Introduction

Although the burnt offering is a picture of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it is also a picture of the believer who gives himself unto the Lord. In this message, we will look at this second way of understanding the meaning of the burnt offering. We are to give ourselves entirely and without reserve to God.

1. The Offering was Presented (Leviticus 1:4And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
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2. The Offering was Killed (Leviticus 1:5And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
   See All...a)
1. It was killed by the one making the offering
1. The part of the offerer
1. He determined to make the offering “of his own voluntary will” (Leviticus 1:3If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
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2. He brought the offering to the door of the tabernacle (Leviticus 1:3If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
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3. He laid his hand on the head of the offering (Leviticus 1:4And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
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4. He killed the offering
2. As far as the law allowed, the offerer was identified with the offering. In bringing the burnt offering, he was in a sense bringing himself to the altar (Psalm 40:6-8 [6] Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, [8] I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
   See All...; Psalm 51:16-17 [16] For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
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2. It was killed before the Lord
1. Practically, this meant that it was killed in front of the tabernacle, a place which represented the presence of the Lord
2. Symbolically, this meant that it was killed for the sake of the Lord in total surrender to Him
3. The Blood of the Offering was Sprinkled (Leviticus 1:5And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
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1. A common practice under the law
1. To hallow or sanctify (Exodus 29:21And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
   See All...; Leviticus 8:30And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
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2. To cleanse the impure (Leviticus 14:51-52 [51] And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: [52] And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
   See All...; Leviticus 16:19And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
   See All...; Hebrews 9:13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
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2. It was sprinkled by the priests; as mediators for the offerers
3. It was sprinkled on the burnt altar; to make the offering acceptable to the Lord
4. It is a type that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things that that of Abel.
   See All...; 1Peter 1:2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
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4. The Offering was Prepared (Leviticus 1:6And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
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1. It was flayed; that is, the skin or hide was cut off (Micah 3:3Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
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1. The skin, being considered unclean, was not to be part of the burnt offering. It was to be removed before the offering was sacrificed.
2. The skin could be kept by the priests who made the offering (Leviticus 7:8And the priest that offereth any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered.
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3. A type of the believer putting off the flesh (Ephesians 4:22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
   See All...; Colossians 2:11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
   See All...; Colossians 3:9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
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2. It was cut into pieces
1. Each part must be separate from the others
2. Each part must be sacrificed
3. A type of the systematic surrender of the believer unto the Lord. He may give himself entirely and whole unto the Lord. But then he finds that each part of his heart and life must be dealt with separately (Romans 12:1-2 [1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
   See All...; Philippians 3:10The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
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5. The Altar was Prepared (Leviticus 1:7And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
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1. The priests put fire on the altar
1. A continual fire burned on the altar (Leviticus 6:12-13 [12] And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. [13] The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
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2. But the fire was built up for the particular offerings
3. God gives us trials sufficient for the offering we are ready to make (2Corinthians 4:10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
   See All...; 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [9] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
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2. The priests laid wood on the fire
1. The wood was laid in order
2. Every part of our trial is designed to accomplish its purpose
1. It works together for good (Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
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2. It works the work of God (Romans 5:3-5 [3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
   See All...; Hebrews 12:10-11 [10] For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. [11] Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
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6. The Offering was Placed on the Altar (Leviticus 1:8-9 [8] And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: [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.
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1. The offering was laid on the wood in order (Leviticus 1:8And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
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1. The parts; a picture of the various areas of the persons life
2. The head; the mind and soul of the man
3. The fat; a picture of the pleasures and joys of life; these also must be given to the Lord in a complete sacrifice
2. Some parts were washed in water before being offered (Leviticus 1:9But 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.
   See All...a); washing in water is a picture of the cleansing of the word of God (John 15:3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
   See All...; John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
   See All...; Ephesians 5:26-27 [26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
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1. The inwards; a picture of the inward man, the heart
2. The legs; a picture of the works of man
7. The Offering was Consumed on the Altar (Leviticus 1:9But 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.
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1. The entire offering was burned
2. It was a sweet savor unto the Lord
1. It was especially sweet unto the Lord
2. It was a complete sacrifice made willingly
3. The first three offerings (burnt, meat, peace) and both voluntary offerings and they are a sweet savor unto the Lord.  The last two offerings (sin, trespass) are required and are not called sweet savors to the Lord.  It is evidently sweet to the Lord when we serve Him because of love and not because we must (see Ephesians 5:2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
   See All...; Philippians 4:18
   See All...; Hebrews 13:16But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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CONCLUSION

Some have never made the complete sacrifice of themselves to the Lord Others think they have given themselves to the Lord, only to fight Him every step of the way through the process. Others still may be discouraged by what is the gracious working in their life of a fuller dedication to Him