22:17-33

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Animals for sacrifice

(Le 22:17-33)

All animals offered in sacrifice to God had to be the best available. The only exception concerned the freewill offering, for in that case the state of the animal was an indication of the offerer’s state of heart (Le 22:17-25).

Sacrificial animals had to be at least a week old, to ensure that they were normal and healthy. When people made sacrifices, they were to have sympathy for the innocent animals that lost their lives.

For this reason a mother animal was not to be killed on the same day as her young (Le 22:26-30).

As always, the Israelites’ behaviour was to reflect the holiness of the God who had redeemed them and now dwelt among them (Le 22:31-33).