Day of Atonement the blood was sprinkled within the Most Holy Place itself. From all

sin -offerings the blood of which was sprinkled on the horns of the altar of burnt-offering

certain portions were to be eaten, while those whose blood was brought into the Holy

Place itself were wholly burnt. But in the sacrifices of firstlings, of tithes of animals, and

of the Paschal lamb, the blood was neither thrown nor sprinkled, and only poured out at

the base of the altar.

On the shedding of blood, which was of the greatest importance--since, according to

the Talmud, 'whenever the blood touches the altar the offerer is atoned for'--followed

the 'flaying' of the sacrifice and the 'cutting up into his pieces.' All this had to be done in

an orderly manner, and according to certain rules, the apostle adopting the sacrificial

term when he speaks of 'rightly dividing the word of truth' (2 Tim 2:15). The 'inwards' and

'legs' having been washed (Lev 1:9), and dried with sponges, the separate pieces of the

sacrifice were brought up by various priests: the calculation of the Rabbis being, that in

the case of a sheep or a she-goat six priests carried the sacrifice, one more the meat-, and

another the drink-offering (in all eight); while in that of a ram twelve, and in that of a

bullock four-and-twenty priests were needed for the service. Next, the sacrificial salt was

applied, and then the pieces were first confusedly thrown and then arranged upon the

fire. 44 This latter part of the service requires explanation.

The common idea that the burning either of part or the whole of the sacrifice pointed to

its destruction, and symbolised the wrath of God and the punishment due to sin, does

not seem to accord with the statements of Scripture. The term used is not that commonly

employed for burning, but means 'causing to smoke,' and the rite symbolises partly the

entire surrender of the sacrifice, but chiefly its acceptance on the part of God. Thus the

sacrifice consumed by a fire which had originally come down from God Himself--not by

strange fire --would ascend 'for a sweet savour unto the Lord' (Lev 1:9; 4:31). Even the

circumstance that the fire for the altar of incense was always taken from that on the altar

of burnt-offering, shows that, while that fire might symbolise the presence of a holy

Jehovah in His house, it could not refer to the fire of wrath or of punishment. 45

As already stated, those parts of the sin -, trespass-, 46 and public peace-offerings, which

were allowed to be eaten, could only be partaken of by the priests (not their families)

during their actual ministry, and within the Temple walls.

The flesh of these offerings had also to be eaten on the day of the sacrifice, or in the

night following; while in other offerings the permission extended to a second day. The

Rabbis, however, restrict the eating of the Paschal lamb to midnight. Whatever was left

beyond the lawful time had to be burned.

It is deeply interesting to know that the New Testament view of sacrifices is entirely in

accordance with that of the ancient Synagogue. At the threshold we here meet the

principle: 'There is no atonement except by blood.' In accordance with this we quote the

following from Jewish interpreters. Rashi says (on Lev 17:11): 'The soul of every creature

is gave it to atone for the soul of man--that one soul should come and atone for the

other.' Similarly Aben Ezra writes: 'One soul is a substitute for the other.' And Moses

ben Nachmann: 'I gave the soul for you on the altar, that the soul of the animal should