THE PEACE OFFERING
The peace offering in Lev. 3 may be regarded as one of the consequences flowing out from what we have seen in the sin offering.
It is not brought on account of any trespass, and no forgiveness is connected with it, nor is it said to make atonement. It may be male or female, of the flock or of the herd, but in all cases "without blemish." The offerer leans his hands upon it and kills it, it is his substitute and it dies. The priest sprinkles "the blood upon the altar round about," suggesting the surrender of life to God and to His judgment, rather than any special witness as on the horns. The fire would dry or burn it up but nothing is said further about it. The chief action is the burning by the priest of the several parts of the inwards upon the fire of the brazen altar. This in verse 11 is called "the food of the offering," or "bread" of the offering; just as we find in Ezek. 44:77In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. (Ezekiel 44:7), "when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood." This was Jehovah's express portion for a sweet savor to Himself out of the fire. In Lev. 7:11-2111And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the Lord. 12If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. 13Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. 14And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the Lord, and it shall be the priest's that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings. 15And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten: 17But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire. 18And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity. 19And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof. 20But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. 21Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain unto the Lord, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 7:11‑21) and 28-36, we have "the law" of this offering, appointing, verse 30, that the offerer is to bring the portions that are' to be burnt, with his own hands to the altar. This is special to the peace offering. He is not to put these on the altar, the priest must do that, but bring them to it. It is the nearest approach for the Israelite (not a priest) to God. The priest who is acting is to have the right shoulder as a heave offering for himself and for his family, to eat, as their portion from God, Num. 18:99This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. (Numbers 18:9). The breast was to be given to Aaron and his sons, i.e., to the priests at large; the remainder belonged to the offerer, for himself and for his household.
Thus the carcass was divided into four parts, the first was God's "food," a smell of delight to Him from the fire; the officiating priest had another, the shoulder; the priestly family another, the breast; and the rest the offerer took for food. In chapter 17., no one was to kill any animal or bird, without bringing it to the door of the tabernacle, and making a peace offering of it; so that we find all flesh for Israel's food was to be dealt with as a peace offering, and then that, as such, the fire ate God's "food" from it, and the priests, the priest, and the offerer, each had his portion, and so all ate together of one carcass, including even God Himself by His fire.
No deeper expression of communion can be found in types. Throughout Israel's camp all their meat was to be directly connected with the tabernacle, and with their Jehovah, it could only be eaten in communion with Him. Had they been faithful to this, what a scene their camp would have presented, the whole nation not only eating nothing common or unclean, but all eating in fellowship together, and with Jehovah and His altar.
John tells us of Christ, "that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ," 1 John 1:33That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3). Our Lord Himself says, "Except ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, ye have no life in yourselves," John 6:5353Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53), and he explains in verse 35, what that eating and drinking are, "he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." Come then, and believe, and that shall be your soul eating and drinking unto life. In verses 56 and 57 our Lord speaks of continuing this eating and drinking for the maintenance, in joy and power, of the life received.
Surely this is the truth of the peace offering in Israel. We feed on Him in death, and have life; and all along the journey here feed still on Him, believing all our God has revealed about Him, and nourishing our hearts from His fullness, so that our life becomes in practice the expression again of His.
What communion this is. In the enjoyment of assured forgiveness, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is, 2 Cor. 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18) (lit.), "For we all beholding the glory of the Lord, face unveiled, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory," for His unveiled face in glory is the first fruit to Himself on high of the travail of His soul in death.
As we look on Him in resurrection, we gladly own Him once in death, and feed upon His flesh, His blood, with all that that includes and involves to us (for, in the figure, we leant our hand upon the victim's head), and the blessed communion grows clearer and stronger and brighter, more joyous and free, yet reverent, every day, until the "little while" shall have all passed by. That is true Christian living. Life is by Him, and its vigor can only be kept up by Him, the true peace offering, feeding and nourishing us continually.