bull

July 17, 2017

The seven-day offerings (Ezek 45:23-45:24)

“During the seven days

Of the festival,

The prince shall provide,

As a burnt offering

To Yahweh,

Seven young bulls,

As well as seven rams

Without blemish.

This will be done

On each of the seven days.

He shall also provide

A male goat daily

For a sin offering.

He shall provide

As a grain offering

An ephah for each bull,

An ephah for each ram,

With a hin of oil

For each ephah.”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, also mentioned that the prince had to provide a series of animals and grains for the 7 day Passover celebration. This was on top of eating the unleavened bread for 7 days. There was a burnt offering of a bull and an unblemished ram each day of the weeklong festival. Besides the bull and the ram, the prince had to provide a goat each day for a sin offering. He also had to provide a grain offering for each bull and ram. This grain offering was to be an ephah or 2/3rds of a bushel with a hin or a gallon of oil for each ephah of grain.

 

July 12, 2017

The seven days of sin offerings (Ezek 43:25-43:27)

“‘For seven days,

You shall provide daily

A goat

For a sin offering.

Also,

A bull

With a ram

From the flock,

Without blemish,

Shall be provided.

Seven days

Shall they make atonement

For the altar.

They will cleanse it.

They will so consecrate it.

When these days

Are over,

Then from the eighth day

Onward,

The priests shall offer

Upon the altar

Your burnt offerings

With your peace offerings.

Then I will accept you.’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh gave Ezekiel this first week of instructions about the altar. During this week, each day they had to provide an unblemished goat, bull, and ram from their flock. During these 7 days, they were to make atonement for the altar, by cleansing and consecrating it. After these 7 days were over, the priests would then be able to offer their burnt offerings and peace offerings on this altar at any time.  Yahweh said that he would then accept these offerings.

February 14, 2014

The assembly of Israel (Lev 4:13-4:21)

“If the whole congregation of Israel errs unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, that is if they do any one of the things that by Yahweh’s commandments ought not to be done, they incur guilt.   When the sin that they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull of the herd for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting.  The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh.  The bull shall be slaughtered before Yahweh.  Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting.  The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before Yahweh in front of the curtain.  He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before Yahweh in the tent of meeting.   The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.   He shall remove all its fat and turn it into smoke on the altar.  He shall do with the bull just as is done with the bull of sin offering.  He shall do the same with this.  The priest shall make atonement for them. They shall be forgiven.  He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull.   It is the sin offering for the assembly.”

 This refers to anyone in the community who unintentionally incurs guilt, and it becomes known.  Their sacrifice will be a bull also.  In this case, the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.  Other than that, the same requirements for the priestly sin offering occur here.  Just like the unintentional sin offering of a priest, the bull’s blood is sprinkled, its fat is burned on the altar, and the whole bull is burned outside the camp. The priest makes atonement for the whole community as this is a sin offering for the assembly.  Then they shall be forgiven.

 

February 14, 2014

The priests (Lev 4:3-4:12)

“If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin offering to Yahweh.  He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before Yahweh and lay his hand on the head of the bull.  The bull shall be slaughtered before Yahweh.  The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting.  The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before Yahweh in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.  The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is in the tent of meeting before Yahweh.  The rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.   He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering.  He shall remove the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is around the entrails, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, the appendage of the liver which he shall remove with the kidneys, just as these are removed from the ox of the sacrifice of the well-being.  The priest shall turn them into smoke upon the altar of burnt offering.  But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, as well as its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung, all the rest of the bull, he shall carry out to a clean place outside the camp, to the ash heap where it shall be burned.”

The anointed priest, following in the footsteps of Exodus, when he inadvertently sins, brings guilt on all the people. Therefore, he must sacrifice a bull without blemish.  As usual, he lays his hand on its head and slaughters it at the entrance to the tent.  However, the anointed priest brings some of the blood and sprinkles it seven times before Yahweh in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.  He also puts some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense.  The rest of the blood of the bull he pours out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.  He also does the same as above, turning the grease or fat of the bull into smoke.  However, all the rest of the bull, which includes its skin, head, legs, entrails and dung, was to be carried to a clean ash heap outside the camp and burned.  Only the fat and the blood are used. The rest of the bull is destroyed, not eaten.

 

February 14, 2014

The well-being offering (Lev 3:1-3:17)

“If the offering is a sacrifice of well-being, if you offer an animal of the herd, whether male or female, you shall offer one without blemish before Yahweh.  You shall lay your hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  Aaron’s sons, the priests shall dash the blood against all sides of the altar.  You shall offer the sacrifice of well-being as an offering by fire to Yahweh.   You shall offer the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is around the entrails, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.  Then Aaron’s sons shall turn these into smoke on the altar with the burnt offering that is on the wood on the fire.  It is an offering by fire of a pleasing odor to Yahweh.”

The communal meal of well-being was a common ancient practice.  The animal could be male or female, but without blemish.  This offering does not have to use only a male animal only.  Like the holocaust offering, you lay your hand on its head and then bring it to the entrance of the tent where the priests kill the animal.  He then dashes the blood against all sides of the holocaust altar at the entrance to the tent.  This offering by fire is also a pleasing odor to Yahweh. This offering is from the fat that covers the entrails, the kidneys, and the liver.  

 “If your offering for a sacrifice of well-being to Yahweh is from the flock, male or female, you shall offer one without blemish.  If you present a sheep as your offering, you he shall bring it before Yahweh and lay your hand on the head of the offering.  It shall be slaughtered before the tent of meeting.  Aaron’s sons shall dash its blood against all sides of the altar. You shall present its fat from the sacrifice of well-being, as an offering by fire to Yahweh.  You offer the whole broad tail, which shall be removed close to the backbone, the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is around the entrails, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver, which you shall remove with the kidneys.   Then the priest shall turn these into smoke on the altar as a food offering by fire to Yahweh.  If your offering is a goat, you he shall offer it before Yahweh.  Lay your hand on its head.  It shall be slaughtered before the tent of meeting.  The sons of Aaron shall dash its blood against all sides of the altar.  You shall present as your offering by fire to Yahweh, the fat covering the entrails, and all the fat that is around the entrails.  You shall offer the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver which you shall remove with the kidneys.   Then the priest shall turn these into smoke on the altar as a food offering by fire for a pleasing odor.   All fat is Yahweh’s.  It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all your settlements.  You must not eat fat or any blood.”

The same procedure goes for a sheep or a goat.  You can eat these animals, but not the fat or the blood, because all the fat belongs to Yahweh.  He just loves the smell of burning fat.  This is a perpetual statue throughout all generations to come.

February 4, 2014

Offering of the bull and rams (Ex 29:10-29:21)

“You shall bring the bull in front of the tent of meeting.  Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.  You shall then slaughter the bull before Yahweh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your fingers, and all the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar.  You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them into smoke on the altar.  But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside the camp.  It is a sin offering.”

The bull and two rams will be offered up.  First, Aaron and his sons lay their hands on the head of the bull, and then they slaughter the bull before Yahweh at the entrance of the meeting tent.  They put some of the blood on the horns of the altar.  The rest of the blood they pour out at the base of the altar.  Then they take the fat, the liver, and two kidneys and turn them into smoke on the altar.  However, the flesh of the bull, its skin, and its dung, they burn with fire outside the camp as a sin offering.

“Then you shall take one of the rams.  Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram. Then you shall slaughter the ram.  You shall take its blood and dash it against all sides of the altar.  Then you shall cut the ram into parts, and wash its entrails and its legs.  Then put them with its parts and its head.  Finally, turn the whole ram into smoke on the altar.  It is a burnt offering to Yahweh. It is a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to Yahweh.”

Aaron and his sons should kill one of the rams, after laying their hands on his head.  They dash its blood against all sides of the altar.  Then cut the ram into parts and wash its entrails and legs.  Then they burn the whole ram into smoke on the altar as a pleasing burnt offering to Yahweh.  So far, we have a sin offering and a burnt offering.

“You shall take the other ram.  Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of this ram.  You shall slaughter this ram.  Then take some of its blood and put it in the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.  Dash the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar.  Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his vestments and on his sons and his sons’ vestments with him.  Then he and his vestments shall be holy, as well as his sons, and his sons’ vestments.”

The second ram gets slaughtered also after the laying on of hands.  However, the blood plays a bigger role as this makes them holy, sacred, or set aside.  Some of its blood goes on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of the right ears of his sons.  Then the blood goes on their right hand thumbs and their right foot big toes.  The rest of the blood is dashed against all sides of the altar.  Finally the blood and the anointing oil are sprinkled on Aaron and his sons and their vestments, so that they will have holy vestments.

February 4, 2014

Preparation for the consecration of Aaron and his sons (Ex 29:1-29:3)

“Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil.  You shall make them of choice wheat flour. You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams.”

Before the consecration, you need to take an unblemished bull and two rams.  You also need unleavened bread, unleavened cakes, and unleavened wafers of choice wheat flour in one basket.  Then you bring in the bread basket, the bull and the two rams.