Long ago, Jehovah called unto Moses from the sacred tent of meeting. With divine authority and an infallible voice, He gave unto Moses commandments to pass onto the children of Israel. “Tell them,” Jehovah commanded, “When any man among you wishes to offer an oblation – a sacrifice – unto Me, it must be of the cattle, of the herd or of the flock.”
If the oblation was to be a burnt-offering from the herd, the man was to select a male without any blemish – a symbol of purity and devotion. This animal would be offered at the door of the tent of meeting, where it would be graciously accepted by Jehovah Himself. The man, placing his hand upon the head of this burnt-offering, would symbolically transfer his need for atonement into the animal – an act of profound humility and contrition before Jehovah.
With solemn reverence, he would then kill the bullock before Jehovah. The priests, Aaron’s sons, would present the blood of this sacrifice, diligently sprinkling it around the altar at the door of the meeting tent. This act, sacred and steeped in ritual, was an outward display of penitence and reverence to Jehovah.
Afterward, the burnt-offering would be flayed and cut into pieces. The pieces, along with the head and the fat, would be laid upon the altar. Aaron’s diligent sons, dedicated in their priestly duties, would stoke the altar’s fire before placing the portions upon the wood that blazed upon the altar. The inwards and the legs were to be washed in water, a mark of purification, before the priest would burn the entire offering on the altar. The resulting release of fragrant smoke served to mark this act as an offering made by fire, a sweet scent filling the air as a physical testament to Jehovah’s approval.
Similar rules governed the sacrifices of the flock – whether of sheep or goats – and of birds such as turtledoves or young pigeons. Regardless of their species, all animals were offered in the same spirit of reverence, their unblemished forms symbolizing the sacrificer’s pure desire to make amends with Jehovah – a physical representation of their atonement.
Each ritual, whether ending with the blood sprinkled on the altar or the soulful burning of the offering, served as an intimate, holy connection between the mortal men of Israel and Jehovah, the eternal and supreme being. It was a testament of their commitment to obey His commandments, concealed within the rich symbolism of these sacrificial rites. This was a cycle of atonement and acceptance, a process that united the children of Israel in their shared humility before Jehovah.
