Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Leviticus 6
Leviticus 6:5or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt.
This verse shows that true repentance is not merely a feeling. It requires action. Making things right with the person you wronged is a non-negotiable first step before seeking forgiveness from God.Leviticus 6:13Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
The command for the altar fire to burn continually is a powerful picture of God's desire for a constant relationship with His people. It symbolizes unending prayer, perpetual atonement, and the abiding presence of God.Leviticus 6:26The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.
By having the priests eat a portion of the sin offering, God was providing for them and also showing their role in the process of atonement. They were participating in the very ritual that brought forgiveness to the people.
Historical & Cultural Context
Making Things Right: Restitution Before Ritual
This chapter begins by addressing sins that happen in the community - deception, robbery, and lying. Unlike other sins, these require more than a sacrifice. God makes it clear that before anyone can be right with Him, they must first make things right with the person they have harmed. This section establishes a crucial principle: our horizontal relationships with people are directly tied to our vertical relationship with God.
The Priest's Handbook: Instructions for Holy Service
After addressing sins between people, the focus shifts to the priests' specific responsibilities at the tabernacle. God gives Moses a detailed set of instructions for Aaron and his sons on how to properly handle the major offerings. This isn't new information about the offerings themselves, but a procedural manual for the spiritual leaders. It underscores the seriousness and precision required when ministering in the presence of a holy God.
A Guide for Priests: Handling Holy Offerings
In Leviticus 6, God speaks to Moses, providing specific instructions not for the general public, but for the priests who minister in the tabernacle. The chapter opens by clarifying the process for the guilt offering when a person sins against their neighbor, emphasizing the need for repayment. It then transitions into a detailed manual covering the daily rituals of the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the sin offering, outlining the sacred duties that sustain Israel's worship.
The Guilt Offering: When You Wrong Your Neighbor (Leviticus 6:1-7)
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor
2 If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor
3 or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely - in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby -
4 then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found,
5 or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt.
6 And he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued at two shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.
7 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.
Commentary:
If you wrong someone, you must pay them back plus extra before you can be made right with God.
The Burnt Offering: Keeping the Fire Alive (Leviticus 6:8-13)
8 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.
10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.
11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.
13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
Commentary:
The fire on the altar must never go out, symbolizing constant worship and God's presence.
The Grain Offering: God's Provision for His Servants (Leviticus 6:14-23)
14 "And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar."
15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it.
17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.
18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord's food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.
19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.
20 "This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening."
21 It shall be made with oil on a griddle.
22 And the priest from among Aaron's sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. It shall be wholly burned.
23 For every grain offering of the priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”
Commentary:
A portion of the people's grain offerings served as food for the priests, but a priest's own offering was given entirely to God.
The Sin Offering: Handling What is Most Holy (Leviticus 6:24-30)
24 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy.
26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.
27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place.
28 But the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. And if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water.
29 All the males among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy.
30 But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.
Commentary:
The sin offering was so holy that strict rules governed how it was handled, eaten, and disposed of by the priests.
Core Truths in the Rituals
Worship and Justice are Inseparable
Leviticus 6 makes it clear that you cannot claim to be right with God if you are not right with your neighbor. The requirement to make restitution before bringing a sacrifice shows that God's forgiveness is not a way to bypass our human responsibilities. True worship flows from a life of integrity.
The Call to Continual Devotion
The command to keep the altar fire burning perpetually is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. Our devotion to God is meant to be constant, not merely reserved for special moments. It speaks of the need for ongoing prayer, repentance, and awareness of God's presence in every part of our day.
The Nature of Holiness
The highly detailed rules for handling the offerings - where to eat them, how to clean the pots, what to do with leftovers - reveal God's immense holiness. Holiness here means 'set apart' and 'different.' These regulations taught the priests to treat God's presence and provisions with the utmost reverence, care, and respect.
Living Out the Principles of Leviticus 6
Leviticus 6:1-7 shows that your relationships with people are a reflection of your relationship with God. If you have wronged someone, seeking their forgiveness and making things right is a spiritual act. You cannot separate your apology to God from your actions toward others. True repentance requires both.
While you don't have a physical altar, the principle of the constant fire in Leviticus 6:13 is a powerful metaphor for your inner spiritual life. It encourages you to cultivate a consistent connection with God through prayer and reading His word, not letting your passion and devotion fade in the busyness of life. It's about tending the 'fire' of your faith daily.
The specific instructions in Leviticus 6:14-30 teach that God cares about how we approach Him. For you, this doesn't mean following ancient rituals, but it does mean that worship should be intentional and reverent, not careless or half-hearted. It reminds you to offer God your best, recognizing that He is holy and worthy of honor in every detail.
Worship That Touches Heaven and Earth
Leviticus 6 reveals that God is concerned with every dimension of our lives, not merely the obviously 'religious' parts. He shows that true faithfulness involves both mending broken relationships on earth and maintaining reverent worship before heaven. The detailed instructions to the priests are a reminder that our holy God invites us into His presence, but asks that we come with integrity and care. The ultimate message is that our love for God is proven by our love for our neighbor and the reverence we show in His presence.
What This Means for Us Today
The ancient laws of Leviticus 6 extend a timeless invitation to a holistic faith. They call us to examine our relationships, to make amends where we have caused harm, and to approach God with consistent, heartfelt devotion. This chapter invites us to see that every detail matters to God and to live lives of integrity that honor Him both publicly and privately.
- Is there a relationship where you need to make restitution before you can truly worship with a clear conscience?
- What is one practical step you can take this week to 'tend the fire' of your personal devotion?
- How can you bring more intentionality and reverence into your moments of worship?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter introduces the guilt offering, providing the context for the specific instructions given in Leviticus 6.
The instructions for the priests continue, covering the laws for the guilt offering and the peace offering.
Connections Across Scripture
Jesus echoes the principle of Leviticus 6, teaching that reconciliation with others must come before offering a gift to God.
This passage provides a parallel law on making full restitution, plus a fifth, for sins committed against another person.
The author of Hebrews contrasts the repetitive, daily sacrifices of the Levitical priests with the single, perfect sacrifice of Jesus, which accomplishes forgiveness once for all.
Discussion Questions
- Leviticus 6 requires someone who sinned against a neighbor to pay them back plus 20%. What does this teach us about the cost of sin and the nature of true repentance?
- The fire on the altar was never to go out. What practical things can we do to keep the 'fire' of our devotion to God burning consistently in our busy lives?
- The priests had very specific rules for handling holy things. In what ways can we cultivate a greater sense of reverence and holiness in our own worship and daily lives?
Glossary
places
figures
theological concepts
Atonement
The process of repairing the relationship between God and humanity, which was broken by sin.
Restitution
The act of restoring something lost or stolen to its proper owner, often with an additional penalty, to make things right.
Holiness
The state of being set apart for God, different from the world, and morally pure.
terms
Burnt Offering
A sacrifice completely burned on the altar, symbolizing total surrender and atonement for sin.
Grain Offering
An offering of flour, oil, and frankincense, symbolizing thanksgiving and dedication to God.
Sin Offering
A sacrifice to atone for unintentional sins and to purify from defilement.
Guilt Offering
A sacrifice required for sins that violated God's holy things or wronged another person, requiring restitution.