Part 3.1- The Peace Offering
CHAPTER III. THE PEACE OFFERING. THE name of this offering marks its characteristic feature -peace. The animal to be offered might be of the herd or the flock, a male or a female. When male and female are mentioned together, there seems to be a reference, more or less distinct, to Christ and the Church. He Himself is truly the one perfect peace-offering. " He is our peace, Who hath made both one," etc. " Having made peace through the blood of His cross." " He came and preached peace," etc. But the Church has not only the knowledge of peace as her own abiding portion-" My peace I give unto you "-but is also the minister of peace to others. The Apostle applies the word of
(Isaiah 53:7), concerning the Lord, to His Church, as the preacher of the glad tidings of peace (Romans 10:15). And the Lord, in His directions to the twelve, when He sent them forth, says," When ye come into an house, salute it; and if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it" (Matthew 10:12-13).
Leviticus 3:2. He shall lay His hand, etc., as in the burnt offering. In this case the fat (etc., as described) of the victim was to be offered, while the whole remainder of the offering was to be left.
God was to be recognized in it, and then a blessing was left for the priests and the offerer: " Peace I leave with you."
It was left for the Church’s portion, and for her ministration to others. That which was offered proved the soundness and excellency of the offering, and so belonged to God who could estimate it. It is nowhere stated what was to be done with the body of the animal (the offering itself is the immediate point); but afterwards (Leviticus 7:11) there is a command that it should be eaten on the same, or, at any rate, on the next day. But the characteristic of the burnt offering was here also; it was a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Leviticus 3:7. When a lamb is to be offered, there is a little difference in the ordinance as to the portion to be burnt; an addition, viz. " the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone." And it is further stated that what is thus offered is the food of the offering. There was also a special ordinance in the parallel place of the burnt offering; but there it had reference to locality. The food is that which is acceptable and satisfactory to God, " the God of peace." We feed on it, and this is communion with God. " The God of peace shall be with you." "My peace I give to you." In the offering of the goat, there is but little variation in the ordinance; the animals were different, but their value was much the same. In different individuals, there may be, arising from individual peculiarities, something peculiar in the manner of apprehending Christ, while in each there may be a true and equal apprehension of His value. Various characteristics may be seen in believers, but unto all "He is precious."
Leviticus 3:16. Then it is added, "All the fat is the Lord’*;"and a perpetual statute to eat neither fat nor blood follows.
It was God Who gave the sacrifice-His beloved Son. All the excellency of the power is of God, and not of us. Our life is forfeited to God, and if given to us again, it is given of free grace. The blood v.ras the atonement, the forfeited life given. " He had power to lay it down, and power to take it up again." In Leviticus 7:11-18, we learn that the body of the animal was to be eaten, and that there were two or three divisions of the offering.
1. A thanksgiving. It shall be offered with the usual meat-offering, but with the addition of leavened bread.
Peace, when known, will express itself in thanksgiving; but there is imperfection and evil mixed up with it, and this is signified by the leaven. It was to be eaten on the same day. Thanksgiving is the immediate result of peace. " In everything give thanks," is the command. " By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name " (Hebrews 13:15).
2. A vow or voluntary offering. This may be eaten on the same day, or on the morrow; but not on the third day. Here service is indicated. It is also joined to thanksgiving in Hebrews 13:16, where the passage quoted above is followed by the charge:-"But to do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." The third day is resurrection, manifestation, and reward; therefore, the two days are the time for partaking of the peace-offering, whether in enjoying the peace or ministering it. But the third day is judgment. An animal not quite perfect, may be accepted for a free-will offering, but not for a vow (Leviticus 22:23). The flesh that toucheth an unclean thing may not be eaten. The perfect purity and acceptability of the sacrifice, known and understood, can alone give peace (Leviticus 7:19). No one having uncleanness may eat of it. The consciousness of remaining defilement is a barrier to peace (Leviticus 7:20).
All that eat thereof shall be clean. Our partaking of Christ is the only thing that gives the confidence of perfect purity before God. " And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." As to the peace offering generally, there is a further ordinance (Leviticus 7:28), and apparently a very special one.
Forafter "the law of the peace offer ing" had been previously given amongst the others, this is introduced by " the Lord spake unto Moses." "He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the Lord shall bring his oblation unto the Lord of the sacrifice of his peace offerings." This seems like a repetition of the same thing, perhaps implying that, when the Lord speaks of peace, He means true full peace. Not a mere probability, for there is no rest in that: peace is either in a sense perfect, or it is not peace at all. This seems to be implied in what follows:-"His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire." The question of peace is one which none can settle for another; it is altogether a personal matter, and the only basis of it is the knowledge of perfect acceptance with God, which is signified in " the offerings made by fire."
He shall bring the fat with the breast. The fat, according to the manner, to be burnt; but the breast to be first "waved for a wave offering before the Lord," and then given to Aaron and his sons. This seems to denote a special and intimate participation in the offering. The acceptance is shown in the portion burnt. But in the breast Aaron and his sons partake of that which was waved before the Lord. This is a more special partaking of the peace. The knowledge of acceptance is peace with God. The feeding upon this wave breast is feeding on God’s waved portion of the offering, and is the peace of God (John 14:1-31; Php 4:1-23).
It was the breast, that part which is the seat of the affections and understanding, and also the place whence evil proceeds in man (Mark 7:21). It was on the breast, too, that the High Priest bore the names of the tribes. But there was another portion appointed for him of the sons of Aaron who " offered the blood and the fat." (Probably Aaron himself waved the wave offering. See Leviticus 9:21.) This was the shoulder for an heave offering, which seems to denote individual blessing to the priest in whose hands the blood and the fat were. The shoulder appears to imply the place of strength, and the bearing of burdens ; and if so, it was the Lord’s-an heave offering. And thus it is that, while " every man shall bear his own burden," it is the privilege of each to " cast that burden on the Lord," as it is said, " Be careful for nothing ....and the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds." But as to the fuller blessing shown above, it is said, " the God of peace shall be with you."
Leviticus 7:34. We are now told that these portions-the wave breast and heave shoulder-are given to Aaron the priest and his sons by a statute for ever. And again (Leviticus 7:35), that " this is the anointing of Aaron and of his sons ....in the day that He anointed them." For it is in the Holy Ghost alone that we have power, as anointed priests, to have communion with the holy things of God. And thus He is the comforter, taking of the things of Christ, and showing them unto us. " And in me ye have peace." In all the wondrous variety of history and type, the Holy Spirit has testified of Christ, of the sufferings and the glory. And from these revelations we should be ever learning, while we are here in the fellowship of His sufferings, and proving the sufficiency of His grace, which will bring us on from strength to strength, and, by the contemplation of His glory, change us into the same image; so that we shall know the power of His resurrection, and the peace that passeth all understanding.