Monday, March 31, 2014

Purification After Giving Birth

Leviticus 12:1-8

Most traditions start as a very practical thing.  Unfortunately, with time the original purpose is forgotten and the tradition becomes just a ritual that the culture preserves.  To preserve the culture some of these rituals are often assigned religious significance.

In the western United states, the prevailing wind is from the west, and especially in the spring, strong winds are a nearly daily occurrence.   North or south winds tend to also be fairly common, but a wind from the east is relatively rare.  Native people quickly realized that a by facing the door of the home to the east, they rarely had to deal with the wind blowing things around the room or blowing out the fire when someone opened the door.

Facing the door to the East became the preferred practice, and after a while it became just a tradition in the various tribes.  Today, many Navajos live in trailer houses, but they still turn the front door to the east, because it is traditional.  It never occurs to most of them that by turning the trailer ninety degrees they could save at least a third on both their heating and cooling bills because of the different exposures to sun and wind.  Simply turning their door to the east because of their tradition is costing them a lot of money.   If they understood the reason for the tradition, they could easily position their trailer to gain the benefits of the east facing door while also eliminating the extra cost from aligning the trailer in a north south orientation.

As we have already seen with the laws regarding clean and unclean animals, there was a very practical purpose in these laws.  By taking the time to understand the purpose, rather than just accepting them as tradition, we can gain the maximum benefit from them without making them an undue burden.  We start with the laws relating to a woman’s  recovery after childbirth.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.  And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 

And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.” (Leviticus 12:1-4) 

Normally, a woman’s womb and internal organs are protected by her skin.  When she gives birth, some of these organs are opened to permit passage of the baby,  in the process the protective closures are stretched and some time is required to resume their natural shape and provide normal protection.  During that period, the woman is especially susceptible to infections.

To minimize the spread of infection, the law required the new mother to avoid public exposure for seven days to allow her body to return to it’s normal state.  On the eighth day she could attend the circumcision of her son, although she was not completely healed.  For an additional thirty three days, she was to avoid activities which might unnecessarily expose her to infection, or spread an infection she might have contracted.

“But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.” (Leviticus 12:5)

An older chiropractor had kept records of his patients for many years.  He found that in most cases he could predict the sex of a baby by the different reaction of the mothers body to the hormones the baby produced, although sometimes the reaction was not obvious enough to be sure.  I suspect that the longer healing time allowed following the birth of a girl was the result of similar hormonal reaction between the mother and baby.

“And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood.  This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.” (Leviticus 12:6-7) 

After her time of isolation was completed.  The woman was to bring a lamb for a sin offering and a pigeon or dove for a burnt offering, thanking the Lord for her baby and making for any sin she might have committed during the period.  At this point she should be healed and there would be no danger of discharge or infection.

“And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” (Leviticus 12:8)

While most families would be so excited over the birth they would not hesitate to give a lamb, it might prove a hardship for some.  In such a case all they had to do was catch pigeons or turtledoves and sacrifice them instead.

I suspect such a simple ceremony could provide major benefit in resolving the post partum depression that is common today.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Handling Dead Animals

Leviticus 11:24-47

“And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.  And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.” (Leviticus 11:24-25)

Unclean animals were those that were likely to carry diseases dangerous to people.   Dead animals were an especial problem as their bodies might well have to be disposed of, and it was difficult to tell if they were healthy or not.  Anyone involved in disposing of a dead carcase was to wash his clothes and avoid contact with other people until evening in an effort to minimize the risk to others.

“The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. 

And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.  And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you. “ (Leviticus 11:26)

The dead body of any animal considered unsafe to eat was to be treated as hazardous waste, and anyone who came incontact with it was to wash their clothing to remove any pathogens which might might have gotten on them.  The person was to avoid others until even to minimize spreading of possible diseases.

“These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind, And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.  These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.” (Leviticus 11:29-31) 

Rats, mice and certain insects regularly invade people’s homes, and often eat diseased animals bodies.  In addition, rats and mice often carry fleas and ticks, and other parasites.  The ticks and fleas in turn may carry diseases such as Bubonic plague, Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Lyme disease.  When the host animal dies, they move to whatever touches them.

Ferrets and weasels prey on the mice and rats, while moles, lizards, chamelions and tortoises live on the insects.  Because of the way their bodies are made, snails may absorb the pathogens simply by coming in contact with them.  All these animals were likely to be found in homes in their effort to obtain food, posing a special risk.

“And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.  And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it. 

Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.  And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.” (Leviticus 11:32-35)

Anything which these animal’s dead bodies touched was to be considered unclean.  It was to be washed and allowed to dry until evening to eliminate danger of infection.  Earthenware pots and clay ovens are porous, affording protection for pathogens and were to be destroyed and disposed of to eliminate the danger, since they could not be effectively cleaned.   The water used to clean them was to be considered contaminated and disposed of as well, and any container it was in was to be washed thoroughly as well.

During the middle Ages, plagues such as the Black plague killed hundreds of thousands of people because sanitation was so poor and rats, mice and insects were everywhere, spreading the plagues.  Because the Jews observed these sanitary precautions, the plagues were rare in Jewish communities.  Corrupt leaders often accused the Jews of casting spells and causing the plagues, claiming the fact they weren’t dying from them proved they were causing it.   As a result, Jews were hated and numerous efforts were made to wipe them out.

 Things haven’t really changed.  People still blame others for their problems, rather than seeing what they do differently that enables them to avoid the problems.

“Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.  And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.  But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.” (Leviticus 11:36-38) 

Large volumes of water were unlikely to be contaminated although that next to the body might be.  Rats, mice and insects were likely to be found in grain storage facilities.  As long as the grain had not gotten wet, the shell would keep out pathogens and the grain was safe to use.  Wetting the grain softened the outer shell making it possible for the pathogens to get into the seed, so if a dead animal was found where the grain was wet, they were not to use it.

“And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.  And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.” (Leviticus 11;39-40)

Even clean animals that died naturally posed serious risks.  They were to be treated as potentially contaminated, and while a person might consider them safe and eat them, he was not to expose others to potential danger.  He was to was his clothing and avoid contact for the rest of the day.

“And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.  Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 

Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.  For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:41-45) 

Animals and insects without legs, or with more than six legs were not to be eaten, but held as an abomination.  The Jews were not to in anyway contaminate themselves with theses things because God would provide so they didn’t need to eat things that might cause them to get sick.  By not eating them they would demonstrate their trust and obedience toward God.  Just as God had no evil in him, they should have no evil in them.

“This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.” (Leviticus 11:46-47)

These laws were given so they could know what posed a threat and how to eliminate the danger, an what was safe to eat or wasn’t.  While the guidelines might not address every situation, they were simple enough to be readily applied.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Using Animals For Food

Leviticus 11:1-23

The word translated clean here means clean or pure and comes from a word meaning uncontaminated.  The guidelines given here give an easy way of identifying the animals which are least likely to carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans.  Exodus 15:26 promised, “…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”   

While these guidelines would not completely eliminate disease, they would greatly reduce the people’s exposure, and God would take care of the rest if they would wholly follow his commands.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.  Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.” (Leviticus 11:1-3) 

Predatory animals are exposed to all the toxins and diseases their prey come in contact with, and as they eat these things may well be concentrated in their bodies.   Grazing and browsing animals are unlikely to have much exposure to disease through their diet.  Because most leafy plants are not concentrated sources of energy, the cud chewers, or ruminants consume large amounts of food while they are active then chew it while they rest to break down the cell walls.  Because of the design of their digestive system, they have trouble digesting more concentrated foods.   Even grains can cause them problems.  Their flesh is considerably different than human flesh, and as a result is not susceptible to some of the diseases that afflict humans.  They were unlikely to transmit diseases to people.

Hoofed animals have a hard, wear resistant hoof that enables them to run long distances over various surfaces with little pain, but are not good for digging or gripping things.  They depend on flight as their primary means of protection, and usually choose an easily escaped area to sleep, minimizing their exposure to fleas, ticks and various diseases.

“Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.” (Leviticus 11:4-6)

Animals which do not have hooves tend to make their homes in burrows or other enclosed spaces for protection.  As a result, they are more likely to be exposed to concentrations of parasites, and various diseases, even though they are plant eaters.  In general, those without divided hooves have a digestive system more similar to that of humans, and are susceptible to more of the sane diseases as humans.

“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.  Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.” (Leviticus 11:7-8) 

Animals which don’t chew the cud have digestive system much like ours, and are capable of surviving on almost any type of food are called omnivores.  Their digestive systems are very similar to human systems, and often their flesh is as well.  In fact the pig is so similar that certain parts of the pig can be used for human transplants. As for example the heart valves.  They are susceptible to almost any disease humans are.

“These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.  And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.  Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.” (Leviticus 11:9-12) 

Most water creatures that do not have both scales and fins are either predators or scavengers.  While most fish are predatory, in general the foods they eat are unlikely to be contaminated with diseases that are dangerous to humans.  The scavengers, and those who are just predators are more likely to be exposed to things that are harmful to humans.  Just a few months ago, a disease which killed several people was found in shellfish off the coast of Florida.    

“And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; Le 11:16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind, Le 11:17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. 

All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.” (Leviticus 11:13-19)

All of the scavengers and predatory birds and flying animals were forbidden because of the risk of disease.  In addition, any non flying birds were to be avoided as they are extremely susceptible to diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

“Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.  But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.” (Leviticus 11:21-23)

Many insects are scavengers or predators, and as such are likely to come in contact with harmful organisms.  Grasshoppers and locusts and certain beetles are strictly plant eaters.  They were unlikely to carry diseases that could be transmitted to people.

These guidelines provided a simple way of identifying which animals posed a potential threat of transmitting disease as a result of preparing and eating them.   Obeying them was a token of Israel’s faith in God.  Israel was obligated to keep these laws.

Romans 6:14 tells us, “…for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”   As Christians, we are not obligated to keep that law.  In I Timothy 4:1-5 Paul warns, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.  For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

As Christians, we are to eat whatever God provides, thanking him for it and trusting him to make it healthful.  That does not mean we deliberately eat things we know are dangerous.  In I Corinthians 6:12, Paul said, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”  It would be foolish to deliberately eat meat from diseased animals or use habit forming plants, even though I am not forbidden to do so.  




Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Nadab And Abihu Killed

Leviticus 10:1-20

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2)

God had just demonstrated his glory and power before Israel, miraculously sending fire to burn the sacrifices on the altar.   Instead of taking readily available coals from that fire to burn the incense on the altar of incense, Nadab and Abihu used another source of coals to burn the incense.  In doing so, they implied that human effort was just as good as God’s.  It resulted in their deaths.

This incident has serious ramifications for Christians today.  One is what it taeks to be saved.  Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  

In Romans 9:30-32, Paul says the Jews were missing out on salvation because they were trying to substitute their own efforts for what God has done.  “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”

Others try to produce faith by carefully crafted sermons and psychological appeals.  Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  The faith can’t be produced by such human efforts, and in I Corinthians 2:4-5 Paul said he avoided such efforts.  “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”  He didn’t want to replace God’s actions with some human substitute even though it might appear to be the same.

“Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” (Leviticus 10:3) 

God doesn’t want man taking the glory, either for their own goodness, or for their ability to reach others.   He executed Nadab and Abihu for focusing attention away from him.  In I Corinthians, 1:27-31, Paul says God has deliberately tried to prevent this by using insignificant things to accomplish his purpose.  “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

“And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.  So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. 

And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.  And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.” (Leviticus 10:4-7)

Aaron and his sons were not to allow the death of Nadab and Abihu interfere with their ministry.  Their relationship with God had to take precedence over anything else.  If other things took precedence, God might well execute them as well.  They were setting an example before the others about the importance of obeying God.  

“And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.” (Leviticus 10:8-11)

The Lord himself spoke to Aaron, stressing the responsibility for setting the example showing the importance of our relationship with God.  To step away from their ministry, even to attend the funeral, would imply that those human relationships were more important than obedience to God.

“And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy: And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded. 

And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.  The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.  

And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?  Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded. “ (Leviticus 10:12-18)

Moses reminded Aaron and his sons of the guidelines as to what they were to receive of each offering.  When he started to give them sin offering. He got upset that the entire body had been burned because it was supposed to be for their food.

“And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?” (Leviticus 10:19) 

Aaron acknowledged that God had designated that part for them, but because of the circumstances of his son’s death, he didn’t feel they could conscientiously eat of it at that time.

“And when Moses heard that, he was content.” (Leviticus 10:20)

Moses acknowledged that while God had given permission to eat the designated parts, he had not required that they do so.  In I Corinthians 9, Paul stresses this principle that while he had the right to be married or to be supported by the church, he was free to not exercise the right in order to minister more effectively.



Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Aaron and His Sons Begin To Minister

Leviticus 9:1-24

“And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. 

And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the LORD will appear unto you.” (Leviticus 9:1-4)

Once the dedication of the priests was finished, they were ready to fulfill their role as priests.  Up until that time God had always spoken through Moses.  As they begin to fulfill their roles as priests, he will appear to them.  The first thing they have to do is offer sacrifices for their own sin and for thanks giving.

Again the picture is of the Christian.  Once he gets saved, the holy spirit comes upon him.  As he begins to address his sins, and thank God for what has happened, the Holy Spirit begins to work in him to teach him as the Lord promised in John 14:26.  “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  They begin to reach out to others as well.

“And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.  And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you. 

And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.” (Leviticus 9:5-7) 

They still had to deal with their own sin, as well as with theat of the people in the manner which God prescribed.   Until they had dealt with their own sins, they could not deal with those of the people around them.

“Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.  And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar: But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses.  And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.” (Leviticus 9:8-11)

The first step in being a priest was to deal with ones own sin.   Hebrews 7:27-28 tells us Jesus “…needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.  For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”  Jesus was both God and human.  Like us, Aaron and his sons were only human and needed to daily offer a sacrifice for their sins.

As Christians, we do not need to offer a new sacrifice, but we do need to repent and get our sins included in the sacrifice Christ made.  I John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.  And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.  And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar. “ (Leviticus 9:12-14)

The second thing the priests had to do was focus their attention on God, with a burnt offering of praise or thanksgiving.   Colossians 3:17 commands, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”  Until we learn to be thankful, we will not be successful as priests of God.

“And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.  And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner.  And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning. 

He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about, And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver: And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar: And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.  And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. ” (Leviticus 9:15-22)

When Aaron and his sons were right with God themselves, they were able to serve as priests, drawing the people to God as well.  They followed the guidelines God had laid down for each of the offerings, not just doing it the way they felt like.

“And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.   And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” (Leviticus 9:23-24)

When the priests were right with God and did things the way he said, the people saw the glory of the lord, and his power was apparent.  The biggest reason people don’t see the power of God in churches today is because God’s priests, Christians, won’t get right with God, and won’t do things the way he said.

II Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  Instead of trusting God to fix our land and obeying him, we try to fix the world.   As a result, nothing gets fixed.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Dedication of Aaron and His Sons

Leviticus 8:1-36

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.” (Leviticus 8:1-5) 

In Exodus 28:1, God had commanded Moses, “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.”  He then went on and described the garments for the priests.   In Exodus 29, he described the way the priests were to be dedicated to God.

With the tabernacle complete, they could dedicate the priests according to Gods instructions.  The chapter here gives additional detail of the Statement s in Exodus 40 about dedicating the priests.

“And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.  And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.  And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.  And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.  And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.  And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses. ” (Leviticus 8:6-13) 


After having Aaron and his sons bathe, Aaron was dressed in his complete high priest’s outfit, including the mitre and breastplate with the Urim and Thummim in it.  After anointing the tabernacle, the altar was sprinkled with the oil seven times, and anointed, along with all the vessels.  Finally, the anointing oil was poured on Aarons head to sanctify him.  Once the high priest had been anointed, the other priests could be anointed as well.  As we learn in Hebrews 7, this is a picture of Christ being ordained as our high priest.  Until he was made our high priest, we could not become priests.  Because Christ did no sin, Hebrews 7:27 says he “needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”  The anointing with oil pictured the anointing with the Spirit and that is all Christ required.  He didn’t need to offer additional sacrifices.  Unfortunately, Aaron was not sinless, and he and his sons would still need sacrifices for their sins.

“And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering.  And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. 

And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar. 

But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses.” Leviticus 8:14-17) 

A sin offering was made as specified for the priests, with Aaron and his sons identifying it as a sacrifice for their sins by placing their hands upon it’s head before killing it.  The blood had to be applied to the altar and poured at the foot of it, the fat, the kidneys and the caul were burned on the altar, while the rest of the body were burned outside the camp to represent the forgiving of their sin, picturing what Christ had to do to atone for our sin.

“And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.  And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.  And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.  And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Leviticus 8:18-21) 

The ram for a burnt offering was an expression of appreciation for what God had done for them.  Mankind is unable to save himself, and only when he understands and appreciates what Christ offers will he be saved.

“And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.  And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.  And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.” (Leviticus 8:22-24) 

The ram of consecration represents a commitment to devote themselves to God.  As Luke 14 tells us, without that commitment, a person cannot be saved.  The blood of consecration had to be applied to each individual, to the tip of their right ear signifying a commitment to hear what God said, to their right thumb signifying a commitment to do what he commanded and to their right big toe, signifying a commitment to follow him.

“And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder: And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder: And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD. 

And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.” (Leviticus 8:25-28)

Along with the ram of consecration they offered a meat offering as a means of thanking God for what he was doing for them. The entire offering was waved before the Lord by Aaron and his sons before being burned.  

“And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the LORD commanded Moses. “ (Leviticus 8:29)

Since Moses was performing the duty of priest in dedicating Aaron and his sons, he received the same remuneration as any other priest.

“And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.” (Leviticus 8:30)

The oil, representing the Holy Spirit was then sprinkled on each of the priests.   Romans 8:9 tells us, “…Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”  As we see in the book of Acts, after the Holy Spirit came on the Christians on the day of Pentecost, he came into each Christian’s life, as Jesus had promised.

“And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.  And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. 

And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.  As he hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.  Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.” (Leviticus 8:31-36)

Aaron and his sons were then to eat the food provided from the sacrifices, and remain in the tabernacle for seven days, portraying the Christian permanently in the Lord’s service, obeying him and living on what he has supplied.

“So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.” (Leviticus 8:36)

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Preventing the Spread of Disease
Leviticus 7:19-27

“And 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.   But 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. 

Moreover 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 7:19-21)

Literally, anything that was likely to harbor disease organisms was considered unclean.  Food that had come in contact with things which might carry disease was to be burned.  People who were disease free could eat with everyone else, even in public settings such as the temple.  People who had a disease themselves or had come in contact with potential disease carriers were forbidden to share food in such gatherings and if unwilling to cooperate were to be isolated from other people.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.  And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.  For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.” (Leviticus 7:22-25)

In Exodus 15:26 God had promised, “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”  Most of the toxins that an animal might ingest are stored in the body fat.  By not eating the fat even of animals that rarely had diseases inimical to man, they could greatly reduce their likelihood of getting sick.   The fat could be used for other purposes, but it was not to be eaten.

“Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.  Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.” (Leviticus 7:26-27)

Dangerous concentrations of viruses and harmful bacteria are usually found in the blood.  By not eating the blood, the risk of infection by pathogens could be greatly reduced as well.  People who refused to follow these health measures were to be quarantined to prevent the spread of disease.

Wave and Heave Offerings
Leviticus 7:28-34

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.  His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.  And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons.” (Leviticus 7:28-31) 

Any peace offering had to be brought personally, by the individual’s own hands.  When an animal was offered as a wave offering, they were to bring all the fat, and the breast to the Lord.  The priests then burned the fat, but they received the breast as their portion.

“And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.

He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.  For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.” (Leviticus 7:32-34) 

The heave offering varied primarily in that the right shoulder was given instead of the breast.  Being much heavier than the breast, it was to be heaved before the Lord rather than waved.  In both cases all the fat was burned and the sacrificed portion given to the priests.  

Summary of Guidelines
Leviticus 7:35-38

“This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest's office; Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.” (Leviticus 7:35-36)

These  guidelines demonstrate how the sacrifices and offerings were to be handled by th priests.  They were not given unlimited access to what was given but were assigned specific portions, as recompense for their work and devotion to God.  A major part of some offerings were to be shared by the people who offered them.  A portion of every offering was burned up for the Lord.

This provides some valuable insights as to who the offerings of the church should be used.  Some should be used to support the pastor and church workers.  In Luke 10:7, Jesus said,  “And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.”  The workers need to be willing to settle for what the church can provide, rather than going from church to church to raise support.  The church needs to understand that the workers deserve compensation for their work.

Those who donate need to receive some benefits from their giving, whether in the form of nice and comfortable buildings, or sharing in church dinners or even in assistance when they are struggling.  Finally, some needs to be used for ministries that do not directly benefit the local church, such as sending missionaries to other peoples.

"This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings; Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.” (Leviticus 7:37-38)

These are the guidelines God gave specifically for the sacrifices.   However, the sacrifices are not God’s primary concern,  and  Hebrews 10:6 declares, “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.”    As the scribe told Jesus in Mark 12:33, “…to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  The offerings were just a way to make up for the people’s failure to please God in the first place.

In the New Testament, God sets a similar standard as to what is required to make up for our failure pleas him.  Just as they had to follow his guidelines to have their sins forgiven, we have to follow the guidelines in the New Testament to have ours forgiven.  God isn’t Burger King, and we can’t have it our way.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

More Guidelines For Priests

The Trespass Offering
Leviticus 7:1-7

“Likewise this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.  In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar. 

And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away: And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a trespass offering.  Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.  As the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it.” (Leviticus 7:1-7)

Like the sin offering, the trespass offering was to be killed in the same place as the burnt offering, and the blood to be sprinkled around the altar.   The priest was to take all the fat, the gall and the kidneys and burn them on the altar.  Like the sin offering, the priests were allowed to eat the bodies of the animals which were not offered for their sin.  Only holy things were to touch it.

The Priest’s Portion
Leviticus 7:8-10

“And the priest that offereth any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered.  

And all the meat offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan, shall be the priest's that offereth it.  And every meat offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another.” (Leviticus 7:8-10)

The hide of the animal was valuable for making leather and rawhide.  When an burnt offering was made, the hide went to the priest who made the sacrifice as his pay, rather than being burned.  

All of the cooked food offerings belonged to the priests, as well as the raw flour was to be shared equally among the priests.

Special Offerings

Giving Thanks
Leviticus 7:11-15

“And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.  If 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.  Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. 

And 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.  And 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.” (Leviticus 7:11-15)

There were far less restrictions about what could given as a peace offering to express ones appreciation.  They could be either unleavened cakes or wafers, or even leavened bread.  One piece was to be heaved up toward heaven, and the rest was to be eaten by the donor and shared with those around to celebrate what God had done.  Nothing was to be left over.


A Gift To God
Leviticus 7:16-18

“But 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: But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire. 

And 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.” (Leviticus 7:16-18 )

Sometimes a person wants to just do something special for the Lord.  No guidelines as to what the offering were to consist of are made.  It is just eaten before the Lord as one might sit to eat with his friends.  However, it had to be completely consumed  within forty eight hours to .ensure no spoilage had occurred.  Anything left over on the third day was to be burned as spoiled.  To eat the spoiled food would make the offering unacceptable and the person eating it would be held responsible.




Monday, March 17, 2014

Guidelines For Priests

The instructions about the various sacrifices and offerings up to this point have been for all the people.  The priests were responsible for presenting the sacrifices to God, and this section deals with their special responsibilities in handling and presenting them to God.

Revelation 1:6 tells us that Christ “…hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father…”  In a very real sense these guidelines portray the attitudes believer priests should have toward God.

Burnt Offerings
Leviticus 6:8-13

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. 

And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.  And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. 

And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.  The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” (Leviticus 6:8-13) 

The flame on the altar was never to be allowed to go out.  It takes many hours and a lot of wood to completely burn up an animal’s body, and the fire was to maintained round the clock to completely consume the sacrifices.  The altar was like a box with not top or bottom, and a fire grate that supported the wood and sacrifices while allowing the ashes to drop through.  The altar could be lifted and the ashes raked out beside the altar each morning before fresh wood and a new offering was added.

While raking out the old ashes and offering the new sacrifices, the priest was to wear his priestly garments.  When doing the housekeeping job of disposing of the ashes, however, he was to wear ordinary clothes.  He was to physically carry the ashes to clean place outside the camp.

As believers, we are priests to God, but we still have responsibilities and duties to interact with this world as humans.


The Meat offering
Leviticus 6:14-18

“And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.  And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.  And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 

It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.  All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.” (Leviticus 6:14-18) 

Every food offering was to be of pure flour mixed with oil as we saw earlier.  They could be of raw flour or like bread, cake or cookies, but they could not have any leaven, and were to be accompanied with frankincense.  The priest was to take a handful of the offering and all the incense to burn on the altar for a sweet smell as a memorial to the Lord, but the rest of the meat offering was to be given to the priests.  It was to be eaten in the court of the Tabernacle by the priests.  It was holy, and they could not add leaven tot eh raw flour later.  Anyone or anything that touched it had be holy as well.  The same applied to the sin and trespass offerings.

As believers we have the right to share in the blessings God gives the church, recognizing that it is his and not ours and partaking as part of the church,  At the same time we are responsible for maintaining an acceptable lifestyle in order to partake.  Those who refuse may not participate and need to be put out of the church according to I Corinthians 5..


Offering of Dedication For a Priest
Leviticus 6:19-23

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.  In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD.  And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the LORD; it shall be wholly burnt.  For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.” (Leviticus 6:19-23)

Every morning and every evening a meat offering was to be made by the priest who was to be on duty, dedicating himself for the next shift.  Each day about a quart of fine flour was to be baked with pure olive oil,  Half was to burned on the altar in the morning by the priest who would serve during the day, and the rest burned in the evening by the priest who would serve through the night.  None of this meat offering for the priests was to be eaten.  

As believer priests, we have the responsibility for daily maintaining our relationship with Christ, through prayer and bible study.


The Sin Offering
Leviticus 6:24-30

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy.  The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Leviticus 6:24-26) 

The sin offering was to be killed in the same place where the burnt offering was killed.  The priest who made the sin offering was to eat of the flesh of it, and only in the court of the Tabernacle.  Because it was holy, it was not to shared with people who were not holy.

“Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.” (Leviticus 6:27)

Only holy things were to be allowed to touch the sacrifice, and any blood that might get on the priests garments was to be carefully washed out in the holy place.

“But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water. “ (Leviticus 6:28)

The pot in which the meat was cooked was to be thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed in clean water.  Unglazed earthenware pots absorb some of the meat and cannot be completely cleaned by scrubbing alone, so they were to be broken to prevent being used again.

“All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy. 

 And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.” (Leviticus 6:29-30)

The blood from sin offerings for individual leaders and common people was only sprinkled on the brazen altar.  Any of the priests could partake of the part of those sacrifices that was designated for the priests.    Blood from the sin offerings for priests, or for the entire congregation, on the other hand, was sprinkled before the veil in the temple.   The bodies of those sacrifices was burned without the camp. And no part of them was to be eaten.  The priests should not benefit from their own sin.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Trespass Offerings

Leviticus 5:14-6:7

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 5:14-16) 

God gave special directions relating to who was to eat the holy things, and how they were to be offered, such as the command that every meat offering was to be offered with salt.   If a person unwittingly made a mistake in handling these offerings, as for example a priest offering what was intended as a sin offering as a meat offering instead, adding oil or incense to the flour, he was to repay the cost of the sacrifice with an additional twenty percent, as well as sacrificing a ram for his guilt.

“And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.  And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him.  It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD.” (Leviticus 5:17-19)

Guilt is defined as the state of having done something wrong.  If you did the wrong, you are guilty, whether you did it knowingly or not.  The not guilty by reason of insanity iis only possible by changing the meaning of the English word.  God was specific that the meaning was not to be changed.

 There are a number of things that are specifically forbidden by the law.  Even if a person was unaware of those provisions, if he did them he was still guilty, and was responsible for the consequences of his actions.  He was to bring a ram for a trespass offering for having violated God’s command, and money to make restitution for the harm done. And for his ignorance.  It was the person’s responsibility to know what God had said, and the failure to learn was itself sin.   He didn’t take what God wanted seriously enough to even find out what he was forbidden to do.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.” (Leviticus 6:1-5)

Human nature is such that we instinctively react to protect ourselves.  When confronted with a mistake or sin we tend to lie about what happened to hide our guilt.  It is not premeditated, but it is still a lie.  People find something and take it with them with no thought of stealing it.  God recognizes our human frailties and unintentional, even though they are still sin.  He made provision for forgiveness for such things.  The first step is making restitution for any loss the other person may have suffered.  He is to add twenty percent of the value to make up for other losses the loss of the item may have caused.

 “And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein. “ (Leviticus 6:6-7)

Along with estimated value of the restitution, the person was to bring a good ram for the priests to offer as an atonement for their sin.  Any such violation of God’s commandments which was not intentional could be forgiven. 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Sins of Omission

Leviticus 5:1-13

“And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 5:1)

The word swear used hear has the same meaning as in court when one swears to tell the truth.  It is not sin to hear such a promise, but it is sin to hear it and not tell if the one taking the oath claims he didn’t make it, whether one was asked to witness it or not.  Numbers 30:2 commands, “If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”

It didn’t matter whether it was a vow to God or an oath to someone else, the Jews were keep it.  Legally one is an accessory to a crime if one knowingly helps another get by with it, even though they did not participate in the crime itself.  Knowing someone had taken and oath and broken it and not telling made one an accessory to a breach of contract.  He will be held responsible by God.

“Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.  Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.” (Leviticus 5:2-3)

In New Mexico people are warned not to handle dead prairie dogs because they often have died of bubonic plague and may transmit it to the person handling the body.  Unclean animals were those most susceptible to diseases which might infect humans.  Even though it was accidental and the person didn’t realize he had touched the body of such a dead animal he might still be carrying the germs or pathogens, putting others at risk.

Medical personnel use rubber gloves when handling patients with certain diseases to avoid being infected themselves or spreading the infection to others.  People who are not medically trained may not be aware of the dangers, but that does not preclude their getting infected.  If a person later realizes he has been exposed to such a potential infection from man or animal, he is responsible for not spreading the disease to others.  

“Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.” (Leviticus 5:4) 

Fifty years ago, when we first moved to the reservation, Navajo custom was that t person wasn’t obligated to do what he said until he had said it four times because it is so easy to say things without thinking about what we have said.  If they had repeated it four times, it was not a slip of the tongue.  The Hebrew word translated swear means ‘to seven oneself’, literally to repeat it seven times.  Just as with the Navajos, the promise was not unintentional if it had been repeated that many times.

Even though a person had not made a point of swearing to do something, just promising to do it, perhaps not even realizing what he had said, but as soon as he learned what he had said, he was responsible for fulfilling the promise.  Jesus warned, “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” in Matthew 5:37.  Just a man’s word ought to be enough,  If more is needed, it indicates distrust .

“And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.” (Leviticus 5:5-6)

From time to time, nearly everyone misspeaks or fails to speak up or otherwise fails to take responsibilities.  When they realized they had done so, the Jews were to confess their sin, acknowledging their responsibility, and were to give a sin offering as an individual in the previous examples of sin offerings.  Because they were sins of omission rather than of conscious action, there was no difference between the leaders or priests and ordinary people.

“And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.  And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head, And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and d from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.  And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 5:7-10)

If a person was able he should bring a lamb or kid.  If he could not, a pair of young pigeons or turtledoves would be acceptable.  One was offered as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering as commanded elsewhere.  

“But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. 

Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering.  And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering.” (Leviticus 5:11-13) 

Even two turtledoves or pigeons might be hard for some people to get.  In such a case, God would accept about two quarts of fine flour for a sin offering for sins like these.  God gets no pleasure from a sin offering, and did not want them to add any oil or frankincense.  The priest was to take a handful of the flour and burn it as a sin offering, keeping the rest as food offering.

Hebrews 10:12 is speaking of Christ when it says, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”  Because no further sacrifice is needed, I John 1:9 can promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  We still need to confess our sins and take responsibility.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Sin Offering For a Leader

Leviticus 4:22-26

“When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty; Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering.” (Leviticus 4:22-24)

Political leaders have a lower impact on the morals of a nation than religious leaders.  As a result, they did not need the same sacrifice as the priests.  They could get by with just a young male goat, and did not have to offer a young bull.  They still had to clearly identify the sacrifice as being for them by placing their hands on its head.

And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.  And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 4:25-26) 

The handling of the ruler or ordinary people’s sacrifices by the priest was some what different than that for the entire congregation or one of the priests.   The blood was not taken into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil or smeared on the horns of the altar of incense.  It was only applied to the horns of the brazen altar and poured out at it’s base.


All the fat was burned just as it was for the peace offering, as an atonement or reparation for the sin.  He would then be forgiven.


Sin Offering For The Common People
Leviticus 4:27-35

“And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. 

And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 4:27-31)

Ordinary people of no special influence were just as responsible for their actions, but a young female goat was sufficient to make reparation for their sin.  The effort to make his sin right was treated as a demonstration of love and thus was viewed as a sweet savor offering.    When Christians acknowledge responsibility and repent of their sin, it is an act of love that pleases God.

“And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.  And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 4:32-35)

It was not critical that the offering for ordinary people be a goat.  A female lamb was also acceptable.  It was to sacrificed in exactly the same way, whether sheep or goat.

Sin in the lives of those with influence is far more serious than that of other people because it has so much Impact.  It thus must be taken even more seriously than sin in the life of less influential people.   Unfortunately, society tends to overlook sin in in those with significant influence, whether pastor, political leader, or celebrity.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Sin Offering For The entire Congregation

Leviticus 4:13-21

“And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. “ (Leviticus 4:13-14)

The Jews had had the law for about eight hundred years when Josiah became king.  During that time they had depended on the Levites and priest to teach them what they should do.   After Hezekiah’s death, the temple had been closed up by Manasseh and Amon, and the people had largely forgotten the Law.  Josiah was trying to get back to the proper worship of God.  In the process of cleaning and reopening the temple, they found a copy of the Law.

II Chronicles 34:19-21 describes Josiah’s reaction when they read it.  “And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.  And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.” 

Until he heard the law read, Josiah had assumed he was doing what God said.  When he heard it, he realized they had been doing a lot of things that were not right simply because nobody had taught them what God expected.  They were guilty of the sin, but because it was done in ignorance, could be readily forgiven.  This provision was made especially for such cases.

“And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.” (Leviticus 4:15)

In a case involving the a large group it was not practical for each individual to personally identify with the sacrifice personally, so the leaders acted as representatives for them.   They were to make the sacrifice as soon as they were aware of the sin.

“And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the veil.  And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.  And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. 

And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.” (Leviticus 4:16-21)

Other than the elders laying their hands on the sacrifice’s head instead of the individual, this sacrifice is exactly the same in every detail as that for a priest who had sinned.  The same sacrifice as was required for a single priest was sufficient for the entire congregation.  It was a sacrifice for sin, not for individual sins, which would have required a separate sacrifice for each sin.

This is an important concept for us Christians.  Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  As a result, I John 2:2 says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”  It is because he dies for sin rather than individual sins that Christ can die in our place.   He doesn’t need to die again for each person.

This does not mean we do not have to personally deal with our sins.  Galatians 6:5 says, “For every man shall bear his own burden.”  we may receive encouragement and support, but ultimately each person must take his own responsibility.  Romans 2:6-11 warns, God “…will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.”

We can’t be forgiven by proxy, whether by having someone be baptized for us, or by having some priest pray for us.   A city may set up a dumpster and haul all the trash in it away for free, but it is still up to the individuals to get their trash in the dumpster.  In the same way, it is up to us to get our sins included.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Sin Offerings For a Priest

Leviticus 4:1-12

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.  And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD.” (Leviticus  4:1-4)

The sin offerings were required for a sin the person had done.  They were strictly for sins that had been done unintentionally, whether not realizing they were sin, or not realizing a person was doing them.  They were not for intentional or habitual sin.  The sacrifice required would depend on the influence the individuals actions would have.

A priest’s sin would influence the entire congregation.  He was required to bring a young bullock for his sin.  It had to be without blemish, and he had to identify the bullock as his personal sacrifice.

“And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary.  And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Leviticus 4:5-7)

A different priest was to take the blood into the first room of the tabernacle, the holy place, and sprinkle it in front of the veil separating the two rooms.  He was also to smear some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense, portraying Christ acting as our advocate before God, as I John 2:1-2 describes.  “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Deliberate sin is a different story.  Hebrews 10:26-27 warns, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”  For those who reject Christ, it is eternal damnation.  For those who receive him, Hebrews 12:6 warns, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”  

Whether a person is a Christian or not, deliberate sin will be punished.  Hebrews 12:8 advises, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”  A person who seems to be getting by with sin is not a child of God, and is destined for hell.  God is allowing him to go in hopes he will turn to Christ.   Romans 2:3-4 asks, “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”   I realize this goes against what is commonly believed today.

“And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away, As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.” (Leviticus 4:8-10)

The priest was to burn the same parts on the altar as were burned for the peace offerings.

“And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.” (Leviticus 4:11-12) 

All the rest of the body of the sin offering was to be taken outside the camp and burned as representing the sin.  Hebrews 13:10-14 refers to this practice.  “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.  For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

I Peter 2:9 declares, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”  This direction for the priests especially relates to the Christian.  As Christians, we have our sins taken away, not just covered up, and so we need to move beyond the same old things we did in the past.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The Peace Offering

Leviticus 3:1-17

“And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.   And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.” (Leviticus 3:1-2)

The word translated peace means ‘in requital’,  meaning something done or given voluntarily in return or repayment for some service or benefit.  The sweet savor offering as a demonstration of love was to be a male.  The peace offering could be either male ofr female.  Like the sweet savor offering, it was to be identified a being from a particular person by his placing his hands on its head.  The blood was to be sprinkled on each side of the altar.  We start with  the sacrifice of a bull or cow.  It still had to be the best, as a sign of respect toward God.

“And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. 

And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.” (Leviticus 3:3-5)

All the fat around the organs and in the chest cavity was to be separated out, as were the kidneys, the gall bladder, and burned on the altar.  As we will see later, in chapter 7, the body of the peace offering was to be eaten and enjoyed.  The part that was burned was for a sweet smell to the Lord.

“And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.  If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar. 

And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.  And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.” (Leviticus 3:6-11) 

The rules for offering a sheep for a peace offering were almost the same as for a cow or bull.  However they differed in that the entire rump of the animal starting where the backbone and joined the pelvis was to be burned along with the fat in the interior cavities and around the kidneys, as well as the gall bladder and kidneys.  

“And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about. 

And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.  And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD'S.” (Leviticus 3:12-16)

If a goat was offered instead of a sheep, the rump was not burned.  Everything else was done the same as for a sheep.

 “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.” (Leviticus 3:17)

In Exodus 15:26, God spoke to Israel, “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”  

Most pathogens are carried by the blood.  By forbidding them to eat the blood, God ensured that they would not be exposed to some of the diseases that might otherwise enter the system.  In addition, the blood has symbolic meaning and eating it would affect that symbolism, which will be discussed later.

The human body requires a certain amount of fat to function properly, and the colder climate one lives in, the more fat ids required.  Certain fats are essential for proper brain and heart function, and can be used to provide energy for other cells.  As a result the body stores fat to be used as needed.

Unfortunately, poisons and other things the body is unable to process are stored in the fat cells along with the needed fats.  By avoiding animal fats, the jws would minimize their exposure to any toxins the animals might have eaten.  The use of olive oil and the fat contained in the meat and other foods would provide the fats their bodies needed.  His commands were for their benefit, not just to control them.  We will see this repeatedly in this study.  Unfortunately most people believe the Lie that Satan told Eve, that God is trying to keep them from something good.