Last week we spoke of the freewill offerings the people of Israel were instructed to offer before God. We noted that this offering could more accurately be called a peace-offering. We talked about how this offering serves as a form of Thanksgiving to God.
Today we want to consider this time of Great Thanksgiving further.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The IN SEASON Lifestyle’s once a week Thursday bible study called COME AS A CHILD. Today we will continue discussing Leviticus Chapter 3. If you missed last week’s lesson you may review it here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/peace-offerings/.
Last week we dealt with all of the mechanics of the sacrifice of the peace-offering.
Today we will look more at the deep meaning for offering these sacrifices.
THE PEACE OFFERING WAS MANDATORY ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
The only time the peace-offering was mandatory was during the feast of Pentecost, and at the end of the time of fulfillment of a Nazarene’s vow of separation.
I love the thought that most of these offerings are not from duty or obligation; but from the freewill of the person worshiping God.
Other than these two occasions; a person brought a peace-offering whenever they felt they wanted to do so.
When was the last time God’s Spirit was at work inside your heart urging you to go to the altar and make a peace-offering?
THE PAGANS ALSO OFFERED PEACE OFFERINGS TO THEIR FALSE GODS
Here I would like to bring up the point that peace offerings were also used as a part of pagan worship to false pagan gods by the pagans living in the land. There was a worship of goat demons going on in the land that took place out in the open fields. This was a counterfeit form of worship. It was a perversion of the form of the original animal sacrifices offered back in the days of the people from Genesis. Usually whenever we encounter or see false worship going on it can be traced back to a true worship practice that has been perverted and counterfeited.
This pagan worship/sacrifice was a forbidden form of worship.
God wanted his people to see and understand that.
He did not want them participating in this practice in any way, shape or fashion. It was forbidden.
God had initiated animal sacrifices back in the days of the sin of Adam and Eve. We also know and understand that God accepted the animal sacrifices of Abel and all of the people like Abraham in the Old Testament times; but God had certain regulations that needed to be followed. These godly men of old knew and understood the rules of sacrifice because they had been passed down from generation to generation through the teachings of Seth.
So much time had passed and the people no longer had these teachings memorized. God did not want the people of Israel associated with this other, perverted, counterfeit form of worshiping goat demons.
Hence; He instructed them through His servant named Moses, and the laws for this type of sacrifice were written down in the book of Leviticus. The person making the sacrifice needed to be true to the One True God. He needed to follow the correct procedures for making a peace-offering.
This is part of the reason that the book of Leviticus goes into such detail as it speaks of the different offerings and sacrifices. These detailed instructions were an attempt to correct any form of corrupted or perverted offerings and to prevent any false worship in the camp of the Israelites and the place of the Tabernacle.
PAGANISM IS DEFINED BY THE DIVINITY BEING WORSHIPED
Again, it wasn’t the offering of the peace offerings that was pagan; it was the fact that some of these peace offerings were being offered up to pagan gods.
Both acts of worship were taking place in the land; one practice was honoring The One True God and one practice was honoring demons.
Anything that doesn’t show worship to The One True God is pagan in nature. The pagan part does not come from what you are doing; it comes from who you are doing what you are doing for.
CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS DETERMINE THE OFFERINGS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD
Back in the book of Exodus we studied these peace offerings that were acceptable to God. These were the same type of offerings that we also studied in the book of Genesis.
“You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.” (Exodus 20:24)
Notice that God specifies that the offerings are to take place in the place where He causes His name to be remembered. This would be the places where God’s people are lifting up praises to His Name; because we know that God inhabits the praises of His people. In the case of the Israelites; He came down to them in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
For this correct type of sacrificial offering; God’s people always received blessings.
Again in Exodus we have studied from the times that Moses wrote down these words of the LORD:”
“Then he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. (Exodus 24:4-5)
THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL SET THE EXAMPLE
Again in Exodus we read: “Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 9-11)
Notice it says they “ate and drank?” That means it was a Thanksgiving or a Peace offering. We covered this story about the leaders of Israel in more detail in a previous lesson and you may review this amazing time of feasting with God that the leaders of the Israelites were allowed to participate in here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/god-marries-israel/.
UNDERSTANDING THE HEBRAIC MEANING OF “PEACE”
It always helps us to understand when we remember that the word “peace” has a Hebraic meaning of “wholeness” or “completion.”
Let’s consider Genesis again.
God let Adam name all of the animals. God permitted the animals to pass before Adam in pairs; each paid was male and female. After hours and hours of naming the animals who came to him in pairs of male and female, Adam began to feel incomplete. He did not have anyone of his equal like the male and female animals that he was naming.
God saw how lonely Adam was and He created Eve. Eve was taken from Adam and the two of them together formed one. With Eve; Adam was complete. He was made “whole” when he became one with Eve.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF PEACE IN WORSHIP
In a similar concept; the Israelites became one with God in worship when they brought their peace offerings. They were incomplete without God; but when they were atoned by the offerings; they were accepted by God. As they were accepted; they felt to be one with God. This gave them spiritual peace which could only be obtained by the sacrificing of another innocent life. It made them feel complete.
The person making the sacrifice obtains peace with God through the shedding of innocent blood.
Can you see how this relates to Christ as our Peace Offering today?
CHRIST IS OUR PEACE OFFERING TODAY
Because He shed His innocent blood on the cross for mankind; we can experience peace and “wholeness” with God. It is the blood of Jesus that covers us that makes us whole. Through Christ God’s people are able to become One with Him in worship.
What could be more amazing?
What could give a person more peace?
What could bring more completeness?
THE PEACE OF GOD CARRIES OVER TO PEACE BETWEEN MEN
Because of this “Oneness” we achieve with God through the blood of Jesus; we are made able to love and live at peace with our fellow man.
In other words; when one has received great forgiveness and mercy; one is able to return that kindness to others.
This is yet another blessing of the peace-offering that God established the rules for way back in the times of the Levitical priesthood.
A NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLE OF THIS OLD TESTAMENT PRINCIPAL
The Apostle Paul speaks of this in the New Testament in Ephesians 2: 13 – 18:
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
A MEAL OF SHARED FELLOWSHIP
The meal that all parties enjoy together after the peace-offering is symbolic of the peace and fellowship that is formed through the sacrifice that is given.
I have always been fascinated with how many times God teaches us through the use of a meal.
So many important things for the people of God have happened in the course of the fellowship of a meal together with God.
Christian families across the globe can relate this blessing to the experiences they have known from their own dinner tables. There are so many Old Testament examples. First to come to mind with me was the hospitality of Abraham and Sarah. We can see many New Testament examples of this also.
LOOK AT THE BLESSING OF THE PRODIGAL
Let’s look at the story of the prodigal’s son in relation to this offering of the peace-offering.
We all know the story: The son of the prodigal asks for his inheritance early and winds up wasting all of it in a foreign land on sinful and frivolous living. There he become destitute and is having to eat the pods from the pig’s food in order to survive. It is the worst example of poverty that he could ever imagine. While living in poverty in the foreign land he remembers the fine food of his Father’s table. He recalls the fact that even his Father’s servants were treated well and ate all that they desired from his abundant and luscious table. Finally, the wayward son swallows his pride and returns home to his father begging his forgiveness.
And what does the Father do?
He slaughters the fatted calf.
This was the Father’s peace-offering to signify that the son was forgiven and all was well in the family again.
Knowing the meaning and details of the peace-offering makes this story come even more to life in our hearts.. The Father and Son were able to feast before The LORD and rejoice in their blessings after the peace-offering had been offered. The story becomes yet another beautiful example of how much God loves us and how the sacrifice of Jesus brings peace between mankind and God.
THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS COMPLETES US AND PROVIDES COMMUNION
With the peace-offering of Jesus we are all made whole and complete.
If you are a Christian and you come to Communion you are participating in the greatest peace-offering ever offered.
You have been invited as an honored guest to the table of God.
This is true because the body and blood of Christ has been offered up to you.
The offering has been given once for all and whosoever will may come to The Table of God. and be blessed.
THE PEACE OFFERINGS BRING UNITY
In the unity of the blood of Christ we are all able to come to the table and celebrate the Great Thanksgiving!
In Revelation Chapter 9, we hear of another time that we will be invited to come to the table of God.
What a day this will be!
Revelation 19:6-7: Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.”
THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB COMPLETES US
This “table passage” speaks of The Marriage Supper of The Lamb,” which is the time when we will be made One with Christ forever.
This is the marriage of the Church to Christ that will take place at the end of time as we know it.
All prodigals will be forgiven forever; because of the sacrifice of Christ. He will cover us with his cloak of pure redeeming blood and we will reign as his Bride forever.
That will be the time of the greatest Thanksgiving. It will be the time of total peace like we have never known and it will last for eternity.
COME TO THE REHEARSAL
Each time we come to God’s table and experience the time of Holy Communion we are rehearsing for the wedding feast. We are proclaiming the peace of God until Christ comes again.
Holy is the Lamb that was slain.
May we glorify His name forever!
May the praises of His people rise as we come to the time of the Spring Holy Days of God!