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too sacred, too profound, too vital for anything trifling or speculative. We desire the rock
of truth beneath our feet, and thank God we have found it.
The atonement, with the meaning that emerges from the great number of examples we
have surveyed, is affirmed of the burnt offering, guilt offering, sin offering, the blood
itself, the ram for the installation of the priest, the meal and peace offering, the half
shekel, the appointment of the Levites, the incense, the punishment of a sinner, the
offering of the spoils of war, and the blood of a murderer. Are we acquainted with all
these urges, their contexts, their self-explanations? Until we are, what is the worth of our
opinion? These and other features we hope to deal with in subsequent papers. Let us
rejoice in that precious blood which not only redeemed us (Eph. 1: 7), but made us nigh
(Eph. 2: 13), and praise and adore Him who so loved us as to shed that blood as a
propitiation for our sins.
#12.
The five offerings of Leviticus.
pp. 150 - 152
We have seen in previous articles the necessity for keeping the conception of
redemption distinct from that of atonement, although in reality both the redemption and
the atonement of Christ were wrought by one and the selfsame offering. Drawing nearer
to the question of atonement itself, we shall find that it has a five-fold significance, and
that this five-fold aspect is set forth with great care and elaboration in the opening
chapter of the book of Leviticus.
It is possible that some of our readers will be aware of the fact that atonement is not
predicated of the meat offering, nor of the peace offering in Lev. 2: and 3: We find,
however, that it is connected with the meat and peace offerings in conjunction with the
burnt offering in Ezek. 45: 15-17.
The five offerings as a group.
Each offering has its own peculiar mission, and sets forth some one distinctive aspect
of the work of Christ, but we shall appreciate the distinctions when we see how they all
blend into one harmonious whole.
A | The burnt offering. All claims of God and man perfectly met.
B | The meat offering. Inherent holiness. All frankincense.
C | The peace offering. Communion. God and man partake.
B | The sin offering. Inherent sinfulness. Ashes.
A | The trespass offering. The claims of God and man. The double tithe.
To establish the inter-relation suggested in this arrangement will necessitate a patient
study of the separate offerings, but a brief anticipation of our findings may not be out of