The next set of verses (202 to be exact, according to Blue Letter Bible) all relate to peace offerings. Friends, I had no idea how often this phrase was repeated. Let’s start with the definition.
Peace/Fellowship Offerings:
(Heb. shelamim), detailed regulations regarding given in Lev. 3; 7:11-21, 29-34. They were of three kinds, (1) eucharistic or thanksgiving offerings, expressive of gratitude for blessings received; (2) in fulfilment of a vow, but expressive also of thanks for benefits recieved; and (3) free-will offerings, something spontaneously devoted to God.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Before I begin this deep dive, I want to explain the importance of studying this. We may no longer be under a sacrificial system, but the reasons for this offering can still be applied to our lives today. It seems to me that if it is mentioned 202 times, there may be points for us to learn and apply. UPDATE: I just went through all the different examples of peace/fellowship offerings. There were many. I have included them all (the examples, not 202 verses, haha).
I thought about explaining each verse, context and such, but here it is, go read the stories. Go familiarize yourself. It’s such a blessing as I sit here, in awe of this history. It’s truly a blessing. I’m also really glad that I wasn’t in charge of clean-up after Solomon’s offerings. Yeesh. There is a cost to peace. Yes, thousands upon thousands of animals died for these offerings.
Think of the one sacrifice, done once for all. Familiarize yourself with the cost of Jesus’ sacrifice. Look at John 19.
So, let’s begin with how to present a peace offering according to Torrey’s New Topical Textbook.
Peace-Offerings: The Offerer Required
- To give it freely: “When you offer a fellowship sacrifice to the LORD, sacrifice so you may be accepted.” Leviticus 19:5
- To bring it himself: “Tell the Israelites: The one who presents a fellowship sacrifice to the LORD is to bring an offering to the LORD from his sacrifice. His own hands will bring the fire offerings to the LORD. He will bring the fat together with the breast. the breast is to be presented as a presentation offering before the LORD. Leviticus 7:29-30
- To lay his hand upon its head and kill it at tabernacle door: “He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He must lay his hand on the head of his offering, then slaughter it before the tent of meeting. Aaron’s sons will splatter its blood on all sides of the altar.” (Verse 13 repeats verse) Lev 3:2,8,13
Takeaways from just this list. The intent behind this offering meant the Israelites were deliberate. To give, to be one to offer and to be the one to kill the innocent life, all of these reasons meant this sacrifice was very individual. It makes me think of this song: My Worship.
Next…
Peace-Offerings: Was Offered
As a thanksgiving-offering: “If he presents it for thanksgiving, in addition to the thanksgiving sacrifice, he is to present unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. He is to present as his offering cakes of leavened bread with his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship.”Lev 7:12,13
As a votive (fulfillment of a vow) offering:“If the sacrifice he offers is a vow or free will offering, it is to be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and what is left over may be eaten on the next day.” Lev 7:16
For reconciliation: And the quota from the flock is one animal out of every two hundred from well-watered pastures of Israel. These are for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings, to make atonement (reconciliation) for the people. Eze 45:15; But, not in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh…Eph 2:13,14
For confirming the legal covenant: Then he sent out young Israelite men, they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. Exd 24:5
At consecration of priests: “Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering over the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them and the right thigh (since this is the ram for ordination (consecration and normally the priests would receive the right thigh, here it is burned)); The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. Exd 29:22,29
For the people at large: “…an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the LORD; an a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD is going to appear to you.”Lev 9:4
At expiration of Nazarite’s vow: “He is to present an offering to the LORD of one unblemished year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, one unblemished year old female lamb as a sin offering, one unblemished ram as a fellowship offering. Num 6:14
At all the festivals:“You are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your fellowship sacrifices and on your joyous occasions, you appointed festivals, and the beginning of each of your months. They will serve as a remind for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”Num 10:10
At dedication of tabernacle: “…and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice.” (Each leader presented this to Moses and Aaron at the dedication of the tabernacle. 12 leaders, 12 days. Same sacrifice.)Num 7:17,23
At dedication of temple: “ The king and all Israel with him were offering sacrifices in the LORD’s presence. Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD: twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep and goats. In this manner the king and all the Israelites dedicated the LORD’s temple. On the same day, the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the LORD’s temple because that was where he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offering since the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to accommodate the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings.” 1Ki 8:62-64
At coronation of kings: “So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the LORD’s presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the LORD’s presence, and Saul and al the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. 1Sa 11:15
By Joshua after his victories: “…just as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built [altar] according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses; an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. then they offered burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings on [altar]. Jos 8:31
By Israel after their defeat:“The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the LORD. They fast that day until evening and offering burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD.”Jdg 20:26
By David on bringing up the ark: “They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the LORD’s presence.”2Sa 6:17
By David after the plague:“He built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD was receptive to prayer for the land and the plague on Israel ended.”2Sa 24:25
By Solomon three times a year: “Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offering and fellowship offerings on the altar he built for the LORD, and he burned incense with them in the LORD’s presence. So he completed the temple.”1Ki 9:25
By Manasseh on repairing and restoring the altar: “He removed the foreign gods and the idols from the LORD’s temple, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the LORD’s temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. He built the altar of the LORD and offered fellowship and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. 2Ch 33:15,16
If you made it all the way to the end, bravo!! This took me awhile to compile. Thoroughly enjoyed my time in this, but grateful I don’t live under this system.
Peace.
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