Why is the concept of "not credited" significant in Leviticus 7:18? Context of the Command • Leviticus 7 details the regulations for the fellowship (peace) offering • vv. 15–17 set a strict consumption timeline: same day for thanksgiving offerings, next day for other fellowship offerings, never on the third day • v. 18 states: “If any of the flesh of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted; it will not be credited to the one who presents it. It is impure, and the person who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.” Meaning of “not credited” • “Credited” (Hebrew ḥāšab) carries the idea of accounting, reckoning, counting something toward one’s benefit (cf. Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3) • When God says the sacrifice “will not be credited,” He is declaring it null—no spiritual benefit, no covenant favor, no atonement effect • The worshiper retains full guilt: “the person who eats of it shall bear his iniquity” Why This Matters 1. Ensures wholehearted obedience – God’s commands include details; partial obedience is disobedience (1 Samuel 15:22) – A worshiper who ignores God’s timing reveals a heart indifferent to God’s holiness 2. Guards against treating sacrifice as magic – Sacrifices were not automatic tokens; their efficacy depended on covenant faithfulness (Isaiah 1:11–17) – Eating on the third day turned the offering into “impure” flesh, removing any meritorious value 3. Highlights God’s holiness and the seriousness of impurity – Contact with defilement brings liability (Leviticus 5:1–5; 7:20–21) – “Not credited” underscores the gulf between holy God and sinful people 4. Teaches the principle of imputation – Positive: Righteousness can be “credited” by faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:22–24) – Negative: Disobedience nullifies credit, leaving guilt “on the books” (Leviticus 7:18; Numbers 18:22) – The sacrificial system foreshadows Christ, whose obedience is “credited” to believers (2 Corinthians 5:21) 5. Protects communal purity – An invalid offering invited divine judgment on the entire camp (Leviticus 10:1–3) – Corporate worship required each member’s faithfulness Application Today • Worship must align with God’s revealed pattern, not personal preference (John 4:24) • External acts devoid of obedience gain no heavenly “credit” (Matthew 7:21–23) • Only the perfect sacrifice of Christ is forever “accepted” and continually “credited” to all who trust Him (Hebrews 10:14) |
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