Leviticus 3

Notes

Ver. 1. Peace-offerings were offered (1) To obtain some blessing desired, or (2) To thank God for some mercy received. And as they respected the offerer's own advantage, he was allowed to offer either male or female.—[Peace-offering—an offering in payment of vows, and thankful acknowledgment of mercies, Ps. 116.17, 18, or of prayers for deliverance and peace, Ju. 20.26; 21.4; 1 Ch. 21.26. These offerings were lively emblems of 'the Prince of Peace,' Is. 9.6, of him 'who is our peace,' Ep. 2.14. The chief peculiarities in this offering are, (1) That it may be either 'a male or female,' most probably shadowing out the doctrine of that complete spiritual equality of nation, rank, or sex. Paul declares, 'There is neither Greek nor Jew, bond nor free, male nor female, but all one in Christ Jesus,' Ga. 3.28. (2) That it is divided to God, the priest, and the offerer, Le. 7.11, an emblem of that blessed 'fellowship of his Son,' 1 Co. 1.9, into which God has called believers, in which he 'comes into them and sups with them, and they with him,' Re. 3.26. C.]

Ver. 3. Here only the fat or tallow was the Lord's portion; the officiating priest had the breast, the right shoulder, the cheeks, and the maw, ch. 7.30-32; De. 18.3; and the offerer had the rest to feast upon with his friends, ch. 7.15, 16.

Ver. 4. [Some suppose the 'caul above the liver,' to mean the great lobe of the liver itself; others, a part of the omentum, a kind of fatty apron that covers the bowels in front; but there is no part of the animal to which the description can correctly apply, except the diaphragm, an internal compound muscle which divides the contents of the breast from the lower bowels, and which is one of the principal agents in the act of breathing. C.]

Ver. 5. It was to be burned upon the burnt-sacrifice, to mark that we are first to be reconciled to God by the death of Christ before any of our services can be accepted.

Ver. 17. They were prohibited to eat fat or blood, (1) To teach them to beware of inhuman cruelties; (2) To exercise them in obedience, self-denial, and mortification of their appetites, (3) To direct them to consider their redemption as obtained only by the blood, and their sanctification effected by the Spirit of that I have accepted Jesus Christ, and shall to etering? blood had three ends in view, (1) To preserve a faithful and reverent regard to the 'blood that maketh atonement,' Le. 17.11. (2) To preserve from the abominable idolatries of the heathen, of which David speaks, 'Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god, their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer.' (3) As a religious check upon cruelty to the lower animals. The law against fat cannot be explained upon any dietetic principle peculiar to eastern countries; moderately used, it is not unwholesome either in warm or cold climates. But it can justly be accounted for on the principle of the idolatry of the appetite, which made Paul weep when he contemplated its extent and ravages, Phi. 3.19, and as a principal minister to luxury, the use of the fat of the sacrificial parts is perpetually prohibited to the Israelites 'in all their dwellings.' C.]

Reflections.—Still in these peace-offerings I behold Jesus, the Son of God and seed of the woman, making peace for men with God, by the blood of his cross, the travail of his soul, and obtaining eternal redemption for us. Let me learn then to thank God for every mercy received, and seek every blessing which I need, through Jesus' atonement, surrendering my soul wholly to his service and honour, so shall I at once be a sweet savour to my God, the rejoicing of ministers, and a comfort to myself and my friends. But never let me dare to make use of anything relating to the Lord, and exhibiting his Christ as if it were a common thing, or forget the smallest of his injunctions, but receive his truth in love, and diligently observe his precepts.