Leviticus 7

Leviticus 7:1

7:1-7 The first seven verses of chapter 7 review the law of the trespass offering, most of which has already been covered in 5:146:7. 7:8 Verse 8 refers to the burnt offering and provides that the officiating priest was entitled to the skin of the animal. 7:9, 10 Verse 9 indicates the portion of the grain offering that was to go to the officiating priest, and verse 10 what was to go to the rest of the priests. 7:11-18 The law of the peace offering is given in 7:11-21. There were three types of peace offerings, depending on the motive or purpose of the offering: for . . . thanksgiving (v. 12), praising God for some special blessing; for a vow (that is, a votive offering) (v. 16), “in fulfillment of a promise or pledge made to God for the granting of some special request in prayer; for example, preservation on a hazardous journey”; voluntary or freewill (vv. 16, 17), “This would appear to be in the nature of a spontaneous expression of praise to God in appreciation of what He has revealed Himself to be.” The peace offering itself was a sacrificial animal (chap. 3), but here we learn that it was accompanied by certain cakes or breads. The cakes that were required with a thank offering are listed in verses 12 and 13. The offerer was to bring one of each for a heave offering, and this was given to the officiating priest (v. 14). The flesh of the . . . thanksgiving offering was to be eaten the same day (v. 15), whereas the votive offering and the freewill offering could be eaten on the first or second day (v. 16). Anything remaining after two days had to be burned (v. 17); to eat such meat would cause the person to be “cut off,” meaning excommunicated or removed from the privileges of the people of Israel. “This shows,” John Reid writes, “that communion with God must be fresh and not too far removed from the work of the altar.” 7:19-21 If the flesh touched any unclean thing, it could not be eaten but had to be burned. Only persons who were ceremonially clean could eat the clean flesh. Any person who was ceremonially unclean and who ate of the peace offering would be cut off. The fact that different portions of the peace offering were designated for the Lord, the priests, and the offerer indicates that it was a time of fellowship. But since God can have no fellowship with sin or uncleanness, those who partook of this festive meal had to be clean. 7:22-27 The fat, considered the best portion, belonged to the LORD. It was burned for Him on the altar, and it was not to be eaten (vv. 22-25). Likewise, the blood, being the life of the flesh, belonged to God and was not to be eaten (vv. 26, 27). Today many Jews still seek to comply with these dietary laws. In order for meat to be fit for their consumption, or “kosher,” the blood must be removed. In avoiding the consumption of fat, many Jewish households will not use soaps which contain animal fats. They believe that even to use such products in washing dishes would be to make the dishes non-kosher. Besides the spiritual reason for not eating fat there is also a medical reason, as Dr. S. I. McMillen points out: In the past few years medical science has awakened to the fact that the eating of animal fat is an important cause of arteriosclerosis. This fat forms the tiny, fatty, cholesterol tumors within the walls of the arteries, which hinder the flow of blood. Now, in this decade, magazines, radio and T.V. are broadcasting the good news that we can reduce the ravages from man’s greatest killer by cutting down our intake of animal fats. Happy as we are with the fact that medical science has arrived, we may be amazed to discover that our ultramodern research is about thirty-five hundred years behind the Book of books. 7:28-34 The offerer waved the breast of the peace offerings before the LORD, and it then became the portion of the priests. The right thigh was heaved before the Lord, and then was given to the officiating priest as food for himself and his family. 7:35, 36 These verses repeat that the breast and right thigh were the portion of Aaron and his sons from the day that God first anointed them as priests. As previously suggested, the breast speaks of divine affection and the thigh of divine power. 7:37, 38 This paragraph concludes the section on the laws of the offerings, which began in Lev_6:8. God has devoted much space in His Word to the offerings and their ordinances because they are important to Him. Here in beautiful imagery the Person and work of His Son can be seen in minute detail. Like the different facets of a diamond, these types all reflect the resplendent glory of Him “who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God” (Heb_9:14). Miss F. T. Wigram expresses her praise in a hymn: The person of the Christ, Enfolding every grace, Once slain, but now alive again, In heaven demands our praise.