Sacrifice in Ancient Israel

Sacrifice in Modern Times

Sacrifice in Ancient Times

• Domestic Animals, Grain Products

• Ritualistic, Special Occasions

• Complicated Steps

• Usually Indirect Through Priests

• Strict

• Giving Over

• Money, Charitable Funds

• Common Place (Every Sunday?)

• Simple Steps

• Direct Sacrifice

• Lenient

• Giving Up

The Five Offerings

Sacrifice as a Gift

• Book of Leviticus specifies sacrifices into five big categories:

And He shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tent of meeting. R. Isaac said: This may be compared to the case of a king’s friend who presented to the king a beautiful gift and an address of praise. Said the king: ‘Place [the gift] at the palace entrance, so that all who come in and go out may see it!’ Even so [did God command]: He shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tent of meeting.

- Vayyikrah Rabbah V.6

Saul Continued

• Burnt Offering: regular offering, wholly consumed in fire

• Meal Offering (Grain Offering): offering without killing

• Peace Offering (Fellowship Offering): offered meat can be eaten

• Sin Offering: purifies sins

• Guilt Offering (Trespass Offering): compensation of wrongdoings to God or men

- Leviticus 1-7

“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

But Samuel replied: "... Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

- 1 Samuel 15:20-23

• The ultimate rule above all detailed rules:

Obeying God's Commands

• Sacrifice, like gift, embodied and strengthened the relationship between Israelites and God

• Showing how much they cherished God, Israelites provided their best of best to Him.

Offerings of

Cain and Abel

• God's order: "completely destroy all that belongs to them"

• Saul makes own decisions of leaving some souvenirs -> "God will provide for Himself the lamb" (Gen.22:8)

• Saul did not obey God => Wrong Action!

• Cain's offerings had no defects; it was appropriate

• Unlike Abel, Cain did not love nor fear God: Murder of his own brother

• Cain deceives God by lying

David and Araunah

Mind

Action

Reconciliation

• Wrong mind brings forth wrong action: wrong action verifies wrong mind

• Unbreakable ties between mind and action

• Right mind and right action => True sacrifice is achieved

• Meaning of true sacrifice: Gift of love and respect towards God, Stepping stone towards God's kingdom

Cain's speech, disclosing his unregenerate heart, condemns him. His sarcastic question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" betrays both his callousness against God and his hate of his brother made in God's image (v 9). He calls into question God's wisdom, justice, and love and attempts to justify himself, claiming: "My punishment is more that I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence" (vv 13-14). Even after God mitigates his sentence (v 15), he fails to respond to God's grace (v 16).

- Bruce Waltke, Cain and His Offering

Gad came to David the same day and said to him, “Go and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” David went up, following Gad’s instructions, as the LORD had commanded. … And Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take it and offer up whatever he sees fit. Here are oxen for a burnt offering, and the threshing boards and the gear of the oxen for wood. All this, O king, Araunah gives to Your Majesty. And may the LORD your God,” Araunah added, “respond to you with favor!” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I will buy them from you at a price. I cannot sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that have cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being. The LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague against Israel was checked.

- 2 Samuel 24:18-25

Saul's Offering

Sons of Aaron,

Nadab and Abihu

But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “I saw the people leaving me and scattering; you had not come at the appointed time, and the Philistines would march down against me at Gilgal before I had entreated the LORD, so I forced myself to present the burnt offering.” Samuel answered Saul, “You acted foolishly in not keeping the commandments that the LORD your God laid upon you! Otherwise the LORD would have established your dynasty over Israel forever. But now your dynasty will not endure. The LORD will seek out a man after His own heart, and the LORD will appoint him ruler over His people, because you did not abide by what the LORD has commanded you.”

- 1 Samuel 13:11-14

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“‘Among those who approach me

I will be proved holy;

in the sight of all the people

I will be honored.’”

Aaron remained silent.

- Leviticus 10:1-3

• Shows how much Ancient Israelites emphasized on the action

• Ties with right mind

• Saul was afraid that he would lose all his soldiers -> Saul did not trust in God

• Wrong mind leads to wrong action

References

Anonymous work - http://www.rjews.net/gazeta/Photo/hram.php3?id=1

http://exministries.tv/feds-woman-paid-church-tithes-with-stolen-money/

Soncino, The Midrash Rabbah IV Leviticus, 72

http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/File:Old_paper

JPS, ed. The Jewish Study Bible

Zondervan, NIV Holy Bible

Sacrifice in Ancient Israel

THANK YOU!

Henry Kim in FWIS 177