In our study of Leviticus chapter seven, we look at the fact that God has promised to be faithful in the provision for those who serve Him.
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"'This is the law for the guilt offering: it is especially holy. They are to slaughter the guilt offering in the place where they slaughter the burnt offering, and its blood is to be splashed against all sides of the altar. He is to offer all its fat - the fat tail, the fat covering the inner organs, the two kidneys, the fat on them near the flanks, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. The cohen will make them go up in smoke on the altar as an offering made by fire to ADONAI; it is a guilt offering. Every male from a family of cohanim may eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place; it is especially holy. The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law governs them - it will belong to the cohen who uses it to make atonement.
In the last chapter, we were introduced to the guilt offering and the fact that it was to bring about reconciliation between people as well as between God and the offender. Now, we see further instructions concerning the handling of the ram that was brought to the Lord for this offense. We see that twice it is called "especially holy" and this speaks of the fact that a fundamental part of the tabernacle was its mission to bring reconciliation between the people and God. We also see that it is a fire offering and it was governed by the same laws as the sin offering where the priest performing the sacrifice received part of the offering.
"'The cohen who offers someone's burnt offering will possess the hide of the burnt offering which he has offered. "'Every grain offering baked in the oven, cooked in a pot or fried on a griddle will belong to the cohen who offers it. But every grain offering which is mixed with olive oil or is dry will belong to all the sons of Aharon equally.
Here, we see the principle that a worker deserves his wages put into action as the priest who presents a burnt offering or a baked grain offering receives a portion from that offering. We also see that, when a grain offering that is not baked is presented, it is shared between the priests.
"'This is the law for sacrificing peace offerings offered to ADONAI: If a person offers it for giving thanks, he is to offer it with the thanksgiving sacrifice of unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, matzah spread with olive oil, and cakes made of fine flour mixed with olive oil and fried. With cakes of leavened bread he is to present his offering together with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for giving thanks. From each kind of offering he is to present one as a gift for ADONAI; it will belong to the cohen who splashes the blood of the peace offerings against the altar. The meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for giving thanks is to be eaten on the day of his offering; he is not to leave any of it until morning.
In chapter 3, we were introduced to the peace offering and now we see further details about the sacrifice and it deals with an offering to give thanks to the Lord. In this case, we see that three kinds of bread products were to be brought with the peace offering and it stands out that one of the types is cakes of leavened bread but the meat and the bread was for the priest and not to be burned on the altar. We also see that none of the meat was to be left until the morning.
But if the sacrifice connected with his offering is for a vow or is a voluntary offering, then, while it is to be eaten on the day he offers his sacrifice, what remains of it may be eaten the next day. However, what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day is to be burned up completely. If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, the sacrifice will neither be accepted nor credited to the person offering it; rather, it will have become a disgusting thing, and whoever eats it will bear the consequences of his wrongdoing.
Now, we see that, if an offering is made for a vow or a regular donation, then the meat can be eaten on the second day but any that remains on the third day must be completely burned up. We also see the consequences of eating the meat on the third day and that includes the nullification of the sacrifice as well as consequences for the one that eats it.
Meat which touches something unclean is not to be eaten but burned up completely. As for the meat, everyone who is clean may eat it; but a person in a state of uncleanness who eats any meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings made to ADONAI will be cut off from his people. Anyone who touches something unclean - whether the uncleanness be from a person, from an unclean animal or from some other unclean detestable thing - and then eats the meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings for ADONAI, that person will be cut off from his people.'"
Now, we see the fact that God takes purity very seriously as we see that if the meat touched anything unclean it was made unclean and could no longer be eaten. Likewise, we see that nobody that was unclean could eat of the meat from the sacrifices and it did not matter how they became unclean. We also see that the penalty for disobedience in this case was that the offender would be removed from the congregation of witnesses (the people of Israel). Although we do not have the temple, God is still concerned about purity and we, as Christians, should strive to remain free of the things that God says are unclean. This is not for atonement or salvation but simply to honor God.
ADONAI said to Moshe, "Say to the people of Isra'el, 'You are not to eat the fat of bulls, sheep or goats. The fat of animals that die of themselves or are killed by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but under no circumstances are you to eat it. For whoever eats the fat of animals of the kind used in presenting an offering made by fire to ADONAI will be cut off from his people. You are not to eat any kind of blood, whether from birds or animals, in any of your homes. Whoever eats any blood will be cut off from his people.'"
Now, we see the prohibition of eating fat from animals that could be used for the burnt offering as well as any blood. These things were set aside for God as the fat represented the best of something while the blood represented life. We see that anyone who did this would once again be shunned by the congregation of Israel.
ADONAI said to Moshe, "Say to the people of Isra'el, 'A person who offers his sacrifice of peace offerings to ADONAI is to bring part of his sacrifice of peace offerings as his offering for ADONAI. He is to bring with his own hands the offerings for ADONAI made by fire - he is to bring the breast with its fat. The breast is to be waved as a wave offering before ADONAI. The cohen is to make the fat go up in smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aharon and his descendants. You are to give the right thigh from your sacrifices of peace offerings to the cohen as a contribution. The descendant of Aharon who offers the blood of the peace offerings is to have the right thigh as his share.
We see that, although the peace offering was brought to the Lord, the breast was waved before the Lord and then given to the priests to share while the right thigh was to be given to the specific priest that offered up the blood.
For the breast that has been waved and the thigh that has been contributed I have taken from the people of Isra'el out of their sacrifices of peace offerings and given them to Aharon the cohen and to his descendants as their share forever from the people of Isra'el.'" On the day when Aharon and his sons were presented to serve ADONAI in the office of cohen, this portion was set aside for him and his descendants from the offerings for ADONAI made by fire. On the day they were anointed, ADONAI ordered that this be given to them by the people of Isra'el. It is their share forever through all their generations. This is the law for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the consecration offering and the sacrifice of peace offerings which ADONAI ordered Moshe on Mount Sinai on the day he ordered the people of Isra'el to present their offerings to ADONAI, in the Sinai Desert.
We see that this provision for the priests was a part of their consecration and it speaks of the kingdom principle that God is faithful to His servants. Finally, we see that all of these instructions were given to Moshe on the mountain.
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