Leviticus 3
This post is a part of a series of articles looking at the book of Leviticus. The aim of these articles is fore Christians to have clarity when coming to the book of Leviticus and have the Word of God come alive for them as they see Christ in all of Scripture.
A sermon on Leviticus 3 will soon be available on the church’s youtube page.
Isaiah 54:10
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
The first few chapters of Leviticus might seem a little monotonous. In chapter 1 we have regulations for a sacrifice. In chapter 2, regulations for a sacrifice. In chapter 3, again we have regulations for a sacrifice.
And yet, the nuances of chapter 3 paint a picture of something far more intimate and beautiful than another burnt offering. Rather, they demonstrate that the worship experiences peace, fellowship, and shalom with the Lord of hosts.
In Leviticus 3, the instructions very closely resemble the instructions of Leviticus 1. However, there are three notable differences. First, either a male or female may be presented as a burnt offering. Second, only the fat and the kidneys are offered as a sacrifice. Third, the worshipper is allowed to partake of this meal himself.
1) Male and Female Offerings are accepted.
While the sacrifice still had to be without blemish, both a male and female offering are acceptable as a peace offering. There might be many reasons for this, but consider two.
First, this proved that the God of Israel was not like the gods of the surrounding nations. The surrounding nations would offer male offerings to male deities and female offerings to female deities. The God of Israel, however, is not like the other gods. He is not hard to appease and willing to flip his lid at the slightest error of his people. Rather, he willingly accepts the best of what they have to bring whether that sacrifice be male or female.
Second, this offering was not the burnt offering. Though it looked the same in many ways, the peace offering was a different offering and served a different purpose. The burnt offering had to be male. We see this reflected in the fact that all Covenant Heads in Scripture are male (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Christ). A federal head is those who represent others on their behalf. This is why, even though Eve sinned in the garden before her husband, Romans 5 tells us that Adam was the one guilty of sin before God (Romans 5:12). This doctrine is often called federal headship.
And so the burnt offering points to Christ, the new Adam, a man without blemish or stain, who would die for the sins of His people. Peace offering, however, was not for the sake of atoning for sin. Rather, it was for the sake of celebrating God’s goodness. Because of this, either a male or female could be brought, as both men and women are saved in and through Christ and his sacrifice alone. If the burnt offering represents bringing Christ, then perhaps the peace offering looks like giving of ourselves, in which case both men and women are commanded to become “living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1)
2) Only the Fat and the Kidneys are Burnt on the offering
The fat represents the best part of the animal. Though we might shy away from a very fatty piece of meat at our local steakhouse, meat was a luxury in the ancient world, and fat was considered the most flavorful and the best meat. That is why this fatty part had to be cut out of the animal and be laid upon the altar. For once our sins are forgiven, we are not free to indulge however we please. No, in Christ, we are commanded to bring the best of ourselves and submit it to the Lord, that we might walk in his goodness and fellowship with him.
Notice also that the kidneys were burned. In the ancient world, kidneys were viewed in a similar way the heart is viewed today. Instead of saying “Listen to your heart” a Jew before Christ might be inclined to say “listen to your kidneys.” The kidneys were the seat of the will and emotions. And so, when the kidneys were offered up on the altar, it was if the worshipper was praying along with Jesus “Not my will, but yours be done.”
These are the great and moving pictures of the peace offering. But the most incredible thing about the peace offering lies in our third point:
3) The offering of peace is an invitation to feast in God’s presence.
When God gave the law at Mt. Sinai, Moses and all the elders went up on the mountain and ate with God (Ex. 24:9-11). This was to confirm the covenant he had made with them at Mt. Sinai, in Exodus 20-24. Things such as the 10 commandments and various other judgments exist in the pages of the covenant. And when the elders and Moses ate with the Lord, it was a confirmation to them that God was their God. Even as a wedding reception follows a wedding ceremony, a covenant feast followed a covenant-making ceremony.
The peace offering functions in a very similar way in the book of Leviticus. There is no more wrath to bear, the burnt offering has extinguished God’s wrath. There is no further offering for atonement to make. Rather, all there is left is to enjoy the Lord your God.
Recall that the Lord only required the fat and the kidneys. What happened to the rest of the animal? Leviticus 7:15 tells us that the people were to eat of the peace offering right then and there. Additionally, the priest was to be given the leg of the animal and seemingly would eat along with the Israelites. The peace offering was a feast. God gives the invitation in Leviticus 3. All the people of God have to do is listen to him!
It is important to note that the peace offering was the offering most often abused in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 2, it is the peace offering that Hophni and Phineas steal from. In Proverbs 7, the adulterous woman tries to lure the man to her trap by telling him that she has already fulfilled her covenant duties by offering the peace offering (Prov 7:14). It is as if the woman is scoring the Lord by saying, “God has gotten his part. Now it is time for me to get mine.” We should notice the similarities between those in the Old Testament who abused the peace offering and those in the New Testament who abused the communion table (1 Cor. 11:17-34).
The peace offering is mentioned 0 times in the New Testament. Why is that? Because this meal is just a shadow of the communion meal that Christ will institute at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus himself is the lamb, who gave himself and surrendered his very will to the Father so that those who belong to his covenant community might know what it is to be at peace with God. Every time you and I partake of the Lord’s table, we are reminded of the significance of peace with God.
A recent song written by Sovereign Grace Music conveys the thought well in these words:
“No wrath remains for us to face
We’re sheltered by your saving grace
And sprinkled with your blood.”
Application:
1) Thank God that we can approach him by the merits of Christ’s sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice is a once for all sacrifice. In Him, there is no barrier keeping us back from the Lord. We can approach Him in full confidence that we will be accepted.
2) You have peace with God. Give your very best to the Lord at each opportunity. Just as God wanted the best of the sacrificial animal (the fat and kidneys), he wants our very best as well. We are free to give of all we have and all we are, because we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
3) Come to the Lord’s table regularly, and be reminded of the peace that you have with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. No other God would invite sinners to come and feast at his table, but our God does. In fact, he makes the preparations himself. You can come to the Lord and partake of the feast. He bids you to come.