The Book of Leviticus is primarily concerned with the ritual duties of the priests in the Temple. The word “sacrifice” is repeated dozens of times throughout this book. Why? In English, we tend to use sacrifice in the negative sense of “surrender”. It is to give up something of worth in order to serve a greater purpose. It is the right thing to do, but it involves a punishing sense of loss.
Does the God of Israel desire to inflict upon his chosen people such a burdensome feeling of defeat? No! In the Bible’s original Hebrew this word has a totally different meaning. The Hebrew word for “sacrifice” is korban קרבן which means “coming closer”. It derives from the root karev קרב which means “to draw near”. Thus, the purpose of sacrifice is to gain intimacy with God by bringing Him a cherished gift.
The Jerusalem Temple was destroyed 2000 years ago, and since that time Jews have offered God prayers in lieu of sacrifices. But this does not mean that the Levitical laws are irrelevant today. The desire to “draw near” to God by bringing him a gift has remained constant. Learning Biblical Hebrew draws you near to the original roots of the Bible. Enroll today in eTeacher’s online Biblical Hebrew course and come closer.
