When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female,
he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
Leviticus 3:1
God enjoys celebrating with His people. He gave them feasts and festivals and even today the Jewish people are known for their food. He gave them a land of milk and honey, but it also produced great harvests of grains, fruit, and livestock.
Without refrigeration, meat was hard to keep, so it wasn’t on the menu every day; it was special. When an animal from the herd (beef) or flock (goat meat or mutton) was to be slaughtered, it was taken to the Tabernacle or Temple, because the blood and the fat belonged to the LORD. When the fat sizzled on the altar it gave off a “sweet aroma” to God (Leviticus 4:31). The right foreleg was a heave offering to God, but the officiating priest got to keep it as payment for his services. The rest of the meat was for the owner to enjoy as he wished.
The peace offering was the most common and least restrictive of all the sacrifices. It could be any clean animal without defect (male or female didn’t matter), whatever someone had a taste for. Different kinds of breads were also a part of this fellowship dinner. Since everything had to be eaten in two days (it wouldn’t be safe to eat it much more after that), the peace offering was a good excuse for a party. Neighbors and friends would be invited and people looked for excuses to celebrate. If I invited friends to help me eat 500 pounds of beef in two days, they would probably do the same for me when they had a peace offering. That principle naturally nurtured hospitality, generosity, and fellowship.
The Prince of Peace became our Peace Offering to enjoy with the family of God. He is our Lamb of God, our Bread of Life, and our Companion and Friend “…therefore let us keep the feast…” (1 Corinthians 5:8).
May 26
