What were the various sacrifices in the Old Testament?

There were four offerings: the burnt, the peace, the sin and the trespass offerings.

There is a very definite distinction between the first two sacrifices we have here, to which the third is an appendix, and the others. The burnt-offering and the meat-offering stand alone; dependent on these you get the peace-offering, and then those of another character, the sin and trespass offerings.

There are three different kinds of offerings: — 1st, that of the Great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), which was God's provision for making worshippers; 2nd, Sin and Trespass Offerings — God's provision for the worshipper when he failed; 3rd, Burnt, Meat, and Peace Offerings — God's provision for the worshipper in service.

In chap. 1 — 6:7, according to the numeration of the authorised version, we read of the five different sacrifices which Jehovah would accept of from His people Israel. What the people were to bring, and how the offerer was to deal with his offering, and the service of the priests, while the offerer stood by the altar, till the sacrifice was completed, all this, as it concerned the offerer, is there set forth. After that in 6:8 — 7:38, what was to be done with the rest of the offerings, whether by the priest, or in the case of the peace offering by the offerer as well, is revealed, and in addition to that we read of the special daily meat offering for the priests (6:19-23).

One kind where the offerings which were to be repeated at certain times. They picture different aspects of the work of Christ on the cross (for example the Passover, 1 Cor. 5:7; the Great Day of Atonement, Heb. 9:6-12). The other kind of offerings could be brought by the individual Israelite either voluntarily (such as Burnt, Meat or Peace Offering in Lev. 1-3) or when they had sinned (sin and trespass offering in ch. 4-5). Thereby various graduations were made. These graduations reflect the personal apprehension of the offering of Christ.

The sacrificial system, which pointed forward to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, indicated the basis on which God could continue His relations with the guilty nation. Every year there was the great day of atonement, which assured Israel that the claims of God's throne were met by the blood of the sin offerings; and every morning and evening there were the lambs of the continual burnt offering that prefigured the offering and sacrifice of Christ as "a sweet-smelling savour" to God.

Among the many privileges that belonged to an Israelite was that of bringing offerings to Jehovah. There were offerings that were obligatory, such as the sin and trespass offerings, when there were sins of inadvertance. There were also freewill offerings, of which the burnt offering and the peace offering were prominent. Meat offerings and drink offerings were normally offered with burnt and peace offerings (Numbers 15:1-12).

Upon the altar are offered sacrifices mainly of five distinct characters: the burnt, meat, peace, sin and trespass offerings. The cleansed and renewed world approaches God with the burnt-offering. There is no sin-offering, for the question of sin had been settled by judgment. The five offerings are different aspects of the sacrificial work of our Lord. The salient points of the burnt-offering are its being a voluntary sacrifice and its being wholly (Lev. 1:3, 9) dedicated to Jehovah. "The priest shall burn all on the altar." This is not so with the other sacrifices. It is the expression of a voluntary dedication of the whole being to God — through fires of death and all-searching judgment; fit way to begin a new dispensation. [ The burnt offering is called olah — "ascend." It all ascends to God; but the sin-offering is burnt (a different word — "consumed") in an unclean place outside the camp.]

The trespass offering is first found in Lev. 5 and Lev. 6 concerning cases of wrong done to the Lord or to a neighbour. In these cases a man needed to offer a trespass offering — for a trespass against a neighbour encroached on the rights of God — and to make restitution also, with a fifth added. In Lev. 5:6-9 the same offering is called both a trespass offering and a sin offering; but in Lev. 14, for the cleansing of a leper, both a sin offering and a trespass offering were needful; and the same two offerings were to be brought if a Nazarite were defiled. Num. 6:10-12. It appears therefore that the trespass offering is a variety of sin offering.

There were two orders of sin offerings — that of sin, and that of trespass or guilt — and these, while a necessity on the offerer's part, were on Jehovah's part an expression of abhorrence of sin, but also of its forgiveness.

Now we come to a new and necessary class of offerings. Unlike those which have hitherto occupied us, they were not voluntary nor for a sweet savour. They were compulsory, to clear the conscience, to make reparation, and to vindicate God's honour injured by wrongs in His people to God or man. Forgiveness was sought and secured thereby; and as it was needed by all from the highest to the lowest, so it was imperative on each guilty individual, and no less by the assembly as such when it had failed corporately.