Leviticus 1 describes the burnt offering, the first of the sacrifices in the Law given to Moses, and explains how an Israelite was to bring an animal, bird or other gift to the LORD at the Tent of Meeting. These questions are written for a small group, a Sunday class or personal study, and they move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it shapes daily life. Each set can stand alone, so a leader can pick the questions that fit the time available.
Leviticus 1 at a Glance
The chapter opens with the LORD speaking to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, then gives instructions to the people for a voluntary burnt offering taken from the herd or the flock. The offerer brings an unblemished male, lays a hand on its head, and the animal is killed, with the priests handling the blood, the washing and the burning on the altar. A second section covers birds, where the priest does the work at the altar itself.
The repeated refrain, “a pleasant aroma to the LORD,” signals that the offering is received by God as an act of worship and reconciliation. The chapter’s pattern of careful detail is the main thing to notice as you read.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the specific words in the chapter, and keep the discussion anchored in what the text states rather than what the group expects it to say.
Leviticus 1:2-3
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to the LORD, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock. 3 “‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.
(WEB)
Read these verses first so the group hears who brings the offering and what kind of animal is required. They set the tone for the rest of the chapter and invite the group into the worshiper’s position.
Leviticus 1:4
He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
(WEB)
This verse names the hand on the head and the purpose of atonement. Pausing here helps the group see the personal and substitutionary meaning at the center of the sacrifice.
Leviticus 1:9
But its innards and its legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.
(WEB)
The first full use of the “pleasant aroma” phrase appears here, and the verse closes the description of the washing and burning. Reading it aloud helps the group hear the note of divine acceptance.
Leviticus 1:13
But the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.
(WEB)
This verse repeats the whole burnt offering and the aroma language for the flock. Reading it lets the group notice the pattern, and how the chapter reaffirms the same truth in each section.
Leviticus 1:17
He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.
(WEB)
The chapter ends with the bird offering and the closing line about a pleasant aroma. Finishing here lets the group leave the text with its final emphasis on God’s acceptance of the worshiper’s gift.
Memory Verse for Leviticus 1
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you thankful that you have made a way for sinful people to draw near to your holiness. As we read about the burnt offering in Leviticus 1, help us see the seriousness of sin and the greatness of the grace that covers it. Teach us to give you our best, to worship with care, and to trust the sacrifice that you have provided. Let our time together honor you, and let what we have learned shape the way we live this week. Amen.
