Most of the laws and regulations in the Old Testament centered around the nature of sacrifices. There were several different types of sacrifices, as well as different sub types inside those sacrifices. Sometimes the sacrifice was sin-based and involved a bull. Other times it was a freewill offering and involved grain.
Although the Text records lots of sacrifices so far in the Text, Exodus 29:10-14 marks the first official sacrifice under the Mosaic covenant and directed by the Levitical priesthood (which makes sense, since this is the sacrifice that installs the priesthood).
As such, these verses provide a great introduction to several principles that we’ll see in other sacrifices.
Right at the start, for example, Aaron and his sons are to “lay their hands” on the bull that is to be sacrificed to consecrate them. The word “lay hands on” implies a heavy leaning of sorts, which shows an intentional association with sacrifice. Although not stated, you can almost imagine Aaron and his sons looking intently at the bull with a sense of love and appreciation for what the bull is about to endure.
Once slaughtered, the blood is placed on the horns of the altar, while the rest is poured at the base. This isn’t an Aaron-only occurrence; every sin offering moving forward would have the same procedure (Leviticus 4:1-12).
But why? The horns of the altar are a symbol of mercy. Later in the Old Testament, fugitives would grasp the horns and claim sanctuary (1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28). Whether or not it was granted was up to the situation.
In the case of the sacrifices, the blood that comes into contact with the altar (both on the horns and at the base) were a symbol of the price paid for the sanctification requested. The “life is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11), so in order to give life, another life must be sacrificed.
As to the sacrifice itself, the specifics can vary. In this instance, the fat from the entrails, the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys were offered up in smoke, whereas the flesh of the bull, the hide, and the “refuse” were burned “outside the camp.”
This location is important. God is practical, so when He demands a sacrifice, it’s understood that there will be unclean products such as ash that need to be placed somewhere. Same for latrines (Deuteronomy 23:12-14), prisoners of war (Numbers 31:1-19), and lepers (Leviticus 13:46). They all needed a home, so God placed them outside the camp.
It’s noteworthy that “outside the camp” is where Jesus was sacrificed. In Hebrews 13:11-13, the writer uses this idea to talk about Jesus’ rejection, and implores us to meet Him out there. If the world is going to view Jesus as unclean, then let them view us as unclean also.
Everything in the sacrifices had a place, and most of them had a deeper symbolic meaning than just what’s seen on the surface. No matter the sacrifice though, the whole point was to make the effects of sin real to us. There’s a real cost whenever we violate God’s law, even if we’re not always the one that has to pay it.
