Leviticus 7

The Explanation

Leviticus 7 is a chapter full of rules about offerings. That sounds dry, but if you read carefully, you see something beautiful happening at the tabernacle, the big tent where the Israelites met God in the desert.

The chapter talks about different kinds of offerings. There is the trespass offering, which someone brought when they had done something wrong. There is the sin offering, which is similar. And there is the peace offering, which someone brought when they were thankful or when they had made a promise to God.

Every kind of offering has its own instructions. Where should the animal be killed? What should be done with the blood? What should be burned on the altar, and what may be eaten? God is very precise about it. Nothing is left to chance.

Something striking is that the priests get to eat part of the offerings. The skin of a burnt offering is for the priest who brought it. Bread offerings baked in the oven or on a griddle go to the priests too. And with the peace offering, the priest gets the breast and the right thigh. That is not because the priests are greedy, but because God cares for them. They work full-time at the tabernacle and have no fields of their own.

There are also strict rules. Meat from a thank offering must be eaten on the same day. Nothing may be left over until morning. And meat that has touched something unclean must be burned. Whoever eats fat or blood is "cut off from his people," which means: no longer belongs to the community of God.

That sounds harsh. But God wants His people to understand that He is holy and that meeting Him is not something you do casually.

What Does This Mean?

Behind all these rules lies one big thought: coming to God is serious. You cannot just walk up to Him with your hands in your pockets. Something has to happen with sin, and something has to happen with your heart.

The trespass offering shows that wrong must really be dealt with. The peace offering shows that you may also come to God when things are good, simply to say thank you. And the priests, who eat along, show that God takes care of the people who serve Him.

The rule about fat and blood is not weird for no reason. The fat was seen as the very best part, and that best part belonged to God. The blood stood for life, and life belongs to God alone. By keeping those rules, the Israelites daily remembered: God is first.

The Common Thread

If you read this chapter, you might think: I am glad I do not have to bring a lamb every time I do something wrong. And that is exactly the point. All these offerings pointed forward to Someone who was still to come: Jesus.

Jesus was the trespass offering, because He took our wrong on Himself. He was the peace offering, because through Him we have peace with God. And He is also the great high priest, who prays for us. Everything the Israelites did over and over, Jesus did once, for always.

The strict rules about clean and unclean show how carefully God is treated. That has not changed. But now Jesus makes us clean, so we may come near.

For You

You do not have to bring an offering, but the question behind the chapter is still there: how do you come to God? Casually, or with respect?

You can practice that in small things. When you pray, do you really mean what you say, or do you just quickly rattle off some words? When you have done something wrong, do you dare to name it honestly to God, or do you keep silent about it?

And think of the peace offering. That was a thank you. When did you last thank God for something? Not because you had to, but because you really wanted to. Try it today. Name one thing out loud that you are grateful for. That is a kind of peace offering too.

Talk About It

Why do you think God gave so many precise rules about the offerings? What does that tell you about who He is?

Jesus is called our offering. What does that mean for you personally, and does it change how you pray?

Praying Together

Lord God, thank You that we no longer have to bring animals, because Jesus gave Himself for us. Teach us to come to You with respect and with a thankful heart. Help us to be honest about what goes wrong, and to see what is good. Amen.