The Land Marks of

Offerings
Introduction
• Ancient Religions:
• Interaction between humans and the divine, bringing an offering to
the gods was a constitutive aspect of personal devotion.
In the Near East
• Different types of offerings were brought to the gods by humans who
need their:
• A. Blessings
• B. Protection
• C. Forgiveness
• D. Guidance
Offerings were seen as the way of supplying the needs of the gods in
order to win or preserve their favour.
Presenting material offerings to the gods was a universal practice
Biblical Religion
Offerings play a very important role in the sanctuary services of the
Old testament and in the Christian worship in the New Testament
Offerings in the Old Testament
Offerings are mentioned many times than Tithe in
the Old Testament.
Have a very distinctive place and function in the
worship of the only True God.
Worship and Offerings are inseparable in the OT.
A. Sacrificial Expiatory Offerings
Expiation and sacrificial offerings are linked together in the OT
system of Worship.
The primary expiatory offerings

• The sin offering(Leviticus 4)

• The guilt offering (Leviticus 5),
Numbers 5:9

•And every offering(terûm~h) of all the

holy things of the children of Israel,
which they bring unto the priest, shall be
his.
Numbers 18:8

• And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I

also have given thee the charge of mine heave
offerings of all the hallowed things of the
children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by
reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an
ordinance for ever.
It designates a gift or an offering set aside for
the Lord outside the sanctuary, then brought to
the sanctuary and given to God.
The expiatory power of these offerings was not located in the
sacrificial victim itself but in God who, out of His grace, assigned that
function to them.
(Leviticus 17:11).

For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood:

and I have given it to you upon the altar to
make an atonement for your souls: for it [is]
the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the
soul.
The atoning efficacy was located in
God's willingness to forgive the sins
of His people
• Leviticus 4:26 And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat
of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an
atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

• Leviticus 4:31 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is
taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest
shall burn [it] upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and
the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven
him.
The sacrificial expiatory
offerings
Their only function was to point to God as the only One who could
expiate sin.

The Old Testament itself testifies to the ultimate inefficacy of the

expiatory offerings to bring forgiveness and at the same time identifies
the only effective means of atonement.
Psalm 51:16

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else

would I give [it]: thou delightest not
in burnt offering.
David
David recognized that his sin could not be removed through sacrificial
offerings of animals (Psalm 51:16).

His only hope was to rely exclusively on God's unfailing love and
compassion (verses 1, 2).
Psalm 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan
the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have
mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin.
Psalm 49:7-10
49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the
multitude of their riches;
 49:7 None [of them] can by any means redeem his brother, nor give
to God a ransom for him:
 49:8 (For the redemption of their soul [is] precious, and it ceaseth for
ever:)
 49:9 That he should still live for ever, [and] not see corruption.
49:10 For he seeth [that] wise men die, likewise the fool and the
brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
Psalm 49:11
Their inward thought [is, that] their houses [shall continue] for ever,
[and] their dwelling places to all generations; they call [their] lands
after their own names.
It is impossible for humans to bring an
offering to the Lord costly enough to ransom
themselves.
God is the only One who could provide that
offering, and He did.
Isaiah 53:10-12
• 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall
prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
• 53:11He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities.
• 53:12Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
•
Isaiah foresaw the future work of the Messiah who, although
rejected by His people, was God's expiatory offering
provided by Him for their redemption.
The Lord made his life a guilt offering (Isaiah 53:10); he
bore the sin of many and was numbered with the
transgressors (verse 12) in order to declare them righteous
(verse 11).
What no human offering could accomplish the
divine offering achieved.
New Testament

• We are informed that it is impossible for the

blood of sacrificial victims to remove sin from
the worshipers (Hebrews 10:4).
Hebrews 10:4

•For [it is] not possible that the blood

of bulls and of goats should take
away sins.
• This is possible solely through the blood of
Christ (10:14).
• Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering he hath perfected for
ever them that are sanctified.
Paul States:
• Romans 3:25
Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past, through the forbearance of God;
Paul states that God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,
through faith in his blood (Romans 3:25).
Christ
• Mark 10:45
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many.
Christ himself interpreted his mission as giving his
life as a ransom for many (Mark10:45).
Understanding of Expiatory Offerings

The importance of this understanding of

expiatory offerings is foundational for a
biblical theology of offerings.
1. First, God is described here as
willing to give, as an offerer.
Human giving is to model itself after
divine giving
Compared to how much God gives, His
people give Him very little
WHY GIVE?

If we are expected to bring an

offering to Him it is because He
Himself gave an offering on our
behalf.
2. None of our offerings has an expiatory
function.
We possess nothing we could bring to the
Lord to make us acceptable before Him.
 We do not need to do so because God
provided the only offering through which
expiation is achieved.
Our offerings should never be viewed as
attempts on our part to obtain God's sympathy,
love, or forgiveness.
That is the exclusive and indisputable function
of God's offering of Christ for us.
The Motivation
The motivation of our giving should never be to
make ourselves meritorious before the Lord.

In fact, what makes our offerings acceptable to

God is the sacrificial offering of His Son who
sanctifies our giving.
B. Sacrifices as Offerings
Apart from the sin and guilt offerings there are other sacrificial
offerings that in addition to the expiatory function also had other
theological and religious purposes. Two of them are of particular value
to our study, namely the burnt (Leviticus 1) and the peace (Leviticus
3) offerings.
We will deal only with the non-expiatory aspect of these offerings.
1. Burnt Offerings(Leviticus 1:3-17)
• No part of this offering was given to the priest or to the one bringing
the offering; the whole sacrificial victim was burnt on the altar, totally
surrendered to the Lord (Leviticus 1:9).
• Leviticus 1:9
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest
shall burn all on the altar, [to be] a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by
fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Burnt Offering
 A ritual expression of the willingness of the
worshipers to commit or re-consecrate their
whole lives to God.
He, as their Lord, had a total claim on them, and
this offering was a symbolic act of complete self-
surrender to Him.
• The burnt offering is referred to in Hebrew as a offering, from the
verb come near, approach.
• This is a generic term used to designate sacrifices and other offerings
brought by the Israelites to the Lord (see Leviticus 22:18; Numbers
7:3, 12-17; 15:4; 31:50).
Leviticus 22:18
Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all
the children of Israel, and say unto them,
Whatsoever [he be] of the house of Israel, or of
the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation
for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings,
which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt
offering;
Numbers 7:3

And they brought their offering before the

LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve
oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and
for each one an ox: and they brought them
before the tabernacle.
Numbers 7:12-17
• 7:12 And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the
son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:
• 7:13 And his offering [was] one silver charger, the weight thereof
[was] an hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy
shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them [were] full of
fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
• 7:14 One spoon of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense:
• 7:15 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first
year, for a burnt offering:
• 7:16 One kid of the goats for a sin offering:
• 7:17 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first
year: this [was] the offering of Nahshon the son of
Amminadab.
• Numbers 15:4

•Then shall he that offereth his

offering unto the LORD bring a
meat offering of a tenth deal of flour
mingled with the fourth [part] of an
hin of oil.
Numbers 31:51

And Moses and Eleazar the

priest took the gold of them,
[even] all wrought jewels.
An Offering

It could be translated as that which is

brought near, presented, offered.
An offering is, therefore, something that is
transferred from our sphere to the Lord's; by
bringing it near to Him it becomes His.
Animals
Different animals are accepted as sacrificial victims for a
burnt offering.
The animals are listed on the basis of their financial value.
The most valuable is mentioned first, a young bull, and is
followed by sheep and goats (see Leviticus 1:3, 10).
Even birds, a dove, or a pigeon could be offered (verse 14).
Young Bull
SHEEP
GOAT
Pigeon
Two Notes:

First, an offering is something that is costly

to the worshipers.

They are depriving themselves of a costly

and useful animal by giving it to the Lord.
David

• David understood this principle and rejected the

idea of giving to the Lord a sacrificial victim that
was not his (2 Samuel 24:24).
2 Samuel 24:24
• And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will
surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I
offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of
that which doth cost me nothing. So David
bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty
shekels of silver. 289.45 Zambian Kwacha
Second

 God does not expect everyone to give the

same amount.
 Naming the sacrificial victims from the
most to the least expensive makes it possible
for everyone to bring something to the Lord.
The Lord would expect some to bring a bull
and others a sheep or a goat, depending on
their financial condition.
The poorest of all could bring a bird (see
Leviticus 5:7; 12:8).
Leviticus 5:7

 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then

he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath
committed, two turtledoves, or two young
pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin
offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
Leviticus 12:8

 And if she be not able to bring a lamb,

then she shall bring two turtles, or two young
pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and
the other for a sin offering: and the priest
shall make an atonement for her, and she
shall be clean.
The Theological Implication

 God considers the inner disposition

of the giver, and that the willingness
to worship Him has more value than
the monetary worth of the offering.
Internal Experience

One's internal experience

would be expressed in bringing
to the Lord the best one can
offer.
Besides the expiatory function of this sacrifice,
two other reasons are given for bringing it to the
Lord.
Leviticus 22:17-20
22:17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
 22:18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the
children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever [he be] of
the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer
his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings,
which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
22:19 [Ye shall offer] at your own will a
male without blemish, of the beeves, of the
sheep, or of the goats.
 22:20 [But] whatsoever hath a blemish,
[that] shall ye not offer: for it shall not be
acceptable for you.
Votive Offering- Given by vow;
devoted; as votive offerings.
A votive offering was brought after the
fulfillment of a vow.
A person presented a request to the Lord
and solemnly promised to give a votive
offering after receiving an answer to the
prayer.
•
Bringing this offering was a joyful occasion, during
which the person expressed gratitude to the Lord who
answers prayers (see Psalm 61:8; Nahum 1:15).
The burnt offering could also be a voluntary offering.
It was, then, brought to the Lord out of devotion, not
because of precept or promise; an expression of love to
God.
•Psalms 61:8
•So will I sing praise unto thy
name for ever, that I may daily
perform my vows.
• Nahum 1:15
• Behold upon the mountains the feet of him
that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth
peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts,
perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no
more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
An offering is a tangible expression of a person's full
commitment to the Lord brought to Him out of
gratitude and love.
 It is to be brought to the center of worship and
handed over to those appointed by God to receive it.
One is expected to bring the very best one can offer
based on one's financial resources.
2. Peace Offerings-Leviticus 3:1-17)

The peace offering was

distinguished from the burnt
offering in several ways.
The sacrificial victim could be a female from
the herd or the flock.
 Female animals were more expensive.
 Most of the flesh of the sacrificial victim was
given back to the worshiper to eat in the
company of the family and friends (Leviticus
7:11-21).
When bringing the burnt offering, the
individual did not benefit materially, but in
the case of the peace offering, he or she did
benefit. This allowed for a group to come
together to worship God.
Three types of Peace Offerings:

The votive
 The freewill
The thanksgiving offerings
(Leviticus 7:12, 16)
Leviticus 7:12

 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he

shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving
unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and
unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and
cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
Leviticus 7:16

•7:16 But if the sacrifice of his offering

[be] a vow, or a voluntary offering, it
shall be eaten the same day that he
offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow
also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
Voluntary Offerings.
• All of them were voluntary offerings.
• They could be brought to fulfill a vow or as an act of personal
devotion to God, similar to the burnt offering.
Thanksgiving Aspect

• The new element is the thanksgiving aspect.

• The Hebrew tôd~h thanksgiving is used in the Bible to express the
ideas of:
 Praise
 Thanksgiving
 Confession
When it was given?
• The offering was presented after experiencing deliverance from some
danger.
• It was Aa product of the spontaneous desire to perform a public deed
expressing one's thankfulness for blessings that have been enjoyed.
The occasion was to be joyful (Deuteronomy 27:7:
Psalm 95:2).

• Deuteronomy 27:7
And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice
before the LORD thy God.

Psalm 95:2
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful
noise unto him with psalms.
New Elements
1. This offering can be of material benefit to those
who offer it.
 As we noticed, most of it is given back to the giver to
facilitate collective worship with family members and
friends.
 All share in or participate of the offering brought by
one of them.
2.
 The offering could be a vehicle to express
thanksgiving and praise to God for His
blessings and power to deliver from evil.
It was in essence an expression of gratitude
to the covenant God.
C. Other Offerings
Several other offerings are mentioned in the Old Testament. The meal
offering is called in Hebrew minch~h and means a gift, tribute.
In Leviticus this is a technical term used to designate a cereal offering
made of fine flour cooked or uncooked and mixed with oil (Leviticus
2:1-10).
It was given to the Lord, but He gave most of it to the officiating
priest.
In the Old Testament, the term minch~h
designates a gift given to a superior who
was recognized as master or ruler over
the person bringing the gift (see Judges
3:15; 2 Samuel 8:2, 6).
Judges 3:15

• 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried

unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a
deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a
Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the
children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon
the king of Moab.
2 Samuel 8:2, 6
8:2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line,
casting them down to the ground; even with two lines
measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep
alive. And [so] the Moabites became David's servants, [and]
brought gifts.
 8:6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the
Syrians became servants to David, [and] brought gifts. And
the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
Meal offering

Bringing Meal offering to God the

Israelites were stating in ritual language
that Yahweh was their covenant Lord
and they were His subjects.
• The fact that it was a grain offering may suggest that the fruits of the
land were recognized to be the result of the blessings of the Lord.
Notice, however, that what was brought was not the
grain but flour.
Through their work they transformed the grain into
flour.
 God and humans are working together, and when
humans bring an offering they are not only recognizing
the work of God but also consecrating their own work
to Him.
• The Israelites were required to bring to the Lord the first fruits of the
land (Leviticus 23:9-11; Numbers 18:12-13; Deuteronomy 18:4; 26:1-
11).
• This offering was essentially a thanksgiving offering given to the Lord
for the support of the priesthood (Deuteronomy 18:3-5).
• The fact that it was called the first fruits suggests that it was
the very best of the harvest (Numbers 18:12; Exodus 23:19).
• It also indicates that God was first in the life of the
worshiper. The Israelites did not give from the surplus.
• Before they began to enjoy the harvest they separated the
first fruits for the Lord (Leviticus 23:14).
D. Special Offerings
III. Offerings in the New Testament
A. Jesus and Offerings
1. Offerings and Worship
2. Offerings and Interpersonal Relatioships
3. Offerings and Commitment to the Lord
4. Offerings and True Benevolence
5. Offerings and Christian Ministry
B. Paul and Offerings
1. Paul’s Reluctance to Accept Offerings
2. Paul as Recipient of Offering
3. Paul and the Collection
C. Offerings in Acts
1. Offering for the poor
2. Special Offering
iv. Summary and Conclusion