In the first chapter of Leviticus is the description of the burnt offering representing the Lord’s self-dedication and obedience, even unto death, coming first to do the Father’s will, and then offering Himself up without spot unto God. In the second we have the meat (meal) offering, which shows the perfection of His nature, even tried by the fire of God in death, and the detailed character of that perfectness, the memorial of it being offered before Jehovah, and the rest eaten by the priests, an unleavened meat offering.
Chapter 3 touches on that part of the peace offering which was offered to God. There is no mention of what was done with the body of the animal; we must refer to chapter 7 for this. The fat and the blood, which represent the life and energy of the offered victim, are said to be the food of the offering made by fire. They may not be eaten, but are presented to Jehovah, and all burnt, by a perpetual statute. The life belongs to God, and in Christ all was offered up to Him and for His glory.
We have, in the peace-offering, the same character as the two former; still a sacrifice made by fire of a sweet-smelling savor. The peculiar feature in this offering is, that it is that upon which Jehovah Himself feeds; it is not merely an offering, but food of the offering. This gives it a peculiar character, and introduces communion. The satisfaction and delight, the food of God, is in the offering of Christ. All God is finds its rest there and is perfectly glorified there; we find our food, our delight, in it too.
The Various Parts
In chapter 7 we see that the remainder of the peace offering was eaten by the worshiper, excepting the wave breast and heave shoulder, which were the priests. These three things, then, we may observe. The blood is sprinkled, and the fat burned for a sweet savor; the wave breast was for Aaron and his sons, the heave shoulder for the offering priest; and the rest for the worshiper to feed on, as an occasion of joy and thanksgiving before Jehovah. This practice of the offerer’s partaking of his sacrifice was followed in the heathen sacrifices to which the apostle alludes (1 Cor. 10:18-2118Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. (1 Corinthians 10:18‑21)); part was offered to the idol, and with the rest they made a feast, being together partakers of it. Again, when the apostle is giving liberty to the Corinthians to eat what was sold in the shambles, he limits them to that which they ate in ignorance. “If any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice to idols, eat not” (1 Cor. 10:2828But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: (1 Corinthians 10:28)). They sprinkled the blood on the altar, and then ate the sacrifice; therefore those who knowingly partook of it were held to be partakers of the altar. This was the way of showing communion, whether it were with an idol, or between a believer and God. And this has in it a blessed meaning.
The Subject of Communion
Christ is not only here represented as the perfect burnt offering wholly given up to God in death for His glory, but also as an offering on which we feed. Not only is He God’s delight, but He is that of which we can partake with Him. He is the subject matter of communion. “As ... I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:5757As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (John 6:57)). The communion is between all saints, the worshiper, the priest, and God. Not only is it our privilege to see the sacrifice offered to God, and opening a way of access to Him (as in the burnt-offering and others), but we find the Lord takes delight in communion with us about it.
The first thing to be observed in the peace-offering is the complete and absolute acceptance of the sacrifice, so that Jehovah speaks of it as His food, that in which His holiness could find intrinsic satisfaction. The inwards were presented for a sweet savor (as Jesus); they are tried and examined by fire, and found to be food for God Himself. The fat represents the spontaneous actings of the heart. The richness of an animal is its fat; we judge of its healthy vigorous state by this.
It is written, “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:2929For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)). This expression is sometimes wrongly interpreted, as if spoken of God without bringing in Christ. We know nothing of God outside of Christ. We may be out of Christ ourselves; then indeed, as a consuming fire, the very presence of God would be destructive to us. But also, as known to us who are in Christ, He is a God intolerant of all evil, of all that which is inconsistent with Himself.
J. N. Darby (adapted)