The Five Major Offerings of the Bible

Introduction: Identity of the Five Offerings:
The Levitical sacrificial system had five separate and distinct offerings that could be made to the Lord. These are the five major offerings that are introduced in the first five chapters of Leviticus. They are:
• The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1)
• The Meat Offering (Leviticus 2)
• The Peace Offering (Leviticus 3)
• The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4)
• The Trespass Offering (Leviticus 5)
Other offerings are mentioned in the Mosaic Law. These other offerings include those made for a vow (called votive), thank offerings, drink offerings, heave offerings, and wave offerings. However, these offerings are usually, if not always, a subset of the five major offerings. For instance, the thank offering is a type of peace offering. These offerings will not be considered in detail in this introduction.
Purpose of the Five Offerings:
The offerings of the law almost require a threefold approach.
• First, they provide a way for the Israelites to make and keep a right relationship with God.
• Second, they are a type of Jesus Christ and a description of His sacrifice for us.
• Third, they are a pattern for our own approach to God. The difference between the Old Testament Israelites and the New Testament saints is the Israelites were to
Survey of the Five Major Offerings:
Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1)
• Only offering to be totally consumed on the altar with nothing eaten by men
• First offering mentioned by name in the Bible (Genesis 8:20)
• Most common of the offerings mentioned in scripture (197 times)
• Voluntary offering and a sweet savor to the Lord
• Indicates entire surrender
Meat Offering (Leviticus 2)
• Only offering made without the shedding of blood and without an animal sacrifice
• Offering of fine flour; no animal flesh
• Voluntary offering and a sweet savor to the Lord
• Indicates a living sacrifice
Peace Offering (Leviticus 3)
• Only offering in which the offerer could eat of the meat of the sacrifice
• Voluntary offering and a sweet savor to the Lord
• Indicates fellowship or communion
Sin Offering (Leviticus 4)
• Required offering; not a sweet savor
• Dealt with the sinner and the problem of sin
• Indicates payment for the sin nature
Trespass Offering (Leviticus 5)
• Required offering; not a sweet savor
• Dealt with particular sins
• Indicates forgiveness of committed sins
The Five Animals Used in the Offerings: (first mentioned together in Genesis 15:9)
• Oxen – service and strength (Proverbs 14:4)
• Sheep – meekness and purity (Isaiah 53:7)
• Goats – sin and judgment (Christ became sin for us)
• Pigeon – poverty (Leviticus 12:8)
• Turtledoves – innocence (Psalm 74:19)
The Order of the Five Offerings in Leviticus 1-5
They mark a progression of closeness to God with the first offering mentioned being the closest to God and the last one being the first step in approaching God. This seemingly backwards approach is not unusual in the Bible. God usually begins from His perspective, not ours. He describes the furniture of the most holy place first and then proceeds to the holy place and the courtyard. He creates heaven and then earth (Genesis 1:1). He lists the three-part nature of man as spirit first, then soul, then body (1 Thesalonians 5:23).


First, consider the order of the offerings as they point to the sacrifice of Christ.

Burnt Offering Christ surrendered Himself entirely to God being fully consumed in His commitment (Philippians 2:6-8)
Meat Offering Christ gave Himself as a living sacrifice continually doing the will of the Father (John 4:34)
Peace Offering Christ made peace with God on the behalf of man (Ephesians 2:13-14)
Sin Offering Christ atoned for our fallen sin nature on the cross and satisfied the wrath of God (Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 9:26)
Trespass Offering Christ paid for our individual sins in His death on the cross (Hebrews 10:12)
However, when we come to God, we must do so in reverse order. Notice the following table with the offerings given in reverse order and their symbology explained.

Trespass Offering We realize the guilt of our sins and our need for forgiveness of these sins in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:2)
Sin Offering We need a power that can even conquer our sin nature or else we will lose our salvation as soon as we gain it (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Peace Offering We find that through the cross of Christ He opened the way for true fellowship with God (1 John 1:3)
Meat Offering Through His obedient life, Christ shows us the way to be a living sacrifice for God (Romans 12:1)
Burnt Offering We find the greatest blessing in being fully consumed in our commitment to God (Philippians 2:17)
The Burnt Offering:
The burnt offering is the first offering specified by name in the Bible. Noah offered burnt offerings when he left the ark (Genesis 8:20). Abel’s offering was certainly a burnt offering as well although it is not called such (Genesis 4:4). The burnt offering is also the most common of the offerings mentioned in scripture and probably the most commonly offered.