Leviticus 1-7

The Five Offerings / Sacrifices Of Old Testament

The Old Testament is also very well known for the "super-significant" "The Five Sacrifices / Offerings" (as described in Leviticus 1-7). Scroll below for their brief descriptions.


  • A very important point about the "The Five Sacrifices / Offerings":-

"Sin offerings" are for atoning unintentional sins (i.e., Leviticus 4:2). So are "guilt offerings" (i.e., Leviticus 5:14,18,6:4 - " ... realize their guilt ... "). So how does one atone for intentional sins? Some say that "burnt offering" (Leviticus 1, Leviticus 6:8-13) can be used to atone for intentional sins. But I am not convinced - Because a sin done intentionally would be more serious than done unintentionally. If for unintentional sins there are mandatory offerings (sin offering & guilt offering), it does not make sense to just have optional offering (the burnt offering) for atoning for more serious intentional sins. This means that God did not institute a means for intentional sins?! Many commentators point to Numbers 15:30–31 for intentional sins - “Anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel. Because they have despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.” This point also makes the case & need for the death of Jesus at the cross, more and more clear.


  • What do each of those five offerings / sacrifices translate to TODAY? I.e., what are (1) sin offering, (2) guilt offering, (2) food offering, (3) thanksgiving offering, etc., in TODAY's time.

All of these sacrifices / offerings, of Leviticus 2-17, fall under "ceremonial" rituals (See Exodus 21 commentary), and hence fulfilled in Christ, for a Christian. Hence a Christian, today, is not supposed to observe any of these.

The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross replaces the mandatory sin and guilt offerings meant for atoning of sins. But, also, the scope and value of Jesus's sacrifice at the cross is much more, than one can imagine, compared to these sin and guilt offerings. For instance, even with these sacrifices and offerings, no one could enter the "holies of holies", or even the Tabernacle / Temple (i.e., 2 Chronicles 23:6; priests / Levites on duty could enter the Tabernacle / Temple, but only high priest could enter "holies of holies" and that too once a year). But ONLY because of Jesus's sacrifice, now God - The Holy Spirit lives in Christians and all Christians are headed to heaven where they will meet God face to face (Revelation 22:4).

In, TODAY's time (or specifically the "end-time"), in spiritual sense, we are to live out Romans 12:1:- "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. "

In general sense, all that we have (ourselves, money, time, resources, etc) are meant to be "offered" towards the fulfillment of the mission of the Church in these end times - The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). For instance, talking of food offering, Jesus said John 4:34 " "My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. "". And the will of God, for a Christian, is to partake in the Great Commission in these end times.


  • Do you obey traffic lights because of fear of hefty fine and jail time or because you care about people?


  • Brief description of the "The Five Sacrifices / Offerings", as described in Leviticus 1-7:-
    • Burnt Offerings

This is believed to be the oldest and most common of all offerings during the Old Testament / (Old Covenant) era. The precise established protocol to conduct it is described in Leviticus 1, Leviticus 6:8-13. A burnt offering was for general atonement of sin(s) and / or a expression of devotion to God. Burnt offering was optional and could be done at any time, on an individual level. But there were also regular mandatory burnt offerings on behalf of the whole Israelite community (every morning/evening, each Sabbath, beginning of each month, at Passover, with new grain/first-fruits offering at the feast of weeks, at the feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah , at the new moon- https://www.gotquestions.org/burnt-offering.html). Unlike, any other type of offering / sacrifice, burnt offering involved "burning-down" of the whole male defect-free animal or bird (dove or a young pigeon). The animal needed to skinned and cut into pieces first (Leviticus 1).

    • Grain Offerings

The established precise protocol for this second offering is described in Leviticus 2, 6:14-18.

Grain offerings were not obligatory (except at certain times - i.e., see Numbers 28), rather they were a means of worshiping God (i.e., express love / adoration / devotion, gratitude / thanksgiving, etc). This can be inferred from how the Hebrew word for "grain offering" - Minchah - is used elsewhere in Old Testament (i.e., Judges 3:15; https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/grain-offering/)

The grain offering seems to have two parts / portions:- (1) memorial - one that is offered as burnt food offering to God - Leviticus 2:2,9,16, 6:15 (2) the remaining portion, also the most holy (i.e., whatever touched them became holy - Leviticus 18b), that is given away to the high priest and his son priests (Leviticus 2:3,10, 6:16), which they are to eat in the court of the tent of meeting (Leviticus 6:16).

No grain offering should be made with leaven or honey (Leviticus 2:11). But they should all be made from fine flour and have oil and salt along with frankincense on them (Leviticus 2:1, Leviticus 2:13). Neither should the priests portions be eaten (by them) leavened.

Leaven is to avoided, probably, because it causes fermentation and great alteration. It is also mostly thought of as symbolic of "sin" in the Bible.

Salt was a preservative, both literally and symbolically. Note, oil & frankincense also have some positive, spiritually relevant associations with them, in the Bible.

There is a ongoing debate as to why honey was prohibited (https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/39168/honey-offerings-accepted-but-not-for-burning-leviticus-211). Some also claim that the Hebrew word "Devash" in Leviticus 2:11, is not necessarily honey, but possibly some sort of "sweetner", which can be literally or symbolically associated with decay.

    • Peace Offerings

The established precise protocol for this fourth offering is described in Leviticus 3, 7:11-18.

The peace offering was given as one of three:- (1) freewill offering, (2) vow offering, (3) thanksgiving offering (Leviticus 7:11-18).

So purpose wise, peace offerings are related to burnt offerings and grain offerings - All three provided some means of worshiping God & expressing devotion to Him.

After a portion of initial sacrifice was given to God as burnt food offering, rest of it could be eaten by the person who offers the peace offering (Leviticus 7:15-18). This was only possible in peace offerings and not in any of the other four offerings!

Note here, unlike anywhere in the five offerings described in Leviticus 1-7, leavened bread is to be also offered, if the peace offering is for thanksgiving (Leviticus 7:13). Bread, as part of offering, elsewhere (baked grain offerings, as described in Leviticus 2) had to be unleavened (i.e., Leviticus 2:4)

    • Sin Offerings

The established precise protocol for this fourth offering is described in Leviticus 4, 5:1-13,6:24-30. It's primary purpose was to atone and receive forgiveness for an unintentional sin one commits but latter realizes the guilt (i.e., Leviticus 4:2-3,20,26,31,35, 5:6,10,13). It had elements of burnt offerings (i.e., Leviticus 4:4-5 vs Leviticus 1:4-5), peace offerings (i.e., Leviticus 4:8-11,26,31,35), and grain offerings (i.e., "remainder shall be for the priest, as in grain offering" - Leviticus 6:13). At times (when the blood of sacrificed animal was not brought into the tent of meeting (i.e., Leviticus 10:18, Leviticus 6:30) or the offering was grain and not an animal (Leviticus 5:13)), portion of offering not offered as burnt offering belonged to the priest. If it was of an animal then it was to be eaten by the priest, who made the offering, in the court of the tent of meeting (Leviticus 6:26, Leviticus 10:18). If not to be eaten, then that animal portion was burnt up outside the camp (i.e., Leviticus 5:12, 21, 6:30; this can specifically happen when a priest or whole congregation sins).

    • Guilt Offerings

The established precise protocol for this fifth offering is described in Leviticus 5:14-19, 6:1-7, 7:1-10, 14:12-18. This seems to be "kind-of" "sin offering" (i..e, Leviticus 7:7) for situations not covered by latter (i..e, where restitution is also required apart from atonement sacrifice to God - Leviticus 5:14 / Leviticus 6:5, a lawbreaker was possibly not aware of the law - Leviticus 5:17). Here the sacrifice entity was an unblemished ram (Leviticus 5:15,18, 6:6) or a male lamb (Leviticus 14:12). Unlike, sin offerings, here male priests ALWAYS got to eat from it in a holy place (Leviticus 7:6) or at-least had a share (Leviticus 7:10).

Also guilt offering is referred to as "most holy" (Leviticus 7: 1, 14:13).


All of the above sacrifices / offerings fall under "ceremonial" rituals (See Exodus 21 commentary), and hence fulfilled in Christ, for a Christian. Hence a Christian, today, is not supposed to observe any of these.