The Whole Burnt Offering (Exodus 29:14-18).
Now that sin has been dealt with they can offer their true, wholehearted worship to God in a whole burnt offering (‘that which goes up').
“You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, and you shall slay the ram, and you shall take its blood and cast it round about the altar, and you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its inwards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces and with its head, and you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. It is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.”
The purification for sin offering was an ox bull that the cost of sin might be revealed. God wanted it recognised that sin was costly, and thus the purification for sin offering was deliberately and specifically shown to be the most costly of sacrifices.
The downgrading to a ram was necessary to bring this lesson out. It was not that the whole burnt offering was less worthy. The ram was still a costly offering. But its use stressed the extra costliness of sin. This ram was an offering of dedication, of self-giving, of wholehearted gratitude and love. The whole of it was offered on the altar. But the shedding of blood was still necessary, for the ones who brought it were sinners. Atonement is still included.
Again the identification procedure. Each laid his hand on to identify himself with the offering. Then the ram was slain, and the blood cast round the altar. This stresses that while the offering is a whole burnt offering offered to God it still contained an atoning aspect. The blood is not offered up but is cast before God, indicating that the life has been given and the blood has been shed on behalf of the offerers.
Then the remainder is offered to God. There are parts that have to be washed, the legs because they have been in contact with the earth, the inwards possibly because it is seen as having been in contact with the dung, and then all the pieces are gathered up in total and offered to God by being burnt up, fat, flesh, bones and skin. All is dedicated to God. While containing sacrificial aspects it is an offering and not a sacrifice. (Usually in Scripture an offering is ‘offered' and a sacrifice is ‘sacrificed', although there are instances when the description is reverted. Ideas change or relax over time. It is also lest we grow too dogmatic. It will be noted here that the laver is assumed in order to provide water for the washing, even though it has not yet been mentioned).
“ It is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.” That is, it is satisfying to God because of the intent of the heart, the loving self-giving and dedication of the offerer.