As we read, we must remember that all Scripture is not only “inspired” but also “profitable.”
As we begin our verse-by-verse study, we must carefully notice the different kinds of offerings listed in the first seven chapters of Leviticus. First, one of the five main offerings, the grain offering, is of course without blood (ch 2). The other four are animal sacrifices of various types. There are two categories distinguished. The burnt offering (ch 1) and peace offering (ch 3) are sweet-savor sacrifices. They were voluntarily given and killed at the bronze altar, there “before the Lord.” The word used for burning this class of offering is olah, “to cause to ascend.” In other words, the fire turned the offering into a sweet aroma that went up to God for His pleasure, where it could be translated “an aroma of rest.” With these sacrifices, the offerer’s hands were laid on the head of the animal, and the value or acceptability of the offering was symbolically transferred to the offerer. In striking contrast, the sin and trespass offerings were compulsory and were not a sweet aroma to God. They were also killed at the bronze altar but were then burned outside the camp in a clean place. The word for burning these offerings is saraph, meaning “to utterly consume.” Here the sacrifices, identified as bearing the sin or trespass of the offerer, rather than coming up before the Lord in pleasure, were put out of His sight by burning. In this case, when the hands were laid on the head of the animal, instead of the value of the offering being accounted to the offerer, there was a symbolic transfer of the sin or trespass of the offerer to the offering. This double imputation (or substitutionary transfer) is seen in the statement, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).