How does Leviticus 7:12 connect to New Testament teachings on thanksgiving? Leviticus 7:12 in context “If he offers it in thanksgiving, then together with the thank offering he shall present unleavened cakes mixed with oil, wafers of unleavened bread spread with oil, and tempered fine flour mixed with oil.” Key features of the Old-Covenant thank offering • Voluntary response to God’s goodness, not a sin sacrifice • Includes bread without leaven → purity before God • All breads saturated in oil → life anointed by the Spirit • Shared meal with priest and worshiper → celebrated fellowship Fulfillment in Christ • Jesus becomes the once-for-all peace/thank offering (Ephesians 2:14; Hebrews 10:12) • Unleavened bread finds ultimate meaning in His sinless body (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) • Oil’s symbolism realized in the Spirit poured out on believers (Acts 2:33) New-Testament echoes of sacrificial thanksgiving • Lord’s Supper: “and when He had given thanks, He broke it” (1 Corinthians 11:24). The very word eucharist means “thanksgiving.” • Cup of blessing: “Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16) • Lifestyle offering: “Through Him then let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15) • Comprehensive gratitude: “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18); “always giving thanks for all things” (Ephesians 5:20) • Generosity that multiplies thanks: gifts to the needy “overflow in many expressions of thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11-12) Connecting threads 1. Both covenants link thankfulness to sacrifice; in the New Covenant the sacrifice is Christ, and our response is praise. 2. Both center on shared fellowship—ancient meal with priest, present communion with the risen Lord and His body. 3. Both insist on purity (unleavened) and Spirit-dependence (oil), now realized through regeneration and the Spirit’s indwelling. Practical takeaways today • Thanksgiving is not optional; it is the fitting response to accomplished redemption. • Offer praise verbally and visibly—Hebrews 13:15 calls it a continual sacrifice. • Celebrate the Lord’s Supper with an attitude of joyful gratitude, recognizing its Levitical roots. • Let generosity become a modern thank offering that stirs worship in others (2 Corinthians 9:12). Leviticus 7:12 establishes a pattern of dedicated, Spirit-anointed gratitude that the New Testament elevates into a lifelong, Christ-centered practice. |
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