What does Leviticus 3:10 teach about the importance of offering sacrifices to God? The setting: fellowship offerings in Leviticus 3 • Leviticus 3 outlines the “fellowship” (or “peace”) offering—an act of gratitude and communion. • Verse 10 focuses on the precise parts to be burned: “both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys”. • These details immediately follow verse 9’s instruction to bring “the entire fat tail” and all the inner fat. Why God singles out the fat and inner organs • Fat represented richness and the choicest portion of the animal (cf. Deuteronomy 32:14). • Kidneys and liver were viewed as vital, hidden, and valuable—symbolizing the worshiper’s inmost being (cf. Psalm 139:13, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb”). • By reserving these for the altar, God teaches that the best, most precious parts belong to Him (Exodus 29:13, 22). What verse 10 teaches about the importance of sacrifice 1. Wholehearted devotion – God claims the inward, unseen portions, pointing to a sacrifice of the heart, not mere externals (1 Samuel 16:7). 2. Exclusive honor – “All fat belongs to the LORD” (Leviticus 3:16). Holding nothing back acknowledges His supreme worth. 3. Precise obedience – Specific instructions highlight that worship is on God’s terms, not ours (Leviticus 10:1–2). 4. Continual fellowship – The fellowship offering was eaten by the worshiper after the fat was burned (Leviticus 7:15). Peace with God flows from first giving Him His portion. 5. Anticipation of a perfect sacrifice – These meticulous offerings foreshadow Christ, who offered not parts but His entire self (Hebrews 10:5–10). Timeless principles drawn from Leviticus 3:10 • Give God the first and finest, not leftovers. • Offer what is valuable to you; that is the essence of worship (2 Samuel 24:24). • True fellowship with the Lord begins with surrender of the heart’s hidden places. • Obedience in the details matters; God is honored in exact faithfulness. Fulfillment in Christ and our New-Covenant response • Jesus became the once-for-all peace offering, giving His whole being (Ephesians 5:2). • Because His sacrifice fully satisfied God, we now “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). • We honor the principle of Leviticus 3:10 by: – Yielding our private thoughts, motives, and desires to Him. – Offering the “fat” of our time, talents, and resources. – Bringing praise and good works as spiritual sacrifices (Hebrews 13:15–16). Bringing it home Leviticus 3:10, in its careful command to place the kidneys, fat, and liver on the altar, underscores that God deserves the choicest and the deepest parts of our lives. As He accepted those offerings then, He now delights in whole-hearted, fully surrendered worship made possible through Christ. |
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