What connections exist between Leviticus 19:5 and New Testament teachings on sacrifice? Leviticus 19:5—The Peace Offering in View “When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.” Key Features of the Old-Covenant Peace Offering • Voluntary, celebratory, and relational—expressed gratitude for fellowship with God • Blood shed and portions burned, signifying life given to secure peace • Must be offered “so that you may be accepted,” underscoring God’s standard for approach Christ—The Ultimate, Acceptable Peace Offering • Isaiah 53:5 links peace with His atoning wounds • Ephesians 2:13-14: Christ “is our peace,” demolishing the barrier between God and humanity • Ephesians 5:2: “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” • Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” Connections: – Voluntary: John 10:18—He lays down His life of His own accord – Acceptance: Matthew 3:17—“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” – Fellowship: Romans 5:1—“Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Believers—Offering Spiritual Sacrifices • Romans 12:1: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice…pleasing to God” • 1 Peter 2:5: “Offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” • Hebrews 13:15-16: “Offer the sacrifice of praise…do not neglect doing good and sharing” Connections: – Acceptance still essential; now secured in Christ (1 Peter 2:5) – Sacrifice shifts from animal to life-response—praise, obedience, service Shared Themes Bridging Leviticus and the New Testament • Acceptance by God—grounded then in obedient offering, now in Christ’s finished work • Peace and fellowship—celebrated around a sacrificial meal then, around the Lord’s Table now (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) • Holiness of worship—Leviticus demands purity; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 calls for bodies as temples • Voluntary gratitude—freewill nature in Leviticus foreshadows cheerful giving and service (2 Corinthians 9:7) Putting It Together Leviticus 19:5 points forward to the cross, where the once-for-all peace offering of Jesus perfectly secures our acceptance. In Him, believers continue the sacrificial motif—no longer through animals, but through lives of worship, service, and praise that mirror the wholehearted devotion the original peace offering required. |
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