Leviticus Lesson #04

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Leviticus

September 21, 2015

Introduction

May 13, 2010

Leviticus Lesson #02

May 13, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

LEVITICUS 3
Lesson #04
THE PEACE OFFERING (Fellowship of Believers)

• Memory Verse: Eph 2:13-14a

• The third in the series of offerings is the peace offering. It has an especially important message that demonstrates for us the fullness and glory of who Jesus Christ is for us.
• Each offering makes some fine distinctions that tell us more specific details of who Christ is and then what He did.
• Remember that some of the offerings are a sweet smelling savor to God and these are voluntary offerings.
• =1= The Burnt Offering: a voluntary offering of sweet smelling savor to God
• =2= The Meal Offering: a voluntary offering of sweet smelling savor to God
• =3= The Peace Offering: a voluntary offering of sweet smelling savor to God
• Remember that some of the offerings are a non-sweet smelling savor to God and these are compulsory:
• =4= The Sin Offering: a compulsory offering of non-sweet smelling savor because sin is not pleasant to God.
• =5= The Trespass Offering: a compulsory offering of non-sweet smelling savor because breaking God’s law does not please God.

• Read Lev 3:1-17 The Peace Offering (Voluntary) (A sweet-smelling savor)
• We are going to see that there are some similarities and some differences between the burnt offering that we studied in chapter 1 and the peace offering in chapter 3. Primarily it is slight difference of focus:

The Burnt Offering	The Peace Offering
The peace Christ made with God through His blood so that man would no longer be God’s enemy but could approach God in peace.	The peace that Jesus Christ is for believers that enables believers to have fellowship with one another.
God sees the sacrifice of Christ and extends peace to those who believe in Him. God makes peace with man.	Man sees the sacrifice of Christ and accepts it by faith so as to make peace with God. Man makes peace with God
Christ demonstrated perfect peace with God, the Father in love and unity.	Man can now have fellowship with other believers in Christ because Christ is our peace and enables us to demonstrate love and unity in the body of Christ.
The offering must be a male animal. The beauty that God sees in Christ is more restrictive that only He can see.	The offering can be a male or a female animal. The beauty that man sees in Christ is broader. We cannot see everything about Christ that God can see.

• “And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation..”

(2)

• The person bringing this offering to the priest must personally identify himself with it.
• In the same way, the believer in Jesus Christ must identify himself personally with Jesus’ sacrifice in order to partake of the blessings of that offering.
• Therefore, a person that only hears about Christ and never personally identifies himself with Jesus Christ will never become part of the body of Christ.
• The person bringing the offering was only permitted just inside of the outer gate of the tabernacle or the temple. Only the priests were permitted beyond that point.

The Burnt Offering	The Peace Offering
The total animal was placed on the altar for total consumption by fire.	Only a part of the animal was placed on the altar for consumption by fire. (3-4)

• Only the fat and the inner parts of the animal were offered on the altar. Why?
• The fat was considered the best part of the animal and the best was given to God. (Luk 15:23)
• Only God knows the inner thoughts and character of Christ. Only God knows the inner thoughts and character of man.
• Christ’s sacrifice is for the inner man.
• Full fellowship with God depends on man’s total and inner dedication to God.
• The wood placed on the altar represents the cross of Christ’s sacrifice.
• The peace offering was burned on top of the burnt offering. Why?
• Fellowship with God and fellowship in the body of Christ is impossible without first having been justified by the blood of Christ.
• The person who is not born again has no basis for fellowship in the body of Christ.
• The full value of understanding Christ’s sacrifice comes only to believers in Christ.
• Read Phil 3:10
• The animals of the peace offering (6-7)
• The peace offering could be from the herd. In other words, it could be a bull or a heifer, or it could be a lamb.
• When an animal from the herd was used, it brings our focus on Christ the servant and bearer of man’s burdens.
• The animal from the herd was a domesticated animal used to serve the needs of man in plowing, and carrying burdens.
• The servant aspect of Christ’s ministry is demonstrated in the gospel of Mark.
• When the animal was a lamb, it represents Christ’s total identification with man in his life and his death.
• Read Joh 1:29. This is the work of the Lamb of God.
• Read Joh 1:36. This is the person of Christ as the Lamb of God.
• The lamb is the most complete illustration of all that Christ is and all that He did.
• Because of that He is seen as the Lamb after his crucifixion and resurrection.
• Read Rev 5:6
• Read Rev 6:16-17
• “…Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.”

(8)

• The blood of the animal was applied to the sacrifice by the priests.
• The blood of animals was an important ingredient in the Old Testament sacrifices because God said that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. (Heb 9:22)
• However, God did not mean that the blood of animals would take away man’s sin, for animal blood only covered over man’s sin until Christ came to take away the sin.
• If animal blood could remove sin, it would not have been necessary for Christ to come and die on the cross.
• Therefore, the blood of animal sacrifices was necessary by faith to cover sin until Christ came.
• “…the whole rump…”

(9)

• This refers to a specific breed of sheep in the Middle East that had a very fat tail.
• The tail was so fat that it could weigh as much as 15 pounds.
• “…it is the food of the offering made by fire…”

(11)

• Only the specified portions of the lamb were burned.
• The priests received the breast and the shoulder for food. This was God’s way of providing food for the priests.
• The breast of the animal represents Christ’s love. The believer is the priest of the New Testament and feeds on the love of Christ.
• The shoulder of the animal represents Christ’s power and authority. The believer, as a New Testament priest, partakes of the power and authority of Christ to minister to others.
• The person that brought the animal ate the rest of the animal in the tabernacle or in the temple.
• This is the first potluck!
• This represents the fellowship of believers in Christ.
• This is the only offering from which the people were permitted to eat.
• When Solomon dedicated the temple, he sacrificed 142,000 peace offerings and people had a feast.
• This feast lasted for two weeks. (1Kin 8:62-66)
• We have many indications in scripture of the beautiful fellowship that we have with Christ that brings us into fellowship with other believers.
• Read Psa 23:5
• Read Psa 36:8
• Read Joh 6:51, 57
• Read Mat 26:26
• Read Luk 15:22-24
• Notice in the parable of the prodigal son that it is the father that kills the fatted calf.
• In the peace offering, it is God that planned and brought His Son to the slaughter as the peace offering, so that we would feast together in fellowship.
• The goat as a peace offering (12)
• The goat represents Christ’s completely adequate identification with man’s sin.
• Read 2Cor 5:21
• The offering was done in the same way as the lamb.
• The prohibition: (17)
• The Jews were not to eat the fat of animals. Why?
• As we have seen in this chapter, the fat was considered by God to be the best part of the animal.
• The very best belongs to God.
• The Jews were not to eat the blood of animals. Why?
• God said that the life of the flesh is in the blood. (Lev 17:10-14)
• Not only does the blood carry life, but it also carries disease. Therefore, this was one of God’s health protections for His people.
• Pagan religions of that time drank the blood of animals and of man in their practices of worship. Therefore, the Jews were to remain free from pagan religions.
• Spiritual life for man is in the blood of Jesus Christ that purchased our salvation and forgiveness of sin. The blood of animals covered sin until Christ would come to remove sin so that man would have a new life in Christ.
• Salvation and new life for the believer come by the blood of Christ. Because of that the eating of blood was forbidden.
• Sanctification of the believer and service to Jesus Christ comes by the fat: by giving God your very best, and by total dedication of an inner life to Christ.
• Read Joh 6:53
• Application of the Peace Offering:
• In this New Testament age of grace, we obviously do not do the peace offering of animal sacrifice in the same way as they did it in the Old Testament. Why?
• Jesus Christ is the final sacrifice. (Heb 10:12) He fulfilled all of the offerings with His death on the cross.
• Jesus gave us a new way to celebrate this offering and all of the others.
• The Holy Communion with the bread and the wine is the New Testament illustration of these offerings.
• Read Mat 26:26
• Read Joh 6:51
• Read 1Cor 11:24-25
• Notice the believer eats of the bread and drinks from the cup to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ who fulfills all of the Old Testament offerings.
• In the early church the practice of Holy Communion was done together with a church dinner.
• Read Act 2:46
• In this way the church rejoices in fellowship remembering Christ who purchased our communion with God, the Father, and celebrating with other believers our common acceptance of Jesus Christ, our peace offering.

HOMEWORK
Leviticus 7:11-21
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher for correction.

• Application of Lev 3
• In what ways have the details of this offering influenced your thinking about the beauty of the fellowship that believers have with and through Jesus Christ?

• Preparation for Lev 7
• Read Lev 7:11-21
• How was a peace offering corrupted?
• What is the significance for the Christian?

Memory verse: Heb 13:15