Leviticus

Leviticus 3: The sacrifice of peace offerings

Begin in prayer

Before you read Leviticus 3, where God gives the sacrifice of peace offerings and claims all the fat and the blood as His own, let us pray together. Ask the Lord to help us understand His Word and see how Christ made peace for sinners.

I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”

Isaiah 57:19

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that all the fat and the blood belong to You, and that true peace with You comes only through the blood of Jesus. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The third offering in Leviticus is the sacrifice of peace offerings. A worshipper may bring an animal without defect from the herd or the flock, whether male or female, cattle, lamb, or goat. He lays his hand on its head and kills it before the Tent of Meeting, and the priests sprinkle the blood on the altar. In the burnt offering the whole animal was burned, yet here only the choice inward fat and the lamb's tail fat are burned. Those parts are the food of the offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the LORD. The chapter ends with a perpetual statute that Israel must eat neither fat nor blood, for all the fat is the LORD's.

As you read Leviticus 3, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God gives sinners peace with Himself through the blood of the sacrifice, and claims the best as His.

The peace offering was a sacrifice of fellowship and thanksgiving with God. In chapter 1 the whole animal was burned, yet here only the inward fat, kidneys, liver cover, and tail were burned (verse 3). Chapter 7 explains that the worshipper ate the rest of the meat, and the priests received the breast and thigh (verses 15 and 34). Yet before anyone could enjoy that peace meal, an animal “without defect” had to die at the Tent (verse 1). Then the priests sprinkled its blood around on the altar (verse 2). Sin sets people at war with a holy God, so there is no peace table without shed blood. God also commanded Israel never to eat the fat or the blood, because “all the fat is Yahweh’s” (verses 16 and 17). And as chapter 17 verse 11 explains, God gave the blood on the altar to make atonement. This offering pointed forward to Jesus Christ, who made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1 verse 20).

How does Leviticus 3 show us that God gives sinners peace with Himself through the blood of the sacrifice, and claims the best as His?

The animal for peace offerings must be without defect, and its blood is sprinkled.

Whether from the herd or the flock, the animal had to be “without defect before Yahweh” (verses 1 and 6). The worshipper laid his hand on its head and killed it before the Tent of Meeting (verses 2, 8 and 13). Then Aaron's sons sprinkled its blood around on the altar. Peace with God always required innocent blood. Jesus is our peace, and He reconciled sinners to God by His cross (Ephesians 2 verse 14).

The priests burn the fat on the altar on top of the burnt offering.

The worshipper took away the inward fat, the kidneys, the liver cover, and “the entire tail fat” (verses 3, 4 and 9). Aaron's sons burned these choice parts on the altar on top of the burnt offering already on the fire (verse 5). Peace with God rests on the atonement for sin, and God deserves the best, never our leftovers.

All the fat is the LORD's, and Israel must eat neither fat nor blood.

Verse 16 states the rule plainly, “all the fat is Yahweh’s.” Then verse 17 gives “a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.” The fat was the choicest part for God's altar, and the blood was set apart to make atonement for life. Even in their homes, Israel had to remember that life and atonement belong to the LORD.

Memorise

It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.

Leviticus 3:17

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, do I have true peace with God through the blood of Jesus?

In Leviticus 3, an Israelite who brought “a sacrifice of peace offerings” first brought an animal “without defect before Yahweh.” He laid his hand on its head and killed it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. The priests sprinkled the blood around on the altar and burned the fat on top of the burnt offering as “a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.”

Why did a peace offering need blood and fire? Because our sin has made us enemies of a holy God, and our best thankfulness cannot buy peace with Him. Only Jesus Christ could make that peace. He went to the cross, carried His people's sin, and died the death they deserved, making peace through the blood of His cross. On the third day He rose from the grave, and His sacrifice is enough for all time.

Jesus Himself is the peace of all who trust Him. So come to Him today. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus. Everyone who comes to God through Christ has their sins forgiven and receives lasting peace with the Father.

Parent's note

Tell your children that our sin breaks peace with God, and only the blood of Jesus can make peace with Him. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.

Hebrews 13:15

Lord God, thank You for showing us in the peace offering that peace with You comes only through shed blood. Thank You for sending Jesus to make peace by the blood of His cross. Please forgive our sins, bring each of us to trust in Jesus, and fill our mouths with grateful praise this week. Amen.