Leviticus 3:1-17

Leviticus

*Worship the *LORD in the Beauty of *Holiness

Leviticus

Gordon Churchyard

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible, except for the words in brackets (…).

Chapter 3

The *Peace Offering

v1 ‘Someone may want to offer a *peace offering. If he offers an animal from the *herd, it can be male or female. But he must offer a perfect animal to the *LORD.

v2 He must lean his hand on the head of his *offering. Then he must kill it at the entrance of the *meeting tent. Then Aaron’s sons, (who are) the priests, will splash the blood against all the sides of the *altar.

v3 From the *peace offering, he must offer a gift to the *LORD on the fire. Some (*fat) covers the inside parts of the animal and some is on the inside parts. He must offer all this *fat (on the *altar).

v4 (He must also offer) both *kidneys with the *fat on them near (the animal’s) back legs. (And he must also offer the *fat) that covers the *liver. He will remove this with the *kidneys (from the animal).

v5 Then Aaron’s sons will burn (these parts of the animal) on the *altar. They will put them on the top of the *whole offering, on the burning wood. This is a gift that (people) offer by fire. Its smell pleases the *LORD.

v6 Someone (else) may want to offer a *peace offering. If he offers an animal from the *flock, it can be male or female. But he must offer a perfect animal to the *LORD.

v7 If he offers a *lamb, he must bring it in front of the *LORD.

v8 He must lean his hand on the head of his *offering. Then he must kill it in front of the *meeting tent. Then Aaron’s sons will splash the blood against all the sides of the *altar.

v9-10 From the *peace offering, he must offer a gift to the *LORD on the fire. (He must offer all these things).

• The *fat.

• All the *fat from the tail. (The offerer) must cut off (the tail) near the bone in (the animal’s) back.

• All the *fat that covers the parts inside the animal, or is on these parts.

• Both the *kidneys, with the *fat on them near (the animal’s) back legs. (v10)

• (The *fat) that covers the *liver, which he must remove (from the animal) with the *kidneys.

v11 Then the priest must burn it all on the *altar. This is a gift of food that (the offerer) makes to the *LORD by fire.

v12 Someone may want to offer a goat. He must bring it in front of the *LORD.

v13 He must lean his hand on its head. Then he must kill it in front of the *meeting tent. Then Aaron’s sons will splash the blood against all the sides of the *altar.

v14-15 (The offerer) must give part of his *offering as a gift to the *LORD on the fire. (He must give these things).

• All the *fat that covers the parts (that are) inside (the animal).

• All the *fat that is on (these inside parts).

• Both the *kidneys, with the *fat on them near (the animal’s) back legs. (v15)

• (The *fat) that covers the *liver. He must remove this with the *kidneys.

v16 Then the priest must burn it all on the *altar. This is a gift of food that (the offerer) makes by fire. Its smell pleases (the *LORD). All the *fat belongs to the *LORD.

v17 Wherever you live, you must always obey this rule. And your families in future centuries (must obey this rule. The rule is this:) You must not eat any *fat or any blood.

Notes

Like the first two *offerings, this is a ‘good smell’ *offering. It is not about *sin. It is about a person who wants *fellowship with God. Again, the only way that this can happen is through Jesus.

Before the *Israelites entered Canaan, God did not allow them to kill animals anywhere for meat. If they wanted to eat meat from a cow, *bull, sheep or goat, they had to bring it to God’s house (17:8-9). They had to offer it to God as a *peace offering.

They would burn the *fat on the *altar. People considered the *fat to be the richest part, so they were giving the best part to God. The priest received part of the meat. And the person who brought the *offering received the rest of the meat. He ate it with his family and friends.

So the people were sharing the meat with God and his priests. They were having *fellowship together.

Verse 1 Some translations call this ‘the *fellowship offering’. *Fellowship is a special friendship that God has with his people. But the *Hebrew word is ‘shelamim’ which means ‘peaces’ (the plural of ‘peace’). We can have this *fellowship, or ‘*peace with God and our neighbours (other people)’, because Jesus died for us. His death did not only mean that God can forgive us. It also means that we can come into God’s house as his friends. A *herd is a group of cows. Male cows are called *bulls. So verses 1-5 are about *bulls and cows.

Verse 2 When the offerer leaned his hand on the head of the animal, he united himself with it. The note on Leviticus 1:4 explains this. The section called ‘What is in the house of God’ explains where the *meeting tent is. That section is near the start of this Commentary.

The priest had to use the blood to make the *altar *clean. Here, the word ‘*clean’ does not mean ‘not dirty’. It means that God approves of the *altar. So he accepts the gifts that his people offer there.

The blood is a word picture for the life of the animal. The animal’s life was the cost to provide *fellowship between the people, the priests, and God.

Verses 3-5 The *liver and *kidneys are important parts of bodies. In many religions, people examined the *liver and *kidneys to find out what would happen in the future. But God’s law did not allow people to do this. Instead, God told the *Jews to burn the *kidneys with the *fat on the *altar. They had to burn the *fat that covers the *liver too. The *altar was outside the *meeting tent.

Verse 6 An animal from the *flock would be a sheep or a goat. But the rules about goats are in verses 12-16. So verses 6-11 are about sheep.

Verse 7 ‘In front of the *LORD’ means outside the *meeting tent. The *Jews understood that the *LORD was in this tent. It was his home on the earth.

Verse 9 The sheep that lived in *Israel had very fat tails. Their tails weighed about 15 pounds (7 kilos)! The people offered all this *fat to the *LORD.

Verses 12-16 These verses contain the instructions for goats. They are very similar to the instructions for *cattle (verses 1-5) and for sheep (verses 6-11).

Verse 17 This was a very important rule, because the blood represented (stood for) the life of the animal. The life belongs to God, so the people could not take it for themselves.

Something to do

1. Study Hebrews 9:11-16. Notice that the death of Christ brings us into *fellowship with God.

This is the purpose of the first three *offerings: the *whole, *corn and *peace offerings.

2. The *Hebrew word ‘shalom’ means ‘peace’. But this peace does not mean that there is no war. It is better to translate it ‘healthy’. In other words, we are ‘healthy’ in everything that we do. For example, our relationships with other people are ‘healthy’ (good and friendly). Pray that God will make you shalom!

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
holiness ~ the quality of somebody who is holy, or very, very good.

holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. Or, a description of something that belongs to God.
peace ~ absence of war. Or, the calm and content attitude that one receives because of a right relationship with God and with other people.
peace ~ absence of war. Or, the calm and content attitude that one receives because of a right relationship with God and with other people.
herd ~ a group of cows and bulls.

bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.
offering ~ gift.'meeting tent ~ the special tent where God met with Moses. The priests could enter it to worship; they burnt sacrifices on the altar in front of it.

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
fat ~ part of an animal’s body that is not red meat, nor skin, nor bone. Fat is an oily substance.
kidney ~ an important inner part of an animal’s body.
liver ~ an important inner part of an animal’s body.'whole offering ~ an offering that the priests burned completely on the altar. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

offering ~ gift.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
flock ~ a group of sheep or goats.
lamb ~ a young sheep.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
fellowship ~ a special type of friendship between God and his people. Or, the special type of friendship that God’s people have with each other.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.
fellowship ~ a special type of friendship between God and his people. Or, the special type of friendship that God’s people have with each other.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
clean ~ suitable for God or for God’s people. A clean person could go to God’s house to worship him.

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
cattle ~ a number of cows and bulls.

bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.