Leviticus 3:1-17 - Homiletics

The peace offering

was not a sacrifice denoting self-devotion like the burnt-offering, nor a tender of homage like the meat offering, but a feast upon a sacrifice, which God and man symbolically joined in partaking of. The offering consisted of an animal and unleavened cakes and (generally) leavened bread, of which a share was given to God's altar and priests on the one hand, and to the offerer and his friends on the other. It represented the blessedness and joyousness of communion between God and man. "The character of these feasts cannot be mistaken. It was that of joyfulness tempered by solemnity, of solemnity tempered by joyfulness. The worshipper had submitted to God an offering from his property; he now received back from him a part of the dedicated gift, and thus experienced anew the same gracious beneficence which had enabled him to appear with his wealth before the altar. He therefore consumed that portion with feelings of humility and thankfulness; but he was bidden at once to manifest those blissful sentiments by sharing the meat, not only with his household, which thereby was reminded of the Divine protection and mercy, but also with his needy fellow-beings, whether laymen or servants of the temple. Thus these beautiful repasts were stamped both with religious emotion and human virtue. The relation of friendship between God and the offerer which the sacrifice exhibited, was expressed and sealed by the feast, which intensified that relation into one of an actual covenant; the momentary harmony was extended to a permanent union. And these notions could not be expressed more intelligibly, at least to an Eastern people, than by a common meal, which to them is the familiar image of friendship and communion, of cheerfulness and joy" (Kalisch).

I. IT WAS A FEDERAL FEAST , REMINDING THE ISRAELITES OF THE INSTITUTION OF the COVENANT . In early times the method of making a covenant was dividing animals in halves and passing between them (see Genesis 15:9 , Genesis 15:10 ; Jeremiah 34:18 , Jeremiah 34:19 ), or otherwise offering them in sacrifice ( Genesis 8:20 ; Genesis 15:9 ; Psalms 1:5 ), and then feasting together.

When Abraham's servant; asked for Rebekah for his master, he refused to eat and drink until he had made his agreement ( Genesis 24:33 ); but after it was completed, "they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him" ( Genesis 24:54 ). Jacob held a solemn feast after he and Laban had made a covenant together ( Genesis 31:54 ). The feast upon the peace offerings, whether offered by the whole congregation or by individuals, served as a memorial of the covenant made between God and their fathers (see Exodus 24:5 , where the name peace offering is first used), and it made rejoice in being God's peculiar people in union and communion with him.

II. IT LOOKED FORWARD AS WELL AS BACKWARDS . Like the Passover, it at once commemorated an historical event and prefigured a blessing to come. The Passover looked backwards to the deliverance from Egypt, and forward to "Christ our passover sacrificed for us;" and in like manner the peace offering feast commemorated the making of the covenant, and prefigured the blessed state of communion to be brought about by the sacrifice of the cross. Communion is typified and proved in the New Testament as well as the Old by eating and drinking together ( Luke 14:15 ; Acts 10:41 ; Revelation 19:9 ).

III. SACRIFICE IN RELATION TO CHRISTIANS . We have no sin offering to offer. The full, perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice for sins was made once for all upon the cross; we have only to appropriate the merits of that one offering by faith. Nor have we a burnt offering to offer. The full surrender of himself by a perfect Man was once for all made in the Garden of Gethsemane and on Calvary; we can but follow the great Example. But we may still offer the meat offering, in a spiritual sense, by giving the service which declares us to he faithful subjects of God; and we may spiritually offer the peace offering, whenever with grateful hearts we offer praise and thanksgiving to God for having brought us into union and communion with himself.

IV. THE HOLY COMMUNION IS the SPECIAL MEANS OF OUR EXHIBITING THE JOYOUS SENSE OF BEING THE CHILDREN OF GOD . It is not a sin offering, being neither a repetition nor a continuation, but a commemoration, of the great Sin Offering of the cross; it is not, therefore, propitiatory. Neither is it a burnt offering, for Christ's self-surrender cannot be reiterated or renewed, but only commemorated. But it answers to the meat offering, inasmuch as in it we offer our alms and "the creatures of bread and wine" as tokens of our loyalty, and receive back in requital" the strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ." And it is a peace offering, for therein we feast at God's board, exhibiting our joyful thankfulness for having been admitted into covenant with him, offering "our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving," and rejoicing in the assurance thus given us "that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of" Christ our Lord.

V. THE BLESSEDNESS OF A SENSE OF PEACE WITH GOD . First, we must feel the need of reconciliation, and a desire to rid ourselves of the obstacles in the way of it. Then we must go to Christ to have our sins nailed to his cross; and thus, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" ( Romans 5:1 ), "and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 4:7 ), "and the God of peace shall be with us" ( Philippians 4:9 ).