11. What two categories of offerings were presented by Israel’s high priest, and for what purposes?

¹¹ “Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,” says the apostle Paul. (Hebrews 8:3) Note that Paul divides the offerings made by the high priest of ancient Israel into two categories, namely, “gifts” and “sacrifices,” or “sacrifices for sins.” (Hebrews 5:1) People generally give gifts to express affection and appreciation, as well as to cultivate friendship, favor, or acceptance. (Genesis 32:20; Proverbs 18:16) Similarly, many of the offerings prescribed by the Law can be viewed as “gifts” to God to seek his acceptance and favor.b

13. Describe the offerings made voluntarily as gifts to God.

¹³ Among the offerings made voluntarily as gifts or as an approach to God to gain his favor were the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and communion offerings. Some scholars hold that the Hebrew term for “burnt offering” means “an offering of ascent” or “an ascending offering.” This is fitting because in a burnt offering, the slaughtered animal was burned on the altar and a sweet-smelling, or restful, odor ascended heavenward to God. The distinctive feature of the burnt offering was that after its blood was sprinkled around the altar, the animal was offered in its entirety to God. The priests made “all of it smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire of a restful odor to Jehovah.”​—Leviticus 1:3, 4, 9; Genesis 8:21.

14. How was the grain offering presented?

¹⁴ The grain offering is described in Leviticus chapter 2. It was a voluntary offering consisting of fine flour, usually moistened with oil, with frankincense added. “The priest must grasp from it his handful of its fine flour and its oil along with all its frankincense; and he must make it smoke as a remembrancer of it upon the altar, as an offering made by fire of a restful odor to Jehovah.” (Leviticus 2:2) Frankincense was one of the ingredients of the holy incense burned on the incense altar in the tabernacle and temple. (Exodus 30:34-36) King David evidently had this in mind when he said: “May my prayer be prepared as incense before you, the raising up of my palms as the evening grain offering.”​—Psalm 141:2.

15. What was the purpose of the communion sacrifice?

¹⁵ Another voluntary offering was the communion sacrifice, described in Leviticus chapter 3. The name can also be translated “a sacrifice of peace offerings.” In Hebrew, the word “peace” denotes much more than simply being free from war or disturbance. “In the Bible, it denotes this, and also the state or relation of peace with God, prosperity, joy, and happiness,” says the book Studies in the Mosaic Institutions. Thus, communion sacrifices were offered, not to secure peace with God, as if to appease him, but to express gratitude for or to celebrate the blessed condition of peace with God enjoyed by those who are approved by him. The priests and the offerer partook of the sacrifice after the blood and fat were offered to Jehovah. (Leviticus 3:17; 7:16-21; 19:5-8) In a beautiful and symbolic way, the offerer, the priests, and Jehovah God were sharing in a meal, signifying the peaceful relationship that existed among them.