These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar- Leviticus 6:9

These were the animals used for burnt offering: bullocks, sheep, goats, turtle doves and young pigeons.

The person making this voluntary offering would lay his hand on the head of the offering so that it was accepted on his behalf as an atonement. Then he would slay it.

The priests then took the blood and sprinkled it around the great altar. In Solomon's temple there was a red line half way up the sides of the altar. Some of the blood was sprinkled above and some below the line.

After the blood was sprinkled, the person who brought the offering skinned the animal and cut it in pieces. In later times the priests performed this task, sometimes being helped by others when there were too many offerings:

"The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been" 2 Chronicles 29:34

The entire offering was then burned by the priests. If the offering was of a goat, sheep, or fowls, the ceremony was slightly different.

The burnt offering was the only offering that was burned entirely. It is for this reason that it was sometimes called the "whole burnt offering" (Deut. 33:10; Ps.51:19) The burning was to be so gradual as to last from morning to evening, or from one daily sacrifice to the next. The fire on the altar was never to go out, although the emphasis was not on the fire but on the continual burnt offering.

This symbolized the continual consecration of the nation to God. It was self-dedication, growing out of pardon and acceptance with God.

GAIL

I am sure that these offerings has spiritual
meaning for us today

dgrimm60

wasnt it more of a symbol of Christs continual sacrifice for us?

It could be... it could have more than one signification.

It's been a while since I've studied the subject, so I'll appreciate lots of input on this!

ill try to do a little studying-i have several studies going on right now-and see what i might be able to contribute.

I'm in the same boat

That would be awesome, teresa!

this is what i was thinking of,
"and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ".

tying that in with the point you made aboutif i remember correctly there was the morning and evening sacrifice, so the "slow burning" covered them from 24 hours. there was never a moment they were not covered, or not dependent on the Lord.

hadnt known about that. :)