Ps. 50:8 ff.).
Another thought contained in the Gentile sacrifices was recognised in the Law. He to whom the sacrifice was offered admitted His worshippers (with certain limitations) to His table. They had communion with the altar (1 Cor. 10:18 oiJ ejsqivonte" ta;" qusiva" koinwnoi; tou' qusiasthrivou eijsiv ). They shared with the Lord in a common feast.
But all these thoughts of homage, service, fellowship, were shewn to rest, as men are, upon the thought of a foregoing atonement, cleansing, consecration. This thought was brought out into fullest relief in the Levitical ritual by the characteristic use which was made of the bloodthe virtue of the offered life.
The foundation of the Levitical law of sacrifice is laid in the Covenant Sacrifice (Exod. 24).
Young men of the children of Israel
the representatives of the people in the fulness of their vigour
offered burnt- offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord
(v. 5). Such was the spontaneous expression of human worship. But it was not enough.
Moses took half of the blood and put it in basons, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar
(v. 6). Then followed the pledge of obedience;
and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you
... (v. 8).
Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and they saw the God of Israel...they saw God and did eat and drink
(vv. 9 ff.). So the human desire was justified and fulfilled. The blood of the Covenant, the power of a new life made available for the people of God, enabled men to hold communion with God (v. 11
upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand:
contrast 19:21). The lessons of sacrifice were completed: service, cleansing, consecration, fellowship.
The teaching thus broadly given in the consecration of the people to God found a more detailed exposition in the consecration of the priests, the representatives of the people in the divine service (Exod. 29; Lev. 8). Here, as was natural, the acknowledgment of personal sin was more prominent. The bathing, robing, anointing, were followed by the sacrifice of a sin-offering (Ex. 29:10 ff.). Then one of two rams was offered as a whole burnt-offering, a sweet savour, and of the other, after the blood had been duly applied to the altar and the candidates for the priesthood, part, together with a portion of the prepared bread, was burnt for a sweet savour before the Lord, and part with the remainder of the bread was eaten by Aaron and his sons by the door of the tent of meeting (v. 32): they ate those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate, to sanctify them (v. 33).
It follows from the general idea of the Jewish sacrifices that they were ruled by the conception of the Covenant. In part they embodied the devout action of those for whom the full privileges of the Covenant were in force; and in part they made provision for the restoration of the privileges which had been temporarily forfeited.
Thus the customary sacrifices fall into two groups: ( a ) Sacrifices made while the covenant relation is valid.
( a ) The burnt-offering ( hl;[o , H6592).
Lev. 1:3 ff.
( b ) The peace-offerings ( : ymil;v] , of three kinds: (1) hd:/T ,