The Regulations of the Burnt Offering

1. For Offerings of the Flocks (verses 10-13)
1. Of sheep or goats (verse 10)
2. A male without blemish (verse 10)
3. Killed on the side of the altar (verse 11)
1. Northward in the sides of the north (Psalm 48:2; Isaiah 14:13)
2. Before the Lord
4. Blood sprinkled around about (verse 11)
1. By the priests
2. On the altar
5. Cut into his pieces (verse 12)
1. With his head
2. With his fat
6. Pieces laid on the altar (verse 12)
1. In order
2. On the wood
3. On the fire
7. Wash the inwards and legs with water (verse 13)
8. Bring it all (verse 13; Romans 6:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
9. Burn it on the altar (verse 13)
1. As a burnt sacrifice the complete sacrifice
2. As an offering made by fire consumed in the fire (Malachi 3:3; 1 Peter 1:7; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12)
3. As a sweet savor to the Lord (Ephesians 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 2:15)
2. For Offerings of Fowls (verses 14-17)
1. Of turtledoves or young pigeons (verse 14)
1. Completes the five acceptable animals for sacrifice (Genesis 15:9)
2. The offering of the poor (Leviticus 12:6-8; Luke 2:22-24)
3. No one unable to give unto the Lord
2. Brought to the altar (verse 15)
3. Head to be wrung off (verse 15)
4. Blood wrung out at the side of the altar (verse 15)
5. Feathers to be plucked off (verse 16)
1. Cast on the east side of the altar away from the temple and the presence of the Lord.
2. By the place of the ashes reserved until carried to a place outside the camp (Leviticus 6:9-11)
3. That which is unclean is kept from the presence of the Lord and removed
6. Cutting of the bird (verse 17)
1. He shall cleave it
1. Cleave has two meanings in the English and in the Bible: to cut and to cling to. Context easily identifies which is which. Here, to cleave is certainly to cut (Deuteronomy 14:6; Psalm 141:7)
2. The bird was to be cut
2. He shall not divide it asunder; but the bird was not to be cut into (Genesis 15:10)
3. Application: in a similar manner, the word of God is to be rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15). Divisions need to be made and understood. However, the Bible is not to be cut up in separate pieces that no longer have any connection.
4. Second application: we are to be separate from the world (not of the world John 17:14, 16; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18) but we are not to be totally divided from the world (in the world John 17:11, 15; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10). If we continue like the world, we cannot be a testimony to the world. If we are totally isolated from the world, we cannot tell them about our Saviour.
7. Burnt on the altar (verse 17)

Conclusion: The burnt offering was a complete sacrifice. In all the other offerings, others (usually only the priests) were allowed to eat certain portions of the offered animal. However, in the burnt offering, nothing was to be eaten by man. It was all to be consumed on the altar as a gift to God. We need to look at our sacrifice to God in the same way. We need to give ourselves entirely to Him. This is, after all, only our reasonable sacrifice (Romans 12:1).