Will You Put Your Hands on its Head?

Leviticus 3:2
You are to lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash the blood against the sides of the altar.

Leviticus 3:8
lay your hand on its head and slaughter it …

Leviticus 3:13
lay your hand on its head and slaughter it …

When an offering was brought during worship, the worshiper lay his hands on the animal offering before slaughtering it. If it was a burnt offering or any other offering associated with seeking forgiveness for sin, the sinner who is also the worshipper was required to put his hands on the head of the animal and confess sins before slaughtering the animal.

In other worship offerings, there was no confession, but just the placing of hands on the head of the animal and then slaughter. The placing of hands symbolized that the worshiper was transferring guilt to the animal. The innocent animal died for the guilty worshipper. Placing hands was important, the animal was to die for you. Jesus came as the lamb of God, John 1:29, who takes away the sins of the world. By faith, we lay our hands on Jesus so that by His death our sins are taken away.

Hands were also placed on other offerings to show that the offering was wholly given to God and that it fully represented the worshipper. By laying your hands on the offering, the offering became you, so to speak. The offering went to God’s service and was as good as you going to God’s service.

The same God who asked Israelites to place their hands on offerings is the same God we give offerings today. We may not physically place our hands on the offerings we give, but by giving we lay our hands on them. Without laying hands on the offering, the offering is rejected. The offering is only qualified if the hands of the giver are laid on it.

As we bring our offerings before God, would you place your hands on that offering? Sometimes we give too little compared to what we earn. We are able and supposed to give more, but we give less. On that little offering of contempt, would you place your hands on it, so that it can represent you in the service of God? That loose change is what you are placing all your life for the service of God, yet you can afford more? Will you put your hands on its head?

We steal from workers’ rights so that our financial records look clean and attractive. We steal from clients by giving poor services at a high cost. We steal from employers their time and resources. We steal through abuse of power. After stealing, directly and indirectly, we bring part of the loot as an offering to a God who knows we stole. Will you place your hands on the stolen loot to represent you in the service of God?

You earn from an immoral relationship. Someone’s spouse is facilitating your life financially. You have repeated the sin so many times you no longer feel guilty. Some of those proceeds from immoral affairs are what you bring before God? Will you place your hands on them so that the proceeds of immorality can represent you before God? Will you put your hands on its head?

You force people to give. You put them in small groups where they can’t escape. You set goals. You set them up so that if they don’t give they will get embarrassed. Everyone’s economic abilities are not the same. A senior official in an organization may be deep in debt that they can’t afford what you imagine they can. You then force giving through groups and pestering leaders and social media groups. Will God bless that offering that is given under duress? Will you place your hands on them so that the money taken by force can represent you before God? Will you put your hands on its head?

Dear God, help us to give that which we can place our hands on its head, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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