Daily Devotions
Exodus
"...But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING
God had given elaborate plans for the commencement of Tabernacle worship. The consecration of the priests would allow all to see and comprehend what God had planned for meaningful worship at the Tabernacle.
Thus far, the two rituals for cleansing of the priests were done outside the Door of the Tabernacle. What happens next after the killing of the bull?
“You shall take some of the blood of the bull
and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger,
and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.
And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails,
the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys
and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal,
you shall burn with fire outside the camp.
It is a sin offering.”
EXODUS 29:12- 14
1. “Blood…”
Blood represented life! The blood of the bull sacrificed was applied in two ways:-
a) On the horns of the altar
The altar may be thought of as having an upper part. The horns represented the uppermost part of the altar. Blood was put on the horns of the altar.
b) On the base of the altar
The altar may be said to have a lower part. The base naturally would form the bottom part of the altar. The rest of the blood was poured at the base of the altar.
With shedding of blood came the symbolic significance of having sins atoned for. And with atonement came cleansing as well!
2. The inner parts of the bull
These were presented to the Lord as a “burnt offering”. These parts were considered acceptable and holy.
3. “Its Skin and Its Offal”
The skin and the offal of the bull were to be burnt “outside the camp”. This phrase is to be read and understood in contrast to the Tabernacle. The former was considered holy. “Outside the camp” would be considered “unclean”. The skin, but particularly the offal, would well represent that which is unclean. The congregation of Israel was also considered holy and thus the insistence that the skin and offal were to be taken outside the Camp and burnt!