LEVITICUS CHAPTER 3
THE PEACE OFFERING
The peace Offering is an oblation (an offering) given completely because of a persons love and devotion to God. There is no requirement that any person would ever give a peace offering. He gives it solely from his own "free will" because he remembers the many blessings God has given him.
This is the only offering that the giver is allowed to partake of. In each of the other offerings, only the priest and his family are allowed to eat the animal, but this sacrifice is a peace offering. This pictures that the giver is taking part in the riches of God's peace. An example: Being saved brings us much joy, (this is shown in the burnt offering) but the joy of the Christian life strengthens us spiritually every day just as the meat of the peace offerings gives the eater physical strength.
Chapter 7:11-15 discusses the meat (meal) offering which is a thanksgiving peace offering.
There is no offering of a fowl for a peace offering. The reason -- The peace of the believer is always enough for two. There wouldn't be enough meat for the priest and the giver to partake of if a fowl were offered. There is always enough spiritual peace for us to share with somebody and have plenty left over. In Lev. 7:11-34, the animal must be eaten within two days. This scripture indicates that there would be enough meat on an animal for at least three meals (and at least two persons at each meal). This would leave out all fowls. For a fuller explanation of the peace offering see the notes of Lev. 7:11-34.
Another reason the fowl is left out of the peace offering is because when God gives spiritual peace, there is always enough for more than one, and when He gives material prosperity, there is always enough for others.
There are three types of peace offerings discussed in this chapter.
1. V. 1-5 - An offering of the herd.
2. V. 6-11 - An offering of the flock.
3. V. 12-17 - An offering of a goat.
There is an offering available for all. All the various degrees of thankfulness are allowed for. All these sacrifices are the same, so we will discuss one and apply the principles to all three.
I. V. 1-5 - An offering of the herd. Verse 1, And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. {2} And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. {3} And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, {4} And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. {5} And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
A. The animal could be male or female.
1. In the burnt offering, Christ is pictured, thus only a male is used.
2. This sacrifice is picturing the peace of the believer, thus any sex can be used.
B. Without blemish.
1. This refers to the clear conscience of the believer.
2. Before the Lord. This is in the eyes of the Lord, not in the eyes of men who cannot judge righteously.
C. Lay his hand on the head - identifying the person with the sacrifice.
D. Kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
1. The priest does not kill the animal, the giver does. This signifies that the giver knows they have peace because Christ died for them.
2. At the door of the tabernacle of the congregation - At the entering in of Christian service. Before a person can really enter into Christian service, he must have peace with God. And this peace is a public peace: everybody is able to see you have peace.
E. Aaron's sons sprinkle the blood.
1. This is their job.
2. All true peace with God will be public, and we won't mind other people knowing about our peace with God.
3. No one handles the blood (which represents the perfect blood of Christ) except the priests, who are the representatives of Christ.
F. The part of the sacrifice that is to be burnt.
1. Fat - this shows the health, pureness and truth of the animal.
2. two kidneys - the "belly meat". This also shows the pureness and health of the animal.
3. caul above the liver - the lining that holds the upper organs in place. This shows that everything is in proper order. That all is well between God and the giver.
4. The rest of the animal will be eaten by the priest and the giver.
II. V. 6-11 - The sacrifice of the flock (a lamb). Verse 6, And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. {7} If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD. {8} And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar. {9} And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, {10} And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. {11} And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.
A. A.The major part of this sacrifice is the same as the herd.
B. The only difference is that the whole rump (v. 9) is burnt on the altar.
1. This is commonly called the "fat tail".
2. This refers to the fat of the rump.
3. All the fat (healthiness) is given to God.
C. V. 11 refers to the "food" of the sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. This not only refers to the food eaten by the priest and giver, but to the communion between the giver and the Lord.
III. V. 12-17 - The sacrifice of the goat. Verse 12, And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. {13} And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about. {14} And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, {15} And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. {16} And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD'S. {17} It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
A. This is the same as the sacrifice of the herd.
B. V. 17 - This is to be a perpetual statute. There should be continual happiness and joy because of the many blessings of the Lord. May God help us to remember His blessings.
IV. Verse 11-34 - The law of the peace offerings.
A. The three types of peace offerings. (verse 11-21)
1. Verse 11-15 - A thanksgiving peace offering.
a. Three kinds - unleavened cakes, wafers, and cakes mingled with oil - without sin.
b. Oil - the Holy Spirit.
c. A picture of being thankful for the entire Godhead.
d. Leavened Bread - The only time leaven (a type of sin) is accepted. Even when we're thankful to God and at peace with Him, we still have sin. There is no such thing as sinless perfection.
e. One of the whole oblation - none of this shall be burnt. The one part is a heave offering - given to the priest taking care of the sacrifice.
f. All of the flesh of the peace offering shall be eaten on that day.
2. So the holy flesh won't spoil.
3. Teach us to be generous with that which God has provided.
4. Verse 16-21 - Peace offering as a (1) vow or (2) voluntary offering.
a. Verse 16-18 - Eat all the flesh in two days or burn it. Pictures that Christ body will not be corrupted. (Ps. 16:10)
b. Verse 18 - To do otherwise causes both the peace offering and the individual to be an abomination - He bears his own iniquity. Even in times of joy and peace, God accepts only those that are properly lead (and follow) the Holy Spirit.
c. Verse 19-21 - A one way street - The unclean spoils the clean, yet the clean doesn't purify the unclean.
1) Stops a big debate about who touched who first.
2) These sacrifices are a symbol, not the actual thing.
3) Teaches the people not to trust the symbol, but to look to the one the symbol pictures.
4) In real life - Christ the clean touches the unclean and they are pure. If the unclean touches Christ, they are pure. So the opposite is true when the symbolic meaning is removed.
B. Verse 22-27 - Eating requirements.
1. Verse 22-25 - Don't eat the fat of these animals. To preserve a remembrance of God's altar.
a. This law seems to apply only to the sacrificial animals. This fat belongs to the Lord, not man.
b. The fat of the same animal, not used for sacrifice could be eaten.
2. Verse 26,27 - Don't eat blood - To preserve a remembrance of the cleansing blood of Christ.
a. Don't eat it because the life is in the blood - This sacrificial blood is a symbol of Christs pure blood.
b. The body doesn't digest blood, so it's a healthful law. (God always gives us the best and withholds nothing that is good from us.)
C. Verse 28-34 - The priest share of the peace offering.
1. His own hands - the individual himself must appear - not by proxy. Nobody can be thankful for somebody else. Each person is thankful and gives glory to God.
2. Wave offering - move it back and forth in front of him as far as he can - shows a willingness to give to God.
3. The priest gets the breast and right shoulder - reflecting the affections (giving life to another) and strength (the shoulder muscles move the animal).