Offerings In The Old Testament

1. GRATITUDE AND MUCH MORE
in the Old Testament
Aniel Barbe
Stewardship Ministries and Trust Services
SID
Category: Mainstreaming of Stewardship Education

2. OFFERINGS IN WORLD
RELIGIONS
Common Motive:
Supplying the needs of the
gods in order to win or
preserve their favours.

3. Objectives of Presentation
• Explore the practice of
offerings among God’s people.
• Broaden our understanding of
offerings.
• Transform our Practice

4. PLAN
• Sacrificial Expiatory Offerings
• Sacrifices as Offerings
• Other Offerings
• Special Offerings

5. I. Sacrificial Expiatory Offerings
• Sin-offering (Leviticus 4)
• Guilt offering (Leviticus 5)
• Offerings (Numbers 5:9;18:8)
terumah: donate, set aside

6. I. Sacrificial Expiatory Offerings
The Power to Forgive
- It does not lie in the offerings or in
the one making the offerings but in
God alone.
- The God who forgives has allocated
these functions to sacrifices. (Lev.
17:11; 4:26,31)
- Inefficiency of Animals (Ps 51:16 Heb.
10)
- Inefficiency of Human’s Ransom (Ps
49:7-9)

7. I.Sacrificial Expiatory Offerings
Objectives
• To point to God as the One who
expiates sin.
• To acknowledge both the great
« Offerer » and the great « Offering »
Isaiah 53:10 « His life a guilt
offering »

8. II. Sacrifices as Offerings
 Burnt Offerings
 Peace Offerings

9. Burnt Offerings
Leviticus 1:3-17
- No part for the priest
- No part for the « offerer »
- All surrendered to the Lord
(Leviticus 1:9)

10. Burnt Offerings
Leviticus 1:3-17
It is called “Qorban”
Verb Qarab: come near, approach

11. Burnt Offerings
Leviticus 1:3-17
Various types of animals:
• Young bull, v.3
• Sheep and goats, v.10
• Dove, v. 14

12. Burnt Offerings
Leviticus 1:3-17
Various types of animals:
- Offerings cost something.
- Not everyone is expected to
give the same amount but their
best.

13. Burnt Offerings
Other Functions
Leviticus 22: 17-20
- Votive : in fulfilment of a vow.
- Freewill: Voluntary offering,
out of devotion, an expression
of love to God.

14. Peace Offerings
Leviticus 3:1-17
Different from Burnt Offering
• Could be a female
• Most flesh given back

15. Peace Offerings
Leviticus 3:12-16
Three Types
- Votive
- Freewill
- Thanksgiving (todah: Praise
after experiencing deliverance
from danger)

16. III. Other Offerings
• The Meal Offering/minchah
• The First Fruit Offering
• Offering from the Spoils of
War

17. The Meal
Offering/Minchah
Minchah:
- A gift given to a superior someone
who is recognized as a master or
ruler over the person bringing the
gift ( Judges 3:15; 2 Samuel 8:2,6)
- Yahweh is the covenant Lord, we
are His subjects.
- The people recognize the Lordship
of God.

18. The First Fruit
Lev. 23:9-11;Num. 18:12,13; Deut.
18:4; 26:1-11
The Functions
- A thanksgiving offering
- To support the priesthood (Deut.
18: 3-5)
- The very best of the harvest; not
the surplus.
- God was first in the life of the
worshipper.

19. The First Fruit
The Functions
- Recognize God as the source of all
bounty.
- Acknowledge Him as the owner of
the land (Deut. 26:10)
- Celebrate Him as the one who
fulfilled His promises ( Deut.
26:3,8-10)
- A reminder of their deliverance
from Egypt ( Deut. 26: 8-10)

20. War Offering
Numbers 31:29,41,52
Several terms are used:
Mekes: Cultic dues or levy
Terumah: a gift
Qorban: who is brought near
God has given the victory.

21. IV. Special Offerings
- Building of the Tabernacle
- Rebuilding of the Temple
- Reparation of the Temple
- Dedication of the altar and the
sanctuary.
- Offerings during Pilgrimage

22. Building of the Tabernacle
Terumah
 Requested from each individual.
Ex. 25:2
 Freewill offering Ex. 36:3
 «Heart prompted » offering.
Nadab = urge, give voluntarily Ex.
25:2; 35:5
 « Whose heart was lifted » Ex.
35:21
 Brought from their possessions.
Ex. 35:5

23. Reconstruction of the Temple
Terumah
- Received gifts from neighbours to
rebuild the temple. Ezra 1:6
- King advisors, officers, group of
exiles make donation. Ezra 8:25
- Careful Record of this offering.
Ezra 8:26-30

24. Reparation of the Temple
Maseth
2 Chronicles 24:6,9,10
- Time of King Joash
- A chest outside the temple
- Joyful, freewill offering
Nasa: to carry, to lift

25. Dedication of Altar and Sanctuary
Numbers 7
- Qorban from each tribe. V.3
- For the operations of the
sanctuary service

26. Offering During Pilgrimage
Deuteronomy 16:16
• 3 Times a Year: Unleavened
Bread, Weeks, Tabernacles
• Always come with an offering
« mattanah » verb:nathan

27. Offering During Pilgrimage
Deuteronomy 16: 17
No man should appear before the
LORD empty-handed. Each of
you must bring a gift in
proportion to the way the Lord
your God has blessed you.

28. The Three Principles
Principle 1
« No man should appear before the LORD
empty-handed. »
Offering has a place in collective worship
Principle 2
« Each of you must bring a gift in
proportion (like) … »
The amount will differ from one person to
another.
Principle 3
« The Lord your God has blessed you. »
Divine giving precedes our giving. We act in
response to God’s love

29. Beware of Not Bringing an
Appropriate Offering!
Malachi 3: 8
“Will a mere mortal rob God?
Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we
robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings.

30. OUR VISION
All in full partnership with
Him, accomplishing the final
mission.

31. END