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Commentary on Leviticus 6 verses 14–23
The meat-offering was either that which was offered by the people or that by the priests at their consecration. Now,
I. As to the common meat-offering,
1.Only a handful of it was to be burnt upon the altar; all the rest was allowed to the priests for their food. The law of the burnt-offerings was such as imposed upon the priests a great deal of care and work, but allowed them little profit; for the flesh was wholly burnt, and the priests had nothing but the skin. But to make them amends the greatest part of the meat-offering was their own. The burning of a handful of it upon the altar (Lev 6:15) was ordered before, Lev 2:2, Lev 2:9. Here the remainder of it is consigned to the priests, the servants of God's house: I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings, Lev 6:17. Note, (1.) It is the will of God that his ministers should be well provided for with food convenient; and what is given to them he accepts as offered to himself, if it be done with a single eye. (2.) All Christians, being spiritual priests, do themselves share in the spiritual sacrifices they offer. It is not God that is the gainer by them; the handful burnt upon the altar was not worth speaking of, in comparison with the priests' share; we ourselves are the gainers by our religious services. Let God have all the frankincense, and the priests shall have the flour and the oil; what we give to God the praise and glory of we may take to ourselves the comfort and benefit of.
2.The laws concerning the eating of it were, (1.) That it must be eaten unleavened, Lev 6:16. What was offered to God must have no leaven in it, and the priests must have it as the altar had it, and no otherwise. Thus must we keep the feasts of the Lord with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (2.) It must be eaten in the court of the tabernacle (here called the holy place), in some room prepared by the side of the court for this purpose. It was a great crime to carry any of it out of the court. The very eating of it was a sacred rite, by which they were to honour God, and therefore it must be done in a religious manner, and with a holy reverence, which was preserved by confining it to the holy place. (3.) The males only must eat of it, Lev 6:18. Of the less holy things, as the first-fruits and tithes, and the shoulder and breasts of the peace-offerings, the daughters of the priests might eat, for they might be carried out of the court; but this was of the most holy things, which being to be eaten only in the tabernacle, the sons of Aaron only might eat of it. (4.) The priests only that were clean might eat of it: Every one that toucheth them shall be holy, Lev 6:18. Holy things for holy persons. Some read it, Every thing that toucheth it shall be holy: Al the furniture of the table on which these holy things were eaten must be appropriated to that use only, and never after used as common things.
II. As to the consecration meat-offering, which was offered for the priests themselves, it was to be wholly burnt, and none of it eaten, Lev 6:23. It comes in here as an exception to the foregoing law. It should seem that this law concerning the meat-offering of initiation did not only oblige the high priest to offer it, and on that day only that he was anointed, and so for his successors in the day they were anointed; but the Jewish writers say that by this law every priest, on the day he first entered upon his ministry, was bound to offer this meat-offering, - that the high priest was bound to offer it every day of his life, from the day in which he was anointed, - and that it was to be offered besides the meat-offering that attended the morning and evening sacrifice, because it is said here to be a meat-offering perpetual, Lev 6:20. Josephus says, "The high priest sacrificed twice every day at his own charges, and this was his sacrifice." Note, Those whom God has advanced above others in dignity and power ought to consider that he expects more from them than from others, and should attend to every intimation of service to be done for him. The meat-offering of the priest was to be baked as if it were to be eaten, and yet it must be wholly burnt. Though the priest that ministered was to be paid for serving the people, yet there was no reason that he should be paid for serving the high priest, who was the father of the family of the priests, and whom therefore any priest should take a pleasure in serving gratis. Nor was it fit that the priests should eat of the offerings of a priest; for as the sins of the people were typically transferred to the priests, which was signified by their eating of their offerings (Hos 4:8), so the sins of the priests must be typically transferred to the altar, which therefore must eat up all their offerings. We are all undone, both ministers and people, if we must bear our own iniquity; nor could we have had any comfort or hope if God had not laid on his dear Son the iniquity of us all, and he is both the priest and the alter.
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SUMMARY
Leviticus 6:22 delineates a specific and enduring regulation for the grain offering presented by the high priest, stipulating that this particular offering, unlike others, must be entirely consumed by fire on the altar. This divine ordinance, established as a perpetual statute, underscores the profound holiness, complete dedication, and unparalleled consecration required of the high priest, who serves as the primary mediator between God and His people.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Leviticus 6:22 effectively employs Symbolism and Emphasis. The central act described, the offering being "wholly burnt," is profoundly symbolic. It represents complete dedication, absolute surrender, and total consumption by divine fire, signifying that the offering is entirely for God and not for human benefit. This visual act communicates the unparalleled holiness and unique consecration demanded of the high priest. Furthermore, the phrase "a statute for ever" provides Emphasis on the enduring nature of God's commands and the perpetual continuity of the divinely ordained priestly line. This repetition of the theme of permanence reinforces the stability and authority of the covenant relationship and the foundational importance of the high priest's role.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 6:22 deeply articulates the theological themes of divine appointment, the sanctity of priesthood, and the absolute necessity of complete dedication in worship. The mandate for the high priest's offering to be "wholly burnt" underscores that those who stand closest to God in service are held to the highest standard of purity and unreserved devotion. This statute reflects God's own perfect character and His demand for holiness from His chosen mediators. It teaches a fundamental principle of worship: true devotion involves holding nothing back, offering one's entire self and all that one possesses to the Lord, acknowledging His supreme sovereignty and worthiness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This ancient statute, though part of a superseded covenant, offers timeless and profound principles for our spiritual lives today. The high priest's "wholly burnt" offering serves as a potent reminder that our walk with God demands complete dedication and unreserved surrender. As believers in Christ, we are called to offer ourselves as "living sacrifices," holy and pleasing to God, which the Apostle Paul declares is our "spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1). This means surrendering not just our actions, but our ambitions, desires, comforts, and even our very identities to His will, trusting that His plans for us are good and perfect. Just as the high priest's offering symbolized his complete identification with God's holiness and his total devotion, so too are we, as those indwelt by the Holy Spirit and united with Christ, called to live lives that reflect the holiness of our perfect High Priest. This isn't about earning favor, but about responding to the immense grace and redemption we have received, allowing every aspect of our being to be transformed and consumed by the refining fire of God's love and purpose.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the high priest's grain offering "wholly burnt" when other grain offerings allowed priests to eat a portion?
Answer: The distinction in the high priest's grain offering, mandating it to be "wholly burnt," underscored the unique and elevated holiness required of the high priest. Unlike general grain offerings, where a portion was typically given to the priests for their sustenance (symbolizing their participation in the offering and their right to live from the altar, as seen in Leviticus 6:16), the high priest's offering was a personal act of complete consecration. It symbolized his absolute dedication and purity before God, with no human benefit derived from it. This emphasized that the high priest, as the chief mediator for the nation, must be entirely devoted to the LORD, holding nothing back, and that his personal offering was solely for God's consumption and pleasure, reflecting his unparalleled sacred office and the profound responsibility he bore.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 6:22, with its emphasis on the perpetually anointed high priest and his "wholly burnt" offering, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Levitical high priests, though divinely appointed and consecrated, were mortal and imperfect, requiring successors and offering sacrifices for their own sins before they could intercede for the people (Hebrews 7:23-27). Jesus, however, is the eternal High Priest, "anointed" not with oil but with the Holy Spirit without measure (Acts 10:38). His priesthood is "a statute for ever" in a far more profound sense, for He holds an unchangeable priesthood and lives forever to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:24-25). The "wholly burnt" aspect of the high priest's offering powerfully foreshadows Christ's single, perfect, and complete sacrifice. Unlike the temporary and repeated offerings of the Old Covenant, Jesus "offered up Himself once for all" (Hebrews 7:27), a sacrifice so complete and acceptable that it fully atoned for sin, requiring no successor or repetition. His entire life, death, and resurrection were a "wholly burnt" offering of perfect obedience and dedication to the Father's will, securing eternal redemption for all who believe (Hebrews 9:11-14) and establishing a new and living way to God (Hebrews 10:19-20).