Law – Leviticus 7-9
After managing to sit through the first 6 chapters of Leviticus, today we come to the chapters 7 – 9. While not treating this irreverently, I must say that reading Leviticus can really be D.R.Y. But in any case, kudos to us who have patiently read through the portion of the offerings, and thanks to God for allowing us to be able to read His law.
There is a minor transition in place with today’s reading, so let’s all open our eyes and hearts to the contents.
We’ll read…
Bible Passage: Leviticus 7 – 9
Wrapping Up on Offerings
Chapter 7 contains the final word on the law of the offerings. We may either scream within us “Phew! At last!” or we could take a pause to recollect the entire set of procedures and instructions again. In doing the latter, we are made to go “Hmm… what does this say about my spiritual offerings?” And rightly so, since the law of God requires very attentive regard for the manner and type of offerings made.
The teachings concerning the offerings can be interpreted in a number of ways and our preachers here in Singapore have given us some insight in their past sermons. I will not aim to rehash them, but let it be enough to say that we should bear this in mind: in all the offerings we make, they are done in holiness to the Lord. Therefore, whatever portions are the Lord’s should belong to Him and we cannot desire after them.
To make it less abstract, I believe we can think of it in more concrete terms: In giving time and effort in prayers as an offering to God, we ought to put in our whole soul and heart. If it’s merely going to be a half-hearted, entertain-the-clients affair, then we’re not being complete in our offerings to God. In short-changing God, we are not according Him the holiness and glory due to Him.
Priesthood Anointed
Chapter 8 is where the transition takes place. After the instructions on offerings had been given, there is now the next step of consecrating the offeror. What is significant is that this entire chapter is parallel to Exodus 29. Whereas Exodus 29 contains the instructions on what the Aaronic priesthood should do, Leviticus 8 contains the records of what they actually did do. And the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, for wonderfully every step is dutifully kept in holiness and reverence of God.
Priestly Ministry Kicks Off
What happens next? Obviously after the consecration and anointment, the priests need to start their work. In Chapter 9, we find that Aaron and his sons make the offerings for themselves in this order: Sin and Burnt offerings for themselves first, then the Sin, Burnt, Cereal, and Peace offerings on behalf of the congregation. The order here is highly important. While I may not be complete in my understanding of it, I believe it shows us of the need for spiritual leaders of the church to first note their own sins and trespasses and first seek to make right their relationship with God, before they go ahead and plead for the cause of the people that they are leading.
All in all, priests need to confess their own sins and the sins of the people, and seek to be reunited with the good pleasure of God. When that was achieved according to God’s standard, God Himself is definitely pleased and He shows His glory to us (cf. Lev 9:23-24).
What Does it All Mean for Us?
Perhaps like me, you may have wondered at the level of abstraction of all these offerings and their ceremonial rites that seem only peculiar to the Jews. It does not mean that we ought to view them as far removed from our own lives.
On the one hand, we get to understand the deep significance that these ceremonial rites play in the religious life of the Jews. We get to know why certain portions of the animals are never consumed, and why other portions are meant for the Lord etc.
On the other more significant hand, we are reminded of the New Testament spirit of things. We are all priests in the postscript of Christ’s own ultimate sacrifice. The highest High Priest’s offering of Himself has now enabled us all to come before God on our own to confess our own sins and seek for restitution with God (cf. Heb 10:19-22). At the same time, we are all spiritual priests and are a people consecrated and set apart for God.
Our purpose in this world is therefore to divert our energies to His holy work and to “proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Pet 2:9b). This spiritual priesthood that is all of us, needs to “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” (1 Pet 2:5b) and in order to do so, we need to have some understanding of how the offerings were first done during the times of Aaron and his sons.
Oh Really?
Our knowledge of the offerings may be limited to the words of the Bible. But it should be enough to grant us the Life and obedience that we need to abide in God. Let’s have that faith to do as God desires of us. When we do rightly, God’s glory will surely appear to us and we’ll all bow down on our faces before His greatness. (cf. Lev 9:23-24).
On a side note, the next time we visit the butcher’s we might want to observe how the animals have been laid up and which parts of the flesh happen to be the flank and thigh etc. If we cannot get a sense of Levitical offerings based on the words alone, this is the next best thing we can do!
3 Comments
maverick
I am just wondering can we eat fat of cattle, sheep or goats? i mean in Levi 7:23-27, Lord told Moses to warn his people not to eat fat or drink blood or they will be cut off from his people. Why the severeness of eating fat is on par with drinking blood?
belovedofthelord
If we read Lev 3:16-17, we’re told that “all the fat is the Lord’s”, and that the perpetual statute is to last for all generations. This is the reason why the reverent, orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews today still adhere to this principle in making offerings.
The fat belongs to the Lord because it is meant to be burnt as an offering for a sweet aroma to God. This is what the Bible tells us, and I believe there is no need to go beyond and look for scientific answers. However, we do get a clearer understanding in realising that when the Bible uses the word “fat”, there is usually 2 senses to it. Firstly, it refers physically to the real fat of the animal. Secondly, and more usually the intended meaning, is that fat refers to the “choicest, most excllent, best portion” of anything that is offered.
If we make a comparison to Gen 4:4, we find that only the second sense really makes sense. It is a type of figure of speech meaning that Abel brought along the fattest/choicest of his flock.
With that understanding, I think we are in better position to know that the fat in Lev 7:23-27 DOES refer to both senses of the word. On the one hand, it literally means the fat of the animal, and on the other hand, it refers to the spirit of the offerings. I believe that God had intended for the offeror to understand the whole concept of giving up the best/choicest/most excellent portion to the Lord, only because God is worthy of it.
As to whether we can eat of the cattle, sheep, goats. Hey! I like my steaks to have some bit of fat in it too ok. When I go to Seoul Garden, the fat on the meat is what causes the table barbeque pan to sizzle. Without the fat, the meat would taste bland. =)
We are in the NT period of grace now. And thank God for that!
The Jerusalem council in Acts 15 brings to us the standard of living as a Christian in the NT. Acts 15:28-29 tells us which are the things we ought to abstain from, and in so doing, we would be well. There is no more talk about fat because the ‘fattest’/choicest/most exceedingly excellent sacrifice had been made in the form of Christ Himself. Henceforth, our offerings are in the spiritual sense and we do not need to offer up these physical sacrifices anymore (ref. Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:11-12).
Since we have transited into the NT, there is no longer any need to adhere to the “perpetual statute” of the OT. Christ has perfected everything through His own offering. We are not like the Jews who hang on to the “handwriting of requirements that was against us” (Colossians 2:14). We are the freedmen who live in grace.
So go ahead and eat your fat! Just be careful not to overeat. We still need to watch our weight and health 😉
PS
As i read Leviticus 7 to 9, i kept wondering why Moses wrote these great details when he was in the Wilderness, not the most comfortable place to write something so dry. There must be a reason.
The phrase “as the LORD commanded Moses” was repeated.
Moses heard the commands, law and statutes first hand from God. (Lev 7:38) This might have stirred up Moses’ conviction to pass down all these to the next generation, especially to the priests who are the servants of God.
The fire has come from God and now is upon us. We have the commission to worship God in spirit and truth so that the glory of God can appear to all people.