Burnt offering
A burnt offering was a sacrifice in which the whole animal was burned on the altar and offered to the Lord. In the Old Testament it expressed worship, atonement, and complete consecration.
At a Glance
A burnt offering was a sacrifice in which the whole animal was burned on the altar and offered to the Lord. In the Old Testament it expressed worship, atonement, and complete consecration.
Description
The burnt offering was one of the central sacrifices of Israel’s worship under the old covenant. Unlike some other offerings, it was wholly burned on the altar as a gift to the Lord, symbolizing total surrender and devotion. In the laws of Leviticus, it could be brought from the herd, flock, or birds according to the worshiper’s means, and it is associated with making atonement as well as with acceptable worship before God. Christians commonly understand these sacrifices as part of the sacrificial system that pointed forward to the fuller and final work of Christ, while recognizing that the term itself should first be defined by its role in Israel’s covenant worship.