Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1771
“And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD.” Leviticus 1:4, 5.
No doubt there are clear distinctions in the teaching of the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering and the sin offering. In those various sacrifices we have views of our Lord’s atoning work taken from different standpoints. On another occasion it will be profitable to note these delightful lessons and lay them to heart, but at this time I am not about to enter into such matters. These instructive distinctions are the special property of those who by reason of years have had their senses exercised and, therefore, can discern not only the great work of our Lord, but the details of it. I am not sufficiently strong in mind at this time to bring forth “butter in a lordly dish” for men of robust constitution, but I must be content to serve the little ones with a cup of milk. I cannot carry the great cluster from Eshcol and, therefore, I will bring you a few grapes in my trembling hands.
I desire to preach, this morning, so that I may fulfill the prayer of a little boy who, one Saturday evening before he went to bed, said in his prayers, “Lord, grant that our minister may say something tomorrow that I may understand.” I am very sorry that such a prayer should ever be necessary, but I am afraid it is not only necessary for children, but sometimes for grownup people to pray, “Lord, help our minister to say something that we can understand and that is worth understanding.” Some of my Brothers appear to dwell on high Olympus among the clouds—it were better if they lived on Calvary. Little dew comes from the dark mountains of intellectual dreaminess—far more refreshing drops are found upon Mount Hermon of the Gospel!
I feel like Dr. Guthrie when he desired those around him to sing him a child’s hymn—I would like to be a little child in preaching to you. Simple things are the most sublime and, to a sick man, the most sweet. I wish to be plain as a pikestaff in setting forth the way of expiation by the death of Jesus. I also have a reason for preaching foundation Truth of God today which, to myself is serious, though you may smile at it. It is this—if I have but few shots to fire, I should like each time to hit the center of the target, that is to say, if I may only speak to you once, today, after having been laid aside for three weeks, I desire to speak only upon topics which touch the vitals of godliness. I would plunge into the heart of the matter and deal with the essence and soul of true religion!
There are some things that may be or may not be and yet no great evil will come either way. But there are other things that must be, or all goes wrong! Of these “must-bes” I would now speak. Some things are important for the well-being of Christians, but certain other things are absolutely essential to the very being of Christians—and it is upon these urgent necessaries that I shall now speak—namely, concerning the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and our faith in it. These two things are of the highest importance and they cannot too often be brought before our minds.
Two matters were essential in the sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law and you have them both in our text—“He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering,” and, “he shall kill the bullock before the Lord.” The appropriation by the offerer and the death of the offering are most fitly joined together and must, neither of them, be overlooked. For our immediate objective, there was no need to have taken our present text, for there are many others of the same effect. Look at Leviticus 3:2—“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle.” Glance at the 8th verse—“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle.” Turn to chapter 4, verse 4, the second clause of the verse—“He shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the Lord.”
Also at the 15th verse—“And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord.” To the same effect is the 24th verse—“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering.” All through the Book of Leviticus, the laying on of the hand and the killing of the victim are mentioned in immediate connection. These are, each of them, so important and so full of meaning that we must have a sermon upon each of them. Let us, on the present occasion, look at THE LEADING ACT OF THE OFFERER—“He shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering.” All that goes before is important, but this is the real sacrificial act so far as the offerer is concerned.