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Noah's offering was one of thanksgiving and dedication, and not an offering for sin.
The same may be said of the offering of Isaac, where the burnt offering is mentioned
six times. Its inner meaning is expressed in the words:--
"Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son from Me" (Gen. 22: 12).
It is this aspect of sacrifice that comes first from God's point of view. Man, quite
apart from sin, should render to God all that the burnt offering implies, although such an
offering on his part is now absolutely impossible. Man must begin at the other end;
trespass and sin must first of all be dealt with. Christ is presented in Lev. 1: under three
figures. He is the offerer, the offering, and the priest. The whole of His work was
vicarious and "for us". While in the O.T. sinful man brings the offering himself, in the
N.T. fulfillment it is God Who provides the Lamb, and it is Christ Who offers Himself.
Acceptance.
In verse 2 we read: "Ye shall bring your offering of the cattle," etc. Now the Hebrew
word "bring" is qarab, which means "to draw near", and the Hebrew word "offering" is
qorban, which means "what is brought near". Both words have the same triliteral root
orb. So in the A.V. we find the verb sometimes translated "bring", and sometimes
"offer" as it is in Lev. 1: 2, 3, 10. An essential element in all the offerings is this one of
drawing near, and of giving access. Not only access, but acceptance is involved. In
verse 3 the A.V. reads: "He shall offer it of his own voluntary will."
The Hebrew word ratson is sometimes rendered "self will" and "our will". But just as
the noun and verb qorban and qarab were seen to be allied, so in verse 4 the verb ratsah
(translated "it shall be accepted") reflects upon the noun in the preceding verse. Verse 3
should be rendered: "He shall offer it for its acceptance." So then this wondrous
offering may be said to be both for access and acceptance. Those who have, by grace,
access, and who are accepted in the Beloved, make it their aim that they may be
acceptable in their service. This is provided for in the burnt offering, for it was offered at
the consecration of priests, levites, and kings, for the purification of Nazarites, and before
battle. The three items that specially mark the burnt offerings are:--
1.
It was a sacrifice of sweet savour.
2.
It was offered for acceptance.
3.
It was wholly burnt upon the altar, except the skin.
These offerings are called "The food of God" [see Lev. 21: 17 (margin) and 21], and
in the structure given on page 150 we sought to express the value of this offering by
saying:--
"A | The burnt offering. All claims of God and man perfectly met."
This is expressed very clearly in Eph. 5: 2 where we read:--