Chapter 7.

 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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THE PEACE OFFERING
The peace offering in Lev. 3 may be regarded as one of the consequences flowing out from what we have seen in the sin offering.
It is not brought on account of any trespass, and no forgiveness is connected with it, nor is it said to make atonement. It may be male or female, of the flock or of the herd, but in all cases "without blemish." The offerer leans his hands upon it and kills it, it is his substitute and it dies. The priest sprinkles "the blood upon the altar round about," suggesting the surrender of life to God and to His judgment, rather than any special witness as on the horns. The fire would dry or burn it up but nothing is said further about it. The chief action is the burning by the priest of the several parts of the inwards upon the fire of the brazen altar. This in verse 11 is called "the food of the offering," or "bread" of the offering; just as we find in Ezek. 44:7, "when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood." This was Jehovah's express portion for a sweet savor to Himself out of the fire. In Lev. 7:11-21 and 28-36, we have "the law" of this offering, appointing, verse 30, that the offerer is to bring the portions that are' to be burnt, with his own hands to the altar. This is special to the peace offering. He is not to put these on the altar, the priest must do that, but bring them to it. It is the nearest approach for the Israelite (not a priest) to God. The priest who is acting is to have the right shoulder as a heave offering for himself and for his family, to eat, as their portion from God, Num. 18:9. The breast was to be given to Aaron and his sons, i.e., to the priests at large; the remainder belonged to the offerer, for himself and for his household.
Thus the carcass was divided into four parts, the first was God's "food," a smell of delight to Him from the fire; the officiating priest had another, the shoulder; the priestly family another, the breast; and the rest the offerer took for food. In chapter 17., no one was to kill any animal or bird, without bringing it to the door of the tabernacle, and making a peace offering of it; so that we find all flesh for Israel's food was to be dealt with as a peace offering, and then that, as such, the fire ate God's "food" from it, and the priests, the priest, and the offerer, each had his portion, and so all ate together of one carcass, including even God Himself by His fire.
No deeper expression of communion can be found in types. Throughout Israel's camp all their meat was to be directly connected with the tabernacle, and with their Jehovah, it could only be eaten in communion with Him. Had they been faithful to this, what a scene their camp would have presented, the whole nation not only eating nothing common or unclean, but all eating in fellowship together, and with Jehovah and His altar.
John tells us of Christ, "that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ," 1 John 1:3. Our Lord Himself says, "Except ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, ye have no life in yourselves," John 6:53, and he explains in verse 35, what that eating and drinking are, "he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." Come then, and believe, and that shall be your soul eating and drinking unto life. In verses 56 and 57 our Lord speaks of continuing this eating and drinking for the maintenance, in joy and power, of the life received.
Surely this is the truth of the peace offering in Israel. We feed on Him in death, and have life; and all along the journey here feed still on Him, believing all our God has revealed about Him, and nourishing our hearts from His fullness, so that our life becomes in practice the expression again of His.
What communion this is. In the enjoyment of assured forgiveness, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is, 2 Cor. 3:18 (lit.), "For we all beholding the glory of the Lord, face unveiled, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory," for His unveiled face in glory is the first fruit to Himself on high of the travail of His soul in death.
As we look on Him in resurrection, we gladly own Him once in death, and feed upon His flesh, His blood, with all that that includes and involves to us (for, in the figure, we leant our hand upon the victim's head), and the blessed communion grows clearer and stronger and brighter, more joyous and free, yet reverent, every day, until the "little while" shall have all passed by. That is true Christian living. Life is by Him, and its vigor can only be kept up by Him, the true peace offering, feeding and nourishing us continually.