Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19: Lesson 53

Leviticus, Part 1

“This Thing Is a Similitude”

Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.

Ancient Israel sacrificed animals. This helped them understand what the Savior promised to do for them. Studying these sacrifices can help us appreciate what the Savior did for us. This lesson can help you feel gratitude for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

Study the Scriptures

Have you ever talked with someone who spoke your language but used words you didn’t understand? How did it affect your ability to understand what they were saying?

The Old Testament is translated in your language. Still, unfamiliar customs and traditions can sometimes make it difficult to understand. Leviticus discusses one of those customs: animal sacrifice.

Adam was the first person to receive the commandment to sacrifice animals. At first, he didn’t understand why he was doing it.

Read Moses 5:5–7, looking for what Adam learned about the meaning of animal sacrifices. Tag the passage as “animal sacrifice.” Ponder how learning the meaning might have changed how Adam felt about making sacrifices.

Learning tip. The word “similitude” in Moses 5:7 means “likeness” or “resemblance.”

The command to offer animal sacrifices ended with the death of Jesus Christ. Still, prayerfully studying the meaning of these sacrifices can help us feel gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Review the following study options. Complete one or more. Then complete the “Now What?” section at the end of the lesson.

Option A

How are burnt offerings a symbol of Jesus Christ?

In Leviticus 1, the Lord commanded the Israelites to perform burnt offerings. This sacrifice was to show their commitment to God.

Read Leviticus 1:1–9 and Ezekiel 46:13. Look for elements of this sacrifice that remind you of the Savior’s sacrifice. Consider tagging what you find as “animal sacrifice.” The following phrases are examples of elements you might ponder:

• “Male without blemish” (Leviticus 1:3)

• “Of his own voluntary will” (Leviticus 1:3)

• “He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering” (Leviticus 1:4). This could symbolize transferring the sins of the person offering the sacrifice to the sacrificial animal.

Study two of the following references. Look for connections between these verses and the elements of sacrifice you found.

• Doctrine and Covenants 19:18–19

• 2 Corinthians 5:21

• 1 Peter 1:18–19

• Matthew 27:26–31, 35

• Luke 22:41–44

Answer the following questions in your notebook:

• What did you learn or feel about Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for you?

• What symbols or teachings helped you feel greater love and appreciation for the Savior? Why?

Option B

What does the Day of Atonement teach us about Jesus’s sacrifice?

On a sacred day each year, called the Day of Atonement, the Israelites thought about the Savior’s sacrifice and sought forgiveness for their sins. The high priest offered a sacrifice for all the people. The ceremony involved two goats: the sin offering and the scapegoat.

In your notebook, draw a simple picture of two goats, like the image below. Label one goat “sin offering” and the second goat “scapegoat.”

1. Read Leviticus 16:15–16 (sin offering) and 16:21–22 (scapegoat), looking for what reminds you of the Savior and what He has done for us. Beneath your pictures, list what you find.

2. Study two of the following references, looking for connections between these verses and the Day of Atonement: 1 Nephi 11:32–33; Alma 7:11–13; Alma 39:15.

Answer the following questions in your notebook:

• What did you learn or feel about Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for you?

• What symbols or teachings helped you feel greater love and appreciation for the Savior? Why?

Now What?

We are no longer commanded to offer animal sacrifices. Today, the sacrament is a reminder of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. Like animal sacrifices, understanding the sacrament can help us feel gratitude for Jesus’s sacrifice.

Watch or read the following from Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

The bread and water represent the flesh and blood of Him who is the Bread of Life and the Living Water, poignantly reminding us of the price He paid to redeem us. As the bread is broken, we remember the Savior’s torn flesh. Elder Dallin H. Oaks once observed that “because it is broken and torn, each piece of bread is unique, just as the individuals who partake of it are unique. …

… But figuratively eating His flesh and drinking His blood has a further meaning, and that is to internalize the qualities and character of Christ, putting off the natural man and becoming Saints “through the atonement of Christ the Lord.” (“The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov 2017, 37)

If available, it might also help to watch the video “Sacrifice and Sacrament” (12:41).

Answer the following questions in your notebook:

• How is the sacrament like the animal sacrifices made in Leviticus?

• How does understanding the symbolism of animal sacrifice help you feel gratitude for Jesus Christ’s sacrifice?

Share Your Thoughts

Lesson Purpose: To help you feel gratitude for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:

What you learned about burnt offerings and how that helped you feel grateful for Jesus Christ.

• What you learned about the Day of Atonement and how it points us to Jesus Christ.

• Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.

• Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?