From Adam to Jacob, God had dealt with the individual’s sin through a simple process of sacrifice.

Heb_9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

God had made a covenant with Abraham that also covered his offspring, So that when the Israelites in Egypt cried out to God for help he remembered His covenant and made a plan to set them free.

Exo 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 
Exo 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

There were now about 2.5 million people, so after God had led them out of Egypt and to Mount Horeb, where He presented Himself to them, he gave them a set of rules to follow so that they could come into His presence and have fellowship with Him.

The first thing He gave them was the Ten Commandments, carved on tablets of stone. And then He gave Moses the plan for the tabernacle that would be His dwelling place amongst them and the order of sacrifices and offerings so that they would be able to enter in to His presence.

God gave them the instruction that everything should be done in order.

There were five sacrifices that the individuals had to make:

• The Burnt Offering
• The Meal Offering
• The Sin Offering
• The trespass offering
• The Peace offering.

Each one was slightly different and each one had a different meaning and purpose. In each case were an animal was involved the presenter would lay his hands on the head of the animal signifying that the animal was becoming his representative. The animals offered all had to be perfect without spot or blemish. The blood of each animal was sprinkled on the four horns of the alter, and the balance was poured out at the foot of the alter, the blood was the life and the life belonged to God. The only offering where the presenter got something back was in the Peace offering.

The Burnt Offering

The burnt offering had to be cut up, washed and set in a particular order on the alter were it was completely burnt.

This represents our acknowledgement of God, of whom and what He is.

He is:

• The Creator
• The Author and Finisher
• The King of kings
• The Lord of Lords
• The Almighty
• The everlasting one.

When Moses asked Him who He was He answered ‘I Am”.

Exo 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

We must first believe that He is before we can believe anything that He has for us.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It also shows that He is a God of order and demands that things be done in His way and to His order. We cannot change His ways to suit us or take short cuts.

The Meal Offering

This offering does not include an animal. It is an offering of grain, mixed with oil and seasoned with salt and mingled with incense. It could either be cooked or raw.  Some was burnt on the alter before God and the remnant was given to the priests.

This represents man and the giving of himself to God.

When we give ourselves to God He wants us to be a sweet smelling savour, He wants our lives to be seasoned so that we produce good. He wants our lives to be mingled with prayer and intercession to Him, for ourselves and for others.

The Sin Offering

The Sin offering was again an animal and the whole animal was burnt on the alter

This represents our repentance, turning away from, sin towards God. The Sin of not  believing God, not keeping His laws and statutes, of not doing things His way. It is only from true repentance that we can receive forgiveness. It is only when we are in a state of forgiveness that we can have a right relationship with God.

The Trespass Offering.

The trespass offering was also completely burnt on the alter.

This represents the things that we do wrong because we do not believe God, also our giving and receiving forgiveness from other people. If we are not right with others we are not right towards God.

Jesus said that the first Commandment was to love God and the second to love man.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. 
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus added an addendum to this:

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Jesus also said

Mat 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 
Mat 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

As well as being right with God we must be right with man.

The Peace Offering.

The peace offering is the only offering were we get something back. A portion, the fat, is given to God. The breast, which covers the heart and the shoulder which shows the strength, is given to the priest. The breast is waved before God and the shoulder is heaved up to God and this is the priests offering to God. The priest then gets to eat it. The balance is given back to the giver for him to eat and to share with his family.

The word Peace in the name of the offering also encompasses prosperity, health and wealth, to the partaker. It is God giving His prosperity back to the giver. It is God giving man abundant life.

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In the third year when you went to make your Peace offering, you took extra. You took ten per cent of your increase, or in today’s terms, ten per cent of your net profit. This was so that you could give some to those that did not have anything,  the priests, the stranger, the widow and the orphan, so that they could also partake of the peace offering for themselves and receive from God’s prosperity and blessings.