THE PEACE OFFERING

Lev.. 3:1-5

Morning Meditation 12/29/2013

Verse 1-5 says, “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. 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. 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, 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. 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.”

THE PEACE OFFERING, A PICTURE OF RECONCILIATION

THE NAME OF THE OFFERING

The word “oblation” means “offering.” The word “peace” translates “shelem” and means, “peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship.” The general meaning behind the root word is completion and fulfillment—of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship. It also has in it the meaning of prosperity, health and completeness.

Peace is obtained through sacrifice not negotiation. Man is not reconciled to God by going back and correcting what he has done wrong. Man’s sins have offended a holy God and He must be satisfied before fellowship is restored. The price has to be paid in the death of a sacrificial animal. This is the picture that is made in the peace offering.

THE LORD’S PORTION

The peace offering (shelem) is one where the fat around the intestines, the kidneys, the liver, and the fat of the sheep’s tail is burned on the altar. This was offered to God.

“This was the fat of the inwards, which is called suet, and not the fat that runs in the lean. It was considered the best part of the beast and was loved by the Easterner. It was required by God. Quoting from the British Encyclopedia fat is ‘an animal substitute of a more of less oily character, deposited in vessels, in tissues. It forms a considerable layer under the skin, is collected in large quantity around certain organs, as for instance, the kidneys, fills up furrows on the surface of the heart, surrounds joints, and exists in large quantities in the marrow of bones. It is an excellent packing material in the body, being, light, soft, and elastic. Being a bad conductor of heat, it enables a person to retain the warmth he has generated, but its chief use is for the purpose of nutrition.’” (Thus Shalt Thou Serve, p. 70, by C.W. Slemming).

Slemming adds this: “There is a breed of sheep in the East which grows a long and heavy tail, weighing upwards to twenty pounds, most of which is fat. This part of the animal is considered sweet and valuable, and is greatly appreciated by the Easterner. They loved this fat so much that if they could, they would keep part of the tail for themselves; hence the statements that the tail should be ‘cut off hard by the backbone,’ and ‘all the fat is the Lord’s.’”

“Fat is, therefore, that which protects the vital life-giving, health-sustaining parts of the body, keeps the warmth, and feeds every part of the being. That is what the Lord required—all that maintains spiritual life, keeps the warmth and love of our devotion, and feeds the soul with divine energy and a spiritual fervor.”

This portion was for food for the Lord (Lev. 3:11, 16). The Lord participated with them in eating this sacrifice. It is like sitting down at the table with the Lord where He has His portion, the priests, and the offerer and his friends have theirs.

God required what was considered the best. Then next,

THE PORTION FOR THE PRIESTS

The breast and the shoulder was given to the priests for their portion of this sacrifice for eating (Lev. 7:31). The breast is a symbol of affection. It went to the priesthood and was shared by the whole family. The shoulder is the symbol of strength. It was a reminder that the strength of the Lord is given to those who serve.

THE OFFICER’S PORTION

The remainder, after the Lord’s portion was offered, and Aaron’s portion was removed, belonged to the offerer and served as a feast for him and his friends. The rules of eating are recorded in Leviticus chapter 7.

WHAT THEY WENT BY IN SELECTING THE PEACE OFFERING

1.It had to be a sacrifice without blemish; vs 1. The animal is a type of Christ and could never typify Him if it had blemishes. Blemishes could be birth defects or defects incurred from disease or accident. These all disqualified the sacrifice from being offered as a peace offering. Jesus had no birth defects (born of a virgin and therefore did not inherit an old sin nature from Adam) and had no defects from sin incurred after birth. He was holy, harmless and undefiled and therefore a perfect sacrifice.

2.It could be an ox, a sheep, or a goat (Lev. 7:23). The ox represented the Lord as the strong and patient One. The lamb represented the Lord as the meek and gentle One.. The goat represented the Lord as the despised and rejected One. All together picture Christ as strong and patient, meek and gentle, and despised and rejected.

3.It could be either male or female. In other instances only a male could be offered. Someone has suggested that this is a symbol of friendship which had not existed between God and man in the past owing to sin which has now been removed by sacrifice. Since the peace offering is one of five offerings that must be looked at together as depicting different aspects of the one sacrifice of Christ, we must see this as applying to Christ. God has a Mother nature as well as a Father. God’s mother nature is seen in Isa. 66:13: “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” One of God’s Names is El Shaddai. The word Shaddai comes from the root word shad which means “breast” referring to a woman’s breast the place of nourishment. Some have translated El Shaddai as the “Many breasted One,” speaking of His nature to comfort and nourish His people. A reconciled sinner can come to God in peace and rest upon His breast and receive comfort and nourishment.

4.The offerer had to identify with the sacrifice. He put his hands upon the head of the offering which is a picture of transferring ones sins to the sacrifice. There can be no FEAST OF PEACE of a reconciled sinner apart from identification with the sacrifice. Our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection is permanent and we can never come for fellowship with Him apart from this truth. We never grow beyond the need of Jesus in worship. See also Lev. 7:30.

5.Aaron and his sons had to sprinkle the blood for the offerer. The one making the offering could bring the sacrifice, take it’s life, but he could not apply the blood. He was at the mercy of the priest’s to do this, a type of Christ our ONE MEDIATOR between God and man.

6.The offerer must first separate the part of the offering that God claimed as His portion. Then he must give the portion that the Lord had given the priests for food, then he could have a feast with his family and friends with the remainder of the sacrifice. Here we have the LORD participating in the feast with Aaron and his sons (a type of Christ our Mediator) and the offerer (a type of those covered by this sacrifice). Reconciliation has taken place and fellowship experienced.

7.The offerer must not partake of any part of the sacrifice that was set apart for the Lord. If he did, the penalty was severe. Lev. 7:20 says, “But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.” This meant according to John Gill, “to be disfranchised as an Israelite, be debarred from the privileges of the sanctuary, or be cut off by death before the usual time and term of man's life.” Forgiveness and reconciliation ceased when the Scriptural conditions of the sacrifice were set aside.

SOME OF THE LESSONS DERIVED FORM THE PEACE OFFERING

1.We have been reconciled to God through His sacrifice. Romans 5:10 says, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” It is clear in this verse reconciliation is the result of His death.

2.Reconciliation brings peace. Colossians 1:20 says, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

3.Jesus is our peace. Ephesians 2:14 says, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.”

4.Worshiping Christ is a feast. 1 Cor. 5:7-8: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

5.We enter the holiest by the Blood and fellowship with God as friends; Heb. 10:19.

Paul says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” As Herbert Lockyer says, “Fellowship with Christ becomes the highest point of Christian privilege.”

May the Lord bless us with that marvelous fellowship that reconciled sinners have with God through Christ.

In Christ

Bro. White.