will yield more fruit to more studying. I would love to spend my time in some hobby or down at the gym or something like that, but.
It's like, man, I should be reading right now. I should be studying. And anyway, in verse 10. There would be enough skins to go around so that no priests would be slighted. And this was a practical blessing to take care of the priests.
Something they could put to use, they could sell the skins, they could make leather products out of it, they could make blankets, they could do a lot of things with. With the skins.
So, to God, supporting the priesthood was not something to be neglected. And it was factored into the worship of the people. He knew the people would worship him, and he knew that he could sustain the priesthood through the offerings of the people. In verse 11, This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offering which he shall offer to the Lord.
Now, maintaining ritual purity is an Old Testament. Primary And this is going on with these offerings also. But the peace offering. It had three parts to it. And you really gotta work to find it.
Within the peace offering is the thanksgiving offering. The peace off the vow offering. The willful offering, the free will offering, these are different parts of one offering that were arbitrary. You didn't have to do them all. Here he's combining the Thanksgiving offering with the peace offering, which is a grain offering.
The longest discussion in this chapter is devoted to this grain offering, which is the fellowship offering. It's not good that man should dwell alone. He should dwell with God. he should have companions. You left to yourself too long, you begin to get cuckoo.
You know, can't live with people, can't live without them.
Well, you live better with them, even if you can't. Get along as well as you'd like to, it's still better than trying to go live on an island. Uh isolated. Anyway. There is, again, a variety of situations in life that would.
call for these expressions Verse twelve is the thanks offering. Verse sixteen is the peace offering for a vow. As an act of worship. I pledge this to the Lord and I go down to the temple with my offering and give it to the Lord. and it would be received.
There was meat involved in some of them. The meat was for the worshipper to be eaten within a set period of time. More rules.
Well, for every rule. Or for everyone that wants to stop a rule, there's a rule it takes to stop the rule. If you say, we say, well, okay, one of the rules here is no water in the sanctuary.
Well, if you come along and say, well, we want to have water in the sanctuary, so you want to replace our rule with your rule. And That ain't gonna happen. Any more than it happened in the days of the priest. You couldn't go down to the temple and say, well, you know. I really wanted to offer this instead of that.
Yeah, but that's not the protocol, and we're going to follow what the Lord has been given to us. The only part of the peace offering offerings that belong to the priests As far as the meat goes, Was the breast And the right thigh or the shoulder. And we'll get back to that in a little bit, just giving an overview of these things. This here in verse 11. And uh Part of Uh what we yeah, verse the verse 11 part.
Well, let's just go to verse. twelve. Because, as I mentioned, there are three kinds of Or three parts to the peace offering, The thank offering, the pledge offering, and the free will. Verse 12: if he offers it for a thanksgiving, you see that subtle distinction? He shall offer it with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of blended flour mixed with oil.
Besides the cakes of his offering, he shall offer leavened bread, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offering.
So within the Thanksgiving or within the peace offering, here's this thanksgiving offering. is gratitude to God.
So, in verse 12, where the leaven is offered, this is the Godward side of the offering. There's no leaven with God. There's nothing added to him. Good or bad. Uh Thank you.
Thanks for tuning in to today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. Pastor Rick Gaston is currently going through the book of Leviticus. We're glad you joined us. We trust that you're gaining some valuable insights into God's Word as we go through this Old Testament book. Cross-Reference Radio comes to you from Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia.
If you'd like to subscribe to our podcast, you can do so by going to your favorite app store and downloading from there. For any additional information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website, crossreference radio.com. Make sure to come back again for the upcoming edition in the book of Leviticus, as Pastor Rick has much more to share. We thank you for being with us right here on Cross Reference Radio. Yeah.
