Leviticus 3 & 4: Will You Live Peacefully With All Men?
Verse of the Day: (3:1) 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.
1. Peace (3:1-17)
It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (3:17)
Beside the burnt and meat offering, the third offering was the peace offering that Israel must sacrifice so that they shall have peace with God and one another. Though the peace offering could be a male or female, yet it must be without blemish and the blood that was shed must be sprinkled at the altar. Indeed, God’s desire is for all His people to have peace with Him and one another and that was why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and shed His precious blood for our sins so that man shall be reconciled to Him as well as to one another. (Colossians 1:19-20) Finally, Israel was commanded not to take the fat and blood from the sacrifices for all their generations as they belonged to God. This commandment though is not applicable today since Jesus came to die for our sins, yet it is a good advice not to take them for health reasons and for our own benefits.
2. Priest (4:1-26)
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. (4:3)
Beside the burnt, meat and peace offerings, the fourth offering was the sin offering, which symbolised God’s forgiveness of man’s sins. When the priests ignorantly sinned against God, they must offer the sin offering, which was young bulls without blemish, and lay their hands on the bull’s heads signifying that these bulls were taking the penalty of their sins on their behalf, and shall then be killed in order for God to forgive their sins.
3. People (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; (4:27)
Whether it was the high priest, the priests, the ruler or the common people, every one of them who ignorantly sinned against God must offer his sacrifice and lay his hand on the sacrifice’s head, and let the priest kill the sacrifice, and dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before God. The priest then put some blood upon the horns of the altar and pour the remainder at the bottom of the altar before taking the fat and burning it upon the altar. Indeed, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and only through the atonement of the blood sacrifice shall all our sins be forgiven. (Hebrews 9:22)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to live peacefully with all men for Your praise.
