Leviticus 3:1-5, 17
Sitting in Fellowship
Tonight we look at the third offering of the five "practical"
offerings. My intention has been to look at seven offerings, five
practical offerings and two ceremonial. The five practical offerings
were the offerings that the Jews offered or could offer daily. They
are listed in the first five chapters of Leviticus: the Burnt
Offering, the Meat Offering, the Peace Offering, the Sin Offering and
the Trespass Offering.
Then there were two which were ceremonial: Passover and what the
Jews today call Yom Kippur. These offerings were made only once each
year.
In the first two offerings, we have learned that the offerings both
had purpose and were pictures. In purpose the sacrifice was to
separate the Jews who would obey by faith from those who would not.
This was more for their benefit than God’s. If one would not offer
them as commanded, they did not believe God and were not obeying Him.
In picture, the Burnt Offering demonstrated truths about sin,
salvation, and the Savior while the Meat Offering demonstrated truths
about believers. We are actually spending more time on the pictures
of the offerings than we are the purposes but the two are woven
together so tightly that you cannot separate them.
Tonight, from the Peace Offering, we learn that God has provided
peace between the forgiven sinner and God. This is not about the
peace OF God but having peace WITH God.
This Bible makes it clear that this peace is only possible because of
the death of Jesus, our Savior.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ:
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him.
Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath
made both one, and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one
new man, so making peace;
So this offering will be an animal sacrifice.
The Peace Offering, being our second blood sacrifice, takes us to a
new place in our study.
1. There will be some similarities in all of the blood
sacrifices, but there will also be some differences. We will
begin noting them in just a moment.
2. Because we have already discussed the things that were
similar, we will not spend much time discussing them over
again.
Because there are both similarities in the blood sacrifices as well
as differences, let’s use that as our outline.
I. Similarities - Pointing to Sin, Salvation, and the Savior
A. The Peace Offering is a bloody sacrifice; that is, it requires
the sacrifice of an animal.
1. Anytime an animal was being sacrificed, somewhere you will
find pictured lessons about sin, salvation, and the
Savior.
2. For that reason, we will see several things in this
offering that were the same as the Burnt Offering.
B. What is the same? The similarities are found mainly in \\#2\\.
1. \\#2\\ The offeror would "lay his hand upon the head of
his offering."
a. The word for "lay" means to lie upon, to lean upon, to
bear up, to establish."
b. The sinner was literally casting himself upon the
sacrifice.
c. It is the same word used of the Burnt Offering
\\#Lev 1:4\\.
2. "and kill it" - The innocent animal died for the guilty
sinner.
a. This is the heart of every bloody sacrifice, and this
is the core message to every one of them.
b. If there is no other truth given in the sacrifice,
this truth will always be in every bloody sacrifice.
3. "he…. shall kill it"
a. By slaying the animal, the sinner was acknowledging
his guilt.
b. It is the sinner’s fault the animal must die. It is
his sins that required the innocent to take his
place.
4. "Aaron’s sons the priests" would gather the blood and
"shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about."
a. These are the same words—in a slightly different
order—-as the Burnt Offering.
b. The priests still stood as a picture of Jesus Himself,
our great high Priest, who gathered His own blood and
took it to the heavenly altar.
c. The blood was to be slung against the sides of the
altar all the way around it.
d. There the blood would gather and harden as permanent
and visual evidence that the blood had been applied.
C. The key aspects of the sacrifice do not change because they
are the most basic parts of the picture of Jesus’
substitutionary death and His saving blood being applied.
II. The Sundry (different)
A. But there are also differences and those differences will be
what separates the Peace Offering from the other blood
sacrifices.
1. When we discussed the Burnt Offering, I told you it
pictured Christ as much as an animal sacrifice could.
2. God did not need another sacrifice to attempt a perfect
picture Christ.
3. Indeed, since a Burnt Offering was literally always on
the altar, the picture of Christ and His sacrifice was
always there for worshippers to see.
4. So God made allowances or "compromises" to the other blood
sacrifices to picture and to teach OTHER lessons, as well
as, to make the offerings more accessible to the givers.
5. Like what?
B. What are the differences?
1. \\#Lev 3:1\\ The Peace Offering could be male OR female.
Lev 3:1 And if his oblation be a sacrifice of
peace offering, if he offer it of the herd;
whether it be a male or female, he shall offer
it without blemish before the LORD.
a. That is one of the first and most obvious differences!
b. Why would God do that?
(1) Was He teaching the Messiah could be EITHER a
male or female or, God forbid, it could be one
who identified its sex as either?
(2) NO!!! He was allowing a sacrifice of lesser value
to be offered while preserving the herd.
(a) Perfect males animals were/are more valuable
than the females.
(b) In addition, if all of the males were
sacrificed, the herd would be incapable of
continuing.
c. Overall, we might say that God made allowances to
allow as many as possible to participate in His
worship and so as not to place undue hardships on the
people.
d. Sacrificing any animal was expensive and placed both
a financial and a breeding hardship on the obedient
people of God.
e. God allowed either sex of sacrifice for the Peace
Offering to give the people a break.
2. \\#1\\ "without blemish"
a. As a rule, the animal had to be without blemish.
(1) Its required physical perfection spoke of the
perfect Son of Man who came to die for our sins.
(2) This is the rule of the Burnt Offering, Sin
Offering, and Trespass Offering.
b. But there is an exception made for the Peace Offering.
Leviticus 22:21 And whosoever offereth a
sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to
accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in
beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be
accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen,
or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these
unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of
them upon the altar unto the LORD.
23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any
thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that
mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but
for a vow it shall not be accepted.
c. So there were two stated reasons to offer the Peace
Offering from text:
(1) A Freewill Offering - Just because you wanted
to give something to God or to thank Him.
(2) To seal a vow - Typically, you would be asking
God for something when you made a vow before
Him.
d. If you wanted to just give God a gift and enjoy His
divine fellowship, you could offer an animal with
either too many body parts (superfluous) or too few
parts (something lacking).
e. This is no way pictured our Lord.
(1) Jesus was and is perfect as the Burnt Offering
demonstrated.
(2) It did picture God’s graciousness in allowing a
less than perfect animal to be offered so that
more could come to worship and it would be a
lesser hardship on the family bringing the gift.
While I hate to quit here, for time’s sake we must; but we must
understand that while God is holy and cannot compromise sin, He has
made exceptions by mercy to allow people opportunities at
reconciliation, salvation, and worship. Will you come accept the peace
that comes only through Jesus Christ?
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