The Acceptance of the Offering

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Introduction: It is not enough that the offering is brought; it must be acceptable to God. God must receive it.  

I.                     THE PROCESS OF ACCEPTANCE 

A.        Identification

1.    The offerer identified with the offering

2.    By putting his hand on the head of the offering (see also Leviticus 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 24, 29, 33)

3.    The laying on of hands in the Bible usually meant the bestowing of something to another

a.         Blessing (Genesis 48:14-15)

b.         Sin (Leviticus 16:21)

c.         Honor (Numbers 27:18-20; 1Timothy 14-16)

4.    In Leviticus 1:4, the putting of the hand on the head of the offering was a bestowing of responsibility or guilt

a.         The burnt offering was not dealing with specific sins that had been committed

b.         The burnt offering was an indication that the offerer wanted to give himself to God and be acceptable unto Him

c.         The laying on of the hand indicated a desire that the offering take the place of the offerer (see the same kind of transferal in Numbers 8:10-11, 14-18)

B.        Imputation – Substitution

1.    The offering took the place of the offering

2.    It was accepted in his place – “accepted for him”

3.    Because the imputation of God’s righteousness without the law is witnessed by the law and the prophets. (Romans 3:21-22)

a.         By the law (Deuteronomy 7:6-9; 9:4-6)

b.         By the prophets (Psalm 35:24; 71:1-3; 119:40; Isaiah 45:24-25; 54:17; 61:10; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 9:16)

C.        Atonement

1.    The offering made atonement for the offerer

2.    The offerer received the benefit paid for by the offering 

II.                   NOTES ON THE ATONEMENT 

A.        The words, atonement and atonements, are used 82 times in 70 verses in the Bible.

1.    81 references in the Old Testament; 49 times in the book of Leviticus

2.    Only one reference in the New Testament: Romans 5:11

a.         Romans 5:11 – “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

b.         This refers to the fulfillment of the type

3.    The phrase “the atonement” is only used six times in the Bible.

a.         The five uses in the Old Testament (Exodus 29:33; 30:16; Leviticus 16:32; Numbers 5:8; 2Samuel 21:3) all refer to a particular offering that was made.

b.         The New Testament use (Romans 5:11) refers to the final and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This atonement is the one through whom we have “now received” the final and fulfilling atonement.  

B.        Commonly used by Bible teachers and preachers in the sense of eternal salvation; this has led to much confusion in Bible study

1.    Atonement is required for some sorts of defilement – kinds of uncleanness that have nothing to do with personal sin

a.         For the purifying of a woman who has brought forth a child (Leviticus 12:6-8)

b.         For the leper who has recovered from his leprosy (Leviticus 14:18-21)

2.    Atonement is often applied to inanimate objects that are incapable of personal guilt or wrongdoing

a.         The altar (Exodus 29:37; Leviticus 16:18-19)

b.         A leprous house (Leviticus 14:52-53)

c.         The tabernacle and holy place (Leviticus 16:16, 33)

3.    Atonement is made with various items

a.         Most commonly with blood (Leviticus 17:11)

b.         With money (Exodus 30:11-16)

c.         With an offering of incense (Numbers 16:46-48)

d.         With the execution of members of the offending family (2Samuel 21:1-6) 

C.        Atonement as Used in the Bible

1.    The cleansing of defilement

a.         The cleansing properties of atonement

(1)       The cleansing of the altar (Exodus 29:36)

(2)       The cleansing of the woman who gave birth (Leviticus 12:8)

(3)       The cleansing of the leper (Leviticus 14:19)

(4)       The cleansing of sins (Leviticus 16:30)

b.         Leads to the forgiveness of sins

(1)       Atonement was to be made for their sins (Exodus 32:30); this was not eternal salvation but the particular sin of making and worshipping the golden calf

(2)       Atonement led to forgiveness of particular sins (Leviticus 4:20); compare to the forgiveness the Christian receives as per 1John 1:9

(3)       Atonement for their souls required the offering of blood (Leviticus 17:11); this was a type of the coming sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:22) 

2.    The covering of sin

a.         Psalm 32:1 – “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

b.         Psalm 85:2 – “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.”

c.         Isaiah 30:1 – “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:”

d.         Ezekiel 21:24 – “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.” [This gives the opposite of atonement. Instead of being covered, the sins are discovered; that is, uncovered, so that they will appear before God.] 

III.         PURPOSE OF OLD TESTAMENT ATONEMENT – The sin and defilement are covered so that the holy God is not offended by their sins and so He can look upon them and fellowship with them. One of the major purposes of the law was to offer temporal purification for the Jews (Hebrews 9:13-14) 

A.        Israel, as a nation, had a special relationship with God (Deuteronomy 4:7; 26:16-19; Psalm 147:19-20) 

B.        God would meet with Israel and their priests in a special way (Exodus 25:21-22; 29:42-44; 30:6, 36; Numbers 17:4 [thou (singular)…you (plural)]; cp. Exodus 20:18-21; 33:7) 

C.        God was to dwell among them (Exodus 25:8; 29:45-46; Leviticus 26:11-12) 

D.        As such, there was a great danger of defiling God’s tabernacle among them (Leviticus 15:31; Numbers 19:11-13, 20) 

E.        This explains the special significance of the commands for Israel to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:1-2) 

F.         The sacrificial system allowed them to cleanse themselves from their filthiness so that God could continue to dwell among them (Leviticus 1:1-4; 4:35; 16:30; Hebrews 9:13-14) 

G.        They needed the sacrifices so that God would “accept” them (Ezekiel 20:40-41; 43:27) 

IV.                THE OFFERING OF CHRIST 

A.        Christ took our sins on His own head (Isaiah 53:4-6; 1Peter 2:24)

B.        His sacrifice was accepted for us (2Corinthians 5:21)

Conclusion: We are now accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6)