Peace Offering - Leviticus 3

Chapter 1 is about burnt offerings that are made to atone for unintentional sins, chapter 2 is about grain offerings which are tributes made to God, and chapter 3 is about a “peace offering.” This is an animal sacrifice similar to a burnt offering except that there can be no birds used as the animals. Another difference between the burnt offering and a peace offering is that while a burnt offering can only use male animals, the peace offering can use either male or female animals. A burnt offering involves almost all of the animal but the peace offering only involves burning the fat that surrounds the liver, kidneys, and entrails. The IM notes that the use of fat in this offering “was indicative of the well-being of the whole animal. It came to represent the consecration of the whole life of the individual to God.”

The burnt and grain offerings were more expected and frequent than this peace offering, being completely up to the discretion of the offerer. Another interesting point that TB made in this lecture was that this offering also provided a lot of food for the priests. In the burnt offering, the priests could keep the animal skins for their own use. In the grain offering, the priests kept most of the offering provided for their own personal food, but they had to eat it in the courtyard of the temple because it was considered a sacred meal.

TB also says that the offerer could share this grain offering meal with the priests in the temple courtyard because it was sacred together but the IM says that the priests could also share it with their families, so I’m not exactly sure what all that means. With the peace offering, however, the priests kept the vast majority of the animal meat for themselves to eat and I think that they could take that meat home to their families instead of being confined to eating the meat in the temple courtyard. Most of the animal would be available for eating because only certain parts of the fat were sacrificed, so that left a lot left over afterward.

The purpose of the peace offering was explained in a round-about manner by TB who cites the best explanation as coming from a 10 year old boy who offered a benediction at a church function. The boy had prayed “God, make me obedient so that I can live a good life.” It seems to me like a peace offering might be employed when the person wants God to know that they are trying to be righteous, even if they are wildly imperfect a lot of the time. That is a concept that I understand very well. I want to be good, I am not good most of the time, but I want to be.

TB says that there were 3 “stated occasions for the giving of the Peace offering”, and I think that these occasions will help us understand the purpose a little bit more:

1. Confession offering – “was used for when the worshipper sought God for deliverance from his nemies or for healing from sickness.” He goes on to state that because most people at the time believed that any misfortune befalling them was an indication that they had offended God in some way, this was a way to confess to God that they know they offended Him, thus “confessing” their sin and asking for forgiveness. TB called it “a confession of their sinful condition and unworthiness.”

2. Vow offering – this type happened when someone needed God’s help with something and they came asking for that help and pledging something in return. TB explains, “it was typical in that day to make a vow to God that if He helped your out of some kind of problem, or would show His mercy to you for a special need, you would pledge to do something for God in return. When that pledge, that vow, to God was fulfilled it would be capped off with a ceremony that included a Peace Offering.”

3. Free-will offering – unlike the other two incidents, this type of offering wasn’t prompted by something someone wanted from God, but instead “was simply a spontaneous expression of gratitude to Yehoveh. It was quite a joyful occasion.” I really like this one actually, seems happy and unprompted. I wonder how I can make “free-will” offerings to God in my own life just to show appreciation. Maybe it’s by being positive and having a good attitude. Now that would be a wholehearted offering.