Leviticus 3:1-17 – Be at peace with God, self and fellowmen

In Leviticus 1, we have instruction concerning the burnt offering. And in Leviticus 2 the instruction is on how to present the grain or meal offering to God. When we come to Leviticus 3, we find instruction on how to offer peace offering to God.  What is the purpose of the peace offering? Leviticus 7:11-16, tell us that the peace offering can be given as a thanksgiving offering, a vow offering or merely as a freewill offering.

In this offering, the worshipper could bring an animal from his herd or flock. In other words, it could be anything from the cattle, a sheep, a lamb or a goat. There is no specification that the offering must be a male animal. It could be a female as well. But the animal must be without defect. This again tells us that we must offer to the Lord our best. Unlike the burnt offering, fowl could not be offered in the peace offering. Why? The peace offering would include a meal. A turtledove or a pigeon wouldn’t be adequate to feed the invited guests.

Again, this offering is first presented at the altar of sacrifice. The worshipper making the offering wold then lay his hand on the head before slaying the animal. The Aaronic priest would then sprinkle the blood on the altar. Then the fats covering the entrails, the fats covering the kidneys, as well as the fats on the loins, plus the lobe of the liver will be removed, burnt and offered to the Lord on the altar. This offering includes several parties: God, the priest, the person offering and his guests. There must first be peace with God before we can ever have peace with fellowmen. That’s the reason there will be a meal in the presence of the Lord. God in a sense would become the host. 

Here are some thoughts for us. There is a price to peace. It always comes with a cost. The peace offering always comes on top of the burnt offering. This tells us that any praise, prayer or thanksgiving we offer to God must be grounded on the atonement. No matter what service we render to God, it will be acceptable only because of the sacrifice Christ had made for us. The word peace is telling. It speaks of health, wholeness, and well-being. It also suggests the freedom from strife and antagonism. More and more we are discovering that wholeness and well-being is not just a matter of physical well-being. It includes the well-being of the spirit, the soul and the mind. The wholeness God wants us to have is not just about clinical wellness but also spiritual wellness. Our peace with God makes possible the peace we seek within oneself and with our fellowmen. Christ is our peace!