MALE OR FEMALE:

In Lev. 3;1, we are told that the animal that was offered could be either male or female. The male suggests strength and responsibility, whilst the female suggests meekness and submission. Both features are seen in the person and sacrifice of Christ. In 1 Cor.5;4, we are told of the power of our Lord Jesus Christ that would be with the assembly as they gathered together at the command of the Lord Jesus, through the Apostle to judge evil and to exercise discipline, of the most solemn and severe nature, on the incestuous man. But in 2 Cor.10;1, when about to challenge those who were seeking to turn the Corinthians away from him, Paul said, " I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ". The Lord Jesus said of Himself, " I am meek and lowly in heart", ( Matt.11;29.)

But whether male or female, the sacrifice had to be without blemish, reminding us again of the sinless perfection of Christ which we have expounded in earlier chapters.

IDENTIFICATION WITH THE SACRIFICE:

As with the burnt offering, the offerer was to lay his hand on the head of the head of the sacrificial animal, typifying complete identification with Christ who gave Himself for us. The same personal involvement and personal cost and grief are also suggested here as we have seen earlier. This is emphasized in Eph.2;14, where it is said, " For HE IS our peace", not only that He made peace, but HE IS our peace. Thus we see the worshipper with his hand on the peace offering's head. Then, as in the burnt-offering, and in each of the animal sacrifices, the offerer shed the blood sacrifice. By nature we were " enemies in our minds and by wicked works", (Rom.5;10, Col.1,21.) and if we were to be reconciled to God, if there was to be peace with God for us, then the precious blood of Christ must be shed. It could only be through the death of God's Son that we could be reconciled. (Rom.5;1-11, 2 Cor. 5;18-19, Eph. 2;11-18, Col. 1;20-22.)

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST THE BASIS OF FELLOWSHIP:

We are thus constantly reminded that we were the cause of the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. How this knowledge should humble us, and constantly move our hearts to worship! But in addition to this, the offering is to teach us that there can be no fellowship between believers apart from the shedding of the blood of Christ. Our collective enjoyment of peace and our communion together are based only on the sacrifice of Christ, the fellowship that we share together is the "communion of the blood of Christ", ( 1 Cor.10;16.)

So the blood was shed, and sprinkled on the altar round about, verse 2. The blood was seen by God, and testified to the fact that the claims of righteousness had been satisfied, and His just claims fully met, for without righteousness there can be no peace. The Lord Jesus is first King of Righteousness, then King of Peace, ( Heb.7;2.) The Kingdom of God is...." Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit", ( Rom.14;17.) The offering also testifies to me , first, of the dreadful cost by which a sinner and a rebel like me, might be reconciled to God, and enjoy peace with God. Further, of the wondrous grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, that paid the price in full with His own precious blood, for now we do have " Peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ", ( Rom.5;1.) This is the individual basis of fellowship.

THE CROSS THE BASIS OF COLLECTIVE PEACE:

Next, we are to learn that, through the shedding of the precious blood of Christ and through His death, burial and resurrection, He has not only made peace between man and God, but also between man and man.

This is the force of the passage in Eph.2;14-18. The Gentiles were "in the flesh", that is unregenerate, uncircumcised and with out Christ, being aliens, without God, ( Pagans), having no claim on God and having no hope. We, who were so far off, in Christ Jesus and by His precious blood, have been made nigh. The Jews on the other hand, had the knowledge of God, and the word of God; theirs were the promises. All these things made them proud, superior, arrogant and pharasaical. However could such widely different peoples ever get on together? They could not, the enmity and the prejudice would lead to endless strife division and bitterness. But in the cross of Christ, God has dealt with all this. The Law demanded the death of the sinner, and at the cross Christ took the sinner's place. He was nailed to that cross as the representative of the proud sinful Jew. He was also nailed to that cross as the representative of the unclean Gentile rebel. His death was vicarious, He was my substitute, so that when He was judged, I was judged: when He was crucified, I was crucified. The Jew was crucified; the Gentile was also crucified; thus He made peace, and broke down the middle wall of partition that separated Jew and Gentile. He put both to death, when He died. A dead Jew would never be a problem, or cause trouble or division, for when the Jew was crucified his enmity and prejudice were destroyed. A dead Gentile would never cause division or offense either. That is the end of his pagan ways and uncleanness. When the Lord Jesus was buried we; both Jew and Gentile, were buried with Him, put out of sight forever, as far as God is concerned.

But in the glorious resurrection of our blessed Savior. we were raised, no longer divided, but made in Christ into one new man, thereby He has made peace. He has reconciled both, (Jew and Gentile,) in one body ( His own body,) to God by the cross, having by it ( the cross,) slain the enmity, ( Eph.2;16,) and now through Him we both, ( Jew and Gentile,) by One Spirit, have access to the Father. We are no longer strangers and foreigners, ( to each other), but fellow citizens. Thus Christ, who is our peace, has made peace between us and God, and between ourselves.

This is the real basis of our fellowship together. Because of this, we who are from different racial, national, cultural and social backgrounds, can enjoy the sweetest fellowship together, and feed our souls on the richness of the person of Christ, and on the truths of the word of God.

THE BEST IS FOR GOD:

In verse three of our chapter, we are told that they were next to remove from the sacrifice the fat that covered the inwards, the two kidneys, and the caul above the liver, ( that is the diaphragm,) and to burn these upon the altar as a sweet savor to God.

As we have seen in an earlier chapter, the fat reminds us of the richness of the inward moral excellence of Christ. The kidneys are those organs that filter from the blood stream those acids and poisons that are harmful to the body, that may be present in the food and drink that we consume. This again points to the sinless character of Christ. Isaiah speaks of Him as Emmanuel, knowing " how to refuse the evil, and to choose the good," ( Isa.7;15.)

The diaphragm is that muscular membrane that divides the chest cavity from the digestive system, and which enables us to breathe. This would remind us that the very breathing of Jesus, by which His word was conveyed, was delightful to God.

John tells us that the Lord Jesus breathed into His disciples before sending them out to witness for Him, in the world that had crucified Him. Then when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, the sound of a rushing mighty wind was heard. J.N.Darby translates this as " Hard breathing" and the Greek word for wind, is "pneuma", which means breath. Not only was God glorified in the breathings of Jesus, which conveyed His utterances, but we His disciples are quickened and warmed by that breath, by which He imparts His own life, warmth, compassion, His own Spirit. Just as God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul.

These parts of the sacrifice were first offered to God, before the priest or the offerer was to take his portion. This shows that what is for the pleasure and satisfaction of God must come first in all our gatherings. This is why all of the gatherings of believers should begin with the believers' uniting their hearts and voices in singing the praise of God, and the assembled gathering being led in prayer and worship. After this the believers may feast their souls on the richness of Christ in the word of God. I might add, that some of the modern "hymns" are not suitable for this purpose.

Before we leave chapter three of Leviticus, it may be of value to point out what is said in verse 9. There it is mentioned that the "whole rump" of the lamb was to be taken off " hard by the backbone". What is referred to here is not the hindquarters of the lamb, but the fat tail. In eastern countries the varieties of sheep that they have, even today , have a very wide fat tail. I have seen such sheep in Egypt. This fat tail is still considered to be a delicacy, the choicest part of the lamb. This only confirms what we have been saying, that the very best is to be for God.

The two sons of Eli, ( 1 Sam.2;12-17,) show us the solemn consequences of disobeying what God has said regarding this matter, They put themselves first, and took the best of the sacrifices, even before God's portion had been offered. Even Eli himself had been guilty of making himself fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel God's people, verse 22 of the same chapter.

Let us now turn to chapter six of Leviticus where further instructions are given, and there we learn what was done with the rest of the body of the animal. Here we learn that each peace offering was to be accompanied by the oblation, along with the fat etc., the handful or memorial of it was offered to God. The flesh of the peace-offering was then eaten by the offerer and his family or friends, it was an occasion of feasting.

THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE:

The slaughter of animals for food was not allowed to take place at the Israelite's house or village, so it would seem, but had to take place at the Tabernacle. The person and his family came with the animal to that place where the Tabernacle was set up, and later to the Temple. On the merely human level, this would ensure that proper hygiene was observed, and thus lead to better health. It also has a typical significance for us. The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of God, and represents the local Church, the believers gathered to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, ( Heb. 10;25,) and we should give increasing importance to the meetings of the assembly, when we gather for remembrance and worship, prayer, the study of the word of God, and the preaching of the Gospel. Thank God for the believer's home, it is truly a blessed place, where the presence of the Lord Jesus can be known, and the children taught to pray and to understand the Bible. But it is never meant to detract from the assembly meetings but rather to enrich them. The peace offering was brought from the home of the offerer, and likewise we are to come to the assembly meetings with something to offer to God. What God gives us as we study the word of God privately in our homes, He means us to share with the other believers in the assembly. The manifestations of the Spirit are given to individuals, but given for the profit of the whole body, ( 1 Cor.12;7.)

We are not to attempt selfishly to seek to enjoy the richness and fullness of Christ alone, but to share what we have learned with our brothers and sisters in Christ. in the meetings of the local assembly.

We see from 1 Samuel chapter one, how that the occasion of going up to the Tabernacle was one of joy and feasting; this is how our meetings should be as we come to present and to enjoy our peace offerings.

THE NEED OF FRESHNESS:

We are now told in verse 15, that the flesh of the sacrifice was to be eaten on the day that it was offered, none was to be left over until the next day. This is to teach us that we are to not feed on what is stale or "off ". Also that we are to develop an appetite for the "strong meat" of the word of God, which Paul speaks about in Heb.5;12-14. It is rather sad that sometimes when the richness of the truths of Christ are brought out in ministry, some have no taste for it, they complain that it is too heavy. Such persons usually have a large appetite for the things of the world, or the light and sweet things of shallow emotional pseudo Christian experiences, and have lost their appetite for the things of the Spirit, the "deep things of God."

It would also teach us the importance of gaining fresh impressions of Christ each day. There is so much to be learned about Him, that a whole lifetime is too short to enable us to discover all of His glories and graces. Only where the sacrifice was the fulfillment of a vow, or is a special voluntary sacrifice, could it be kept, and the flesh eaten on the second day.

The vow etc. suggests a deeper spirituality and consecration in the person making the sacrifice, that is beyond what is usual. The thoughts and impressions of such a person may be so rich that they cannot be fully assimilated quickly, and require further time and deeper consideration to be spiritually digested. They continue fresh in our minds for a longer time than the average presentation of Christ which is set before us in ministry.

FEEDING ON THE SACRIFICE:

The thought of feeding on the sacrifice of peace offering is suggested to us, both in the Gospel of John, and in the Epistles to the Corinthians. In John's Gospel a whole chapter , one of the longest chapters in the New Testament, is devoted to the subject of spiritual food, that is chapter six. In verse 57 of that chapter the Lord Jesus said, "He that eats Me shall live because of Me." Eternal Life is given to us as a gift, but that life needs to be nourished and sustained by our eating the right kind of spiritual food.

When the people ate the peace offering, they were appropriating and enjoying that which God Himself enjoyed and appreciated. This thought of eating the sacrifice is not confined to our partaking of the Lord's Supper; at such a time, it is the burnt offering that is presented, and that is wholly for God. This suggests more: what the believers enjoy together in sweet fellowship, the outworking of the enjoyment of the Peace of God. Such as when the believers meet in fellowship for the study of the word of God.

What the Lord Jesus teaches in John chapter six about eating His flesh and drinking His blood is not a reference to the Lord's Supper, but rather what the believers enjoy day after day, as they feed on Christ, that is as they think about Him, and what the word of God tells us about Him. We feed our bodies through our mouths, by what we eat and drink, so also we feed our souls and our spirits, the "inner man", the "spiritual man" through our minds, through what we think about, what we read, what we watch and what we listen to.

Eating His flesh is more of an individual thing, what I am to do always, to be thinking about Him, meditating on Him as much as is possible. But what is suggested in eating the peace offering is what we do together, it is enjoyed by a company or family of people as they fellowship together and rejoice in the Lord's presence.

This is what is presented to us in 1 Cor.10 & 11th chapters, and also in chapter 14. In the first two chapters referred to, what we eat and drink is stressed. The emblems of the Lord's Supper are referred to here, but also the Lord's Table which involves more than the Lord's Supper. Every time the believers gather together for fellowship and for ministry, it is to partake of the "Lord's Table", a feast table, a banqueting table.

HOLINESS: ( CLEAN VESSELS.)

In Leviticus chapter seven, verses 18 to 21, we see that holiness is stressed, first holiness in the vessels used to prepare and to serve the meat of the offering, then personal holiness in those who partake of the food of the offering.

Here we need to learn that holiness is not transferable. The flesh of the sacrifice was holy, but if it touched anything that was unclean, the unclean thing was not made holy, but the holy flesh was defiled, and was not to be eaten but burned with fire.

Haggai challenged the priests of his day, in his prophecy, see in chapter two verses ten to fourteen. There the returned exiles were neglecting separation and personal holiness, thinking that their participation in the rituals of sacrifice, somehow cleansed them from guilt, but instead it rendered their offerings unclean and thus unacceptable-acceptable to God.

The flesh of the sacrifice would obviously have to be served in dishes, bowls, plates, etc. If an unclean vessel was used, the fact that it contained the holy flesh of the sacrifice did not make the vessel holy, but it did make the flesh to be unclean, polluted, and thus defiling.

In these days of modernism, some believers seem to think otherwise than this, that the use sanctifies the vessel. As a result we see some of the unclean, the defiling things of the world used as a means to convey what is holy, to others. Take as an example the use of so called "Pop", or "Rock" music. Such music emanates from the pit, and is recognized by those who use it as being of the Devil. I read a statement recently of a "Christian" rock star, and I quote, "Why should the Devil have all the best music?" So the attempt is made to put the pure, holy and beautiful truths of Christ and the Gospel into lyrics that are then set to these devilish rhythms or media of communication.

The result is that the truth is made abominable, defiled. In addition "Christian" young people imitate the body movements, the screaming, the emotions aroused by psychedelic lighting etc., that are used by the servants of Satan to awaken the power of sensual lust. Thus perverse means are used in trying to convey "gospel music" to people who are already under Satan's domination.

The substitution of "entertaining singing" and band music for true worship is yet another example. The means does not sanctify the message, but instead defiles that which is otherwise holy. we are to reject all such, because, as verse 19 teaches us, when the holy flesh is touched by what is unclean, it is not to be eaten, but burned with fire.

HOLINESS: (CLEAN LIVES.)

Next, personal holiness is stressed in verses 20 & 21. If a person who was unclean or defiled, either by personal sin or uncleanness, ( verse 20,) or through contact , or association , or fellowship with what is unclean, ( verse 21,) partook of the holy sacrifice, then that person would be cut off from his people.

We may draw from this a warning, not to neglect personal holiness, nor to neglect or compromise the principle of separation. In 2 Cor. 6; 14-16, we are warned not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, and we are commanded to come out from among those who are idolatrous, and not even to touch what is unclean. In 1 Cor. 10;21-22, we are warned that we cannot partake of the Lord's table and the table of demons. In chapter eleven of that same epistle, verse 27-32, we are again warned against partaking of the Lord's Supper unworthily, for to do so would constitute not recognizing the importance and holiness of those emblems of the body and blood of Christ, and that if we do so we may bring judgment on ourselves. We may provoke the Lord to jealousy by so doing. Some of the Corinthian believers had died as the result of their conduct at the Lord's Supper, and many others were suffering bodily weakness and sickness because of such behavior.

Thank God provision has been made for us, first to examine ourselves, then to judge ourselves, and avail ourselves of the merit of the precious blood of Christ that goes on cleansing from all sin, and of the water of purification, ( the Word of God), which we will discuss in a later chapter.

The person who neglected or disobeyed the instructions about holiness would be "cut off from his people". For us this means that if we also neglect or break the commands as to personal holiness, we will cease to enjoy the sweet fellowship of a close family relationship with the other believers in the local Church. We may continue in outward fellowship, attend meetings etc., but the real joy of spiritual life will be gone.

EATING FAT AND BLOOD FORBIDDEN:

In verse 22 to 28, (Lev.7.), we are also warned about the use of both the fat and the blood. of the sacrifice, or the use or eating of either of these in the dwellings of the people.

We have already discussed the fat in earlier chapters, i.e. it's spiritual meaning and significance. However it may be of interest to comment on the fact that the use of animal fat, that is the fat on the flesh of animals is detrimental to the health of the human body. Heart disease is one of the greatest killers in the world today, and because of the relative affluence of the majority of western countries, the use of meat in the diet of many has greatly increased. I believe that it will yet be discovered that the wrongful use of animal fat has contributed greatly to the increase of heart disease.

The eating of blood is here forbidden, and this prohibition is reaffirmed in the New Testament. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and belongs to God, ( Lev.17;10-14.) In every sacrifice it had to do with the meeting of the righteous claims, it is for Him and Him alone. It reminds us of the precious blood of Christ, whose merit and worth is fully known only to God. Through the marvelous grace of God, we have some appreciation of it's worth and value, but God alone is able to appreciate it's total , intrinsic worth. When shed by our Lord Jesus on the cross it met perfectly every righteous claim of the justice and holiness of God, and continually avails for the judicial cleansing of all of our sins. Any attempt by the carnal mind to assimilate or to digest the inscrutable, intrinsic worth of that precious blood, leads to spiritual death, and our being cut off from the enjoyment of the sweetness of the fellowship of the saints of God.

It may be argued that we are told by the Lord Jesus , in John chapter 6, to eat His flesh, and to drink His blood. The reference in that chapter is not to atonement, but to the perfect life of Christ which we are to feed upon in the spiritual sense. The Lord Jesus clearly showed that what He was saying there is not to be taken literally, but spiritually when He said, " the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Even the cup at the Lord's Supper is but a memorial of His precious blood, not His actual physical blood, as some erroneously claim.

THE PRIEST'S PORTION:

After God had received His portion from the sacrifice, and the fat etc., had been burned on the altar, the priest was then given his portion. ( verses 28-36.) This, as we understand it in the light of the New Testament, would teach us how those who are totally separated to the work of the Lord are to be supported. None of the sons of Aaron ever received a wage or salary, but they and their families were supported by the freewill offerings of the people, by their tithes and first fruits etc.

First we see that what was given to the priest was given voluntarily, it was not obtained from the offerer by appeals, by threats, by extortion or by bribery. In these days of departure from the word of God, people resort to all kinds of methods to raise funds for the "Church", or the "Missionaries", etc. There are professional business organizations that exist, which make their services available to churches, ( for a fee), to put in place fund raising systems, to teach the hierarchy how to get the money out of the people. Some resort unashamedly to a form of begging, still others turn to "Bingo", (a form of gambling), others to the organizing of balls and dances, all to get money to enrich their priests and to support their systems. May God save us from such things!

What we are taught here in this type is that the servants of the Lord, and the work of the Lord, are supported by the freewill offerings of the Lord's people. It was the offerer's own hands that offered what was given, first to God, then to the priest. This shows that it is the believer who gives to the Lord, and what he gives to the Lord is then given to the priest.

Perhaps we should point out here, that in the New Testament era, all believers are priests, because when the Lord Jesus washed us from our sins in His precious blood, He made us both Kings and Priests to His God and Father. ( Rev. 1;5-6, 1 Pet.2;5 & 9.) However there are those who are called to the work of the Lord, and are separated wholly to that work, and these are supported by the freewill offerings of the believers.

The example given to us in the New Testament is that those who preach the Gospel, live of the Gospel. That individual believers, and local churches give to the servants of God to meet their needs and to enable them to continue in that service. The servants themselves are to look to the Master whom they serve to meet their needs. There have been some brethren, who with a real desire to help the servants of God, have set up funds and trusts, to collect or receive money, which they then distribute to those servants of God who meet with their approval. One does not doubt that the original motive and desires behind such organizations is good, but often it leads to the fund coming between the servant and his Master, and has the tendency to cause the servant to look to the fund, rather than to the Master. Also where assemblies make use of such funds to distribute their gifts, it often cuts off the actual contact and fellowship there would otherwise be between the donors and the worker. One is unable to find any authority in the New Testament for such bodies, and they may pose dangers, and in some cases have sought to bring the workers under their control or manipulation. Such funds or bodies are to say the least, additional to what is taught or commanded in the Holy Scriptures.

THE WAVE BREAST:

The offerer was to bring the breast of the animal with the fat placed on it, and he was to wave it with a to and fro motion before the Lord. The priest then took the fat and burnt it as a sweet odor to God, but the breast was given to him. The breast would remind us of the love of Christ, it is that love, that moves the believer to give to the Lord. Paul tells us that it is that love which constrains us, no longer to live to ourselves, but to Him who died for us and rose again. ( 2 Cor. 5;14-15.)

As the offerer waved the breast before the Lord, it also reminded the priest of the faithful love of Him of whom the offering spoke, who was to come into the world in wonderful love, to give Himself as a sacrifice. But it also spoke of the faithfulness of that same love in ministering to his needs, and the needs of his family. In this way the gifts and sacrifices of the believer have a double effect. First the believer is moved by the love of Christ that was expressed in His sacrifice, to give, then the servant of God is moved by the faithfulness of the love of his Master, expressed in the gift that supplies his, and his family's needs. But in addition to these two things God, before whom the offering is waved, receives pleasure from it. Paul said that the gift sent by the Philippian assembly, and carried by their personal representative, ( Epaphroditus,) was "an odor of sweet savor, an acceptable sacrifice acceptable to God", ( Phil. 4;18-19.)

He also devotes two chapters of his second letter to the Corinthians, (chapters 8 & 9,) to the subject of giving. In seeking to move their hearts to give, he does not tell harrowing stories of the sufferings of the saints at Jerusalem, but instead reminds them of the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His perfect example. This confirms the teaching of our chapter, that it is the contemplation of the grace and sacrifice of Christ, our Peace Offering, that is to move the believer to give to those who labor in the service of God.

THE HEAVE SHOULDER:

In addition to the wave-breast, the heave-shoulder was first offered to God, then given to the priest. It was the right shoulder that was given and it reminds us of the power, the strength of our Lord Jesus. Isaiah 9;6, tells us that the government of the universe is to be on that shoulder. This is the strength that is available to the servant of God. The Lord Jesus said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness", 2 Cor.12;9. Paul also told the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me", ch.4;13. Thus we learn that those who are separated to the service of God are to be motivated by the love of Christ in their service, (breast), and sustained by the strength of Christ, (shoulder).

It would also teach us that whenever the believers are really enjoying the richness of Christ in their fellowship together, God will be glorified, the believers will be blessed, and the needs of God's servants will be liberally met.

The message of the prophets Haggai and Malachi, clearly shows us on the other hand, that when believers put themselves and their own comfort first, and neglect fellowship, robbing God of that which is His due, the result is that there is no blessing on what we do, consequently the testimony declines, the believers are impoverished spiritually, and the servants of God suffer. Sometimes they are compelled to leave the work to which God has called then and obtain employment to be able to support themselves and their families.

May the Lord enable us to profit from this humble exposition of the Peace Offering, and to put into practice what it teaches us!