This fourth installment of the Lectures on Leviticus concludes our study of the Burnt Offering. We move from the preparation of the sacrifice to the actual fire on the altar. Every specific detail—from the arrangement of wood to the washing of the entrails—serves as a spiritual manual for how we should process the Word of God and purify our internal lives today.
7) Arranging the wood on the fire
After cutting the animal into pieces, priests put the pieces on the altar to burn them. They don’t just burn them but follow a specific procedure. Leviticus 1:7-8 says, “The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.”
They kept the fire burning all the time on the altar for burning animals. As the wood is arranged on the altar, it would begin to burn. They also arranged the pieces together with the head and the fat on the burning wood. The fire symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Then what is the meaning of ‘putting the wood on the fire’ and what is the meaning of the wood that is put on this fire of the Holy Spirit in our worship today?
The wood refers to contents of the Bible. In the 66 books of the Bible that are God’s words. For example, “Repent! The kingdom of heaven is near!” “Roast the lamb over the fire and eat it.” “Pray in your room closing the door of the room.” These words of the Bible indicate the ‘wood’ that was to be put on the fire. Next, ‘to put the wood on the fire’ indicates that you should learn and understand each word of the Bible by the work of the Holy Spirit. You can understand and keep the word of God fully in your heart only when the power of God comes on you in the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, Exodus 12:9 says, ‘Roast the lamb over the fire and eat it.’ The lamb here stands for the Word of God. The lamb is the symbol of Jesus Christ who is the word and came down to this earth in flesh. So God says eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Lord is to learn God’s word and practice it. So, eating the lamb is to make God’s word our spiritual food. It is also said that we must not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roasted over the fire.
‘Cooking the meat in water’ symbolizes that you mix the word of God with the worldly philosophy and human knowledge. Some preachers mention theories of Socrates or other famous scholars rather than the word of God. Those worldly sermons cannot become strength in spirit or increase the faith. Will you become a spiritual warrior if you major in philosophy? We must not compare worldly literature or mix it with the word of God. Only the Word of the holy God is the truth. If you quote from Socrates or Confucius only because they sound good, even though those words are truth, the truth is already in the Bible. That is why we have to use the word of God. Even if some great men said some truths, that truth is certainly already in the Bible. All the truths are in the word of God.
The meaning of ‘eating the meat raw’ is interpreting the word literally without understanding the spiritual meaning contained in the word. If you try to interpret the word of God literally, you may not only miss its spiritual meaning but also misunderstand it against the original meaning.
You may understand that you have to go to the west, while God tells you to go to the east. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 6:6, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
If we interpret it literally that we have to go into a closed room and pray there in secret. But as a matter of fact, Jesus prayed to God on the Mountain of Olives, Daniel prayed in his room with the windows wide open toward the Temple in Jerusalem. He did not close the door but prayed with the window open. Besides, a certain man of God prayed beside the river and another man of God on the roof of a house. Nonetheless, there was no record that a man of God prayed to God in secret in a closed room.
The true meaning of this word is that you should not pray with hypocrisy like Pharisees but pray to God with the true heart. If you go into a room in secret, you are cut off from outside, so you do not hear any noise.
Likewise, it means that you have to pray to God with a true heart to communicate with God without any idle thoughts. You should understand the Word spiritually. If you only take it literally, you have to go into a room in secret and pray thinking it is the will of God.
When you eat the word of God ‘roasted over the fire’, namely when you read the Bible with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you can understand the spiritual meanings. In Luke 13: 33 Jesus said, “for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.” You cannot understand this verse if you interpret it literally and eat it raw.
In fact, a lot of men of God died outside the city of Jerusalem. Jesus and many of the disciples died outside Jerusalem. Moses died on the mountain of Nebo and Jesus was crucified on the hill of Golgotha outside Jerusalem. The apostles Paul and Peter were martyred in Rome. Thomas the apostle was killed in India.
So you must not think Jerusalem is literally the city of Jerusalem here. It is the spiritual Jerusalem that contains the heart and will of God, which is the ‘word of God’. Thus, ‘No prophet can die outside Jerusalem’ spiritually means that prophets live and die in the word of God.
These words teach us that we should also live in the word of God. We should live and die in the word. So you should interpret the word of the Bible not literally but spiritually in the work of the Holy Spirit to understand the true and spiritual meaning of the word.
Now, do you understand what it means by arranging the wood on the fire of the altar? It is not only for when you read the Bible, but when you listen to God’s word in worship services. You should listen by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to understand it. Then, you can understand it in your head as knowledge and you can understand and believe it in your heart. Even the Words that do not seem to agree with human knowledge and theories, through the Holy Spirit can be understood in both the head and the heart.
If you try to understand God’s word with idle thoughts or with just your worldly knowledge, you cannot understand it or believe it. Therefore, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will put the wood on the fire and understand the word of God by the work of the Holy Spirit so that you will experience the power and grace of God.
8) Arrange the pieces over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.
After putting the wood over the fire, the cut pieces of the animal sacrifice were put over the burning wood. Verses 8-9 say, “Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.” They placed the pieces along with the head and fat.
Then, they washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned all of it over the fire. Namely, the priest burned all parts of the animal except for its skin. Then, why did God illustrate it in such a specific and complicated manner mentioning all parts including the head, fat, inner parts, and legs without just saying burn everything except the skin? That was because the name of each part has spiritual meaning. Let’s start with the significance of the head.
First, burning the head means that you should burn your operation of soul, namely thoughts of untruth coming from your brain. Operation of soul, namely our thoughts come from the head. Jesus wore the crown of thorns to forgive our sins committed through our thoughts.
Most of the sins that you commit, all the things and works of the flesh originate from your head, from your operation of soul, your thoughts. You receive the works of Satan, works of untruth, and evil thoughts, through your thoughts. This thought is passed on to your mind, and it can then come out as action. All these things are untruths that are against God. That is why in Romans chapter 8 it says that we have to demolish the mind that is set on the flesh. It stands against God, and with this, we cannot either obey God’s word or please Him. What can be done about what we think?
You have to hear the voice of your heart. You have to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit coming from your heart, and when you act on it. It then becomes a deed of spirit and truth which is pleasing to God. We should hear the voice of the Holy Spirit directly. Thoughts are something indirect. Your thoughts are utilized by the work of Satan through the operation of soul, and it goes to your heart, and then your heart moves to commit deeds of untruth.
How many sins do people commit in their thoughts such as boasting, neglecting others, judging, blaming, condemning, envying, hating, and so on? The worldly people do not regard you as a sinner if you do not commit sins in action. But, God says what you have in your mind is also sin. 1 John 3:15 says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
If you hate your brother, you don’t have eternal life in you, so it means you will not be saved. To hate a brother is to spiritually murder him, and a murderer will not be saved. So, you must not hate anybody.
God says you are a murderer if you hate your brother although you do not actually kill somebody. But Jesus already redeemed us from all our sins 2,000 years ago. He forgave not only sins committed with hands and feet but also sins committed in thoughts. He was nailed through His hands and feet to redeem us from our sins committed with our hands and feet, and wore the crown of thorns and shed His blood to wash away our sins committed in our thoughts.
Today we don’t have to burn the head of the animal as an offering because Jesus wore the crown of thorns and forgave our sins committed in thoughts. Instead of burning an animal’s head in sacrifice, we only have to burn our thoughts with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
But what does it mean by burning our thoughts?
Before people decide something, they first think about it. They may have right and good thoughts, but also they may have evil thoughts. In fact, most of the thoughts of those who do not live in the truth are untruths. But, we children of God should go through another process before we think about something. Namely, we should listen to the voice of the truth from our heart. The voice of truth from our heart indicates the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of God’s children and teaches us and leads us through His voice.
Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” God’s sons are those who are led by the Holy Spirit. Of course, sons include daughters, too. Children of God must listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in their heart. You should think and act in truth according to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Those who think according to the Holy Spirit’s voice coming from the heart do not think evil and untrue things. Let me give an example. Suppose your friend walks by you without saying hello or throwing a smile your way. If you live according to your own thoughts, you may gain the wrong impression from it because you accept a thought of untruth, thinking, “I wonder why he just ignored me,” or “I wonder if he has a problem with me.” That then brings an uncomfortable feeling toward him. However, if you listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit from your heart, you will think according to the truth.
In fact, that friend might have been concentrating on something else so hard that he just did not see you or may be his eyes are bad and he was not wearing contacts at that time. But whether it was that he could not recognize you because of his near-sightedness or deep thought, you would only think with goodness. Not thinking or acting negatively leaves the way open to truth and goodness and to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
You would not judge others with evil thoughts. In fact, even if he turned his eyes from you with bad feelings, you would not have discomfort. When he strikes you on the right cheek, you would turn to him the other also. You would think, “What shall I do to soothe his heart?” This is ‘to burn your thoughts by the fire of the Holy Spirit’. It is to cast off thoughts of untruth and take the thoughts of truth all the time. Then, you are no longer a man of the soul or the sinful thought. You can become a man of spirit following the truth.
A man of spirit does not think according to untruth nor think useless things. Unlike some people with sinful thoughts who have idle thoughts almost as soon as the message begins, the man of spirit concentrates on the message without the fleshly thoughts or idle thoughts.. How can the Holy Spirit move the heart of a person who will not try to hear?
The Holy Spirit controls our heart and helps us understand the word of God when we cast away idle thoughts and focus on the message. A man of spirit who follows the voice of the heart worships God in spirit and in truth without having idle thoughts, and his worship is acceptable to God.
What does it mean by “offering the fat”?
The fat of an animal is the source of the energy and the life itself. Jesus gave all His energy for us. In John 19:34 it says that when a soldier pierced his side with a spear water and blood flowed out from his side.
He became a sacrifice for us to the point of shedding all His blood and water. So, we don’t have to give God the fat of an animal as an offering any longer as long as we believe Jesus is the Lord and He is the sacrifice for us. But, to believe is not just confessing with our lips that we believe in the Lord. If we truly believe Him, we must be changed and live a holy life within the word of God. Also, we should worship God with all our soul and mind and strength and heart in each service. Only then can we plant the word of God not only as knowledge in our head but accomplish it in our heart. The knowledge itself is of no use.
Rather, you may neglect, despise, or judge others with that knowledge, and break the heart of God. So, those with faith only as knowledge often become arrogant saying they are born-Christians.
You must put God’s word in your head as knowledge, but you have to accomplish it in your heart as spirit as well. If you listen to recorded messages or read them as text during the week, please do not just take them in as knowledge, but accomplish them in your heart as spirit. If you accomplish them as spirit, your actions and words will come out only in spirit. It is possible when you don’t have any flesh or fleshly thoughts in you. It is possible when you are in spirit completely.
Until now I explained about putting the pieces of an animal, the head and the fat over the fire. You can receive the fire, which is the fullness of the Holy Spirit when you attend the service according to the proper procedures, come to God wholeheartedly after burning your thoughts, and worship God in spirit and truth.
9) He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water
Next, verse 9 says, “Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water.” Other parts are just offered, but the inner parts and the legs had to be washed with water.
Inner parts of an animal have dirty things on them, so men wash them before they eat them. Also, the legs are easily stained with many kinds of unclean things during slaughter. For this reason, you must wash the contamination with water to give God a clean sacrifice. The animal is given as an offering in the place of the life of men. Thus, to wash the animal with water symbolizes cleansing us from all kinds of contamination.
Then, what are the things that we have to clean?
People of the Old Testament cleansed the dirty things of the offering in action. In the same way we must cleanse the dirty things of our heart in the New Testament days. In Matthew chapter 15 the Pharisees and scribes brought accusations against Jesus for His disciples’ eating food with unwashed hands. They thought it was unclean to eat with unwashed hands. Jesus replied in the Verse 11, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
What goes into the mouth comes out. But, what comes out of the mouth comes from heart. Matthew 15:19-20 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.” Jeremiah 17:9 also says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” So, we must wash our heart with water just as they washed the inner parts and legs of an animal. The water with which we must wash our heart is the word of God as said in Ephesians 5:26, “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”
How can we wash our heart with the word of God?
Washing with the word of God is the same process as that of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of Man. The Son of Man, Jesus, is the Word who came to this earth in flesh. So, to eat His flesh and drink His blood means we must keep the word of God in our heart and practice it in our life. When we eat food and drink water, nutrients are supplied to all parts of our body and wastes and by-products are eliminated by the body. When truth builds up in our heart the unclean sins go out of us as we eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, that is, when we keep the word of God and obey it in our lives.
For example, one who used to get angry easily changes into a meek person as he decides to obey the word of God saying, “Be meek” and prays for it. It is good if he can change immediately after he listens to the word. But if he gets angry again like before, he must tear his heart, repent, and pray to become a meek person. Then, he will gradually change. He will get angry less frequently than before, and finally one day he will have cast off anger completely.
If you take in the word of love, hatred goes out, and if you take in the word of humbleness, you can remove arrogance. Also, you can get rid of falsehood and slyness when you take the words of truthfulness.
Likewise, you can remove your sins and raise your faith to the full measure of Jesus Christ as you intake the word of truth. Then, you can receive the power and strength of God and desires of your heart, and enjoy the blessings in all ways.
On the contrary, you can receive neither life nor blessings if you don’t intake the word and wash away your sins. Jesus said in John 6:53, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” You should give your self as a living sacrifice washing your sins with water.
Priests burn the cut pieces as a burnt offering, the head, the fat, and then the inner parts and legs that are washed with water are burnt on the altar. Leviticus 1:9 says, “And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.” God answered Elijah by burning the offerings with fire from heaven.
God also burnt all animals that King Solomon gave to Him as offerings after the completion of the construction of the Holy Temple. God showed him the evidence that He was pleased with the offerings. In that way the sacrifice made by fire is pleasing to God. If you worship God in spirit and truth, your worship becomes an acceptable sacrifice made by fire and enables you to receive the answer from God.
Your heart in worshipping God becomes a sweet aroma to God. What matters if God accepts you joyfully? Although you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you enjoy blessings in all your ways because God’s grace is with you.