Leviticus 7:22-3822And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. 24And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. 25For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. 26Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 27Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. 28And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 29Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the Lord shall bring his oblation unto the Lord of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the Lord. 31And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'. 32And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. 33He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part. 34For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel. 35This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the Lord in the priest's office; 36Which the Lord commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations. 37This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings; 38Which the Lord commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai. (Leviticus 7:22‑38)
IN THESE verses (22-27) God reminds His people that the fat and the blood were not to be eaten they were for God alone. The fat was the best part of the animal and is typical of the inward energy and will of the Lord Jesus in His offering Himself to God. There was that in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus which was for man, but there was that also which was for God only, which only He could appreciate.
Neither could the blood be eaten, for “the life is in the blood,” “the blood is the life,” and the life goes back to God who gave it. How solemn a truth we have here, especially to those who live without Christ, who die in their sins, and hope they will not have to meet God as Judge. But meet Him they surely will, as His Word plainly declares, for “after death the judgment.” How dreadful for that life to return to God stained with the sins of years, the sinner to be judged at the great white throne and to be consigned everlastingly to the lake of fire.
Yet how precious to the believer to know that the blood of Christ has cleansed him from all his sins and made him “whiter than snow.” The holy light of God’s presence only brings out the perfection of the work of Christ in redemption, and shows how pure and spotless he now is in His sight.
The blood then here also speaks of the life of the blessed Lord Jesus laid down for the glory of God and for the sinner’s blessing. Thus there was to be no abuse in that which was sacred to God.
Then we have something further as to the peace offering. The “wave breast” was for Aaron and his sons, the whole priestly family; the “heave shoulder” was for the offering priest. Both speak of Christ His affections and His strength, the eternal portion of His people, for He “hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father.” (Rev. 1:66And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6)).
We are told that the “heave shoulder” was moved up and down, while the “wave breast” was waved from side to side. These actions were “before the Lord,” and this would tell us that those who moved these offerings were really in His presence, with their hands filled with Christ.
Primarily the “offering priest” speaks of Christ, and thus He and His own in nearness to God enjoy the love together. He has His special joy in sustaining us who are weak but who are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
Thus we have presented here in this portion a very precious picture, enjoyed in the church now by faith but in its fullest measure in the coming glory — God will have His portion, Christ His, and His redeemed will be enjoying Him and all the fullness of His work of redemption for which He gave Himself upon the cross. To praise Him, and God the Father who gave Him, will be our blest occupation throughout that long and endless eternity.
Rest, Lord, in serving Thee,
As none have served below;
Oh, through that blest eternity
What tides of praise shall flow!
ML-10/03/1971