Snapshots of Christ in Leviticus

Put His Hand on the Offering

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Lev. 1:4)

             The action of placing your hand on the head of the burnt offering, which you voluntarily brought, spoke of transferring your sin to the offering. It was simple and plain; to see our sin transferred to this animal.

            This same transfer took place on the Day of Atonement when the priest placed his hands on the second goat and confessed the sin of all Israel over it, and then had it carried it to a land where no man lived. This signified that the sin had been carried away and would not be held against us anymore.

            In the New Testament, the apostle states that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin.

 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Heb. 10:4)

             What was required?

 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Heb. 9:12)

             This verse in Hebrews 9:12 showed that the blood of Christ totally replaced the Levitical system of blood sacrifices.

            The symbolic placing of the hands on the head of the burnt offering was replaced by the action of putting our faith in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)

             Believing on the sacrifice of Christ Jesus in the New Testament is equivalent to placing our hands on the Old Testament offering.

Eat Neither Fat nor Blood

 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Lev.3:17)

            Fat is here tied to the blood. The fat speaks of the glory of God and the blood points to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It was his own blood that he carried into the heavenly sanctuary. Every aspect of the blood was covered with glory.

 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)

 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. (John 12:28)

             This spoke of the glory he had before the foundation of the world.

 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: (John 17:1

             Jesus, in this passage of scripture, was only hours away from the actual crucifixion. This was only a glimpse of the glory which covered Jesus and the crucifixion. The glory burns with a light so intense that it covers the world. The fat, the glory, burns the brightest when it is tied to the blood.

             I John will tell the reader that the Spirit will bear witness anytime the blood of Jesus is mentioned on earth:

 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (1 John 5:8)

             The blood and fat of Leviticus 3:17 are found in fulfillment at the cross where Jesus was crucified. It was at the crucifixion that the glory of God was seen in all its power.