Lev 1:13 | KingComments | STEP | The Israelite may also bring a smaller animal than a young bull as a burnt offering: a male without defect of the sheep or of the goats. It speaks of the same perfect work of the Lord Jesus and is also “a soothing aroma to the LORD”. What is not perfect, however, is our understanding, our awareness of what the burnt offering is. We see a distinction in this respect. An older believer who has been busy with the Lord Jesus a lot and therefore has seen much of His glory can tell the Father more about Him – that is, bring a greater burnt offering – than someone who has not been converted for so long. But they both tell the Father about the Lord Jesus what is pleasing to Him. In the young bull, the greatest burnt offering, we see the Lord Jesus Who is perfectly faithful and persevering in His service work to death. In the sheep we see wonderful qualities: gentleness and surrender, forbearing undergoing mistreatment. We also see this with the Lord Jesus in the Gospels. It is impressive and the Father would love to hear from us how impressed we are with it. Yet that is more passive, while in the young bull we see more the active willpower that is in the Lord Jesus to accomplish the work completely to the glory of God. But both are a soothing aroma to God. In the goat we see an even weaker picture. A goat is the characteristic animal for the sin offering. Here we do not think so much of a particular characteristic, as in the case of bull and sheep, but of something negative: the removal of sins. Many believers who worship the Lord Jesus and who would like to bring a burnt offering do not get any further than to thank Him for taking their sins away through His work on the cross.

‏ Leviticus 1:13

A Burnt Offering From the Flock

The Israelite may also bring a smaller animal than a young bull as a burnt offering: a male without defect of the sheep or of the goats. It speaks of the same perfect work of the Lord Jesus and is also “a soothing aroma to the LORD”. What is not perfect, however, is our understanding, our awareness of what the burnt offering is. We see a distinction in this respect.

An older believer who has been busy with the Lord Jesus a lot and therefore has seen much of His glory can tell the Father more about Him – that is, bring a greater burnt offering – than someone who has not been converted for so long. But they both tell the Father about the Lord Jesus what is pleasing to Him.

In the young bull, the greatest burnt offering, we see the Lord Jesus Who is perfectly faithful and persevering in His service work to death. In the sheep we see wonderful qualities: gentleness and surrender, forbearing undergoing mistreatment. We also see this with the Lord Jesus in the Gospels. It is impressive and the Father would love to hear from us how impressed we are with it. Yet that is more passive, while in the young bull we see more the active willpower that is in the Lord Jesus to accomplish the work completely to the glory of God. But both are a soothing aroma to God.

In the goat we see an even weaker picture. A goat is the characteristic animal for the sin offering. Here we do not think so much of a particular characteristic, as in the case of bull and sheep, but of something negative: the removal of sins. Many believers who worship the Lord Jesus and who would like to bring a burnt offering do not get any further than to thank Him for taking their sins away through His work on the cross.