THE STATUTES OF THE SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS (Part 2) Having addressed His talk to Aaron and his sons about the sacrifices and the offerings, he consummates his talk in this chapter. 1- The statute of the trespass offering 1 -- 10 2- The statute of the peace offering 11 - 34 3- A conclusion 35 – 38 1- THE STATUTE OF THE TRESPASS OFFERING: Having already addressed his talk to the children of Israel concerning the trespass offering (5: 16 -- chapter 6), we saw how it is very close to the sin offering. Now, addressing his talk to the priests, he presents to them directions pertaining to this offering, also very close to those of the sin offering … What we mention here is therefore counted as a consummation of the talk about the sin offering. 1- He already said that “In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the Lord. It is most holy” (6: 25). Here, as well, He says: “In the place where they killed the burnt offering, they shall kill the trespass offering; It is most holy” (7: 1). Why does He confirm that in the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering, and the trespass offering, are also killed? a- If the burnt offering is “a sweet aroma to the Lord” (1: 9, 17, 19); whereas the sin and the trespass offerings, both carry another concept, as they represent the Lord Christ bearing the sins and the curse of the law on our behalf; Yet the two concepts are actually integral and united. If you kill the first offering in a certain place, and kill the sin and the trespass offering in another place; there would be discrimination between the offerings, and they would lose their unity and integrity … We would split the cross into separate and isolated aspects. While killing them in one place, would proclaim the one sacrifice of the cross, in which we enjoy the burnt offering, as well as the sin and the trespass offerings. In the cross we enjoy the pleasure of the Father, who receives the perfect obedience of the Son even to death; And in it we enjoy, as well, the forgiveness of sins, and taking away the curse of the law. b- Killing the sacrifices of the sin and the trespass offerings, together with that of the burnt offering, in one place, would give hope to the sinners, to offer their sacrifices with trust in God, compassionate on the sinners, who sets for them a place to receive their sacrifice, so as not to make them escape from His face, and wander lost on the earth, the way Cain did. Hence, according to the scholar Origen: [See the greatness of the forgiveness and mercies of the Lord; as in the same location the burnt offering is offered to the Lord alone, He commands, as well, for the sin and trespass offerings to be offered; in order for the repentant sinners to understand to return to God (1 Thessalonians 1: 9); to stand in a holy place, where they partake of what concerns the Lord … ; and not to retreat from before His place as Cain did, confused and disturbed (Genesis 4: 16, 14). By that he gave confirmation for the sinner to stand before the Lord, and not to escape before His face, nor to go astray from Him because of his sin, but to offer a sacrifice before the Lord, that which is offered for the sinners, being “a most holy” 2- In the sin offering, it was said: “The priest who offers it for sin shall it” (6: 26); And in the trespass offering, it was said: “Every male among the priests may eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. 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” (6, 7). Letting the priest who makes atonement with either the sin or the trespass offerings, eat it, as we have already seen, refers to that God has received both; For God would never allow for His priests to partake of those sacrifices, unless He has already wiped the sin out completely. As according to the Jewish Filon, By eating from the sacrifice, the priest gives assurance to the one who offered it that God has forgiven his sin If according to the scholar Origen; the priest who makes atonement with the sacrifice refers the Lord Christ who presents His blood an atonement for our sins…. How then, will He eat the sacrifice? … He says: [The Lord Christ is the sacrifice offered on the sins of the world; And, at the same time, He Himself is the Priest who offers it; which the apostle explains by saying: “He offered Himself to the Father” (Hebrew 9: 14). He therefore, is the Priest who eats and lifts up the sins of the world; as it is written: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 11o: 4). … My Savior and God, therefore, eats the sins of the world! …. How does He eat them? … Listen to what the Holy Book says: “Your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4: 24)… Now, what does God, the consuming fire eat? … It would be an utter foolishness to think that God eats wood and straw … He is rather the fire that consumes the sins of the world; destroys, scatter, and purifies us from them; as it is written: “I will thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your alloy” (Isaiah 1: 25). That is how sin is eaten by Him who has offered the sin offering; For He bore our sins, and, being a consuming fire, He destroyed them. … Let us now, as an example, mention what is contradictory, and say that death swallows those who persist on their sins; “Death shall feed on them” (Psalm 49: 14). While the Savior says in the gospel: “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled” (Luke 12: 49). How I wish heaven would let my earth kindle with the divine fire, so as not to bear thorns and thistles (See Genesis 3: 18). 3- The priest eats both the sin and the trespass offerings “in a holy place” (6). If the Lord Christ, by His divine fire, consumes, eats, and scatters our sins through His unique sacrifice; His priests, being His children, who bear the fellowship of working together with Him, will not cease to bring the soul of every sinner into the circle of the cross, so as to burn his sins. By that, the priests, as well, would be counted as though they eat the sin and the trespass offerings. As to the location where they eat them, it is “a holy place”; which is the church of God. If the earth was cursed because of the sin (Genesis 3: 7); Yet, through the cross, the curse was taken away from the earth, to have in it a holy place where we may eat the sanctities; namely, the church of God; hence He says: “In a holy place, it shall be eaten,, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting” (6: 26). 4- The skin was given to the priest who makes the atonement; … And according to some Jews, this skin reminds us of the garments of skin made by the Lord to clothe Adam and Eve, as an act of mercy on them after their disobedience (Genesis 3: 21); or as a reward for Adam for the sake of his priestly task; as they see in Adam, as well as in any head of a family, a priest of the Lord who offers sacrifices on behalf of his family 5- The priest enjoys a portion of three kinds of offerings; as it is said: “And 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’s who offers it” (9). According to the scholar Origen, these offerings given to the priest are the Word of God granted to His priests, to perceive by its literal, behavioral, and spiritual meaning; namely, the three kinds of interpretations. We, as priests, are committed to encounter with the Word of God, to receive it through literal, behavioral, and spiritual concepts; to live it in our life, to eat it and be satisfied with it, then present it to our brethren as a spiritual holy food. According to the scholar Origen, It is difficult for the priest to offer the word of God to his congregation, unless it is baked in the oven; namely by the fire of the Holy Spirit, who kindles our hearts like an oven . As to the offering baked in the covered pan, it is the word of God, offered by a deep inner mind; Whereas that baked on a pan; is the word of God, revealed after taking the letter away from it. These three kinds of offerings, refer therefore to the divine word enjoyed by the priests as food for their souls, then given to the people through the oven of their hearts, kindled by the Holy Spirit; as a deep word, after taking the veil of the letter away from it. 6- To the priests as well, “every grain offering mixed with oil, or dry shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, to one as much as the other” (10). The offering mixed with oil is the grain offering (chapter 2); Whereas the dry one (without oil) is that which goes with the sin offering, offered for the forgiveness of sin, without oil (Psalm 44: 8), and without sweet fragrance. If the priest refers to the Lord Christ, the greatest High Priest, He receives the joyful grain offering, mixed with the oil with His sweet fragrance; and receives, as well, the tears and repentance of the sinners, without the oil of joy; Namely, He rejoices in our joyful praise, as well as in our tears. 2- THE STATUTE OF THE PEACE OFFERING: We have already dealt with the divine command to the children of Israel concerning this sacrifice (Chapter 3). Here, though, He concentrates on the aspects concerning the priests. In this sacrifice, we notice: (1) This being the only sacrifice in which the one who offers it shares it (with others), and has a portion of it. The law elaborately designated the portion of the Lord, of the priest, and that of the one who offers it. The law distinguished between three kinds of peace offerings: a peace offering for thanksgiving; and a peace offering for a vow, and a peace offering for a freewill offering …The first kind (the peace offering for thanksgiving), shall be eaten completely on the same day it is offered, nothing of it will be left until the morning (15). Whereas the second and the third, shall also be eaten on the same day it is offered, leftovers may be eaten the next day; but anything that remain for a third day, will be burned with fire (16). The reason for this, on one aspect, is not to eat corrupted flesh; and on another aspect to let the one who offers it make haste to eat it together with his friends, the poor and the needy in particular, so that all will rejoice together by this sacrifice. … It probably also refers to the resurrection of the Lord Christ on the third day. The vow and the freewill offerings are optional sacrifices that the law commits no one to offer. The vow is an optional pledge for something that man asks the Lord to give him; Whereas the freewill offering is most probably presented by man as a thanksgiving to God for some success or profit he has got. The vow is with a condition, whereas the freewill offering is not, but is voluntary. In case the animal vowed dies, lost, or got a blemish, the one who vowed is committed to present its price instead. But if that happens to the freewill offering, there will be no such commitment, on account of that the pledge concerns a particular animal. (22: 17-25). (2) Together with the peace offering, a food offering is presented, that includes: a- Unleavened cake mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of finely blended flour mixed with oil (12). b- Leavened cakes to be eaten together with the meat; nothing of it is to be put on the altar, on account of that it is leavened. (3) We can say that the peace offering for thanksgiving includes three kinds: the sacrifice, the grain offering, and the leavened cakes. Those three kinds probably refer to the commitment to present the life of thanksgiving through work, words, and mind. Namely, we should not give thank to God by our tongue, while we deny Him with our heart, or mind; Or by works and actions that are not in harmony with our words. Our whole life, outside and inside should be sung by the harp of the Spirit, to present an integral sacrifice of thanksgiving that brings forth pleasure to the heart of God (4) Commenting on that, in the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the priest shall eat his portion and leave nothing of it to the next morning; as a reference to his commitment to enjoy the Word of God, new with every morning: the scholar origin says: [The flesh of the sacrifices given to the priests, are the Words of God which they teach in the church. When they give a sermon to the people, they do not utter old literal words, but, with the grace of God, they utter words perpetually renewed as spiritual words]. In other words, the priest, spiritually kindled, although he present the unchangeable Word of God, yet it is counted as new every morning. The secret of its renewal is in the fiery heart of the priest, that kindles the hearts of his listeners, and reveals to them the secrets of God with a spiritual taste, that will never grow old. The scholar Origen says: [When the Lord gave the bread to His disciples, He said to them: “Take, eat” (Matthew 26: 26); and did not command them to leave some of it to the next day. This same secret meaning could be perceived in His instruction to them, saying: “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money, and do not have two tunics apiece” (Luke 9: 3); in order to present perpetually fresh food, the Word of God in you. The old Gibeonites became slaves – woodcutters and water carriers (Joshua 9: 21- 23), on account of that they came to the Israelites carrying dry and moldy bread; although the spiritual law seeks the use of fresh and new bread all the time]. (5) As to the sacrifice concerning the vow or freewill; it could be eaten on the first and the second day they are offered, but anything remaining of it the third day will be burned by fire (17); it shall be an abomination to eat it (18). According to the scholar Origen, the two days could be understood as the two testaments of the Holy Book, in which we are allowed to search and meditate in the words of the Lord. (6) The sacrifice of peace cares that the one who partake of it should enjoy pure life, with no abomination nor defilement in him. It warned against three things: a- The flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten (19); but should be burned by fire. b- The person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, while unclean, shall be cut off from his people (20). c- The person who touches any abominable unclean thing, and eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, shall be cut off from his people (21). If the flesh refers to the Word and teachings of the Lord, We can say that the first warning refers to that man should refrain to listen to the Word of God as interpreted by the heretics, who corrupt its sanctity; The second warning refers to that man himself cannot enjoy the holiness of the word of God, unless he, and his works are purified by the precious blood; And third warning refers to the impact of the evil friendships on us; that would deny us the enjoyment of the depth of the divine Word, and the taste of its sanctity. In other words, in order to enjoy the perfection of the activity of the Word of God in us, we are committed not to receive it through the heretic interpretation; nor through a corrupt way of life in us; nor while in fellowship with wicked people who may corrupt the work of the Word in us. I wish we receive the living and active Word of God from the Holy Church; by a pure mind, a holy heart, and in a spiritual and holy atmosphere – By that we can enjoy the gladness of the sacrifice of peace. (7) The breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be given to Aaron and his sons. Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings. … What does this mean? .. The priest shall put the fat on the hand of the one, or on the hands of those who offer the sacrifice; puts the breast on the fat; puts his hands underneath the hands of those who offer the sacrifice, lifts them up, moves them upwards toward the four directions; then repeats the same thing with the right thigh. This refers to that the priest has offered the sacrifice to God, and offered thanksgiving to Him who fills the whole universe from East to West, and from North to South; Then he receives the breast and the right thigh of the sacrifice from the hands of God…. He delivers his (breast) to the Lord, to receive it again with a heart renewed in the Lord; … And he delivers to Him his right hand to receive it again a spiritual hand that works to the account of the Lord. By such rite of “waving the breast and the right thigh” the priest proclaims that he receives the work of God in his inner life (the breast), and in his apparent behavior (the right thigh); to have his whole life dedicated to the account of the Lord. 4- A CONCLUSION: He concludes his talk, by confirming the bond between the sacrifice and the priesthood; and proclaiming that this law “that God commanded to Moses” … should be elaborately followed for the sake of its holiness. ================================ THE SECOND SECTION THE CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS (CHAPTERS 8 to 10) 1- THE RITUAL OF CONSECRATION Chapter 8 2- PRACTICING THE PRIESTHOOD WORK Chapter 9 3- THE PRIESTHOOD WORK AND THE FOREIGN FIRE: Chapter 10 CHAPTERS 8 to 10 THE CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS In the book of Exodus (Chapters 25 to 30), the prophet Moses enjoyed the divine command to him to set the tabernacle of meeting, to furnish it, to make the priestly attires, and to consecrate the priests. Chapters 35 to 40 came to proclaim the execution of the divine command concerning the setting of the tabernacle, and the divine acceptance of it; but the talk about the consecration of the priests was postponed to follow that about the sacrifices and offerings in the book of Leviticus (Chapter 1 to 7); to bind the sacrifices to the priesthood, and the priesthood to the sacrifices; For there is no sacrifice without a priest; and no priesthood outside the sacrifice. If the priesthood of Aaron and his sons bears a symbol and a shadow of the priesthood of the Lord Christ, which is not set according to the order of Levi, but on that of Melchizedek (Hebrew 7); Yet, anointing Aaron and his sons reveals in a symbolic way the role of the priesthood of the Lord Christ. These chapters reveal as well, the concept of the life of consecration to the account of the Highest Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, as we are being anointed to our true Christ. This general consecration, to which every Christian, in the water of baptism, pledged to be only committed to the Lord, and to give Him his whole heart; to become thereby, a priest to Him, not with the concept of the priesthood got by the sacrament of priesthood, to practice the holy sacramental work; but the general priesthood, through which, every believer will have the right to stretch his hands to offer to God the sacrifices of thanksgiving, praise, prayers, and supplications. … That is what St. John Chrysostom, who enjoyed the Sacrament of Priesthood, made clear, and wrote in his six books about “The Priesthood”, the most magnificent works written by the fathers in this concern. About the general priesthood, he wrote: [You, as well, have become, in the font of baptism, a king, a priest, and a prophet. You have become a king with authority to destroy the works of evil, and to kill your sins; … You have become a priest to offer your life to God, as though slaying your body and soul to him; as it is written: “If we die with Him, we shall also live with Him” (2 Timothy 2: 11); … And you have become a prophet, to know what will happen in the future, being inspired by God, sealed with the anointment of the Spirit].
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